Teaching English in Northern Spain is different from teaching in the South. In many countries of the world, things can vary widely from region to region. Each part of Spain has its own special charm and is rich with traditions. In this post, we are going to hear from ladies who have taught in different parts of Northern Spain.
If you’re considering teaching English in Northern Spain, but don’t know where you’d like to teach, I invite you to read these Q&As. Below is a map of all the autonomous regions. This post will cover Asturias, Catalonia and Castilla y León.
Teaching English in Northern Spain
Table of Contents
Asturias
Oviedo
Name: Leya Ferrazzoli
Age: 35+
Where you’re from: USA
How long did you live there?
Sept 2018 – Sept 2019
Why did you choose the region you’re in?
After having been an auxiliar in Andalucía for the maximum of two years and no longer able to renew there, I thought it would be fun to get to know the North of Spain as well.
What did you know about it before coming there?
I was told it was beautiful, that the food was delicious, and that it rained often.
How much Spanish do you need where you live?
Very few people spoke English.
Give me a few positives and a few less positives about where you live.
Positives
- I lived in the center of Oviedo, and it was easy and inexpensive to catch a train or bus to see many of the beautiful towns along the coast of Asturias. Taking day trips on days off was easy and always lovely, even if it rained.
- The food is delicious, especially the fabada, the cheeses, and the casadielles (cinnamon pastries).
- Though Oviedo is a city, it had the cozy feeling of a town with the conveniences of a city. It was easy to walk to everything, and I never felt unsafe.
Negatives
- It did rain almost every day. The rain was often light and didn’t last long, but I needed an umbrella all the time. On the upside, the temperature was consistent, not too hot in the summer or too cold in the winter.
Tell me about your experience finding a place to live.
I didn’t want to live in a shared apartment and finding a small apartment to rent alone was harder in Oviedo than it was in Andalucía.
It took me about two weeks to find a place. Though I had been in contact with some rental agencies, I ended up finding the apartment I rented through Idealista.
What is the cost of an average shared flat where you live?
I’m not sure, but I paid €360 a month for an apartment in a wonderful, central location. It was a one bedroom, one bathroom, with a small kitchen, and a living room. The monthly rent included community fees, water, and heat.
What are some things future auxes should be aware of when searching for a place to live?
It may be easier to find a shared apartment. I really loved living in the center.
What are some things future auxes should be aware of when coming to live where you are?
The weather in the North of Spain is very different from the South and the East. Buy some comfortable, good quality rain boots and a good quality umbrella.
In your experience, is it easy to live on the stipend where you live?
Depending on lifestyle choices, I think it would be reasonable to live on the stipend, but teaching some private classes would definitely help, and there was a high demand for in-person, private classes during the 2018-19 year.
What has your experience been making friends? Have you made friends with locals?
It took about a month or two for me to make some wonderful, life-long, local friends.
I met some great people through working out at the GoFit and Dreamfit in Oviedo. There were also some fun meetups for hiking and language exchange both in Oviedo and Gijon (a beach city about a 30-minute bus ride from Oviedo).
What has your experience at your school been like?
I was an auxiliar at a high school in Oviedo. The experience was wonderful. My director and coordinator were kind and supportive. The English teachers were also very nice.
The students were respectful, dedicated, and fun to work with.
I loved it there and requested to stay a second year at the school, but preference was given to first year auxiliars; the ministry did not allow me to renew there.
What are a few things special or typical of your region?
Living in Asturias gives you great access to one of the most beautiful coastlines I’ve ever seen. My biggest piece of advice would be to go to the Turismo Asturias website and take a look at some of their recommended “rutas de senderismo.”
Try to do as many of these hikes along the coast as possible because they’re safe, well-marked, and had some of the most beautiful sea-views I’ve ever seen.
What advice would you give to future auxiliares teaching English in Northern Spain? What do you wish you had known before coming?
Asturias is very well-known for its delicious food, especially its cheeses. Before COVID, there were monthly cheese fairs. If you’re a cheese-lover, it may be a good idea to look up when some of the local cheese fairs will be held so you can take advantage of as many as possible while you’re there.
If you have any questions about living in Oviedo and traveling around Asturias, please feel free to send me a message on Instagram (Leya_ig).
Castilla y León
Salamanca
Name: Ivy
Age: early 30s
Where you’re from: The Philippines
How long have you been living there?
For one school year
Why did you choose the region you’re in?
I had heard great things about how on-time Castilla y León pays their auxes and also because there are already a few of my friends there.
