Life After Graduation Pack 2013

Life After Graduation
June 2012
LIFE AFTER GRADUATION 2013

A guide by former students
Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanstica, Universitat Autnoma de Barcelona August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanstica, UAB 0
August 2013
Table of contents
Introduction
CVs and cover letters, 3 About using LinkedIn, 8 Interview basics, 9 Searching for work online, 11
Opportunities for further education

1. Professional training opportunities, 12 2. Post-graduate education options, 13 3. Masters programs offered by the English Department , 14 4. Programs related to teaching English, 14 5. Programs related to teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language, 18 6. Programs related to business, international relations and tourism, 20 7. Programs related with translation, publishing and language, 24 8. Ongoing education when you are already teaching, 29 9. Doing post-graduate studies abroad, 30
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Grants to teach and work abroad

1. Leonardo da Vinci and Eurodisea (internship grants), 35 2. Auxiliares de Conversacin, 36 3. Profesores visitantes en EEUU y Canad, 37 4. Fulbright lectores de espaol en universidades de EEUU, 42 5. Lectors i lectores de Catal, 44 Teaching grant application calendar, 45
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Working abroad
1. Looking on the internet for jobs abroad, 46 2. Finding housing and work in the UK, 47 3. Teaching in the UK, 49 4. Working as a supply teacher, 51 5. Becoming qualified if you dont have the CAP, 52 6. Finding summer work in a UK hotel, 55 7. Living and working in China, 56 8. Living and working in India, 58 9. Teaching in Slovakia, 60 10. Teaching in the Czech Republic, 61 11. Teaching in Poland, 62 12. Teaching in Bulgaria, 63 13. Working in the tourist industry in Norway, 65 14. Living and working in Germany, 67 15. Working in New Zealand, 69 16. Working in Australia, 70 17. Working in Canada, 70 18. Working in the US with the VIF Program, 71 19. Volunteer work, 71 20. Volunteer experiences in Africa, 71
46
Teaching English to very young learners Becoming a freelance translator Working in the publishing industry Business communication basics 1. Communicating data on the phone, 84 2. Useful telephone phrases, 86 3. Email basics, 87 Contributors to the Pack Alumni reports 2012
77 79 81 84
88 89-136
Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanstica, UAB
June 2012
Introduction
If you are just graduating, you havent appeared in this story yet, and you may prefer never to have your name appear in future Packs. But even so, you will still be part of this story, because it is the story of a group of people who shared a key experience when they were at the very beginning of their adulthood passage through the UAB English Departmentand then used that experience one way or the other to make a life for themselves and make sense of that life. After you graduate, you will be unusual if you do not feel a sense of helplessness, bewilderment and even panic. No matter how artificial, tedious or even meaningless your university education may have occasionally seemed to you while you were actually going through it, university provided you with a series of short-term objectives and responsibilities which served to structure your life. You knew what you were supposed to do, whether it meant studying for an exam or completing a paper before a deadline. Perhaps you were able to comply, perhaps not, but the rules and framework were clear. Now that structure is gone. Be prepared to feel like the floor has fallen out from under your feet. Suddenly, all the choices and goals and challenges are yours to set and face alone. The people who contributed to this pack have all been there before and remember that feeling, so they have decided to help show you the way ahead, hoping that thus you may avoid some of the pitfalls they fell into and showing you through their own hard-won successes that the struggle is worth it in the end. But do not expect absolute and eternal satisfaction, or a fulfilling and permanent job. Read the Alumni Reports, and you will see that for the university graduate there may be no such thing. Perhaps your family and friends will say, Now that you are finished with university, you can settle down. It may prove difficult for them to understand that precisely because you are a university graduate you will never settle down, at least not in the way they did or imagine you should. Read these Reports and you will detect everywhere an underlying restlessness and dissatisfaction. Again and again you will read about one of your predecessors finally getting a job they like, one that offers them a challenge, where they are learning new skills. Yet two years later they have learned all they can with that job and are longing for something else. This is a repeating pattern in this story. The reason for this pattern is that what a university education gives you, far beyond any specific content you might have learned, is an appetite for intellectual stimulation. University is a brain massage. You have experienced the personal growth that comes to an adult when they are learning, and you will discover that that appetite never ceases to require satisfaction. This means that life will be more complicated for you than for your peers who have not been through university. But it will also be richer. You are more fortunate than they arenot superior, just luckier. Because life will have more levels of texture for you. You will be able to see more colours. Though the first part of the pack provides what is intended to be practical information of all sorts, it is the collective wisdom of the Alumni Reports at the end that you should devote most attention to. And here you will see repeated the following messages. 1) Be flexible. Do not rule out professional avenues about which you are ignorant simply because you dont think you would like it. Be careful about thinking I dont want to teach or I only want to teach. Remember that working in business will make you a much better teacher if you return to it, and being a teacher can give you skills that are very useful in a business context should you decide to move in that direction. Similarly, be very careful about rejecting opportunities when they come your way. Even a bad job can teach you a lot, such as what constitutes a bad job. Never impose your own obstacles, like Chinese is too difficult or I dont want to work in an office. Life is going to put plenty of obstacles in your way as it isno need to add your own. 2) Develop a sense of your own worth. Remember that a work contract is an agreement between two equal parties under the law: the employer and the employee. Yes, equal parties. You have the right to quit a job if it does not meet your needs just as much as they have the right to fire you if you do not meet their needs. It is you who must decide your own value, not anyone else. This does not mean you must insist on a great job as soon as you graduate. But you are worth a lot now, and your
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value will grow steadily. It may be a good tactical move at some point in your life to accept a job below your abilities, but if you do so, do not lose sight of your own worth. Think, This company is not exploiting me, I am exploiting them. When I have finished learning everything I can from this job, I am going to find something else. In more practical terms, as a graduate with a language degree you may assume that you have three main career paths: a) teaching, b) translating and c) business-related work. This is what the Alumni Reports will tell you in this regard: a) At the present moment, teaching is not a viable profession for a newcomerat least not in the sense of a full-time reasonably paid job. Even for those who graduated ten years ago, teaching in a public secondary school was something that might happen after five years of working in language schools, joining the public school substitution lists, passing the Opos and having enough extra points to get a post. It was not immediate. But at present, not only are there no new openings in the public secondary system, but the conditions for teachers are becoming significantly worse. (This does not mean that there are not occasional opportunities in the private sector.) b) Very, very few of your predecessors are full-time professional translators. Many have tried it but discovered that it is not sustainable financially as a professsionnor is it necessarily much fun. c) About 35% of your predecessors are in jobs related to business, in which category I would include the not insignificant number who own their own language schools. The kinds of jobs one can find in the business community are extremely varied and can be very routine and exploitative or very challenging and satisfiying. In the current recession, jobs in the business world will be neither very easy to find nor very permanent. But this enforced mobility may work in your favour because companies often provide employees with additional training and as your CV grows you will become more and more hireable. After all, it is more cost effective for a company to take someone who speaks English and train them in sales than take someone who knows sales and then try to teach them English. If you are thinking, Great, but what do I do right now? those who came ahead of you would probably answer, Prepare as best as you can for anything. So as an immediate strategy I would suggest the following. 1. Make sure you know how to apply for a job. This means having a CV that is attractive not only in terms of contents but also in terms of layout. By the same token any cover email you send to a company should show immaculate spelling and punctuation. Finally, learn how to give a strong interview. The next pages of this Pack are devoted to these matters. 2. Having a good command of English is not enough. Develop or perfect as many auxiliary skills as possible, by which I mean at least one more foreign language beside English and an ability to use fully and self-confidently all the programs in the Microsoft OfficeWord, Excel, PowerPoint, Access and Publisher. This will give you an important edge over most other novice job applicants. You can get language and computer training in many local training schools, often at very low prices (see page 13). Start this nowdont wait till Septemberso that you feel that you are taking control of your life. 3. If you decide to pursue a post-graduate program, choose it carefully. Dont just rush off and do a masters. Read what others say in this Pack about the programs they have taken. Weigh carefully the strength of your interest in the particular field, the cost, the quality of the program and the likely advantage to your professional prospects. As a final word, let me say that almost all contributors to this pack ended their message to you with I wish you the best of luck, which I have omitted in the interests of space. But they mean it, as do I and my colleagues in the Department. Michael
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CVs, cover letters and interviews

Carol Gmez & Michael Kennedy English-style CVs versus Europass
The advice below will help you prepare a CV that is appropriate for the UK, Ireland and US. The key to preparing a CV in this style is to make it concise and attractive. The Europass is different in style and uses a standardized format that can be used anywhere in the European Union. Spanish Human Resources directors tell me that both styles are acceptable here, though they admit that an Englishstyle CV tends to attract the eye more. You can find instructions and a template for creating a Europass at http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/en/documents/curriculum-vitae.
GENERAL ADVICE
A CV should be typed on a word-processor, well laid out, and printed on a good quality printer (unless you email it). Use Word carefully. Do not leave extra spaces or irregularities in formatting. Sloppiness will tell a potential recruiter that you do not pay attention to details. Likewise, use the spell-check on your computer. Or check that the spelling is correct in some way. This may sound obvious but if you are applying for a job requiring English even one spelling error can send your CV into the trash. Use bold and/or underline print for headings. But do not use lots of different font types and sizes. Use plenty of white space, and a good border round the page. Employers do not want to see CVs which are all written in exactly the same way. So follow the standard CV samples, but try to make your CV your own, personal, and a little bit different. But do not decorate it or make it extravagant. Keep it sober but attractive. Make your CV visual. Make sure the company will automatically go to the important data in your CV. Well organized CVs are easier to read than those which are not. If possible, make sure your work experience and language skills appear on the first page. That goes for anything else that constitutes one of your special strengths. Before you apply for a particular job, research the job and the company or institution that is offering it: their structure, products, successes, and approach. A great deal of information can be obtained from a Google online search. Then make sure your CV highlights the skills that are most likely to make you the successful candidate for that job. Do not automatically send out exactly the same CV to every job. Do not exceed two sides of a page. In fact, many professionals try to keep everything on one side of the page, even at the price of very small type. When you have written a first attempt at your CV, ask several other people to check it, not only for typographical or spelling mistakes but also to suggest ways to make it better. Ask your friends, teachers or family friends in business. What you have written may seem simple and obvious to you but may not to an employer. Send your documents as PDF files. A Word document can be easily modified and sometimes the layout is disrupted if the receiving computer is using a different version of Windows.
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WHAT TO INCLUDE IN YOUR CV Photo

A photo is not mandatory, and if applying for a job in the US do NOT include one. (The idea is
to ensure that people are hired because of their qualifications, not their looks.)
Keep the size modest, e.g. 2.5 X 4 cm. Use a photo where you appear relaxed but fairly formal. Guys: wear a shirt with a collar, even if
you dont wear a tie. You are trying to get a job, not make a statement about freedom of expression.
Smile. Make sure the lighting is good and the resolution appropriate. Do not use a photo taken when you were at a party or are part of a group, or having lunch at the
farm. Do not crop a photo so that someones arm is around your shoulders. Take this seriously.
Personal details
Make your name prominentmore prominent than curriculum vitae, for example. If you are using the CV abroad, hyphenate your two last names to avoid confusion. For
example, call yourself Laura Ros-Balcells instead of Laura Ros Balcells.

Current street address, city, country, postal code, phone number, email address, date of birth. If
it is a CV in English, please spell address correctly.

If you have an email address like lahellokittymua@hotmail.com, change it to something that is
more sober and reflects your name, such as lgarciaprats@gmail.com.

Remember to include the country code for phone numbers just to show that you know that there
is a world out there.
Education
List most recent education first. Only indicate your secondary school if your CV is very short. Every employer will assume that
you completed secondary school if you have a university degree. More importantly do NOT include your primary education.
If you have done an internship or practicum, what company you worked for, your
responsibilities and what your learned.

If you have just finished university, include the title of your Treball de fin de grau and a one-
sentence summary that makes it sound interesting.
Work experience
List your most recent experience first. Give job title, company name (with the business sector in parentheses if the name of the
company does not make it obvious), and the citythere is no need to write the exact street address. Most important, indicate briefly what your responsibilities consisted of.
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As you acquire more types of experience, try to shape each CV for the particular job you are
applying for. In other words, include only those jobs that might have given you relevant skills. The more experience you get, the less need to list all jobs.
Include part-time and summer jobs. Monitor/a in English is childrens activities leader
(UK) or camp counselor (US). Include private classes and babysitting only if you have nothing better to put.
If you have been involved in any type of volunteer work, give detailsit is important. You can
even list it in a special section titled Volunteer work.
Languages
Specific language courses do not need to be listed, since you describe your language skills. Give names and years for all formal language certificates, but if you are using your CV abroad, do not mention levels or names that will not be understood abroad, e.g. EOI level three. One possible formula is: Bilingual native speaker of Spanish and Catalan English: C2 (Cambridge First Certificate, 2003) German: B1
Interests
Employers will be particularly interested in activities where you have leadership or
responsibility, or which involve you in relating to others in a team, such as sports or music.
Only list things that help to characterize you as an individual. Do not write Listening to music
or Going to the cinema. These are universal forms of entertainment, not special interests. If you cant think of anything better, personalize it by writing Listening to music, particularly hip hop and blues or Reading. Favourite authors: XXX and XXX.
Other skills
Here is a good way to describe computer skills: User-level skills with Word, Excel and Power
Point. Do not put User-level skills with the Internetthis does not make you special unless you are someones grandmother.
References
It is not essential to list references on your CV. Instead, you can write References will be
provided on request.
However, if you do list references, give two or three names, of which one should be from a
recent place of study and another from a recent work situation.

Make sure that referees know you have listed them and are willing to give you a reference. As a
courtesy, if possible, before you send out CVs, warn referees that they may be contacted shortlyand send them a copy of your CV to refresh their memory.
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Footer
Add a footer at the bottom left corner of your CV (and on the right, insert the page numberbut only if your CV is longer than one side of a page). Use Words Header and footer function from the SEE menu to do thisit will show that you know how to use Word well.
J. Fernndez-Pont (2-05) 1
The footer is useful information for you, but it also suggests that you are a person who pays close attention to detail and systematic organisation of files. If you include month and year as in the example, it will show that this version of your CV is up-to-date.
THE COVER LETTER (or COVERING LETTER)

When sending in a CV or job application form, you must include a cover letter (which may be the email that accompanies your CV).
Start your letter with an underline heading giving the job title you are interested in. Start out by saying clearly what job you are interested in and why you want that particular job
with that particular employer. If you saw the job advertised, say where you saw it.
Then draw attention to one or two key points in the CV which you feel make you suited to that
particular job.
Also mention when you are available for an interview. Try to be as available here as possible.
Dont forget to include your contact information below your name.

If you are sending a paper (as opposed to digital) covering letter: remember that your signature
should not just consist of your first name. If you are sending a PDF file, use a digital signature. It shows that some extra dedication has been put into the letter.
The letter should not be longer than what would be one side of a page. The employer is going to
scan it, not read it.
Important
Systematically keep copies of all letters, applications forms, and CVs sent, and records of telephone calls and names of those you spoke to.
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Sample CV in English by a recent graduate
Curriculum Vitae
Josefina Bou-Matias
Address: Carrer Santa Clara 59, 1-1 08208 Sabadell Barcelona, Spain Telephone: (0034) 600 98 22 12 Email: Fina.Bou@gmail.com LinkedIn: Josefina Bou Matias Nationality: Spanish Date of birth: 1 March 1990 Education: 20082013 Universitat Autnoma de Barcelona, Spain Degree in English Language and Literature
Employment: 2013-pres. Administrative assistant, Electrodomsticos Candy, Sabadell, Spain. Receiving phone calls from customers and suppliers, administrative jobs in general (preparing and checking analysis certificates, invoice, order delivery, etc.) at the export and national departments. Teacher of English, Learn-Up Language School, Reus, Spain. Teacher to primary-school, intermediate and upper-intermediate students, also one-to-one business English classes to management staff and on various subjects to primary and secondary-school students. Summer camp childrens activity leader, World of Fun Camps, Puigcerd, Spain. Children at these camps were spoken to entirely in English.
2010-2013
Aug. 2011
Languages: Bilingual native speaker of Spanish and Catalan. English: C2 (Cambridge Advanced English exam, 2004). German: B2 Italian: B2 Other skills: User knowledge of Word, PowerPoint and Publisher. Have licence for and use of car and motorcycle. Interests: Football. Played for several teams in Sabadell. In the teen division, Captain of the Mercantile Sports Club team when it won the first division teen category championships in 1999 and 2000.
References will be provided on request.
J. Bou-Matias (7-13)
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About using LinkedIn

