11 reasons to become a Spanish teacher for foreign students

What's the best job in the whole world?

We know the answer: 

Teaching Spanish as a foreign language!. 😊

Have you ever thought about doing this as a job?

If the answer is "YES", keep reading this article because we’re about to tell you eleven reasons in favour of become a Spanish teacher for foreign students and how to achieve this.

¡A por ello! 😉

What does it mean to be a Spanish teacher?

Being a Spanish teacher means you’ll be teaching one of the most important languages in Spanish is one of the most studied languages in the world.

I'm not exaggerating.

Did you know that Spanish is the second most spoken language worldwide when it comes to native speakers.  

Currently, 7,8% of the world’s population speaks Spanish! 😯

Additionally, it’s the third most used language online and second on social media.

Spanish is the official language of Spain and almost the whole of Central and South America.  

Furthermore, it’s the second most spoken language in the United States thanks to the large increase of Hispanic speakers in the country.

This makes Spanish a language in high demand at an international level amongst businesses and the working world .

On the other hand, Spanish is one of the most beautiful languages ​​in the world. 

Almost all the studentsianwe have had in our school fall in love with Spanish. 😍

Many students start off studying Spanish because they must but, end up totally hooked by the complex vocabulary and grammar and become authentic Spanish language experts.

11 Reasons to become a Spanish teacher

Now you know how important working as an ELE teacher (Spanish as a foreign language teacher), we’ll tell you 11 reasons why you should become one.

We’re warning you now, that after reading our 11 reasons, if you already have a job, you’ll most likely want to quit it. 😁

¡Empezamos!

1. Spanish is in fashion and there is a high demand for teachers

¡El español está de moda! 

Like we said before, Spanish is a language that refuses to stop growing.

Therefore, there are many people currently studying Spanish or looking to start in the future.

With more than 21 million Spanish students worldwide, Spanish is one of the most studied languages in the world.

So, Spanish is in competition with French and Mandarin for second place behind English.

With these numbers, the demand for Spanish teachers is very high both in Spain as well as on a global level.

Want to be a Spanish teacher?

Well, you’ll have plenty of work!

2. Travel without leaving the classroom

Did you know that being a Spanish teacher allows you to travel without even leaving the country?

I’ll tell you my personal experience: I am a Spanish teacher at Hispania, escuela de español. 

The school is in Valencia and over the 5 years that I’ve spent working here, I’ve got to know students from more than 80 different nationalities across the world.

You will constantly be learning new things about foreign countries when working as a Spanish teacher, giving classes everyday.

It's quite exciting, right?

3. A brilliant way to discover your own culture

So now we’ve made it clear that you’ll learn so much about other cultures.

But, do you know what? 

You’ll also learn a lot about your own culture. 😄

If you teach Spanish to foreign students, you’ll need to teach them things about the Spanish culture: cuisine, fiestas, geography, traditions, typically Spanish behaviours, etc.

We are sure you’ll learn things that you didn’t know before.

There’s no better way to learn something then by teaching it to someone. 😊

4. A profession with thousands of transferable skills

Spanish teacher skills They are very wide:

• Good at giving encouragement and motivating in the classroom.
• Creativity within the classroom.
• A good public speaker. 
• Patience and empathy.
• The ability to write clear and precise structures.
• Relevant linguistic expertise.
• Great social skills. 

At our school, we try to encourage students to learn whilst enjoying themselves .

Scared of speaking in front of a crowd?

As a teacher, you’ll overcome the fear of public speaking.  

You have no idea how much I’ve personally improved when it comes to this. I remember giving presentations in university and shaking with nerves. 

Now, it’s not just that it doesn’t frighten me anymore, I actually enjoy it.

As a teacher, you will develop important communication skills which will stay with you for life. They’ll follow you wherever life takes you and be useful in any situation. 😊

5. You can work anywhere in the world 

Do you love traveling to foreign countries?

Are you the type of person that can’t live in one place for too long and needs to experience new things regularly?

Well, teaching Spanish as a foreign language is an ideal job for you. .

The demand of students wanting to learn Spanish is very high in almost every continent.

The Instituto Cervantes currently has more than 80 centers distributed across more than 40 countries worldwide.

Additionally, each year there are more and more schools and universities across the world that are interested in hiring Spanish foreign language teachers.