What did you know about it before coming there?
I’ve heard about the University of Salamanca which is the oldest university in Spain and also Castilla y León is the birthplace of Castellano.
How much Spanish do you need where you live?
I’ve never studied Spanish before moving to Spain but I’ve done all of my transactions with the oficina de extranjería and finding flats in Spanish so as long as I could string together some nouns and Google Translate, I was fine.
Give me a few positives and a few less positives about where you live.
Positives
- On-time payment – This is like clockwork, payment usually arrives around the 6th or 7th of the next month. This is true even with the first paycheck.
- Close communication with the provincial director of the auxiliar program – I always had the impression that the auxiliar program in Castilla y León is run per province so in my case in Salamanca, whenever I have a question, I just send an email to the provincial director and he replies as soon as he can in English.
- Salamanca is a beautiful city – Most Salmantinos would say that it’s a small city but I would say that it is a beautiful city full of history and linguistic importance as the region of Castilla y León is the birthplace of the standard Spanish we learn in schools and universities. Rent is cheap, food is cheap, there is a strong international community of students (if that’s your drift), you can do lots of activities like cultural trips, athletics (I usually jog around the public track), trekking, and hiking. I feel like there is a place for different types of people in Salamanca.
- The city is very well-connected by city bus. There are also buses that go to the neighbouring towns (depending on the town, it usually runs every 15 to 20 minutes).
Negatives
- Coming from a tropical country, I would say that Salamanca is bone dry cold. It seeps into the bones. I got by though through layering.
- Not really a negative but if you’re a mountaineer, Salamanca is a bit flat so there’s more trekking and less hiking.
Tell me about your experience finding a place to live.
It really depends on your priorities. There are flats that are insanely cheap especially in the northwest part of the city, but my priority was to live as close to my school as possible. Luckily my school is just a 10 minute walk away from the city center, so I just tried to find a flat near there. In fact, I found a flat just right in front of the school. It’s not as cheap as if I tried to hunt the cheapest place in the city I could find, but it’s still cheap enough to not eat up the stipend we receive from the program.
What is the cost of an average shared flat where you live?
It’s a one month advance and one-month deposit situation, and I pay 160 euros for the room itself. I pay another flat rate of 35 euros every month for the utilities (water, light, gas, internet). So that’s 195 euros all-in per month.
What are some things future auxes should be aware of when searching for a place to live?
If you are a first-time aux, definitely ask for help from your director or bilingual coordinator. They for sure be happy to assist or give you leads at least. Salamanca is a university city so there are a lot of cheap student flats but if you’re not the partying type, then definitely avoid these flats. However, if you’re fine living with Erasmus students, then go for it. Ask for a contract, ask if you can empadronar using the address of the flat (you should; as they would have to give you a contract), be clear on the deposit if they are going to give the entire thing back at the end of your contract with them or deduct the utility cost for that month (because the utility bills do not come on the same month in Salamanca).
What are some things future auxes should be aware of when coming to live where you are?
1. Salmantinos have a reputation of being reserved so just be aware of that. But they will warm up to you; don’t worry.
2. Layers, hot water bottles, space heater for those who get chilly easily.
3. You are in Salamanca so you can practice your Spanish here. You will still understand what they are saying even if they talk very quickly unlike in the other provinces I’ve been in.
In your experience, is it easy to live on the stipend where you live?
It is easy enough if you live simply, but if you plan on travelling every week or every holiday, then definitely take private classes or academy jobs. Between private classes and academy jobs, though, definitely go the private route as academy rates in Salamanca city are abysmal.
What has your experience been making friends? Have you made friends with locals?
This is the first Spanish city that I’ve lived in where there is already a sizeable number of Filipinos (unlike in my previous province where I was the only auxiliar in my town) so I definitely connected with them. However, I’ve also made friends with locals (usually my colleagues at school) that I’m sure I can always go back and give them a call for a coffee meet-up.
What has your experience at your school been like?
My school definitely made sure that those 12 hours were contact hours with pupils. So I spent time preparing materials beyond the 12 hours. In my case, I taught all groups from 4th infantil to 6th grade, so I had lots of vacant hours and lots of 30-minute sessions so I can cover all the groups in the school.
What are a few things special or typical of your region?
- One of the landmarks in the city is the cathedral of Salamanca. It’s really awe-inspiring and I never got tired looking at it from the river or from the Roman bridge.