Note that in the sample CV, the person has included the fact that they are on LinkedIn (it is pronounced linktin). LinkedIn is a professionally-oriented social medium that is becoming increasingly important. It serves as a kind of permanent advertisement for you as a professional. You can also use it as a database of your own personal contacts. It is important to treat LinkedIn very seriouslyit is not Facebookand remember that everything that appears there and everyone that you are connected to form part of the profile that a recruiter will see. And recruiters increasingly check to see if candidates have a LinkedIn profile. So here are a few basic guidelines if you set up a profile. Make the profile as complete as possible and make very sure there are no spelling or grammar mistakes. Indicate your aspirational goal, not necessarily your current job, especially if your job is not very impressive. Remember: this is your personal advertisement, a place to call attention to your strengths, not a place to be modest or minimize your talents. Do it in English or bilingually. Put in a quality photo. NEVER put up a funny or joke photo. Likewise, NEVER use LinkedIn for chitchat postings. If you do that, your contacts will most likely remove you from their connections. Only add as connections people whose profile will add value to yours. Do NOT just add family and friends automatically. Add as a connection anyone you know or meet that you think MIGHT at some point be a useful professional contact. They should be people whom you have actually met in person, though not necessarily people that you know very well. If you are not sure whether to add them, look at their profile: is it an impressive profile that will add value to your own? Then ask them to connect. It is not about getting as many connections as possible, however. There should be some coherence to the set of people you are connected to. If you are a teacher, consider carefully before connecting to your favourite waiter. Feel free to remove connections. Ask people to post a recommendation on your LinkedIn profile whenever you feel comfortable doing so. Join groups. You can see what groups others have joined to get some ideas. Set the settings so that you receive updates from the group only weekly, not daily. A lot of the postings will be of no interest, but occasionally there will be something of interest. Even so, when you get tired of a group, just leave it. Keep your profile active, as much as possible. Your profile photo will appear in your connections opening page whenever you do anything, such as tweet, join a group, comment in a group or add a connection. This will remind all your connections of your existence and show that you are active. LinkedIn is especially important if you are in the phase of job-searching.
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Interview basics
Prepare for the interview extensively: review your application, go to the company or school website and learn as much as you can about it. Anticipate the questions that they might ask you and prepare answers. Practise with simulated interviews until you can handle all types of questions confidently.Practise with older family friends and tell them to try to intimidate you. Really: practise and practise. Also be prepared to ask some questions yourself during the interview, preferably about the companys sector or the schools philosophy of teaching. Dress carefully for an interview. This does not necessarily mean super-formal. But do not dress casually. Be punctual, that is, make sure you are there a bit before the scheduled time so that you are not just rushing in the door. This does not mean that your interviewer will be punctual, however. Be prepared to wait. It is not a bad idea to bring a newspaper or novel to read that will distract you and relax if you need to wait. Turn off your mobile phone before you go in for the interview. Walk into the interview with an air of confidence and professionalism. Sit straight, not too formally but not too casually. Monitor your nervous body language like tugging on your hair. This is something you can learn to avoid by practising. Make sure that you are relaxed enough to smile. A smile can make s huge difference. Listen carefully to the interviewers questions and answer accordingly. Dont babble incessantly about a related topic or answer the question you wish s/he had asked Be yourself. If your answers are ambiguous or inconsistent, the interviewer will likely consider you a poor candidate. Dont try to set conditions at this point. Some things might be negotiable after you have been hired. But if they ask you if you are prepared to do something that you really are not, just politely explain why not. The interviewer may just be testing your reaction. Or it may be an important condition for the job, in which case you dont really want it anyway. If you are applying for a teaching job be sure to remember the names and authors of the materials you have used in the past, and be prepared to offer a reasoned opinion about them. Everyone has a life. You should neither offer up the details of it nor apologize for it if it comes out in the interview. For example, you may not wish to mention your family in an initial interview, because the interview is about you, not about your family. But if asked, give a polite but limited response. Never be negative about previous employers or jobs. No one wants to have to work with someone who is negative. If you are negative about your former job, sooner or later you are going to be negative about your new workplace too. In fact, never be overtly negative about anything during an interview. Though you can explain why you think you could be an asset to the company, it is best not to suggest that you know ways they could improve what they do. No one wants to hire someone
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who walks into a job and within a couple of weeks feels they know what is wrong with it. Things are the way they are in companies and schools for reasons which are not always immediately obvious. The rule of thumb for being new at a job is to keep your mouth shut and learn why things are the way they areover the course of a long time, like a year. After that time the company might be willing to listen to suggestions from you because by then they should know your real worth and respect your views. Or you may have discovered that your original assessment was wrong. Be honest. But do not say more than you need to. If you had a previous bad work experience, try to explain it in terms of the eventual positive outcome that resulted. Remember that a contract is a legal agreement between two equal parties: you may want the job, but they should also want you, because you know you are worth it.
Some classic interview questions

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. Why did you choose this particular field of work? Why are you interested in this particular position? What do you know about this school/company? What experience and skills do you believe that you bring with you? What education or training have you had that qualifies you for this position? Whats your current position like? What are your responsibilities in this role? In your current job, how do you make sure that your work is of the highest quality? What type of people do you like to have working with you? If you were hiring someone for your current position, what qualities would you look for? When you started your current job, which duties did you have previous experience with, and which duties were new for you? How did you cope with them? What was the best job you ever had? Why? Why are you looking for a new job? Why did you leave your last job? What do you like most about your present job or jobs held in the past? What would you describe as your major strengths? What would you say is your main weakness? Have you ever been a member of a work team? Explain how you feel about working in a team environment. Tell me about a team that you have worked on or been a part of. What did you do to contribute to the success of the team? Give me an example of what you have done in previous positions that shows initiative and willingness to work. Describe a problem you encountered on the job and how you overcame it. Have you ever been asked to do something that you did not regard as part of your job, and if so, how did you react? Describe an accomplishment that you are especially proud of. Describe a time when you were faced with problems and stresses that tested your skills. How did you handle the problems? Give me an example of an important goal that you set in the past. How did you go about achieving it? Give me an example of a time when you sought to educate yourself about something. Tell me about a time when you had a new idea for something that was not yet being done. Tell me about the idea. How did you go about implementing the idea? Is there anything in particular that you would like a future employer to know that would aid them in making a hiring decision? Where do you see yourself in five years?
17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26.
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Searching for work online

Elaine Higa and others Consells Us heu de donar dalta a les pgines per apuntar-vos a les ofertes. Lalta sempre s gratuta. Desprs, podeu mirar lestat de les vostres sollicituds. s una bona idea adjuntar el vostre CV complert en comptes domplir els camps donats per les mateixes pgines, que s molt ms limitat. Mireu cada dia les ofertes. De vegades, les ofertes es pengen per poques hores. En comptes de Professor dAngls, hi ha moltes ofertes que busquen Formadors dAngls. Es tracta dempreses que necessiten els serveis dun professor dangls per unes hores determinades. Webs 1. www.infojobs.net s la pgina ms coneguda i que t ms ofertes. Cerca per: Categora: Educacin-Formacin / Provincia 2. www.escolacristiana.org Borsa de treball Many teaching jobs in private schools 3. www.profesores.com The name is self-explanatory. 4. www.educajob.com Cerca per: Nivel educativo: Profesor de Idiomas / Provincia 5. www.infofeina.com s una pgina en catal en la que pots trobar feina per comarca i fins i tot per localitat. Cerca per: rea Professional: Professionals-Llicenciats Subrea: Docncia (mireu tamb Traductor/Corrector/Intrpret) Provincia/ Comarca/ Poblaci 6. www.monster.es Cerca per Comunitat Autnoma amb el criteri Enseanza. 7. www.yaencontre.com Cerca per: rea Professional: Educacin y Docencia / Provincia 8. www.laboris.net Cerca per: Categora: Educacin-Formacin / Provincia 9. www.oficinaempleo.com Categora: Educacin-Formacin y Comercio Exterior/Idiomas/Traduccin / Provincia 10. www.primerempleo.com Cerca per: Professores/Monitores (sense opci de cerca per Provincia) 11. www.infoempleo.com Cerca per: rea Empresa: Formacin-Educacin / rea Geogrfica 12. www.trabajos.com Cerca per: rea: Ciencias Educacionales / Provincia 13. www.empleo.net Cerca per: Perfil Professional: Formacin-Educacin / Provincia
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Opportunities for further education

1. Professional training opportunities
Many students have taken such courses when they were between jobs. Often they are enough to greatly expand the range of jobs for which you are qualified. They are free if you are on the dole. Many of them are offered in an online modality. Some of the most useful sites to find such courses are:
Generalitat de Catalunya, Empresa i Ocupaci www20.gencat.cat/portal/site/empresaiocupacio Click on Ocupaci and then formaci. Generalitat de Catalunya, Servei dOcupaci
www.oficinadetreball.cat/socweb/opencms/socweb_es/home.html
Cambra de Comer de Barcelona www.cambrabcn.org/formacio Foment del Treball Nacional
www.foment.com/formacion If you live outside Barcelona you may also find similar sites with courses offered by the local Chambers of Commerce (Cambras de Comer) in smaller cities that are closer to you.
Sandra Torress comments: The programme of courses offered by the INEM is available online or at the INEM offices in any location. One needs to plan in advance of course so as to register in time and get a place in the group. They offer computer courses, language courses, and courses on secretarial and administrative tasks, amongst others. Some of them take 2 months, others 3 and others 4 or even more. The course I took was a 365-hour intensive (5 hours per day) that covered the Microsoft Office Programmes (Word, Excel, Access and Power Point) as well as accounting as applied to information technology. Esther Codinas comments: I did two online courses offered by la Cambra de Comer de Barcelona. The first one was focused on accountancy and it was really useful to learn new things. Though obviously I could only learn the basics of accountancy, it was a good introduction. I really enjoyed it because it combined practice and theory and I felt that I learnt a lot. The second course I did was about how to start in exports, which was not as interesting and practical as the other one. Overall, I think it was a positive experience, which let me learn at my own pace and I was able to enjoy learning new skills.
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2. Post-graduate education options

Tanit Carr 1. Msters despecialitzaci: Estudis adreats a persones que tenen una graduaci universitria superior. Normalment sn dos cursos acadmics. 2. Diplomatures de Postgrau: Estudis adreats a persones que tenen una graduaci universitria superior o mitja. Habitualment s un sol curs acadmic. 3. Cursos despecialitzaci: No requereixen titulaci universitria. Simparteixen dins dun mateix curs acadmic. 4. Doctorat. ES POT TROBAR INFORMACI A: 1. Pgines web de carcter general on hi trobars informaci del msters que simparteixen a tota Espanya. A ms et proporcionen lopci de demanar informaci per telfon o via email. www.emagister.com www.mastermania.com www.educaweb.com/mastersposgrados-doctorados/ 2. Universitats UAB www.uab.es/postgrau (o passar personalment per lEscola de Postgrau) UB www.giga.ub.edu/acad/npost/pub/index.php?tip=mst UPF www.upf.edu/postgrau/masters URL www.url.es/cont/estudis/programespostgrau.php UOC www.url.es/estudis/masters-i-postgraus-propis UVic www.uvic.cat/mastersuniversitaris UGirona: www.udg.edu/tabid/8438/language/ca-ES/Default.aspx UJI (Castell) www.uji.es/CA/infoest/estudis/postgrau/ UValencia: www.uv.es/postgrau/index.htm Illes Balears: www.uib.es/ca/infsobre/serveis/generals/postgrau/cep/estudis_oficials.php#4 CAL TENIR EN COMPTE: 1. Habitualment es demana una entrevista personal per seleccionar els alumnes del mster o postgrau. 2. En la majoria dels casos la data lmit per les inscripcions s el 31 de Juliol. En alguns casos el termini pot restar obert fins el mes de setembre en funci de les places disponibles. 3. Normalment es demana presentar els segents documents per a fer la inscripci: a. Cpia del ttol universitari o una acreditaci b. Cpia compulsada de lexpedient acadmic (demanar a la secretaria de la facultat) c. Fotos (de 4 a 6) d. Currculum 4. A vegades es requereix fer un pagament no reembossable en el moment de formalitzar la inscripci, que es dedueix de limport total de la matrcula si sadmet lalumne/a.
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3. Masters programs offered by the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanstica, UAB

Remember that the department offers an official masters degree in Advanced English Studies. Just do a Google search for Mster Oficial de Estudis Anglesos Avanats.
Jordi Moreras comments: The M.A. in Advanced English Studies of the department is divided in two branches: Literature and Culture on the one hand, Linguistics on the other. In both cases it is a yearly 60-credit course. To me, this masters program felt like the natural continuation of the Filologia Anglesa degree, with the added benefit of being focused exclusively on those subjects I enjoyed the most (literature). All in all, I enjoyed the seminars and found all the subjects extremely interesting. The workload is quite demanding, though, since there is a huge pile of reading and writing to be done, and it can be difficult to combine it with a part-time job. However, this high standard in my opinion is a positive thing, since a large part of this M.A. consists of preparation for the extremely competitive and demanding world of academia. Prospective students should be aware that the professors will expect greater initiative, self-reliance and personal commitment than during the degree. Evaluation is based exclusively on research papers and oral presentations, though the lack of exams did not make it any easier. At the end of the course, the students have to write and present a Masters Dissertation and defend it in front of a jury. The Dissertation must include original research, and therefore it is a central element of the program. My advice to future students would be to begin thinking about it from the very beginning: finding a good topic to research is extremely difficult, and leaving it for the last minute is a recipe for disaster. The choice of supervisor is also really important, as picking the right supervisor for your dissertation can make a big difference for the better. Try to choose not only the best expert in the field you want to write about, but also someone who seems genuinely passionate about it and who you think you can get along with youll be seeing him or her quite a lot. Noelia Snchezs comments: This MA adds up to 60 credits. It begins in October and ends in June. All the classes are in the afternoon. There are different modules, taught by professors specialized in different fields. The modules provide a thorough study of different literary periods, from early periods, such as the Renaissance and the 19th century, to Postmodernity. One of the modules is called Advanced Academic Skills, and this is particularly useful, as it provides strategies to correctly use academic writing. Every year a Fullbright professor teaches a module on American literature, which is really interesting. The classes are very interactive and dynamic; student participation is strongly encouraged. The evaluation is based on essays and a final paper. Students doing this MA are required to do a dissertation on a topic of their choice under a tutors supervision. I strongly recommend this MA to those who enjoy literature and who wish to specialize in this area.
4. Programs related to teaching English

Universitat Pompeu Fabra + UOC
Mster de Formaci del Professorat dEducaci Secundria Obligatria i Batxillerat, Formaci Professional i Ensenyament dIdiomes
(speciality in English) http://www.upf.edu/postgrau/master-secundaria/presentacio/ /
Former students who have done it (though in its earlier version): Merc Coronado, Laura Monerris, Ivn Matellanes, ngels Oliva, Cristina Prez, Thas Bayarres ngels comments: This teacher training course is very intensive. I chose it rather than the CAP because it promised in the leaflet to be more thorough and in-depth, and it certainly delivered. It consists of two parts: theoretical lessons Monday to Thursday during the winter and the summer terms, and a practical three-month stay in a public school under a tutors supervision during the spring term. There are many readings and assignments to do, so it is a bit tough to do it while working part time, as was my case. However, talking to my classmates at the time, I realized that those who had never worked as teachers
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were having a hard time following lessons and joining discussions, and did not seem to get much out of the first term lessons. The best thing about the CQP is that it opens up your scope because you see a bit of many methods and opinions: CLIL, Communicative methods, use of CIT, assessment methods, and so on. Its not pricey compared to other post-graduate courses, and you get to meet many different professors and build a good network of contacts. Cristinas comments: The full program adds up to 60 credits (600 hours = 20 hours/week for 30 weeks) from October to June, and includes a four-month Practicum in a secondary school selected by the Department of Education. An inspector/a is the person in charge of selecting the IES where you will do your Practicum. However, she interviews you previously and you both decide on the school. Consequently, you dont have to panic because she takes lots of things into account such as your working timetable and the place where you live. This course includes lots of different subjects and you have to attend class from Monday to Thursday (10 2). Although there are some subjects that are really tough and boring, some others are very interesting. The truth is that the three first months are very stressful because the master is very demanding but once you start the Practicum everything changes. I am doing this course this year and Im learning a lot about teenagers such as the way they may behave on some occasions and how the teacher needs to react. The Practicum is when you really learn lots of thing related to the world of teaching. The fact that you have a teacher who helps you to understand what is going on in the high school is very useful because you can discuss all the different issues that arise while you are teaching. It lasts 4 months so you end up feeling like a secondary teacher yourself. I strongly recommend this course but even more the master, which is the one which covers the long Practicum experience, because you will discover lots of things about students and about yourself that you have never realized before.
Universitat Autnoma de Barcelona
Formaci de Professorat dEducaci Secundria Obligatria i Batxillerat, Formaci Professional i Ensenyaments dIdiomes
http://www.uab.es/servlet/Satellite/estudiar/masters-oficials/informacio-general/formacio-de-professorat-deducacio-secundaria-obligatoria-i-batxillerat-formacio-professional-i-ensenyaments-d-idiomes1096480139517.html?param1=1236065658068 Former students who have done it: Zoraida Horrillo, Ana Rueda, Montse Gmez Montses comments: The Practicum lasts a total of 8 weeks. Aside from the different assignments and papers throughout the year, at the end of the course we have to do some exams and hand in a portfolio about the practicum, a teaching unit (students and teachers book) and a Masters Dissertation. The MD has to be defended in front of a jury. This Master is completely incompatible with having a job. I had to give up mine, otherwise it would have been impossible.
Universitat de Barcelona
Mster de Formaci del Professorat de Secundria Obligatria i Batxillerat, Formaci Professional i Ensenyament dIdiomes
/www.ub.edu/masteroficial/mastersecundaria/ Former student who has done it: Esther Codina Esthers comments: Having done other Methodology courses during the degree, this MA was sometimes a little bit repetitive because some modules covered aspects which most students had already dealt with before. I think that the most positive point of this master, in comparison with the CAP, is that there are two practice periods and they are longer. In the first one, you are supposed to observe various groups in a high school, including aula dacollida and diversity groups, and in the second one, you are in charge of teaching students a whole didactic unit which is designed on your own, obviously following the guidelines of their usual teacher. I guess the organization will have improved by now and will continue improving. However, the amount of assignments we had was really demanding and it was very difficult to have a job during the MA.
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August 2013
Blanquerna-Universitat Ramon Llull
Mster Universitari en Professorat d'Educaci Secundria