Do you like Japanese anime? Why not spend some time in Tokyo?

Are you a big fan of the cinema? Perhaps teaching Spanish in New York would be like starring in your very own movie.

Do you love Europe? The interest for Spanish language in almost any country across Europe is very high.

6. Open your mind, enrich your soul, and get to know new cultures

I mentioned before that I’ve been teaching Spanish for 5 years now.

Can you imagine how many new people from different countries I’ve met?

I promise you that before starting to teach, I was a completely different person.

Now I am much more open and accepting since I’ve had the opportunity to work with people from such different cultures.

if you become a Spanish teacher , you will notice your mind open up to the world.

Your head gets bigger, literally.

You’ll have to start buying XL hats! 🤯

Just joking. 😁

But seriously, if you like talking and getting to know people, this job will inspire you in a way you never thought was possible.

7. Not a regular job, each day is different on the job

Are you one of those people who gets bored of repetitive things quickly?

This will never happen to you teaching Spanish as a foreign language.

Each lesson is different.

Even when repeating the same lesson a few times, the result can be totally different because the students won’t be the same.  

We’re all different, enjoy getting to know the students.

Additionally, if teaching inspires you (of course it does), you’ll be inclined to set up dynamic and fun classroom activities.

There’s been times when my students and I have been crying with laughter together????

8. Share important moments with students 

Spending so much time with students, you’ll talk about a lot of things and form strong bonds and friendships.

Some of my best friends now, were my students in the past.

Human beings are sociable by nature.  

There is nothing better than talking to people and exchanging experiences and opinions.

9. Develop your communication skills and empathy 

Previously I mentioned some of the skills that you’ll develop teaching Spanish as a foreign language.

Good communicationis a must for this profession:  

• Speak clearly and slowly. 
• Pronounce your words well.
• Rely on non-verbal communication too.
• Be expressive.

All of these skills above will help you develop your character, not only at work but in all areas of your life. 

You’ll be able to communicate better with family and friends.

Additionally, you’ll strengthen your empathy and acceptance when dealing with people from different cultures, mixed cultures is guaranteed.

Thus, you’ll connect more easily with people and form stronger relationships.

10. The need to constantly be developing your skills

Are you a proactive person?

If you decide to become a Spanish teacher, you’ll learn many new things about the language while you work. 

Each day, you’ll feel as if you’re an expert in that field .

Your classes will improve over time, like good wine.

We adapt our classes to the different students in class and debate relevant topics.

Additionally, with the development of new technologiesteachers are able to create interactive activities to make learning enjoyable and engaging.

In the last couple of years, teaching online has become more popular since the number of jobs in this profession has multiplied.

Now we can teach students from all over the world right from our homes.

Isn’t that awesome!? 😄

11. Why it’s the best job in the world 

Is there honestly anything more beautiful than teaching someone a language?

It's really rewarding watching someone that doesn’t know a language, slowly learn to speak and express themselves, thanks to you.

In my opinion, this is the best thing about being a teacher.

Similarly, we are very lucky that Spanish is such a beautiful language , meaning many people want to learn simply because they love it.  

This makes for a brilliant atmosphere in class.

We’re sure that you’re going to love the job.

How to become a Spanish teacher 

So now you’ve seen our 11 reasons to become a Spanish teacher for foreigners.

Perhaps you’re thinking: 

“Very well, Carlos. You've convinced me. 

I want to become an ELE teacher and teach Spanish!

But… How do I do that? How can I become a Spanish teacher? 🤔

You don’t need to worry about this bit because it’s very easy.

There are many options in different centers and institutions to obtain a Spanish teacher qualification.

At Hispania, escuela de español we offer high quality ELE teaching courses.

We’ll provide you with all the necessary tools that you’ll need to teach Spanish as a foreign language and for becoming a true professional.

Our school is the leading global marker in the field of language teaching.

We are by some of the most important national and international institutions most important: Instituto Cervantes and also by Equals, Excellence in Language Education.  

We’ve been awarded prizes for being the most prestigious in the sector on many occasions: ST Star Awards, EducationStars o iStudy Language School Award. 

If you would also like to form part of our amazing team, we are sure that our Spanish teacher training courses will meet your expectations.

¡Te esperamos! 😉

Article written by Carlos  Martínez for Hispania, escuela de español