- Hornazo de Salamanca – it’s a type of empanada filled with meat like lomo, ham or chorizo. It’s usually eaten during lunes de las aguas (the second Monday after Easter) along the Tormes river.
For sure there’s more as CyL is such a big region, but that’s just for Salamanca.
What advice would you give to future auxiliares teaching English in Northern Spain? What do you wish you had known before coming?
Even if certain groups of Spaniards have a reputation for being cold or introverted, in general I’ve found Spaniards to be really helpful and delightful so if you’re just lost and don’t know what to do, just ask for help.
If you want to share links to any social media or blogs, feel free to do so here!
TeacherOnTheGo on Youtube where I upload recordings of me reading Philippine literary works in English – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_8XxLYRCmDptO3_AvU-dgw?view_as=subscriber
Zamora
Name: Emilia Carosella
Age: 30
Where you’re from: Schenectady, NY, US
How long have you been living there?
I am currently in my second year here in Zamora.
Why did you choose the region you’re in?
I picked Castilla y Leon because I wanted somewhere that paid on time and that had all four seasons.
What did you know about it before coming there?
I lived in Madrid as a kid for a year when I was 11 years old, so I had the benefit of visiting some cities in CYL, so I had an idea of what it was like. Although, I never went to Zamora or even knew anything about it.
How much Spanish do you need where you live?
In Zamora, not many people speak English. You can get around on limited Spanish but my recommendation is the more Spanish you know the easier it is to navigate here.
Give me a few positives and a few less positives about where you live.
Everything is in walking distance in Zamora. It is easy to get trains and buses to other cities in CYL and you are only 3 hours away from Madrid which makes it great for travel. The people here are incredibly friendly and nice, always willing to help! It is a smaller city, so there are less foreigners and not a whole lot of young people.
During this year of COVID, it has been harder when the bars/restaurants/cafes are closed because there isn’t a lot to do here.
Tell me about your experience finding a place to live.
The first year here it was a bit of a challenge finding a place to live because I didn’t know the area at all. I saw many apartments, but none of them seemed just right for me. Finally, a fellow AUX posted that there was an available room in an apartment she was going to be living in, which ended up being where I lived for the year. The facebook group is a huge help in the beginning!
What is the cost of an average shared flat where you live?
Last year for my room I paid 160 euros per month. This year I pay 210 and share the apartment with a fellow aux.
What are some things future auxes should be aware of when searching for a place to live?
Do not sign a contract before you see the place. You can look and even set up appointments before arriving but you should ALWAYS see the place before signing a contract, photos can be deceiving. Ask what utilities are included/excluded so you can get an idea of how much you’ll be paying for everything. Also everyone uses whatsapp to set up appointments to view the apartments, it’s totally normal here.
What are some things future auxes should be aware of when coming to live where you are?
The process of getting set up here is easy but it takes time. In Spain everything seems to take a little longer than you think it will, expect that. You will get everything done, just not on your timeline. The orientation before school begins is when you’ll meet everyone and then you create a group message and start getting to know everyone.
In your experience, is it easy to live on the stipend where you live?
Here in Zamora, the money does go far because it is cheap to live here. If you are lucky enough to have private english classes with students that is a huge bonus too. It’s cheap to go out to eat here, which is another bonus.
What has your experience been making friends? Have you made friends with locals?
Making friends with the Aux’s here both years has been wonderful. Not everyone is super close but I have always found people that I get along with and have become close with. Last year I made friends with the locals, this year has been a little hard just because of the covid situation.
What has your experience at your school been like?
Last year my school was an absolute dream. I loved all my teachers and we all got along so well. I loved the kids too, it was honestly a dream job. I thought I would be back there this year working with them but due to covid restrictions they placed me in a new school, which was not a change I was expecting. The main teacher I work with has provided challenges for me. she’s a teacher from Madrid with a very type A personality but i’ve tried to try my best given the situation.
What are a few things special or typical of your region?
Semana Santa is a huge thing here in Zamora. Unfortunately I haven’t gotten to see it yet. There is a lot of wine from CYL which is nice to have to the local wine, whether you get it from the grocery store, out at a bar or go to the local wineries for a tour.
What advice would you give to future auxiliares teaching English in Northern Spain? What do you wish you had known before coming?
I would say that if you are thinking of applying for this program you absolutely should do it! It changed my life in the best way possible, honestly. That being said, when you get here there will be hurdles that you have to jump over and through, but just remember it will all be worth it. Getting the opportunity to teach english as an aux in Spain is such a wonderful experience. Use the facebook groups to your advantage there is a lot of useful info in there.