http://www.blanquerna.url.edu/web/interior.aspx?alias=fpcee.mastersuniversitaris.professsecund&idf=2&id=2552 Former students who did it: Laura Crespillo, David Soler Lauras comments: At first I thought that it would be something repetitive from the degree or something similar to the CAP but I have to admit that it is very interesting and I learned a lot. We studied things which can be used in the classroom and new methodologies I havent heard about before. The situation in education is changing and the masters includes new tips for understanding where the education system is going. I could not work at the same time, though, since there were a lot of assignments to do.
Universitat de Lleida
Mster de Formaci del Professorat dEducaci Secundria Obligatria i Batxillerat, Formaci Professional i Ensenyament dIdiomes (speciality in English)
http://www.udl.cat/estudis/masters/secundaria.html Andrea Gutirrez Martnez Andreas comments: When I left the UAB I took this masters in order to become a teacher. Like some of my classmates, I had already taken some subjects about methodology during my degree and they were similar to some classes and topics of the masters. For me, the program was very theoretical and we took a lot of classes about linguistics, applied linguistics (which I think dont have much to do with teaching) and teaching English as a second language. However, we didnt do so many classes on how to teach properly or how to face situations in high schools nowadays where theres so much diversity. I did a 10-week internship in one of the poorest areas of my city and at first I was really afraid because I had the feeling that I knew how to prepare a unit of work but not how to face a class of 35 students with so many problems. Fortunately, I learnt a lot from the other teachers. They really helped me and made me realized that I wanted to become a teacher and not only teach students but also help them as much as possible.
Universitat Oberta de CatalunyaInstitut Internacional de Postgrau
Mster oficial dEducaci i TIC (e-learning)

http://estudis.uoc.edu/ca/masters-universitaris/elearning-educacio-tic/presentacio Former students who have done it: Esther Gmez, Sanae Ortiz, ngels Blad ngelss comments: That this Master is very interesting if you are really interested in applying ICT to education. However, dont expect advice or examples about how to create small activities for the classroom since this MA is about how to create and develop an e-learning project: its characteristics, design, methodology, support and service systems, etc. and also the legal and economic aspects that are involved in this process. It is also quite expensive, and the methodology they use is reading, debates, summaries and cooperative activities in small groups. You must have time because it is very demanding, especially if you are not used to working virtually with such methodology. There are three important aspects you should take into account: 1) It is very general, that is, it not about creating activities you can apply in an English class in secondary (or primary) education; 2) You can take the number of subjects you want/can, so you can work at the same time; 3) You really learn how to work cooperatively in virtual environments. Sanaes comments: I expected to get more practical lessons instead of just readings on pedagogy, e-learning organisation and so on. You need to devote quite a lot of time to handing in assignments on the readings you had to read each week. I wouldnt recommend the MA to people who like to attend lessons and are not too keen on working online. You have to be very well and the fact that everything is online means that you have to check the virtual campus every day. Apart from the normal assignments there were also forums in which you have to discuss different topics suggested by the teacher with other classmates. I didnt enjoy it that much as there were many students and if you forgot to check the forum one day, you already had many contributions to read and answer. I think this type of thing would work better in smaller groups.
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August 2013
FUNIBER
Master in Teaching English as a Foreign Language

http://www.funiber.org/areas-de-conocimiento/formacion-profesorado/master-in-teaching-english-as-a-foreignlanguage Former student who has done it: Estel Planas (did it in 2010-2012) Estels comments: I had a great time while studying and some of the subjects were really interesting. Although I have to say that I did not learn much that was really new, it has been very useful to reconsider and reflect on my performance as a teacher, to feel more confident about it and to analyse other ways of working. On the whole, it has been positive for my career as it enabled me to get a job at the UOC, which has been enriching (in both senses!). Moreover, doing the course with another former UAB student helped us decide to set up an online academy (www.up2learn.com) with our own material and courses. We are working hard with it and expect to be able to open doors very soon. Besides, it was the most complete course I found when I enrolled as the rest were much shorter, which may not be a disadvantage for some, but I was looking for a complete course. Another positive point is that, given the scope of the course, it was good value for money. I am not saying it was cheap, though. The price was 4500 and they offered me a grant of 1500 -if I remember correctly. The problem with this grant is that, with it, the master course can not be validated to Bologna -if I want this validation, I have to pay the 1500 back. On the negative side, I have to say that the materials are a bit old. Just as an example; when doing a subject on Computer Assisted Language Learning, in the introduction I read something like "the most popular search engines are Yahoo and Altavista", I almost had a stroke! Besides, not all the teachers are as involved as one would expect. In fact, I had some problems with one teacher because her replies to my questions were "read the materials", which was not really helpful as I had already done that several times. Others are a bit more helpful and motivating, of course! Another drawback was that, although students are expected to have good mastery of the language and experience as teachers, that was not always the case and this affected negatively the quality of the debates we held. Actually, in many cases, there seemed to be two debates running at the same time. Finally, I found an obsession with Communicative Language Learning that was a bit annoying. I do not have anything to say against it, quite the opposite, but I don't like dogmas. I prefer to adapt myself to the group I have to teach, rather than expecting them to adapt to my methodology. So, to sum up, would I recommend it to other teachers? Yes, if they have more than two years to dedicate to it and their motivation is high. They just have to be prepared to work a lot on their own and handle some frustration.
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5. Programs related to teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language

International House Barcelona
Curso de formacin de profesores de ELE

www.ihes.com/bcn/formacion/ele/index.html Trafalgar 14, Barcelona. Former students who have done this: Miriam Rodrguez, Maria Rosa Garrido, Carme Torras, Natlia Ribas, Ibana Larrubia, Alicia Montenegro, Fernando Romero, Sanae Ortiz, Samuel Rsquez, Diana Hernndez, Estela Valderrey, Nria Fras and many others. Dianas comments: El curso de formacin de profesores de ELE de IH Barcelona viene en dos modalidades: extensivo e intensivo, y su precio es el mismo (1.250 euros). Es muy caro, especialmente para los bolsillos de los estudiantes. Sin embargo, es un curso de prestigio, de reconocimiento internacional y sobre todo de muy buena calidad. Todas las personas que han hecho el curso coinciden en que es una experiencia muy valiosa. Bsicamente es un curso de formacin profesional, en el que te preparan para comenzar a trabajar como profesor de ELE. Consiste en clases tericas que te ensean (y te hacen reflexionar) sobre la enseanza de lenguas en general, y en particular sobre la enseanza del espaol como lengua extranjera, y sesiones prcticas. La teora incluye cosas tan diversas como aspectos del manejo de la clase (organizacin de la pizarra, posicin del profesor, la manera de hablar), mtodos de correccin de errores, la preparacin de la clase, elaboracin de ejercicios, as como sesiones sobre puntos gramaticales problemticos (por/para, subjuntivos), clases particulares, etc. Las sesiones prcticas consisten en preparar y dar clases a un grupo de estudiantes de espaol, seguidas de sesiones de feedback donde se comentan los (muchos) errores cometidos y diversas soluciones para mejorar la clase. Estas prcticas son la parte ms recomendable y dura del curso. Para empezar, das clases a alumnos de verdad, que segn el nivel tienen dificultades para entender y expresarse en espaol, as que las prcticas te sitan en la realidad a la que debers enfrentarte por tu cuenta en el futuro. Las prcticas son una oportunidad para aplicar lo que te han ido enseando en las clases tericas, y te permiten comprobar las tcnicas y mtodos que has ido estudiando. En las prcticas es donde realmente se aprende. Para los que tenemos una especial sensibilidad a las crticas, las sesiones de feedback pueden llegar a ser muy duras, pero an as son muy tiles para tu formacin como profesor/a. Al fin y al cabo, cuanto ms dura sea la formacin, mayor preparacin tendrs para tu vida profesional. Una desventaja de estas sesiones prcticas es que ests obligado a preparar las clases en equipo, y dependiendo de con quin te toque, puede dar muchos dolores de cabeza. Con las personas adecuadas puedes contrastar ideas, pensar nuevas posibilidades y trabajar rpidamente, pero tambin puedes acabar discutiendo durante horas cada punto de la clase en un infierno de frustracin. A pesar de todo, la necesidad hace que al final cedas o llegues a algn acuerdo, y sigas adelante. Adems, la composicin de los grupos va cambiando y probablemente te tocar con alguien con quien puedas trabajar bien. Una crtica que se hace frecuentemente es que en IH te ensean un mtodo de enseanza bastante radical, con una visin determinada de cmo presentar la gramtica, corregir a los alumnos, y planear la clase. Los que han hecho este curso y han comenzado a trabajar como profesores de espaol admiten que no siempre hace falta seguir el mtodo que te ensean estrictamente: Desde que acab el curso he enseado en varios sitios y me he formado en un par de sitios ms, incluyendo el Instituto Cervantes, y puedo decir que efectivamente en IH son muy radicales con el mtodo comunicativo, que no todo el mundo acepta una aplicacin tan radical y que de hecho en muchos casos simplemente no va a funcionar. En cualquier caso, ya va bien que te pongan al lmite y te tengas que espabilar. Slo as estars luego en posicin de juzgar lo que te han enseado y decidir qu partes del mtodo adaptas, relajas o cambias directamente en las distintas situaciones con las que te encontrars en tu vida profesional. Samuel Rsquez. El curso intensivo: para los que prefieran hacer el intensivo en los meses de verano, el curso intensivo tiene la ventaja de estar concentrado en un solo mes. El intensivo te obliga a concentrarte 100% en el tema, y tu rendimiento es muy alto. Sin embargo, es de dedicacin exclusiva. No te permite compaginarlo con un trabajo u otros estudios: por la maana asistes a las clases de teora, por la tarde tienes prcticas y feedback, o reuniones de grupo para preparar las clases. Es muy posible que tengas que trabajar tambin por la noche o en fines de semana. Cinta Llorente in Germany adds that you can also do an online version of this course. It takes 3.5 months.
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August 2013
Universitat de Valencia y el Instituto Cervantes
Curso de metodolga y didctica del espaol como L2 y LE:

http://postgrado.adeit-uv.es/11312040?pdf=11312040 Former student who has done it: Noem Fernndez Snches (did it in 2011) Noems comments: This course is perfect because it introduces you how to teach Spanish in one month at a cost of 850 euros. The postgradute course is intensive: form Monday to Friday from 9.30 to 14.00 and from 16 to 19.30 h. The teachers are Spanish and have a lot of experience. Some of them are working at different universities in Spain but other teachers are working in universities abroad or Instituto Cervantes in Holland, Germany, etc., or in high schools around Europe. Every single day is different in the course because every day you have a different teacher and a different topic. In the morning you will get the theory and in the afternoon you can practice your new knowledge with your classmates. In the course there are around 50 students and they are different ages, from different parts of Spain and from different fields: physical education teachers, chemistry teachers, German teachers and English teachers like you. Many of them want to work abroad as Spanish teachers and some of them are already Spanish teachers working abroad but they want to recycle their knowledge. I f you keep the contact with them, they can help you in future to find a job abroad because, after that course, a lot of classmates are working abroad right now. Moreover, it is an opportunity to make new friends. You know that after one month spending 8 hours a day in class, your classmates are your friends and you meet them to go to the beach, to have a drink, etc. You are going to work hard in Valencia but also have fun. During the course, you have to attend the lessons but at the end of the course you have to hand in a Unidad didctica de espaol como lengua extranjera. The didactic unit has to follow some specific patterns learnt during the course you have to explain which methodology you are following and why. The final grade for the course is Pass/Fail and you will find out as soon as they correct all the didactic units, which is around September. I think it is quite easy for you to prepare a didactic unit in Spanish if you did this before at university. Moreover, during the course, there are publishing companies which come to promote their books and you can get free materials there, materials which can be very useful for your didactic unit. It is true that finding your own accommodation in Valencia is another expense. Fortunately, Valencia is full of students and many of them leave in July and they want to rent their rooms while they are on holiday. I posted an advertisment in Loquo in June (one month before the course) and a lot of people sent me an email offering to rent out their room. You can find a room which costs 250-300 euros for the whole month of July, with all costs included and no deposit. Moreover, life in Valencia is cheaper than in Barcelona, it is full of Mercadonas and the beach is there. (Here you have the webpage Loquo where I posted my advertisement: http://valencia.loquo.com/cs/vivienda/compartir-piso-alq-habitacion) If you are interested in this postgraduate course, you need to send your application form and a letter of motivation before the 18th of June 2012. But that date is not real because the course is for only 50-60 people and as soon as they have that number of application forms, the enrolment period is closed.
Universidad de Deusto (coordinadora del programa)
Mster Erasmus Mundus en Aprendizaje y Enseanza del Espaol en Contextos Multilinges e Internacionales
http://multiele.org/ Former student who is doing it: Nria Fras Jimnez En primer lugar, hay que puntualizar que este mster tiene una duracin de dos aos. El primer semestre se realiza en Bilbao mientras que el segundo es en Barcelona (las clases se hacen tanto en la UPF como en la UB). El segundo ao ya es ms especfico, porque se dedica el primer semestre a las prcticas en contextos universitarios y el segundo se dedica a escribir la memoria de mster. Formo parte de la tercera promocin de este mster y lo cierto es que este ao ha habido ms alumnos sin beca (cada curso vale 4.000 euros aproximadamente) que en otras ocasiones. La beca Erasmus Mundus (que ofrece la Unin Europea) se convoca siempre en otoo. Si no se recibe ninguna beca, se trata de un mster bastante costoso aunque los que somos de Barcelona podemos ahorrar un poco durante el segundo semestre del primer ao, si no tenemos que contar con los gastos de alquiler, etc. Para el segundo ao hay varios destinos en Europa (Gronningen, Berln, Reykjavk, Mosc) y fuera (Japn, India, Brasil, Maryland [US]), aunque es cierto que pueden haber destinos ms solicitados y hay que competir por la plaza con los dems compaeros. En los destinos europeos (menos Mosc), la estancia dura todo el ao
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August 2013
pero los que eligen ir a destinos no europeos realizan las prcticas all pero siempre deben volver a Europa a escribir la memoria, es un requisito obligatorio. Como todava no he terminado, no puedo valorar la parte ms prctica del mster pero hasta ahora puedo decir que estoy satisfecha con las asignaturas realizadas en Barcelona, ms que las que hemos cursado en Bilbao. Aqu hemos ido a observar a instituciones donde se ensea espaol y hemos hecho ms parte prctica pero, como digo, todava nos falta realmente ganar experiencia en ELE en contexto universitario, una vez estemos en nuestro pas de destino.
Universidad Nacional de Educacin a Distancia (UNED)
Master Universitario de Enseanza del Espaol como Segunda Lengua

http://www.fundacion.uned.es/web/actividad/idcurso/98 Former student who has done it: Xavier Espejo Xaviers comments: This is a two-year, 80 credit, online masters degree. It is structured in two modules with a total of 12 courses and does not require a dissertation. It has a really hands-on approach believe it or not and it is really engaging. The professors teaching the different courses are active teachers specialized in different fields with lots of experience that offer you a great teaching experience and a great amount of resources to use in your classroom. You can learn more about it by visiting the web site. The whole degree costs 4,100. This includes the tuition as well as all materials that are sent to you in the mail. The WebCT portal gives you a lot of resources to complement your courses and has different sections such as a job center where you can find different job position announcements in different countries. I love it and I have learnt a lot. The professors have given me a lot of materials and ideas that I have used in my class. They really take it very seriously to individually meet your needs.
Finally, some useful websites to go about looking for information regarding courses for people who want to teach Spanish to foreigners: www.aselered.org and www.elenet.org
6. Programs related to business, international relations and tourism

Escuela de Administracin de Empresas y IL3 Universitat de Barcelona
Curso Superior de Business Assistant Assistant in Business Administration (online)

http://www.eae-deusto.es/programa-secretariado/inicio.html?c=I10111M3008 Former student who did it: Elisabet Juli Perea Elisabets comments: The masters cost me 2000. They send the material to your home. It consists of reading and CDs so as to practice and at the end of every issue you have to take an online exam on the net that you can do whenever you want. More than an exam it is just for practising. Then you have two years to finish everything and you take the final exam in Barcelona. It has been useful to me because I am working for a maritime shipping company.
UAB
Master in Global Business Management

www.uab.es/servlet/Satellite/postgraduate/master-in-international-business-management/basic-details1217916968009.html/param1-1727_en/param2-2004/ Student who has done it: Carolina Balada Carolinas comments: It is mainly focused on Marketing, but they offer an brief overview in 8-9 months of the international business world. Cost: 4380.
August 2013
Universitat de Girona
European Master in Tourism Management

(Master en Direcci i Planificaci de Turisme) http://www.udg.edu/tabid/8439/Default.aspx?ID=3108M1010&language=ca-ES&IDE=51 Former student who did it: Laura Bujalance Lauras comments: This 2-year masters degree is offered at a public price (1 ,700 / year) if you do it fully in Girona, but now there is also the option of making it Erasmus Mundus, which means students follow a mandatory mobility scheme through Denmark (Esbjerg), Slovenia, (Ljubliana) and Spain (Girona) (www.emtmmaster.net). Main areas studied during the first year include cooperation and innovation in tourist organizations, territorial tourist development, economic analysis of tourism, image and identity of tourist destinations, legal aspects of tourism, new technologies and information systems applied to tourism, strategy and competitiveness of tourist organizations and cultural tourism. The second year includes a specialized training module, with different itineraries, of which I did Tourism Marketing, and a final research project. I enjoyed all the classes, because it was all new for me and I learned practical stuff I can relate to the professional world. I guess the worst thing about it was that it was a relatively new degree, and there seemed to be a lack of coordination among professorsthey repeated concepts, or they gave us way too much work. However, this was some time ago, and because Ive been in touch with the professors, I think the schedule is much more under control now. The UdG has a very efficient Borsa de Treball, and many public and promotional institutions in Girona are related to the university, so its easy to get a job or an intern position. I worked as an intern at the CRIIT ( Centre the Recerca i Innovaci de les Indstries Turstiques), and then I spent two years working as media relations manager at Grup Costa Brava Centre, a tourism association that helps promoting tourism and gastronomy of the Costa Brava. Some of my classmates have had experience working at the Patronat de Turisme, the Diputaci, tourist offices, town halls, or also as interns with professors of the department carrying out research in other areas related to tourism such as economics or psychology. If you see yourself in the tourist sector, whether public or private, this degree offers a very broad and interesting view of all the opportunities out there, as well as many useful tools and concepts you need to know if you want to have a little more to offer. I also have to say that it is very demanding, so sometimes it can be hard to combine with a full-time job. I have to add that this masters degree, combined with the knowledge of English (and French) gained at the UAB, earned me a very well paid position as an intern at the Spanish Tourist Office in Toronto, where I spent two years.
ESDEN, Escuela Superior de Negocios y Tecnologas. Associated with the British Council .
Mster en Direccin y Gestin de Comercio Exterior + Cambridge International Diploma in Business

www.esden.es/es/masters.asp Former student who did it: Cristina Abnades Lpez Cristinas comments: It lasts one year and is a semipresencial course (i.e. online and twelve in-class sessions). This year I am going to Madrid, but next year it will be done in Barcelona, too. In general terms, it provides a broad overview of how to conduct a business activity both national and internationally. It is focused on issues such as International Marketing, Hiring and Finances. Each module is taught by a different professional. The goal is bring it all together to finally be able to create ones own International Marketing Plan. There is also the possibility of doing a practicum, as well as taking advantage of the Bolsa de trabajo. A lot of different companies collaborate with the School (e.g. LOreal and Billabong). Finally, it is also important to mention the Cambridge Diploma. It is internationally recognised and you have a book and practice exams in order to prepare yourself.
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August 2013
idEC (Universitat Pompeu Fabra)
Mster en Direcci de Comunicaci

www.idec.upf.edu/master-en-direccion-de-comunicacion Duraci: un any acadmic. Former student who is doing it: Rebeca Garcia Rebecas comments: This is a 9-month master degree which starts in October and ends in June. This master is offered by idEC, which belongs to Pompeu Fabra University, and it costs 7,200 euros. The master consists of two postgraduate programmes: the first one on Business Communication and the second one on Communication Management. At the end you obtain the masters degree in Communication Management. The good thing is that you can do the first postgraduate and then you have up to three years to do the second one. La idEC also has a Borsa de Treball and they help you find an internship in a company. The master gives you a general overview of the business world, and it deals with subjects such as Marketing, Web 2.0 technologies, internal and external communication, etc. At the end of each programme you have to do a final project, which is quite demanding, but the teachers are very helpful. Although most students come from Journalism and Communications, everybody can attend the lessons without problems. There are two classes (one in Catalan and the other in Spanish) with 25 students per class, so everybody has chances to participate. You have to do quite a lot of presentations, which is good because you learn to talk in front of an audience and to be self-confident. I am learning a lot and I feel very satisfied!
Institut Barcelona dEstudis Internacionals
Mster en Relaciones Internacionales

Elisabets, 10. 08001 Barcelona www.ibei.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=category&sectionid=1&id=2&Itemid=3&lang=ca Former student who has done it: Diana Gasol Dianas comments: The program is full-time and it lasts one year. Courses are basically about International Politics, Economics and Law. There are also optional courses on Cooperation, International Peace and Security, Conflict Resolution, Political Economy in different regions, etc. You have to work very hard and it is very demanding. I think it is more difficult for people who do not have a background in Political Science, Economics or Law. The great majority of students come from these fields. In fact, the program is mainly addressed to them. Of course, it all depends on your motivation. Some of the possible professional possibilities would be international analyst; to work in an international department of a multinational firm; to work in an international organization; and a variety of possibilities that I have not yet explored. I would say it provides you with quite a good academic background as well as a fairly good understanding of current issues in the international sphere. One drawback is that it is a very new program and they do not guarantee any kind of internship. They do not have any bolsa de trabajo either. At the moment, I would say that everyone will have to look for his/her own opportunities. They can provide you with good sources of information, though. I would recommend this masters program to people really interested in all topics related to International Relations, i.e. International Politics, Economics and Public Law.
Fundaci Universitria del Bages
Postgrau en Comer Internacional i Mrketing

http://efc.fub.edu/index.php?lang=ca Former student who has done it: Maria Velzquez Marias comments: For me it has been very useful, it will only take you from September to June and it is a twoday course in the afternoon. A lot of the subjects helping me at work (Im in sales) while I was doing it, I would strongly recommend for it people who are in the business world, or want to have a career in business. They also offer scholarships, for which you have to take an exam in International Commerce, an English test and a personal interview. I got one of the scholarships and they paid for 50% of the total tuition fee.
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August 2013
ESERP Business School
Mster en Direccin de Comunicacin, Relaciones Pblicas y Protocolo

http://www.eserp.com/es/masters-y-mba/barcelona/master-en-direccion-de-comunicacion-relaciones-publicas-yprotocolo.html C/ Girona 24, Barcelona Former students who had done it: Marta Carrillo, Elena Florit Martas comments: The first module deals with protocol, official events, event organization, conventions and congresses. The second module is about internal and external communication in companies, marketing, nonverbal communication and anything related to the press and the media (advertising) and finally Public Relations, as part of the external communications within a company. The program is opening up several possibilities in the business world where languages are needed and useful. For protocol English is important, but for communication and public relations it is an absolutely essential prerequisite, and still not many people are fluent or proficient enough to do these jobs properly. The program set up a practicum for me and then helped me get a part-time job. Elenas comments: I was not happy about it in the end. At first, it seems that it will be very interesting, organised and so on, but you end up dealing with different aspects in general and with a feeling that you have not learnt anything. Furthermore, most of my classmates complained and had the same feeling, too. The possibilities for a practicum are not interesting and they do not offer you good perspectives for the future. For instance, the job I found after the master was not due to a practicum through ESERP, but because I looked for it. I do not recommend this Master to anyone. There are many other optionsr, and one should think about it carefully because it is a considerable investment.
Universitat Oberta de Catalunya-UIB (online post-grad course)
Direccin y marketing de empresas tursticas

www.uoc.edu/masters/esp/web/turismo/empresas_turisticas/postgrau/direccion_y_marketing_de_empresas_turis ticas_uoc-uib/ Former student who has done it: Beln Snchez Belns comments: This is an 8 month online intensive postgraduate course, and I admit that I really enjoyed the course since the topics were very interesting. At the end you get to know everything but not in detail since you have the impression that the course is very general; it is focused on understanding how a tourist business works, and in fact, the final project is free but related to a new business, so I chose to prepare a marketing plan for a low cost online travel agency specialized in trips to Australia. The online educational methodology is very flexible and dynamic in the sense that you can work at your own pace and from home, but I still prefer the traditional face to face methodology and having direct contact with the teacher and rest of students. For example, in the traditional methodology questions are answered immediately (you dont have to wait for an e-mail, as in the online mode), you can live interact with other students and learn from discussions (you can also do this with your computer but in the end is impossible to read all the messages and you get tired of reading, or you have no time), and you directly learn from the teacher since he/she immediately corrects you (again, in online mode you have to wait for teachers availability to write an e -mail). What I disliked most about this course was that most of the time you dont obtain exercise feedback from teachers, you just send the exercise on time but never receive it back corrected. In this sense, you dont really learn, you just do exercises and research papers but never know if they are right or wrong, or why the teacher gives you a C instead of a B. You have to be very proactive and send e-mails to the teacher if you want to know your mistakes, and my opinion is that they should send the corrections spontaneously. As a whole, it is a good introductory course, but dont start it thinking you are going to turn into an expert, you just learn general ideas and perhaps if you combine it with a second postgraduate course it gives you a more specific learning. My advice is that you dont do this course if you are not familiar with online methodology or if you still prefer the face to face educational model. Cost is ok, 2,300 euros.
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August 2013
BES La Salle, Barcelona
MIB. Master in International Business

http://www.beslasalle.net/portal/masters/area/Controller?mvchandler=portals&action=showscreen&screen=workspace&idSection=17465&area=mba&tipo=masters Barcelona Duraci: 1 any acadmic Horari: Dilluns de 19h. a 22h. Divendres de 18h. a 21h. i dissabtes de 9h. a 14h. Former student who has done it: Meritxell Caparrs Meritxells comments: This is a 9-month master degree which starts every year in October and ends in July. This master is offered by La Salle Business Engineer School, which belongs to Ramon Llull University. The price of this master is relatively high (9.000-10.000) but it is very similar to the prices offered by other universities -not many in Barcelona, by the way. I only know one university ESCI, UPF- which has a very similar master. The goal of the master is to cover all the areas included in the process of internationalization of small and medium companies (PYMES). The master begins with very interesting sessions on cultural dimension. Then, it moves on to international politics and business. All this is followed by statistics and mathematics which I have personally found very difficult to follow. However, it is true that good Export Managers need to have a basic command of these issues. The master covers also Advertising, Marketing, Price policies, Distribution channels, Human resources, Management skills, Logistics and International payments forms, amongst many other issues. The end of the master is a Business plan, and an educational trip to one of the universities world-wide with which LA SALLE has agreements. I know former students who visited the USA or India. This year, we are going to Shanghai. La SALLE also has an efficient Borsa de Treball, and they help you re-orientate your professional career. Almost all my colleagues studied Economics or Administration before taking this master (and only 1 out of my 21 colleagues is from Spain.), so the effort that a person from Filologia Anglesa needs to make, compared with these students, is tremendous. Everything is new, literally. So for any of you who are really interested in working in international departments, I strongly advise you to work 5 or 6 years in private companies before studying this specialisation. I have to say that many things could be improved: from organization to selection of lecturers and even students. But the overall feeling is of enormous satisfaction.
7. Programs related to translating, publishing and language

UAB
Assessorament Lingstic en els Mitjans Audiovisuals (UAB) or Mster en Correcci i Assessorament Lingstic
http://www.uab.es/servlet/Satellite/postgrau/postgrau-en-assessorament-linguistic-en-els-mitjansaudiovisuals/dades-basiques-1203328491238.html/param1-1654_4_ca/param2-2001/ Former student who has done it: Alba Vindel (2010-2011) Cost: 1,800 Albas comments: Assessorament Lingstic als Mitjans Audiovisuals can be done as only a postgraduate or, if you pay a bit more and do a treball de fi de master (TFM) you get a masters degree. However, it must be said that it is not an official master, but a ttol propi of the UAB. I decided to do this postgraduate course because I wanted to get the equivalent to the Catalan K-level (which no longer can be obtained by sitting an exam) and I also wanted to specialize in oral texts or in texts related to the media. Actually, the UAB organizes another postgraduate course in Correcci i Qualitat Lingstiques and the UB offers the postgraduate course Assessorament Lingstic i Serveis Editorials (http://www.ub.edu/algmse/), but both of them focus on written texts, not oral ones. The postgraduate course is structured in two types of subjects: those that are more general (which were on Tuesday, and are common the Correcci i Qualitat Lingstiques postgraduate course) and those that affect directly the linguist that works in the media (which were on Friday). Attendance is compulsory, and the sessions are 4 hours long, divided into two subjects.
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August 2013
My opinion about the postgraduate course is that it is useful because it allows you to obtain the equivalent to the Catalan K-level. Regarding the contents, some of the subjects are very interesting and they give you quite a lot of information, which will be useful if you work as a proofreader or language consultant. Given the high degree of specialization of some subjects, sometimes you may feel that they are not useful, because you know that you never will work in a given area. And sometimes there is a subject that you are very interested in, but you may feel that it is not sufficiently explored. All in all, I would recommend this course to anyone that knows that they want to work as a proofreader or language consultant in the media. In the event that you feel that you are more interested in written texts, perhaps the first of these two postgraduate courses would be more appropriate.
Universitat Pompeu Fabra. Roc Boronat Building (Campus de la Comunicaci - Poblenou)
Mster en estudis de traducci

http://www.upf.edu/postgrau/traduccio/presentacio/index.html Former students who did it: Laura Claras & Nria Sabater Cost: 3,400-3,600 euros (depending on the subjects you choose) Lauras comments: I studied English in UAB and on balance, I liked it, but I had always been interested in translation. So, as soon as I ended up this degree, I decided to enroll in this Master a on translation. In my opinion, only one 50% of the subjects were interesting and useful. We did subjects on linguistics, interpretation and translation (you had to choose which kind of translation you wanted to get involved in, I particularly decided to study legal translation, but you can choose between legal, literary or scientific and technological translation). This subject on legal translation was the most useful one, as well as the practicum. I started my internship on April, 2012 and I finished it 3 months later (you had to work 300 hours at least). It was not really well paid, but at least it was paid. I learned a many things related to the translation world such as the use of the typical automatic translation programs like Trados, Workbench and so on. I also did some corrections and final eye. Nowadays, my job has nothing to do with translation since, after the internship, I d ecided that it wasnt a job for me because basically, you have to work with new technologies and perfectly manage them. Thats why Im teaching English now in an English school, and Im very glad working in there. I would recommend this Master to everyone who is interested in translation and new technologies and who wants to discover how this world works since mainly the internship allows you to work and get involved (300 hours at least) in the translation business. Then, if you work really hard, they can allow you to continue with the internship or hire you at the end just like it happened to some of my classmates who are currently working in these kinds of business. Nrias comments: Para entrar en el mster, los requisitos son: ttulo de licenciado/graduado, tu CV, una carta de motivacin, nivel de ingls B2, nivel de cataln o castellano C1. Hay tres itinerarios: investigacin (para hacer luego un doctorado), acadmico y profesional (el que yo hice, ms enfocado para trabajar como traductor). Para los tres itinerarios se puede escoger una (obligatorio) o ms de estas especialidades: literaria, juridicoeconmica y cientfica (este ao no se ha cursado por falta de alumnos). Yo hice las dos primeras y en las dos aprend mucho, y como asignatura optativa hice traduccin audiovisual. Los contenidos de este mster son: traduccin en rasgos generales, herramientas tecnolgicas que se usan para traducir, cmo traducir para los diferentes campos, teora de la traduccin, lingstica aplicada a la traduccin, gestin de proyectos, etc. El nico problema que he encontrado es que por el precio que pagas podran ofertar ms asignaturas. En este link encontraris las asignaturas ms detalladas: www.upf.edu/dtcl/formacio/postgrau/assignaturesMET.html En el tema de las prcticas estoy muy contenta ya que estoy en una empresa donde las prcticas son remuneradas (atencin: para la mayora de alumnos de la UPF siempre pagan las prcticas de mster, y esto es un punto muy positivo, ya que aprendes pero a la vez recibes un sueldo). Para este itinerario las horas de prcticas son de 340 aprox. Es el itinerario con ms horas pero a la vez haces menos asignaturas y el trabajo final es de slo 20 pginas. En general creo que podra haber aprendido ms si la organizacin de las asignaturas estuviera mejor, pero he visto cmo es y he traducido mucho (y ese era mi objetivo principal), y puedo decir que s me ha gustado. Si quieres dedicarte a esto, tienes que tener en cuenta que en Espaa es un campo muy difcil y muy mal pagado (pagan mejor en el norte de Europa o en pases no europeos), y es una profesin solitaria (generalmente tienes que ser autnomo para poder trabajar en esto).
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August 2013
idEC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra
Mster en Edicin
http://www.idec.upf.edu/master-en-edicion/contenidos-academicos Former student who is doing it: Maria Moreno Cost: 6,900 Marias comments: When I finished my degree last year there was one thing I knew and that was that I wanted to work on something I was passionate about and that was literature. I talked with Carme Font about my options and about working in a publishing house and she told me that nowadays its very difficult to get into this world if you dont have an MA. So I enrolled in this masters program. I found it perfect for me because as the classes are during the evening I could work during the day. Of course its not cheap but with some help and money I had been saving I decided it would be a good investment. So far its been very interesting and I have learnt a lot from it. Although I havent been able to benefit from it because Im already working and I couldnt make the hours work for me the MA is helpful in that it comes with an internship programme that lets you gain practice and start making connections (which we are told is everything in the publishing world!). The MA deals with all the aspects of the publishing world and all the teachers are professionals working on the field right now and they are always available if you need to ask them questions.
UVic
Mster Universitari en Traducci Especialitzada

http://www.uvic.cat/estudi/traduccio-especialitzada
Former student who is doing it: Carolina Balada Cost: 4,973
Universitat de Barcelona
Mster en Assessorament Lingstic, Gesti del Multilingisme i Serveis Editorials (ALGMSE)