Anything else you wish to add?
Just that this program has brought a lot to me. When I came in 2019 to Zamora, I knew no-one and now I have many friends that are from different countries that I consider friends for life. My Spanish improved tremendously and working as an aux, talking to the kids in English and teaching them about the USA not only gave me purpose but made me excited to go to work everyday.
If you want to share links to any social media or blogs, feel free to do so here!
Instagram – emilialxo
Catalonia
Girona
Name: Cat
Age: 24
Where you’re from: Colorado Springs, Colorado, US
How long have you been living there?
I’ve lived for just two months in Girona itself, but I lived in a different part of Catalunya (basically central Catalunya) all last school year! Before that, I lived in Alicante capital for a school year.
Why did you choose the region you’re in?
I wanted to live in Catalunya for a number of reasons. Mainly, when I was an auxiliar in Alicante, I was fascinated by the use of the Valencian language on all the street signs, in museums, etc., and realized I wanted to go a bit deeper with the language and learn more (for context, valencià is categorized by most linguists as a dialect of Catalan). I heard almost no one speaking Valencian in Alicante capital, despite it being a co-official language in the region, so I realized that Catalunya would make more sense as my next move. Living in Spain for the past couple years has made me realize what an enormous Romance language nerd I am! Plus, I had visited Girona and Barcelona on trips and had been absolutely enamored with the region.
What did you know about it before coming there?
I knew a lot more than most newcomers, actually; I’m from an American city that by pure coincidence had a big cohort of Catalan students, due to a specific scholarship offered by the local university. So I had already had some Catalan friends before ever coming to Spain, and knowing them had really piqued my curiosity about “els països catalans,” as well as Spain in general. So I understood a decent amount of cultural references, history, and geography. I also had some level of Spanish (probably low B2-ballpark) before ever arriving to Spain.
How much Spanish do you need where you live?
That’s an interesting question because generally, Spanish simply isn’t the vehicular language here. Catalan is definitely Girona’s lingua franca, although you’ll of course hear some Spanish on the streets here and there. I can’t speak to this question much (no pun intended) because I don’t really use English here except at work and with certain friends. That said, I have some non-Catalan/Spanish-speaking expat friends here who seem to get on just fine using only English. Since this city is pretty popular among tourists in non-pandemic times, I get the sense that the locals are pretty used to using English and French here.
Give me a few positives and a few less positives about where you live. Positives:
- Girona is an absolutely beautiful little city. It’s also the perfect size; it’s small enough that it’s never overwhelming like Madrid or Barcelona, and it has a bit of a cozy small town feel, but it’s also large enough to have everything you might need within walking distance (minus a Primark and a Cien Montaditos! I’m bitter about it…half-joking…).
- Absolutely stunning little beaches along the Costa Brava are just 45 minutes away from Girona capital by car, although admittedly, the prettiest ones can be a bit complicated to access by public transit. Girona province also contains parts of the Pre-Pyrenees and the Pyrenees, so incredible hiking, cycling, and skiing opportunities are at your doorstep…especially if you can make friends with car-owners! Girona province is paradise, essentially.
- It’s decently well-connected, compared to other parts of Spain I’ve visited. We’ve got an AVE station, 70-minute trains to Barcelona, city buses running frequently, and all that jazz. We even border France, and I hear a good amount of French in the streets sometimes. (We even have our own airport, but it’s quite tiny, and I haven’t used it yet.)
Less positives:
- Girona’s weirdly expensive for a city of only a little over 100K people. That’s actually true for a lot of Catalunya in general.
- I’ve heard it can be pretty touristy here during peak seasons and when we’re not in the middle of a pandemic…although obviously, that hasn’t so much been my experience here.
- We’re arguably one of the most unfairly paid comunidades in Spain under the Ministerio de Educación because rent is relatively high in Catalunya, yet we only earn 700 euros a month. Our assigned health insurance is also awful, so I’m working on opting into public insurance this year with my empadronamiento.
Tell me about your experience finding a place to live.
My boyfriend mostly took care of this for us because I was stuck in the U.S. when it came time for him and me to find a piso, but my impression is that it’s almost impossible to rent a flat here without going through an agency. Even that is tricky, because most agencies don’t seem to pick up the phone nor answer emails when you try to contact them! Rooms in shared flats seem very competitive to come by if you don’t beat the seasonal Erasmus/uni rush, so if that’s what you’re seeking, I’d advise starting your search early.