www.ub.edu/algmse/ Former student who did it or are doing it: Alba Vindel Bonet & Laura de Francisco Albas comments: The postgraduate course in language policy and multilingualism management is one of the two postgraduate courses that make up the Master in Assessorament lingustic, gesti del multilingisme i serveis editorials. The other postgraduate course, Assessorament lingustic i serveis editorials is equivalent to the former K-level in Catalan, which qualifies you to proofread texts in Catalan. The postgraduate course I have took deals mainly with issues related to language policy and management and focuses on the situation in the Catalan domain (it is not a general perspective). You attend lessons once per week and the classes last four hours. Over the academic year you cover different aspects of the topic, and each session is given by some expert in the area (so you hardly see the same professor twice). On the one hand, this structure is positive in the sense that all the professionals that come are very specialized in the topic they explain; on the other hand, you do not have one professor that can be considered a reference and there is quite a lot of work to do. It is also positive that the postgraduate (and also the master) includes 50 hours of prctiques at some company or institution related to the programme you follow. However, the postgraduate has been redesigned for next year: it will be structured in modules and each module will have a coordinator, you will not have to hand in exercises every week following the sessions because some exercises will be unified according to the modules and some sessions will be done through the campus virtual (the UB moodle platform). In general terms, I am quite happy at having done this postgraduate: it enables you to work in public or private institutions related to language policy and planning, and if you do the full master programme, you can also work as a professional proofreader. I also think that the problems we encountered this year (the first year the program was offered) will largely be solved for the next. So all in all, I would recommend it to anyone interested in this topic.
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August 2013
Lauras comments: I have been doing this MA throughout all this year (2012-2013), and to be honest, it was not what I expected although I must admit that Im quite satisfied with having finished it. As explained above, this MA is composed of two postgraduate studies: Assessorament Lingstic i Serveis EditorIals and Gesti del Multilingisme. I was personally more interested in the former as I thought I would get a deep insight into Catalan grammar. However, it wasnt exactly like that as the MA didnt offer a syllabus based on gr ammar and syntactic studies but mainly on lessons of typographical issues. The module on Serveis Editorials disappointed me very much since the lectures I received were poor in content and quite boring. Yet it is compulsory to hand in an imaginary editorial project at the end of the module. The assessment of the module of Assessorament linguistic is mainly done by means of exams and projects. The postgraduate study Gesti del Multilingisme is in general pretty interesting. Sessions are scheduled in different modules, and each module deals with different aspects of the Catalan language, culture, economics, law, administration, etc. The assessment consists of handing in an activity at the end of each module. The coordinator of each module varies according to the topic you have been dealing with. The projects are meant to be written in pairs or groups of three. Overall, I would recommend not to take the MA but instead the postgraduate studies independently (Id recommend only the one on Gesti del Multilingisme). If you take the MA as a whole, it is compulsory to hand in and present a final project in September, so realistically enough you dont really finish your MA until the end of September, once you have defended it. Most of the teachers in the MA have a strong and wide knowledge of the issues dealt in class; however, not all of them know how to get this knowledge across. To get into this MA it is compulsory to have a degree on Catalan Philology or the Superior Certificate in Catalan (nivell D); if not, you will have to take it throughout the course. This MA is quite demanding. The price of the master is 2.400.
Universitat Pompeu Fabra
Mster en Lingstica Terica i Aplicada

www.upf.edu/postgrau/masters/comunicacio/linguistica/presentacio/index.html Slvia Rustullet did the second cycle version of this program (not the Masters) Slvias comments: I chose this linguistics program because it was more applied to new technologies. At Pompeu Fabra, you will have to adapt to their methodology: 10 weeks of lessons and then exams, with no pre-exam study week; trimesters instead of semesters and theoretical lessons once a week. Moreover, there were many more projects to hand in and presentations to endure. However, once you have adapted, there are plenty of good things. In addition to linguistics subjects like Phonetics and Pragmatics, you do Computational subjects like Statistics, Logics or Speech Treatment. Other subjects introduce you to new fields in linguistics such as Language Industries, Applied Linguistics or Forensic Linguistics. You also have a compulsory training period at any company you choose. In my case, I worked in a Language Engineering company here in Barcelona. I really enjoyed it.
Universitat Autnoma de Barcelona, Facultat de Traducci i Interpretaci
Mster en Traducci Audivisual

http://pagines.uab.cat/mtav/ Former students who have done it: Slvia Anguera, Carol Lpez, Silvia Quiles, Kor Arques, Olga Parera, Noem Ortego Noems comments: The masters prepares students to work in all the different fields related to audiovisual translation: dubbing, subtitling, voice-over, audio-description, software and videogame localization, etc. All the teachers are talented professionals and have a lot of experience. Most of them are eager to show students the insights of the profession and their lectures are informative and practical at the same time. In general I am pleased with the program. However, I was disappointed that both dubbing and subtitling took only one semester each because there is really a lot to learn. The last weeks of the masters were filled with lectures and while some of them were very useful, others were very repetitive. So I feel we could have used those credits to learn how to adjust text and image in dubbing. Traditionally there has been a translator and an adjustor but nowadays companies want someone that can do both in order to reduce expenses, but we did not learn to do that. Another reason for disappointment was my internship. I had to translate and subtitle the video of a conference for the Centre de Cultura Contempornea de Barcelona. I did it at home and I never got any feedback, so it did not feel like an internship but more like working for free.
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August 2013
Universitat dAlacant
Mster Oficial de Traducci Institucional (Mster virtual)

www.ua.es/dpto/trad.int/estudios/master_instit/master_instit.html Preu Especial: 1.500 euros Former student who has done it: Nria Hernndez Nrias comments: This masters degree is aimed at students with a degree in Translation or Linguistics who want to specialise in translating legal and financial texts. It is offered online by the Universitat dAlacant (UA) with the collaboration of the Universitat Jaume I (UJI) and the Universitat de Valncia (UV). It is a truly interesting sixty-credit course, which offers two possible itineraries; a professional one, which includes practical work experience in a law firm or translation agency and a research-focused module. There are three language combinations: Spanish/French, Spanish/German, and Spanish/English, all of which include four common subjects, five compulsory subjects according to language pair, two optional subjects, and a final project. In addition, students will have the chance to learn from leading researchers in their fields, as the professors involved are extremely professional, and helpful. However, the workload per subject is considerable. Therefore, it can be difficult to combine this course with a full-time job. Fortunately, it can be done in more than one year. As it is a dense online course, I would only recommend it to students who have work or academic experience in translation.
Universitat Autnoma de Barcelona
Postgrau de Traducci Jurdica

http://pagines.uab.cat/traducciojuridica Preu Especial: 2000 euros Former student who has done it: Nria Hernndez Nrias comments: The programme aims to provide learning and training in the field of legal translation. It is a twenty-credit course which includes a basic introduction to the Spanish legal system, the Common Law, translation basics, translation practice, and practical work experience in law firms or institutions. For this reason, entrance requirements involve having earned a degree in Translation, in Linguistics or in Law. I would recommend it to students with no previous experience in translation at all, as it highly theoretical and brief the time allotted per subject ranges from nine to twenty-four hours. For this reason, it is compatible with a full-time job. Some of the lecturers involved are foremost researchers in their field from different universities, namely the UPF, the UB, and the UJI.
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August 2013
8. Ongoing education once you are already teaching

Elaine Higa 1. Col.legi Oficial de Doctors i Llicenciats en Filosofia i Lletres i en Cincies de Catalunya (www.cdl.cat/cursos/formacio_permanent) Courses about teaching and preparation for Oposicions. 2. International House (www.ihes.com/bcn/tt/tefl-courses.html) International House offers workshops throughout the year, as well as a wonderful conference in February. 3. Associaci de Professors dAngls de Catalunya (APAC) (www.apac.es) APAC holds a very interesting conference in March. 4. Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Spain (www.tesolspain.org) TESOL-Spain also has a yearly conference, usually in March. 5. British Council (www.britishcouncil.org/ca/spain-education-teachers-corner.htm) The British Council holds free talks and workshops for English Teachers, especially in October. 6. Institut de Cincies de lEducaci (www.uab.es/ice) The Institut de Cincies de lEducaci also has many courses and Jornades on TEFL 7. Several publishers offer talks about English Language Teaching (ELT). You need to check their websites from time to time or even call their Barcelona delegations to see whats available. Some ideas: Oxford University Press: www.oup.com/es/educacion/oxed_eventos/ Pearson ELT: http://www.pearsonelt.com/ Burlington Books: www.burlingtonbooks.es MacGrawHill: www.mcgraw-hill.es ITs magazine: www.its-online.com MacMillan: www.macmillanelt.es/Teacher_Training.teacher-training.0.html Cambridge University Press: www.cup.es/emea/default.asp
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August 2013
9. Doing post-graduate studies abroad

Doing a Masters degree in the UK
Cristina Delgado Estoy cursando un Mster a tiempo completo en la Universidad de Manchester. Se llama MA in Post1900 Literatures, Theories and Cultures. Segn mi experiencia, estudiar un Mster en una universidad britnica es muy duro pero tambin muy gratificante. Por qu hacer un Mster en el extranjero?. Con un curso de postgrado, aprendes mtodos de investigacin que te sern tiles si quieres empezar a labrarte una carrera acadmica. Adems, es una manera fantstica de adquirir un grado de especializacin en la materia que has escogido. Cursarlo en el extranjero tiene un plus de prestigio, sobre todo si quieres trabajar fuera de Espaa, donde en algunos casos se tiene la obligacin legal de pagar sueldos acordes con el nivel de estudios. El nico caso en que NO recomendara hacer un Mster es si realmente no tienes vocacin acadmica. El tema que has escogido tiene que motivarte tanto que te haga levantarte cada da y ponerte a trabajar en l por tu cuenta, porque NADIE te vigilar. Haciendo un Mster ests solo ante el peligro, as que no pierdas tiempo o dinero haciendo un Mster si lo nico que quieres es simplemente llenar un hueco. Qu tipo de Mster?. Existen dos tipos de Mster (taught and research masters) y los puedes cursar a tiempo completo y a tiempo parcial. Segn el grado de autonoma que quieras tener, puedes escoger entre un taught (con asignaturas) y research (enfocado a tu propia investigacin). Hacerlo a tiempo completo significa completarlo en un ao, normalmente, es decir: mucho, mucho trabajo. En cambio, un Mster a tiempo parcial te permite estudiar y trabajar, y quiz dedicarle mucho ms tiempo a cada asignatura. Tambin tiene la ventaja econmica de que la matrcula de inscripcin se paga en dos veces. Que no te engae la etiqueta taught master: bsicamente, significa que tendrs asignaturas con unas lista de lecturas inicial determinada por un profesor. An as, a nivel de postgrado, el nivel de autoaprendizaje es altsimo. Cmo escogerlo?. En mi caso, encontr el Mster que quera hacer en la web www.prospects.ac.uk. Vers que muchos ttulos de Mster son similares, incluso el nombre de las asignaturas que ofrecen. Te recomiendo que indagues un poquito acerca del profesorado, el ranking del departamento con respecto al de otras universidades, etc. Uno de los puntos fuertes de la universidad de Manchester era que Terry Eagleton, una eminencia en el campo de la teora de la literatura, daba clases a los estudiantes de Mster. Pero no slo eso: me gustaron las facilidades para escoger asignaturas de diferentes departamentos, el inters por ciertos temas (echa un vistazo a los reseach interests del profesorado o a los centros de investigacin dentro del departamento), me gust ver el nmero de conferencias y seminarios que se organizaban a parte de las clases... Tambin tienes que pensar en la ciudad y los costes, no es lo mismo vivir en Londres que en Swansea. Requisitos. Al no ser del Reino Unido, el papeleo burocrtico es significativo -pero vale la pena! Ten preparado tu expediente acadmico en castellano/cataln, ms una traduccin al ingls (te recomiendo los servicios del SIMTRAD en www.uab-idiomes.com/simtrad.html, son rapidsimos y ofrecen precios especiales para estudiantes de la UAB). Tambin necesitars dos cartas de recomendacin de profesores. Si has estado en una universidad extranjera, pdele a uno de tus profesores una carta de recomendacin: a las universidades les gusta ver que un estudiante ha hecho un buen trabajo no slo en casa sino tambin en otros sitios. Por ltimo, tendrs que redactar una carta de motivacin (no te preocupes: hay plantillas en la web) y entregar dos trabajos de unas 3,000 palabras relacionados con el curso que quieres hacer. En mi caso, reutilic dos trabajos que haba hecho durante la carrera para que tuvieran una mayor relacin con el Mster que quera hacer. Es posible que te pidan tener cierta puntuacin en el IELTS o en el Proficiency, pero si no tienes esos ttulos en el momento de solicitar plaza en el curso, te pueden aceptar provisionalmente y esperar a que lleguen esos resultados.
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Las clases. Si estuviste fuera con una beca Erasmus sabrs que en otros pases el nmero de horas semanales de clase es mucho menor que en Espaa. En el caso de los cursos de postgrado, estas horas se reducen muchsimo ms (entre 6 y 2 horas semanales, segn semestre), porque se considera que el alumno debe dedicar el resto de horas a la investigacin. Tendrs tiempo para todo, pero el Mster consume muchsimo. An as, es maravilloso estar en grupos reducidos (mximo 10 personas) con las que el debate va mucho ms all de lo que podra ser un club del libro. Preprate para lucirte en clase, porque no slo esperan de ti que hayas ledo los textos, sino que seas capaz de ser crtico con ellos y demostrar que puedes pensar outside the box. Una de las primeras cosas que te dicen al empezar el Master es que ahora los profesores van a aprender tanto de ti, como tu de ellos. Eso, obviamente, es una mentira (encantadora), pero sirve para entender que ya no esperan que reproduzcas lo que ellos digan en clase, sino que aportes tu propia visin. En mi caso, el cuerpo de estudiantes de la universidad es tremendamente activo, y organizan muchsimos grupos de lectura, con o sin profesores. Es una oportunidad increble para aprender sin la presin de tener que entregar un trabajo al final del curso. Fuera complejos. No te d miedo pedir plaza en una universidad extranjera. Que el ingls no sea tu primera lengua no quiere decir que ests en inferioridad de condiciones. Te recuerdo que un hablante nativo de ingls no tiene por qu saber ms (o incluso, escribir mejor a nivel acadmico) que t. A menudo venir de otro pas es una ventaja, porque inevitablemente cuentas con un bagaje cultural y, por lo tanto, otra manera de ver las cosas. Curiosamente, los estudiantes no-britnicos que hay en mi curso son los que mejores notas estn sacando. Meritxell Simn adds: If you are planning to do a MA or PhD in the UK, I strongly recommend www.jobs.ac.uk. All vacancies are posted there. It is worth preparing the application form well in advance. An excellent research project that fits the research lines of a lab is crucial. Also, good letters of recommendation help too! My advice if you are considering doing a PhD: (1) take your time to think about your topic (you must be obsessively interested in it because it will be your best friend for at least four years and you wont be able to get rid of it until you finish, not even in your sleep!); (2) A department specialized in your topic; (3) funding. You had better wait one year or two until you get funding and a good research unit. Doing a PhD under good conditions is almost the only guarantee for the completion of such a demanding project. Good luck! Javier Fernndez adds: MA and MRes programmes in linguistics in the UK are generally very good, so if you wish to pursue an academic life Id strongly recommend you give it some thought. There are major drawbacks to living in London, however. London is an overpriced city: for example, a monthly Oyster card (public transport) for students is around 80 quid, which is 100 euros. Obviously this is only for zone 1&2. Rents are also very expensive: living somewhere decent can cost 500 a month and by that I mean double (not huge) room relatively close to the centre. So unless you have a good scholarship, London should be the last place in the UK to consider. Sure, you could also work and study part-time, but then be aware that you will have to pay council tax, which will cost you at least 800 a year. I am saying all this because for some reason, people tend to equate London and UK. If you are interested in getting an MA or MRes in Ling, and you cannot afford to spend a huge fortune, there are very good departments all around the UK. Here I list some (note that I can only talk about linguistics, I am rather clueless with respect to programmes in literature): University of Essex: the linguistics department in in Colchester, 45 minutes from London by train and 30 minutes from Stansted Airport. They have several research groups: theoretical linguistics (both from formal and functional perspectives), applied linguistics (SLA, TEFL), discourse analysis, sociolinguistics Andrew Radford is teaching there (those of you who have taken syntax courses at UAB must know him, I am sure!) University of Kent: also pretty close to London (as you can see, I am giving you alternatives always thinking of those London fans!). The department of Culture and Language, and more specifically the division of English language and linguistics offers more theoretically-based approaches to language (they have a good Syntax Group), but they also cover L1 acquisition and psycholinguistics.
August 2013
For those of you who like TEFL, check out Bristol or Lancaster, they focus pretty much on that. Cambridge and Oxford both have amazing departments of linguistics, but a word of warning: living there will cost you as much as living in London given that you have to pay college fees plus tuition fees. In any case, for those Chomskyans like me, Cambridge is your option. If you prefer a funcional approach to language, Oxford is your place, then. If you dont mind getting further up north I would suggest you checked out York, Newcastle and, especially, Edinburgh. I went there for my Erasmus and the department of languages is absolutely amazing. They work on computational linguistics and evolutionary approaches, but they have a great Syntax/Semantics reading group. Also, for those of you who are interested in language acquisition/language impairments, Edinburgh is worth a look! In a nutshell: if you wish to get into an MA in Linguistics, the UK is a great place to do that, but do not focus on London exclusively. In terms of scholarships, once you narrow down your choices for programs, check out the section on funding, which every department should have on their website, and you will see there are plenty of options. Bear in mind, though, that if wish to be eligible for funding you have to apply by January for entry in September.
Applying for a post-graduate program in the US

Juan Meneses You may be thinking about going for an MA or a PhD in the US, and thats a great idea. And your main concern, right now, is funding. The economic situation is bad, but dont get discouraged, the universities need you: they need MA and PhD students, and they need teaching assistants (TAs). TAships (teaching assistantships) are something you really want to take a look at when considering an MA or PhD, because youll be exempt from all academic fees. Also, American universities embrace certain policies with respect to gender, ethnic and international diversity, which means youll be taken into account in ways you are not in most countries in Europe. I would say that approximately 20% of my colleagues who are TAs (teaching assistants) are international students. Also, dont discard being a Spanish/Catalan language Teaching Assistant while pursuing another degree. Departments usually have agreements (e.g, Romance LanguagesEnglish) so they can provide funding, and grad students do that constantly. There are fellowships and grants that you want to apply for. Give yourself plenty of time to work on those. Id say 6 to 12 months. And dont get discouraged by the high degree of competition. These are hard things to get, but if you dont try, you will certainly not get them. The best advice I can come up with is to seriously believe in what you want to do. This is especially important during the interview processes. Very often, interviewers get highly underwhelmed by people that just want to go abroad, and thats where you really show them how great itll be for them to give YOU the money for your studies/academic project.. If you intend to take a degree in English (as an academic area, that is) you will be expected to perform as well as a native student. The equivalent would be to study Catalan or Spanish at the UAB. But dont let this daunt you in the least. Youll see that making mistakes in written (or even oral) English is not necessarily indicative of your being a non-native. Secondly, a graduate degree is just as hard work as a regular job, though obviously the pressure is higher. Be sure of what you want to do and why you want to do it. Third, I would stress that the Anglo-Saxon academic tradition emphasizes self-reliance, individual work and personal commitment, as has been encouraged in this department for years. This implies a high degree of involvement in seminars and papers, where youll develop your own distinct voice. Finally, read through www.theprofessorisin.com. It is to my knowledge the best website to consult all things pertaining grad school and professional life in academia.
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Applying for an assistantship at a US university

In many US universities, graduate students (perhaps called post-graduate students elsewhere) pay for their own studies (as well as room and board) by being Assistants, which can be administrative assistantships, research assistantships or teaching assistantships (TAs, who help teach basic undergraduate subjectsthe most common post). In other words, if you get that sort of position in advance, you will not need to get any grants or save huge amounts of money before you go. If you have been away from studying for a number of years, do not assume that you are at advantage. Many US graduate programs actually prefer applicants who have been working for a while over recent graduates, on the grounds that the former will be more focused and have more to contribute. Deadlines for applications are generally between December and March, but you should start getting your act together well in advance (September is not too soon). Here is what you should do if the idea appeals to you. 1) Try to find information about 10-15 different masters programs at US universities that might interest you. The best way to do this is online at www.gradschools.com. 2) Get information online about each program of interest from the respective university websites and study their application forms (which should also be available online). Then narrow down your choice to the 3-7 universities or programs which look most interestingand which offer TA positions (remember that it will be strictly illegal to work in the US outside the university context). 3) You will probably have to take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) and/or GRE (Graduate Record Exam) exams, depending on the university. Find out how and where you can do this in Catalonia, and plan to take the test(s) AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. 4) Apply to the programs in your short list. As part of the application process, most universities will ask you to send 1) a personal essay, 2) your official university transcript, 3) a report from your bank, 4) an example of a paper you wrote while at university, and 5) your TOEFL scores and possibly also GRE scores. Deadline for application may be as early as January, so it is important to get these documents ready before Christmas. 5) Then wait for replies, which should start to come in after February, depending on individual university deadlines. If you are accepted in several places, weigh the offers. Some universities may not offer TA positions. Those that do will offer different salaries. 6) Once you accept an offer, the university will send you an information pack that will enable you to apply for a visa to the US. This process can be complicated and you should get help with it to avoid mistakes. If all of this sounds complicated, just ask yourself if you have anything to lose by trying! For a site that ranks US colleges for quality, see http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/rankumregion_brief.php Note: Ruth Gmez Layola was given a Teaching Assistantship at University of Maryland Baltimore County which enabled her to do an MA in Intercultural Communication without paying for tuition.
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Post-graduate studies in Canada

Laura Monerris Oliveras
For those of you interested in doing a post-graduate program abroad, the University of Alberta (top 5 Canadian university) has a good program in TESL at the Masters and Doctoral levels. See www.edpsychology.ualberta.ca/GraduatePrograms.aspx The application deadline for a graduate program in a Canadian university, either M.A. or Ph.D., is usually during September-December and only sometimes until February/March to start the program the following September. Make sure you browse their programs on their websites based on your interests first, but give priority to those universities that provide funding (e.g. scholarships, graduate research or teaching assistantships, international tuition supplements, recruitment awards, etc.) with their graduate programs. Being accepted at a graduate program without funding is going to be extremely challenging due to the continuous rise in tuition fees and the cost of living (which varies depending on the Canadian province). Once accepted at a graduate program at a Canadian university, getting a Study Permit is pretty easy and straightforward. During your studies, you can work on campus with your study permit, or off-campus with a specific Work Permit for students. http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/study/index.asp NOTE: If you become an international Ph.D. student and complete at least two years towards your degree, in good academic standing, you will be eligible to apply as a Skilled Worker and become a Permanent Resident. As a Permanent Resident, you have the same rights and privileges as a Canadian citizen, except for the right to vote. Thus, your tuition fees will become domestic (you will stop paying international student fees) and you will not need a Study Permit or Work Permit anymore. http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/skilled/apply-who.asp
Just a few of the academic post-graduate programs abroad done by former students.
Former student
Clara Guasch Eva Fit Maria Sabat Laura Monerris Cristina Delgado Xavier Aldana
Years attended
1999-2000 1999-2000 2005-2006 2006-2008 2007-2008 2007-2008
University
University of Essex University of Hull, UK University of Toronto, Canada University of Alberta, Canada University of Manchester, UK Birkbeck College, University of London Bergische Universitt Wuppertal Purdue University, US Universit Paris IVSorbonne University of California at San Diego University College London Queen Mary University, London University of Maryland Baltimore County, USA
Degree
Area of interest
Computational Linguistics English Literature Linguistic anthropology Applied linguistics Post-1900 Literature Modern and Contemporary Literature Bilingual language acquisition Literature Literature/Womens Studies Linguistic Anthropology Research in Syntax Literature Intercultural communication
Grant
Batista i Roca Self-financed La Caixa Teaching Assistantship Self-financed
MA MA PhD MA MA
Laia Arnaus Juan Meneses Meritxell Simn Aida Ribot Javier Fernandez Ylia Kovalchuk Ruth Gmez
2008-2009 2008-2009 2006-2012 2011present 2011present 2011-2012 2012-2014
PhD PhD PhD MA MA MA MA
La Caixa/DAAD La Caixa French government grant
La Caixa grant Teaching Assistantship
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Grants to teach and work abroad

1. Leonardo da Vinci and Eurodisea (internship grants)
All the information about these two grants as well as application forms can be found online at: Eurodysee: www.eurodyssee.eu/es/que-es-eurodisea.html Leonardo: www.uab.es/servlet/Satellite/programas-de-movilidad-e-intercambio/leonardo-davinci/becas-euroaccion-1096482016588.html Former student Carol Lpez was awarded one of these grants and worked for several months in Wales in a job related to translation and publishing. Elena Dez went to Italy (and from there to Egypt). Sandra Torres got one and worked for the UN in Vienna. Rebeca Garca got one to work in Italy. Most recently, Paula Jimnez was employed in France. Elenas comments: I applied at the Oficina de Treball: very easy, just basic information about studies and work experience, preferences of countries in Europe to work in and fields of work preferred. The first year I heard nothing from them. So after a year I renewed the application (compulsory step if you want to keep on the database). Three months later I was offered the chance to go through a couple of interviews to go and work in Torino, Italy. I passed, which meant 3 months there: a 1-month intensive course in Italian and then a 2-month internship in the field I chose (Development NGO), a total of 9 weeks working 35h/40h a week. It was not paid for but they offered accommodation (a flat downtown), a public transportation pass for the 3 months, a ticket to Italy and back, and 6 pocket money per day. So I learnt Italian and got work experience abroad without getting paid, but getting much more than I would have if I had done it here in Spain. Moreover, it opened the doors to further work opportunities.
Projecte Euracci
Information about this similar program as well as the application form is available at: http://www.uab.es/treball-campus (Look under Beques Euroacci)
CARACTERSTIQUES GENERALS DE LES BEQUES Lestada es pot realitzar a partir del febrer de 2009 i la durada de lestada s de 14 setmanes Limport de la beca s de 2.600 per persona beneficiria, quantitat que podr variar en funci del pas dacollida. La beca inclou: 13 setmanes de prctiques (la primera setmana destada s dadaptaci) Cerca de lempresa, sin ho ha fet el/la sollicitant Preparaci lingstica personalitzada, al Servei de Llenges de la UAB, de lidioma que sutilitza al pas de destinaci Despeses del viatge (anada i tornada) al pas de destinaci Assegurana de viatge i de malaltia Despeses dallotjament Ajut per a manutenci Tutoritzaci durant les prctiques Gesti El projecte Euroacci compta amb socis de acollida que sencarregaran de trobar una empresa adient que respongui a les expectatives de cadascun dels beneficiaris.Per a les estades de lany 2009, hi ha socis dacollida a Alemanya, Austria, Frana, Grcia, Itlia, Polnia, Portugal, Regne Unit i Repblica Txeca.
You can also by yourself find a company that is prepared to let you do an internship, and then request the grant.
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2. Auxiliares de conversacin
http://www.mecd.gob.es/educacion-mecd/areas-educacion/actividadinternacional/convocatorias-trabajo-formacion/para-espanoles.html
Students in their last year of university can apply, though in general successful applicants have had several years of teaching experienceeven if just in language schools. The International House course in teaching Spanish is excellent preparation for this. NOTE: Even if you are not on the official selection list which appear in Juneor even the waiting listyou might be called. Several of the people listed below were called in September because the selected candidates had decided not to go.
Former students who have been awarded this grant (though not necessarily accepted it): 2002-2004: Laura Monerris 2005-2006: Mariona Salvador, Jlia Fradera 2006-2007: Nria Tuda, Ibana Larrubia, Ingrid Villanova 2007-2008: Marta Soria, Samuel Rsquez, Meritxell Simn, Pablo Ortigosa, Merc Guix, Anna Pascual 2008-2009: Irene Cuenca, Aloma Breu, Alba Gmez, Sanae Ortiz, Noem Fernndez, Olga Herrera, Iria Crespo, Laura Viader, Ester Mundo 2009-2010: Christina Martn, Alcia Carreras, Susana Padrosa, Rafa Gallego 2010-2011: Adri de Grcia, Meritxell Balls 2011-2012: Adriana Boada, Nria Frias, Meritxell Balls, Cristina Estanol 2012-2103: Vanessa Dachs, Marina Checa, Vernica Ruiz, Neus Luna 2013-2014: Pere Borrull
You can read what many of these people write in the Alumni Reports section of this pack. Their experiences have been universally positive. Basic information: a) Crrec: Auxiliar de conversa despanyol, collaborant amb el professor titular despanyol en un centre docent. b) Tasques: Prctiques de conversa despanyol amb els alumnes despanyol del centre, collaborant activament en el seu aprenentatge de lidioma aix com en la seva coneixena de la cultura i tradicions dEspanya. Estats Units i Canad: de 16 a 20 hores setmanals. Resta de pasos: 12 hores setmanals. c) Pasos de dest: ustria (10 places), Blgica (7), Canad (3), Estats Units (37), Frana (435), Irlanda (12), Itlia (15), Nova Zelanda (3), Regne Unit (350), Repblica Federal dAlemanya (100). d) Requisits: Nacionalitat espanyola Ser estudiant dltim curs o tenir el ttol duna de les segents titulacions: Filologia Alemanya, Filologia Francesa, Filologia Anglesa, Filologia Italiana, dacord amb lidioma del pas sollicitat. Tamb Traducci i Interpretaci o Magisteri amb especialitat de llengua estrangera. IMPORTANT: En el cas dEstats Units i Canad noms hi poden participar llicenciats. En el cas de Frana, saccepten estudiants dltim curs o llicenciats de qualsevol titulaci dhumanitats, sempre hi quan alleguin coneixements de la llengua del pas de dest. g) Durada del programa: 1 any. It is true that competition for these positions have increased greatly as a result of the recession.
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3. Profesores visitantes en EEUU y Canad

www.educacion.es/horizontales/servicios/profesores/convocatorias/espanoles/visitantes-EEUUcanada.html For experienced teachers only, because you will be teaching full-time in the US public school system. However, once you get adjusted, this grant represents a real professional option because it is a wellpaid full-time job that can lead to a permanent position and will qualify you to teach at US-style international schools all over the world. Former students who have been awarded this grant: Meritxell Pons (04-05), Xavier Espejo (04-07), Jlia Fradera (05-06), Merc Guixa (07-10), Sanae Ortiz (08-11, 13-14), Nria Tuda (13-14), and Ana Rueda (13-14).
a) Funci/Treball: Professor titular despanyol a nivell de primria o de secundria en un centre

docent.
b) Tasques: Les prpies dun professor despanyol en un institut. Preparar i donar classes a alumnes
que estudien espanyol com a primera llengua estrangera. Implica involucrar-se plenament en el sistema educatiu nord-americ, amb la possibilitat dimpartir altres assignatures de tipus optatiu. c) Requisits generals: Nacionalitat Espanyola Domini de langls tant oral com escrit, i del Francs si es sollicita plaa a Canad. Tenir alguna daquestes titulacions: Ttol de llicenciat i el CAP (Curs dAptitud Pedaggica) O Ttol de mestre A ms pot ser que els diferents estats demanin uns requisits especfics com el carnet de conduir, o tres anys dexperincia docent, etc. e) Procediment i termini de la presentaci de la sollicitud: El candidat seleccionar plaa a Canad o Estats Units. Dins dEstats Units seleccionar una demarcaci (zona) i un estat de preferncia (Exemple: Demarcaci Nord-est, Nova York). Tot aix quedar indicat a la sollicitud que obtindr a la pgina web del MEC i que omplir degudament. Llavors, enviar la sollicitud i tota la documentaci que lacompanya (CV, certificat acadmic, certificat metge) al MEC. Una vegada enviada tota la documentaci, el candidat rebr un missatge per correu electrnic per confirmar que sha rebut. Tota la documentaci sha de fer arribar o enviar per correu al MEC abans del dia 15 de desembre. Si senvia per correu postal, s important que la segellin i li posin data, per confirmar que senvia dins del termini convingut. Posteriorment (uns dos mesos ms tard) sortir a la pgina web del MEC una primera llista dadmesos i exclosos al programa i els motius. Una vegada sentra a la llista dadmesos, noms cal passar les proves que tenen lloc a Madrid el ms dabril. Aquestes proves consisteixen en una entrevista personal i en alguns estats, una petita prova escrita que normalment consisteix en una redacci, per valorar el nivell de domini de lidioma. Les proves les realitzen les autoritats educatives de cada estat. El procs de s elecci final dels candidats, que el duen a terme les autoritats educatives nord-americanes, es fa en funci del resultat daquestes proves. La llista definitiva de seleccionats es publica al BOE i a la pgina web del MEC cap a finals del mes dabril. Els candidats seleccionats, les respectives comissions i els districtes escolars acordaran la manera i la data per a formular la contractaci del candidat. g) Durada del programa: Aquest programa ofereix un contracte com a professor titular durant un any, prorrogable fins a un mxim de tres anys. h) Horari lectiu i retribucions: Lhorari lectiu pot variar lleugerament a cada centre docent, per normalment s aproximadament de dilluns a divendres de 8:00 del mat a les 13:00 o 14:00 de la tarda. En quant a la retribuci, s dentre els 30.000 i els 70.000 dlars anuals, que equivalen a uns 25,000 i uns 50,000 euros anuals. i) N de places: 500
August 2013
On being a Visiting Teacher in the US