What is the cost of an average shared flat where you live?
300-350 euros plus utilities for a room in the center of town seems normal here based on what friends have told me, which is expensive by Spain standards. You can definitely go cheaper if you don’t care about living near the center, though. My boyfriend and I pay 600 euros (so 300 each) for a lovely little furnished flat in a spectacular central location, and we have no flatmates, which is honestly a steal here.
What are some things future auxes should be aware of when searching for a place to live?
I recommend Idealista and Fotocasa; all the flats I’ve ever found in this country have been through those two websites! Don’t reserve a flat unless you’ve visited it in person first, or else you could get scammed. What are some things future auxes should be aware of when coming to live where you are? If you’re looking for the prototypical “Spanish” experience, Girona—or actually, Catalunya in general—simply isn’t for you. Catalunya doesn’t have a Spanish feel, per se. That said, don’t rule it out, and come on over with an open mind. I’m so thrilled and lucky to live here, and many people who come to Girona end up staying here indefinitely.
On a similar note, if you’re coming to Spain specifically to improve your Spanish, this is probably one of the worst places in Spain to move, although Spanish practice won’t be impossible either. If you want to only use Spanish here, you absolutely can; Catalan people do speak and understand it. However, not knowing any Catalan may isolate you from a lot of professional and social circles, and a lot of Catalan people would be thrilled if you put the effort into learning some of their language instead.
In your experience, is it easy to live on the stipend where you live?
I’m so used to having an overload of private classes and summer job money that I’m not actually sure what that’d be like, but it seems like it’d be challenging, or at least limiting.
What has your experience been making friends? Have you made friends with locals?
Despite the pandemic, a rich abundance of international online communities has made it possible for me to already have a small social circle here! I don’t have many local friends, though, and Catalans have a reputation for being a bit socially closed-off. (To be fair, I also found many locals to be that way when I lived in Alicante, which isn’t in Catalunya.) We’ll see if that changes if and when pandemic restrictions lift up a bit and it gets easier to meet people. My main friend group here is actually my boyfriend’s friend group from his pueblo, which is unfortunately way over in Lleida province.
What has your experience at your school been like?
This year, I work at two schools: the Escola d’Hostaleria i Turisme de Girona (basically a hospitality- and tourism-oriented vocational school for adults) and a primary school. I absolutely love working at the first school and am actually trying to see if the Generalitat de Catalunya will let me stay on there another year; if you’re reading this, cross your fingers for me! The teachers there are lovely, and it’s extremely cool to work with applied English, in which you have the opportunity to teach the students exactly what they’ll need to know in their future careers.
I only work at the primary school one day a week (it’s a six-six split of my twelve hours between both schools), and sometimes, I feel like I barely know the teachers there at all since I’m there so infrequently. It’s on the outskirts of town and caters to a relatively wealthier portion of the Girona populace, despite it being a public school. My supervisor there is quite a perfectionist, but that’s not necessarily always a bad thing. She holds me to high standards because she knows that I’ve been doing this work for a couple years now, and I know what I’m doing. I appreciate knowing and feeling that I’m valued at both schools. Also, compared to other places I’ve worked in Spain, the students’ average English level there is quite decent.
What are a few things special or typical of your region?
Catalunya has a few unique traditions that you won’t find in other parts of Spain, such as castellers (human castle teams), which is sometimes a competitive sport. They’ve also got a couple wacky Christmas traditions (cagatió and el caganer, anyone?) and a few yummy dishes that aren’t eaten elsewhere in Spain.
What advice would you give to future auxiliaries teaching English in Northern Spain? What do you wish you had known before coming?
I could write a book on that! One piece of Catalunya-specific advice I can offer is to be careful about calling the region part of “Spain” and referring to the locals as “Spanish.” Due to the independence movement here, many (although not all) locals identify much more strongly with being Catalan than with being Spanish, so you may want to tread carefully in that sense.
Anything else you wish to add?
Girona is an international hub for cyclists, in part because Lance Armstrong used to live here and made the city more of a household name. You’ll see many, many, many bikes here and a huge cycling community, which links both expats and locals.
Also, apparently, parts of the sixth season of Game of Thrones were filmed here! Tourists sometimes come here for that specific reason.
If you want to share links to any social media or blogs, feel free to do so here!
Follow me for glimpses of la vida diaria here on my Instagram! A blog is in the works.
Related: Teaching English in Southern Spain
I hope those interviews helped you to get a better idea of teaching English in Northern Spain. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below and we will try to respond!