Comments by Merc Guix At the time I graduated, I had already been accepted in the Visiting Teachers Program in the US, so I knew that my first experience after graduation would be teaching in Oakland, California. The best aspect of this program is that it gives you the opportunity to fully develop yourself as an educator in a completely different education system setting. And I say fully, because you are hired under the same conditions as if you were a US teacher. It is very challenging and it means a HUGE amount of work but it is an amazing experience. Also, the salary is good and it allows you to live well, travel and save. The selection process is slow and it takes a few months. You apply between November and December but you do not know if you have got the position until the interviews have taken place, usually May. Once you are accepted you need to be ready to leave two months later. You have no chance to get to the interviews if you do not fulfill the requisites they list in the application form. Lots of people apply for it and they are quite demanding in this aspect. Interviews are held by different school district representatives looking for a particular teacher profile. This varies depending on the available positions they have and the type of state or district you are applying for. Once you get the position, the program guides and helps you with all the legal issues that the US requires from foreign visitors. After your arrival, they also provide you some guidance and preparation to start working in US schools. It is important to know that we are given the positions that American teachers who can chooserefuse to take. Im talking about schools which are located in unstable neighbourhoods. We work with socially and economically disadvantaged communities. Teaching here is a completely different experience, tough and highly demanding but exciting and very rewarding at the same time. The first year may be especially challenging but it is really worth it in the long term. For this reason, I would not personally recommend this program to those people who only want to spend a single year abroad. Coming here involves a big personal and economic investment. I have just finished my fourth year here and its been a really good year. I cleared my California teacher credentials last year, the Multiple Subjects and the Crosscultural Bilingual Credential. So now Im considered a highly qualified teacher. This is a requirement if you want to continue working in the country after the third year. The length of Profesores visitantes program is 3 years as it is also the J1 visa we get in order to come here to teach. Once the program is over and the J1 visa expires, you still have the option to continue in the school, as long as the school district agrees to sponsor the new H1B visa. This is a long and costly process. Personally, it has not been easy but I really wanted to continue working here so I went for it. I got my H1B last November and Im really pleased! I have become tenured in the district, which gives me stability in the midst of the current economic crisis (you become tenured on your fourth year in the district). Also, I will be able to teach here for three more years with my new visa. The state of California is cutting lots of funds in Education and its been a year with many lay-offs. It is not easy to keep your job here either, especially if you are a first or second year teacher but now that I have acquired a little seniority I feel that I need to take advantage of it. This is such a great experience and I am constantly growing both professionally and personally. I still dont see myself staying here for good but for now I think it is one of the best options, especially looking at the economic situation back in Spain. Oakland school district is not offering any positions to Profesores Visitantes teachers for the next school year 2011-12 due to the economic crisis. I think only some districts in south California are offering a few positions right now. However, I believe this will change in the future once the situation gets better because bilingual teachers are highly needed in this area.
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Comments by Sanae Ortiz The selection process The selection process might be a bit stressful but Im sure anyone having finished the degree in English Studies will be easily hired. The selection process consists of two parts, an English exam in order to prove your English language proficiency and a job interview that takes place on a different day. Be prepared to travel to Madrid several times for a few months. The exam has three parts. First, there is a grammar multiple choice that has to be completed in a short amount of time (no time for going through the exam twice). The second part is a writing (easy enough after having done millions of essays for Llengua Anglesa I and II), and finally a third part involves having a conversation with someone. They ask you questions related to your motivation for going to the USthat sort of thing. Why is the US hiring so many Spanish teachers? First of all, the US has a shortage of certified bilingual teachers, especially in elementary education. You can also be hired for a high school but the chances are low. There are a lot of Spanish speakers in the US. Nevertheless, only a few are certified and have a good command of written Spanish language. You will see many teachers that cannot spell words right. Apparently, the Profesores Visitantes program also recruits in other countries such as Puerto Rico and Mexico, but the Spaniards have proved to be better prepared and more likely to meet the high expectations and requirements of the schools here, and so the schools are very interested in hiring us. The Latino impact on education The Latino population in the US is quite large. In Chicago, where I live, the Mexican population is considerable in comparison to other minorities. In my school, for instance, 98% of the students are Mexican. Parents have the right to choose whether they want their child to attend regular or bilingual education. If in a school there is a certain percentage of a minority, it is the duty of the school to provide bilingual education in both English and Spanish. However, the amount of English input the children get is small, since the backbone of the curriculum is entirely in Spanish with the exception of Math and Science, which are taught in English through mini-lessons that hit the important content vocabulary children need to know. The idea is for children to acquire good academic competence in their L1, that is, a good grounding in content areas in their native language in order to build on their previous knowledge through the L2. Being a bilingual teacher is harder than being a regular teacher. You need to design lesson plans that take into account both languages. However, it is also an advantage because schools are in need of us and there arent many bilingual teachers. In my district they are getting rid of many regular teachers for next year, due to staff layoffs. On the other hand, they are keeping all bilingual teachers.
Differences between teaching ESL to Spanish kids and Mexican kids It is not easy to teach these kids English. They have a very good pronunciation but they lack lots of academic vocabulary. Everyday language or grammar is not taught, and academic language is taught instead. They write English by ear, which is completely different from what happens to kids in Spain. The latter are normally good at spelling, bad at pronunciation. Be prepared for the shock If you decide to come to work as a teacher here, be prepared to work extra hours and attend million of meetings, workshops and conferences. It is really hard at the beginning but as the months go by, especially after February, things start to roll smooth. You have to learn a whole new system of work: The principal is the law, anything he/she says has to be done (at least this is how it works in my school),
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Decorate, decorate, decorate. In the US they love decorating classrooms with the students work as well as reference walls made by the teacher. This is what they call rich print environment. 3rd and 4th grade teachers are especially stressed out. They have some state exams called ISAT and both students and teachers are under pressure since the schools get different amounts of money depending on the results of these tests. The problem is that teachers start to teach to the exam rather than what they should really be teaching. There is little studying by book. Everything is based on reasoning, and memorisation is done using kinaesthetic learning (learning with movement). No grammar whatsoever is taught. Students have little knowledge of what an adjective, noun or adverb is. Formal observations will take place over at least three years. Your job contract renewal is based on these formal observations. The principal or someone from the district comes to evaluate your teaching. Then you get feedback on it. You get observed at least three times in a year. It is a nuisance but it is useful in order to know what they expect from you as a teacher and how the principal likes the lesson to be taught. Do not worry about them too much; you have to do really bad for them not to renew your contract. Normally all Spaniards get renewed. Reading and writing are extremely important. There is one full hour for reading workshop and another for writing. Students have different reading levels and books for them to work with have to be at their level. In 2nd grade writing (7 year old kids), children learn how to write narrative, persuasive and expository essays (very different from Spain!) Americans work a lot. Dont be surprised to see workmates going to school on the weekends or volunteering to do things for the school. You are to some extent obliged to do it sometimes but do not take it as something you must always do. Your personal life is also important. Do the extra work now and then, because they like to see that you are engaged in the school affairs.
Can I stay longer than 3 years? Yes, you can. After your 3 year visiting program, you may be offered a tenured position by the school and you would be able to apply for a longer visa without the sponsorship of the MEC. This means that you will exit the program to be a regular employee. Schools are in need of us, so many schools will consider hiring you for more than 3 years. It is a good option to pursue a teaching career here in the US. Each year of experience (whether here or from your previous experience in Spain) counts in order to help you move up the salary scale. With our degree and one year of experience you get about $42,000 a year before tax. Economic recession Note that there is economic recession in the US, like everywhere else, and some districts that participated in the program last year to recruit Spanish teachers, are not doing so for the coming year. So there might be fewer positions available this year. My distict, like many around the area, did not go to Spain to recruit this year 2010-11 because of the bad economy. All the regular teachers (not bilingual) of three years of experience or less have been laid off. I have two years of experience here only but the fact that I am bilingual has helped me keep my job. Other districts have adopted more severe measures and are laying off also bilingual teachers. As you well know the situation in Spain is no better and this means that more people are trying to apply for different grants and programs to get out of Spain. This has happened with the Profesores Visitantes Program this year. The number of candidates has tripled and the number of vacancies has been reduced to a third. So there has been fierce competition among candidates. Since most of the vacancies are for elementary education districts are now giving preference to those candidates that hold a Magisterio degree. I had to take a test to become highly qualified for elementary education this year since I am qualified in Secondary Education not Elementary. There have been some problems with our Spanish degree this year so be prepared to take some tests while you are here and want to stay longer than a year.
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August 2013
The American Lifestyle As I said before, Americans live for their jobs. In my school, most people tend to follow the same pattern. They get married young: most of the girls in their mid twenties are already married or engaged. They are so much in debt (mortgages and loans) that they are in need of working a lot in order to get money. Some teachers even have two jobs. But dont worry: I can assure you that you will have enough to live on your salary and be able to travel quite a lot. I live in Elgin, which is 45-minutes ride from Chicago. The suburbs are quite boring, and there is not much to do. You can always go to Chicago the weekends, though. There are always things going on there. The city offers a wide range of museums, concerts, cinemas, parks, art exhibits and so on. Unless you live in a big city, you will certainly need a car. I have not driven more in my life as Im doing now. The bad news is that you get less exercise and you might put some weight on! There are gyms open 24 hours, so theres no excuse! My first year experience My first year was hard but it got better over time. I teach bilingual 2nd grade. My kids are mostly Americanborn but from Mexican parents with a low socioeconomic status. My students are very low and I have struggled a lot with them. I have kids with learning problems and for your first year of teaching, it is a bit too much. Luckily, two months ago I got an assistant to help me with these kids, and since then I have been less stressed out. Mexican parents work a lot in this country and can hardly take care of their children properly. This is shown in their kids performance in school. However, both Mexican parents and students have a lot respect for their teacher and this makes everything easier. Everyone agrees that the first year is the worst. Everything has to be done from the scratch, you dont have materials, you dont know the curriculum, you are not familiar with the system, and so on. The second year is relatively easier and I can already see, although the year has not finished yet, that next year will be much easier, so Im thinking of staying another year. There are many reasons why I want to stay here. The US is great for travelling; you can get cheap national flights as well as international flights to Central and South America. You earn enough money to live well and travel, something you would not dream of in Spain. You learn new methodologies and strategies that you can apply to your future teaching in Spain or anywhere you go. You can save some money. You get to know a new country. Working with children is very rewarding. They cheer your up when you feel down. On other occasions, you would kill them (just kidding!). My second year experience Your second year experience will be much easier. All the materials are already done, you know the system, the curriculum etc. It is definitely worth the first years suffering and work. I had a huge class this year (29 students) and it seems that the ratio in the classes is going to increase for next year because of the budget cuts that the educational system has suffered. They are talking about classes of 35 students or so. One of the things that caught us Spaniards off guard was the sudden problem with our certification from Spain that was supposed to be valid for the three years of the Profesores Visitantes Program. I and many other Spaniards who were teaching Elementary but did not hold an Elementary teaching degree were required to take a test to become highly qualified. The test is called Basic Skills which is not difficult but very long. It has Reading, Grammar, Math and Writing and you need to pass all parts with a grade of 240 out of 300. I passed it but if I wanted to stay longer then Id have to start thinking about taking other tests next year, not to mention the paperwork for getting the next visa H1B. Now Im starting to believe people that have been here a long time when warned me not to get too comfortable here because it is easy to get used to the life here. Good job, good salary, prospects of jumping the salary scale etc. It is definitely a good experience that I would recommend to everyone.
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4. Fulbright lectores de espaol en universidades de EEUU

www.fulbright.es/programas/programa-espanol/lectores-de-espanol/2012-2013 The selection process is competitive. Former students who have been awarded this grant: Tanit Carr (07-08), Auba Llompart (08-09), Alba Adell (12-13). a) Dotaci de la beca: 4.000 US$ en concepte de despeses generals i de viatge. Les universitats contribueixen amb un quantitat que pot variar entre 250 i 500 dlars mensuals. Ams, les universitats tamb proporcionen allotjament i manutenci en el propi campus, i finalment hi ha lassegurana mdic i daccident. b) Duraci de la beca: 1 curs acadmic. No es pot renovar. c) Procs de selecci: El Comit de Selecci estar format per representats de les delegacions espanyola i nord-americana de la Comissi Fulbright. Els sollicitants que hagin obtingut una nota favorable en la avaluaci i passat el procs de selecci, seran convocats amb suficient antelaci per a realitzar les proves dangls i lentrevista personal a Madrid. d) Informaci: www.fulbright.es o al Servei dInformaci Acadmica de la Comissi E-mail: adviser@comision-fulbright.org Tels.: 91 702 70 00/ 91 319 11 26
On being a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant

Comments by Tanit Carr Cardona Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania (2007-2008) La experiencia como lectora fue muy buena. En el mbito personal la experiencia est siendo relevante. Primero, debo decir que tuve mucha suerte con mis compaeras de casa, otras lectoras, que hicieron que la convivencia fuera muy agradable. A parte de esto, el contacto con la sociedad americana fue muy gratificante. Pude llegar a conocer a la gente, adentrarme y adaptarme a su cultura y apreciarla en muchos aspectos. Algunos profesores del campus nos han ofrecido su ayuda y hospitalidad. Por ejemplo, el primer mes estuvimos yendo a la iglesia cada domingo con una pareja que son profesores en la universidad. Fue una experiencia inolvidable. Como profesora el hecho de enfrentarme con un grupo grande (25 alumnos) fue todo un reto. Al mismo tiempo hay que considerar que la asignatura era obligatoria, por lo tanto, no todos los estudiantes estaban motivados. Con la ayuda de la lectora argentina, podimos superar la mayora de las situaciones referentes a la clase. Ambas habamos asistido previamente a clases de metodologa y tambin tenamos bastante experiencia. Por lo tanto, preparar las clases juntas fue bastante ameno. Tuvimos que preparar material de todo tipo para hacer las clases lo mas dinmicas y comunicativas posibles. Ejemplos de ello han sido la utilizacin de presentaciones Power Point, clases de baile, anuncios y telenovelas encontradas en YouTube, role plays, juegos de competicin como el dictado en carrera o gymcanas. La verdad es que nos lo solemos pasar bastante bien tanto preparando como dando la clase, aunque la preparacin lleva su tiempo. Mis responsabilidades como lectora eran varias. Como especificaban en mi Terms of Agreement, en el primer semestre di una clase de nivel 103, estudiantes que haban tenido algunos estudios bsicos de espaol en el instituto. Adems, con Romina dbamos la parte de conversacin de una clase de nivel 300. Eran 6 grupos de 4 alumnos y la clase era de media hora. En ella analizbamos la pelcula que vean en clase, organizbamos debates o otros juegos. Por otra parte, a nivel ms informal, cada jueves participbamos en las Language Tables, donde a la hora de comer los estudiantes de todos los niveles podan reunirse con nosotras y comer mientras hablbamos con ellos en espaol.
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Tambin Romina y yo decidimos participar en las actividades organizadas por el club HOLA (Hispanic Organization for Latino Awareness), como el Latino Symposium, Pre-Gala Dinner, International Food Night, Gala Dance, etc. En estas actividades solamos ayudar en la preparacin de comidas, decoracin, recepcin de conferenciantes y venta de libros de stos. Para terminar, este semestre conseguimos organizar una cena del departamento que nos gustara se implantara como una tradicin de cara al futuro para poder encontrarnos en un ambiente informal y sin prisas. La verdad es que sali muy bien y algunos profesores ya se han animado a hacer una el prximo semestre. Fuera de lo estrictamente acordado en el contrato, colabor en disear y dar un curso sobre Espaa junto con una profesora del departamento, ocupndome de un bloque dedicado a las zonas de habla catalana (Valencia, Catalua y Baleares) y preparando actividades sobre la historia y cultura de estas zonas. A lo largo de este curso tambin veremos la situacin del estrecho de Gibraltar, el Pas Vasco y Galicia. Por lo que respecta a las asignaturas, hice Metodologa y American Literature and Culture. La asignatura de metodologa fue un requerimiento de la jefa de departamento y coordinadora. Solo ramos las tres lectoras como alumnas y la clase se basaba en leer un libro sobre la aplicacin del mtodo comunicativo en clase y comentarlo. Algunas veces aprovechbamos la hora para hablar de nuestras clases, ya que nos fuimos turnando para observarnos mutuamente y llevar a cabo el feedback pertinente. Este curso no fue nada nuevo para m, las ideas del libro ya las haba estudiando previamente y tambin haba hecho observaciones y feedback. Sin embargo, la segunda, fue realmente muy instructiva. Las clases no se basaban solo en ver pelculas, sino que analizamos la sociedad americana desde el punto de vista de las minoras o grupos sujetos a discriminacin (AfricanAmericans, homosexuales, mujeres, latinos, asiticos, etc.). Discutimos de muchas maneras diferentes temas sobre la raza, los prejuicios, los abusos, etc.
Comments by Auba Llompart Pacific University, Forest Grove, Oregon (2008-2009) I have been in Oregon, in the United States, for two months now and this is one of the most interesting experiences I have ever had! I am working at Pacific University of Oregon as a Teaching Assistant, and my job here is not only to teach the Spanish language to American students but also to teach them some cultural aspects of Spain. I am in charge of two language laboratories, in which students have to put into practice what they learn in their Spanish class; two language tables, which are for students to improve their speaking skills; and, once a week, I have to prepare a cultural evening. For example, I can show movies or teach them how to cook some Spanish traditional dish. Moreover, I am also auditing some courses, which makes my stay here a good studying experience too, and complements what I learnt at the UAB. I am living on campus and it is very interesting for me to see how different it is from the UAB. Students are very active and they are always organizing activities, parties, and all kinds of events on campus, which is a bit surprising and it seemed rather childish to me at first, but I am getting used to it now and it is actually a lot of fun. Another thing which I like about this program is that we have to attend workshops in other parts of the US, which is a great opportunity for travelling and meeting other Teaching Assistants from many different parts of the world. Before going to Oregon I went to Indiana for a pre-orientation week, and in December we are going to Washington D.C.! I strongly recommend this experience to anyone! Dont be afraid to go abroad! Integration is much easier than it seems. In my case, I have not felt lonely or homesick at all during these first two months. Right from the very first day, people were extremely friendly and helpful. Of course I have had some culture shock! But it is also interesting and enriching to see things you do not fully agree with, and which are different from those in your home country. I really think that more Europeans should go to the United States (and vice versa!).
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5. Lectors i lectores de Catal

www.llull.cat/_cat/_convocatories/lectors.shtml?seccio=tramits&subseccio=lector) Requisits a) Ser ciutadans comunitaris. b) Estar en possessi del ttol de llicenciatura (preferentment en Filologia Catalana). c) Estar en possessi del Certificat de nivell superior de catal o equivalent, per al supsit en qu la persona aspirant no sigui llicenciada en Filologia Catalana. d) Acreditar coneixements de lidioma oficial del pas de destinaci (angls, francs, alemany o itali). Sollicituds Les sollicituds formalitzades dacord amb el model dinstncia que consta a lannex 4 daquesta convocatria shauran dadrear al/a la director/a de lInstitut Ramon Llull mitjanant la seva presentaci al Registre de lInstitut Ramon Llull (Diputaci 279, baixos, 08007 Barcelona). Els impresos de sollicitud normalitzats es podran obtenir a lInstitut Ramon Llull o a travs del web de lInstitut www.llull.com. Sites: Universitat de Massachussets (US), Universitat de Georgetown (US), Universitat de Provena (Frana), Universitat de Paris 8, Universitat de Tolosa (Frana), Universitat de Szged (Hongria), Universitat de Trento, Universitat de Vencia, Universitat de Bristol, Universitat de Cardiff, Universitat de Durham, Universitat de Newcastle. Most sites have different specific preferences, such as doctoral studies or a knowledge of Catalan literature.
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Teaching grant application calendar

If you are interested in any of these grants, it is important to keep checking the appropriate website every day about a month before the application period opened in previous years, because as you can see below, with the exception of the Fulbright grant, the application period varies considerably from one year to the next.
Grant
MEC Auxiliares de conversacin
de lengua espaola http://www.mecd.gob.es/servicios-alciudadano-mecd/catalogoservicios/profesores/convocatorias/espano les/exterior/auxiliares-conversacion.html
Requirements
Be in the last year of your
Degree or have a Llicenciatura in English, Spanish, or a Degree in Translation. USA and Canada: only with a Llicenciatura.
for 201112
9 Dec 2010 3 Jan 2011
for 201213
22 Dec 2011 10 Jan 2012
for 201314
15 Dec 2012 17 Jan 2013
MEC Profesores visitantes

en centros escolares, EEUU y Canad http://www.mecd.gob.es/servicios-alciudadano-mecd/catalogoservicios/profesores/convocatorias/espano les/exterior/visitantes-EEUU-canada.html
Substantial teaching
experience Spanish nationality Excellent command of English Degree (preferably Spanish or English) and CAP, or Degree of mestre educaci primria (specialized in English) Spanish nationality Degree in English or Spanish TOEFL (550) Language teaching experience
9 Dec 2010 27 Dec 2010
23 Dec 2011 29 Dec 2011
20 Dec 2012 22 Jan 2013
Fulbright lectores de espaol

de espaol en universidades de EEUU http://www.fulbright.es/convocatorias/ver /1404/lectores-de-espanol/2014-2015
12 April 2011 17 May 2011 (for 20122013)
22 March 2012 26 April 2012 For 20132014 15 May 2012 30 May 2012
29 May 2013 29 June 2013 For 20142015 2 May 2013 15 May 2013
Lectors i lectores de catal

www.llull.cat
EU citizen University degree
Nivell superior en catal
(preferably Catalan Phil.)
19 May 2011 3 June 2011
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Working abroad
1. Looking on the internet for jobs abroad
Mnica Salvador, Adela Mena & Esther Piqu United Kingdom

www.hotrecruit.co.uk (temporary jobs) jobsearch.monster.co.uk www.jobserve.com www.workthing.com www.anyworkanywhere.com (summer jobs) www.guardian.co.uk/jobs (The Guardian) www.telegraph.co.uk (The Daily Telegraph) www.independent.co.uk (The Independent) www.tes.co.uk (published every Friday, includes advertisements for teaching posts)
For jobs where Spanish is required or desirable, type Spanish in the space for keywords. Ireland

www.fas.ie (official website) www.nixers.com www.irelandjobs.ie www.irishjobs.ie
Germany
www.monster.de www.jobs.de www.jobpilot.de www.jobsuche.de www.jobware.de www.jobcafe.de www.jobrobot.de www.germanien.net
www.jobsuche-regional.de www.jobworld.de www.bremen.de (for jobs in the city of Bremen) www.sueddeutsche.com (Sueddeutsche Zeitungjobs in southern Germany) www.rheinmainclick.de (jobs in the Main/Rhein areas) www.mvweb.de (jobs in northeastern Germany) www.praktika.de (internships) www.randstad.de (temporary employment agency)
For writing a CV: www.mmcberatung-heikomell.de www.focus.msn.de/jobs Also visit the websites of the cities or universities in Germany where you would like to go.
Sites that Elena Diez and Nria Curto found useful for finding work abroad: http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu http://ec.europa.eu/eures/main.jsp?acro=job&lang=en&catId=7576&parentCategory=7576
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2. Finding housing and work in the UK

Carme Valls & Anabel Arcos
Where to go? If you are planning to go to Britain for a year or longer to get a job, I would recommend that you go to big cities or towns that have a university, such as London, Edinburgh or Dublin, to name just the typical ones. ADVANTAGES more job offers of different sorts (as an administrative assistant, a teacher, a waiter, a barman, a sales advisor, secretary, etc.). more chances to meet people from different parts of the world. more possibilities of continuing with your education by enrolling in part-time or evening courses and meeting other students. lots of cultural events going on regularly. DISADVANTAGES lots of foreigners who are also looking for a temporary or permanent jobs (Spaniards are to be found everywhere), which means that there is considerable competition to find a job, especially in the peak seasons such as summer or Easter.
How to find accommodation? There are basically two ways to find a room or flat to rent: 1) search on the net or 2) go to cafeterias or university buildings where there are usually lots of ads from both students and professionals. It is almost guaranteed that within the first week you will find a room to rent. Two good free web pages where you can find lots of ads in different cities of the UK are:

www.gumtree.co.uk (I really like this one) www.clickflatshare.co.uk www.easyroommate.com
Points to bear in mind:
The UK is quite expensive in terms of room and flat rentals. In Edinburgh, for example, a room can cost you from 300 to 370 a month, without including the bills and Council Tax. For most flats, you do not sign a contract; everything is just a verbal agreement. You will usually have to pay a deposit (one months rent) and the first months rent at the same time. Therefore, be prepared to pay around 600 or more at once! In Edinburgh, you can basically find three different types of rooms to rent; I would guess in the rest of the UK the situation is more or less the same. The first one is to live with your landlord and his/her family or partner, the second one is to live with students and the third one is to live with professionals. Some student flats do not want a professional as a flatmate because of Council Tax reasons (students do not pay CT), but it depends. Whatever choice you make, I would recommend renting a room in a flat that has a living room or some sort of place in common where you can socialise with your flatmates. I found that in Edinburgh there were several flats that did not have a sitting room or a big kitchen in common where you can meet your flatmates and speak to them, which I found a bit depressing.
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About living in London (by Gemma Serra): Good places to find flats: www.moveflat.co.uk & www.gumtree.co.uk You need something like 4 or 5 weeks rent as a deposit for normal flatshares and then the first month of rent. So you need around 800 to 1000 up front. However, prices depend a lot on the area, number of people in the house and size of the room. Average price of a room for a month can go from 300 to 500 plus bills. Besides normal water bills (400 a year to share), gas & electricity bills (around 300 a year to share), all UK residents have to pay council tax, which varies depending on the council area you live in and the size of your house. Because I live in Richmond, which is rather expensive (but the location & quality of life is great) we pay 200 among three people. However, when I used to live in Tooting, we paid 70/month among 4 or 5 of us. A TV licence costs 130 a year and then you need to add cable or satellite fees if you want to see a decent number of channels! How to find a job? There are different ways to find a job.
Web pages: there are hundreds of web pages where you can register your CV and look for vacancies in the UK and apply directly to them, but the best are www.tes.co.uk, www.toplanguagejobs.co.uk, www.reed.co.uk, www.eurolondon.com, www.alsit.com, www.jobsite.com or www.gumtree.com. You can look for jobs by language, industry/sector and location. Once you have uploaded your CV on one of those websites, many other job agencies contact you offering jobs. Recruitment agencies such as Kelly Services, Select Appointments, Addecco or Quantum (to name just a few). It is a good idea to do a recruitment agencies tour and hand in your CV and ask for the type of vacancies they have alive at the moment. The good thing about them is that once they have found you a job (probably temporary for 1 to 3 months), they try hard to find you another one (temporary as well) if you have proved to be a good employee. The bad point is that you never have a stable job. But this means you may end up with experience in different sectors and learn new things from the different jobs! At least in Edinburgh, the Council (city government) had lots of job vacancies for learning assistants in primary or secondary schools, library assistants, or administrative assistants, among other things. Have a look at the following web page www.edinburgh.gov.uk/CEC/Jobs/Jobs_List.jsp I applied for lots of positions as a learning and teaching assistant and was called for an interview only once and was not successful. However, I do think foreigners with a good command of English and some teaching experience have a good chance of getting a job from the Council of Edinburgh. Finally, the other option is to hand in your CV at shops, restaurants, language schools, pubs, etc. This was actually the first thing I did once I arrived in Edinburgh and, believe or not, I was never contacted! I think it was partly because of the large number of people looking for a job in September here in Edinburgh. But no one even called me for a possible interview! However, I know of some people who were indeed contacted and got a job through this approach.
If you happen to find a job this last way, make sure that you get a contract and all the paperwork sorted out within the first 2 weeks. I know of some people who were cheated and only paid after having quit the job.
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Before going back to Spain With your first paycheck, you will see that your salary is much lower than you expected. Taxes in the UK are quite high, about 20% of your gross salary and National Insurance can be between 8 -11%. However, depending on how much you have earned, you can reclaim part of your tax money once you are about to leave the country. You need to go to the Inland Revenue office and fill in an application form. You can either have this money sent to you in your home in Spain (by cheque) or have it paid into a UK account. This process is quite slow and will probably take a long time but you can be sure that in the end you will have your tax money back. So you could say it is a method of saving!
3. Teaching in the UK
Mriam Rodrguez & Silvia Imbernn If you want to be a teacher in the UK, you will need to obtain Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). This is required to work as a teacher in both Primary and Secondary schools though you may be able to work in Independent Schools or as an assistant teacher. Before 31 March 2012, the General Teaching Council for England (GTCE) was the governing body issuing QTS certificates. However, from 1 April 2012, the Teaching Agency, a new executive agency of the Department for Education (DfE), will be the body responsible for awarding the QTS (Qualified Teacher Status). More information about this to be found at www.education.gov.uk/schools/careers/traininganddevelopment/qts/b00204081/award-of-qts/training Please note the GTCE Teacher Enquiry Service has now closed. If you have a query or need information or guidance about the award of QTS or a query regarding your own QTS, please contact: Teaching Agency Department for Education 53-55 Butts Road Earlsdon Park Coventry CV1 3BH UK To get an idea of what MIGHT be required, the following documents were previously needed when applying for the QTS through the General Teaching Council for England (GTCE): 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Application Form (to be found on the webpage) Proof of nationality (e.g. photocopy of your passport) Photocopy of your teacher training qualification certificate (i.e. CAP) Certified translation of the teacher training qualification certificate (i.e. CAP) Photocopy of your degree certificate. Certified translation of your degree certificate.
You can translate the documents yourself and then find a former UAB teacher to add an authentication statement and Departmental stamp. (Michael has sample translations that you can modify to suit your own data.) You will probably also need to get your Certificat dAntecedents Penals since this is extremely important to work with children. You can download this document, called Formulari 790, from the
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Ministeri de Justcia website. Then take it with you to the Ministeri de Justicia in Barcelona. Be aware that the payment has to be done beforehand. Visit the website or call 012 for detailed information. Then you will also have to make sure your document is apostillado which is basically an official stamp they put on the back side of your Certificat dAntecedents Penals. They usually do it in the Ministeri de Justicia, but ask anyways once you are there just in case you have to go to the Palau de Justicia to get it, as it used to be.
IMPORTANT: Please note that the documents listed above are only an indication of what could be requested. For a list of the correct documents make sure you contact the teaching agency to have them ready BEFORE coming to the UK.
By doing all this before coming to the UK, you will make your life easier from the beginning, since the whole finding a job procedure will be faster. Here is a list of just a few of the many agencies that find work for supply teachers. Most of them will be more than happy to have an interview with you if you say that you are waiting for your QTS and confirm that you have your Penals.
www.twrecruitment.com www.randstadeducation.co.uk wrighton-education@lhpw.fsnet.co.uk www.limetreeproducts.com www.classroomteachers.co.uk www.dream-education.co.uk www.gsleducation.com www.teachuk.co.uk www.soloeducation.com www.msmjobs.co.uk www.itnteachers.com www.kellyeducation.co.uk www.keystone-jobs.co.uk www.markeducation.co.uk www.masterlock.co.uk www.soseducation.co.uk www.roc-education.co.uk www.quaygroup.uk.com
There are other web pages where you can look for jobs offered directly by schools. Here are some of them:
www.tes.co.uk (I really recommend this one) www.tda.gov.uk/Home/Recruit/becomingateacher/lookingforajob/leavacancies.aspx?loc=london www.teachernet.gov.uk www.teachernet.gov.uk/teachinginengland/index.cfm
With websites, just select what kind of job you are looking for and the areas you are willing to work. They show you the vacancies as well as what you need to do to apply for the jobs. If you want to work as a Spanish teacher, doing the course in the International House is going to be very helpful, not only because it is a good course but also because it is has a good reputation in language schools here. Also, start studying French intensively. In England, they have one teacher for Modern Foreign Languages, so if you only know Spanish it will be quite difficult to find a job. It is necessary to have a second language, preferably French or also German. And if you want to start working in September, consider sending your CV and application forms the previous February or March.
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4. Working as a supply teacher

Anabel Arcos There are advantages of working as a supply teacher, such as flexibility (you chose which days you want to work), the different range of students you get to teach, experience and the many things you get to learn from the schools, staff, students, etc. But there are also disadvantages like the uncertainty of not knowing how many days you are going to be teaching a week or how much income you'll have in your bank account at the end of the month. Also, there are very busy periods like, for example, during OFSTED inspections because all teachers are busy getting ready for the inspections, and very quite months, such as January and the weeks before and after the midterm holidays since all teachers make sure they dont miss a day of work. My advice is to keep your options open and take anything the agency offers you at the beginning. This may mean a lot of travelling but even UK qualified teachers encounter on overage 9 to 12 months of supply work before finding a permanent job. So, try not to be disappointed if you find yourselves doing temporary work for a long period. This might be inconvenient but in the long run its what will give you the widest experience of UK teaching, since you are going to be teaching in every environment, to all ages. Im registered with 9 different agencies but it has only been Tradewind Recruitment and Randstad Education that have been giving me the most work. When you register with an agency, they usually ask you to bring the following documents: 1. Passport or ID 2. Valid Visa (if required) 3. Overseas Police Check (Certificat dAntecedents Penals) from every country youve lived in for more than 6 months. 4. Enhanced CRB Check (most recent): You must get one in order to be able to work at schools. The first Agency you apply with will help you to get it. It is the same as an Overseas Police Check but within the UK. You sometimes need to show it at schools when you work there for the first time. 5. Proof of Address: They usually ask for 2 proofs of address such as a utility bill (gas, electric, water), bank statement, telephone bill, etc. They must be issued within 3 months. 6. Original or Certified copies of ALL Qualifications (Degree/ Certificate/ QTS): Make sure your certificates are translated. If you are ever asked, be aware that a Llicenciatura en Filologia Anglesa is compared to a British Bachelors (Honours) Degree in English. This is very important to know since they will propably ask you what the equivalent tittle of your degree in the UK is. 7. References: You will need to provide the contact details of your last two places of work to get references from your previous employers. This is standard practice in the UK and essential to start working. The sooner you have all the documents above sorted out, the sooner you will be able to start working.
Primary and Secondary Teaching

You may find yourself teaching in both Primary and Secondary Schools, even if you are only trained in one of the two. You may be lucky and find that the agencies offer you work in Secondary schools from the beginning; just tell them that you are available to teach in both Primary and Secondary schools, but make sure you let them know which your priority is. However if you find yourself out of work for a long period, keep your options open. If you are offered Primary work, bear in mind that you will need to teach from Literacy to Maths, Science to PE, but you dont necessarily have to refuse it. You might not feel confident doing this, especially for those who are Secondary trained, but you should be able to adapt yourself appropriately and the more you do, the more your confidence will grow. This will also benefit you as a supply teacher as the Agency will recognise that you can do more work and may well contact you more often because of it.
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Remuneration
If you are working in and around London as a supply teacher for an agency you will find yourself earning around 120 to 150 (gross) per day. It is likely that you start by earning 120, which after taxes and National Insurance leaves you with approximately 100, depending on the agency you are working for and the payment method they use. Some agencies use a payroll contractor that helps to reduce the amount of tax you pay on your income. Depending on how much you earn during your time in the UK you might be able to claim taxes back. I would recommend you to visit the following website before coming to the UK: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/Taxes/index.htm This is a great website for details about information on taxes and income. It also tells you about how to claim any taxes back if you are eligible among many other useful topics such as housing and employment. One main thing to bear in mind as a Supply Teacher: it is unpredictable. You cant always be sure that you will get work and is therefore not the most suitable way to sustain your daily life. Its definitely a good idea to have some savings before you decide to move to the UK, just in case there are quiet periods and work is scarce. If you are fortunate enough to receive regular work then generally, in and around London, by working 3 days a week as a teacher for an agency, you will be able to live comfortably, paying all your bills, rent and food. If you want to really enjoy yourself, just make sure you work a 4th or even 5th day every week!
5. Becoming qualified if you dont have the CAP

Ibana Larrubia & Ral Jimnez Hay dos opciones: en ambas es importante dominar dos lenguas extranjeras, no slo el espaol.
Hacer un PGCE (Post Graduate Certificate of Education)

This is a prestigious teaching qualification in England and it enables you to teach in English secondary schools. It is a 10 month-course roughly. I began in late August 2009 and finished in mid June 2010. There are lots of universities that offer the PGCE and there are PGCEs for all subject areas. Our area is MFL (Modern Foreign Languages). I did my PGCE with the University of Cumbria which has a partnership with Universitat de Barcelona. Every year the University of Cumbria PGCE leaders come to Barcelona and interview the candidates. As far as I am know they dont have a fixed number of candidates to choose from so you may be selected if you meet the requirements they are seeking. Which requirements do you have to meet? As you will be doing a PGCE in languages they wish you are able to offer at least two main languages. The three main languages in secondary schools in England are French, Spanish and German. The current situation is that German is losing ground many schools that in the past offered German have changed to Spanish. However, French remains in first position. So work on your French because if you can offer Spanish and French (even at a basic level) you will be fine in the selection process. You will have more chances to be hired if you can teach two languages. In England they are looking for a languages teacher rather than a Spanish teacher, a French teacher or a German teacher. The PGCE will provide you with a greater perspective of the English educational system. Youll be doing your teaching practice in two schools over the year. You will get to know how schools are organised and what the teachers responsibilities are beyond the classroom. Teaching is quite a demanding profession in England. All PGCE students receive a bursary. Your university will give you further details on this. Websites of interest:
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tda.gov.uk http://www.cumbria.ac.uk/home.aspx (University of Cumbria webpage) Universitat de Barcelona, Department de Filologia Hispnica
[N.B. Silvia Moreno obtained her PCGE through the University of Chester.]
Hacer un GTP (Graduate Teacher Programme)

Es un ao de prcticas remuneradas en un colegio. Se combinan las clases en el colegio de lunes a jueves con las clases en la universidad los viernes. El estudiante tiene un mentor en la universidad y otro mentor en el colegio. El GTP requiere dedicacin absoluta por lo que se recomienda no tener otro trabajo. El sueldo es de unos 14.000 al ao dependiendo de las responsabilidades, experiencia y ubicacin de la escuela. Y tambin hay distintas formas de financiacin del GTP. Para ms informacin sobre ayudas, consultar: www.studentsupport.co.uk En el colegio, el estudiante empieza haciendo observaciones, luego colaboraciones y finalmente est a cargo de lecciones enteras. Al principio suelen ser 4 lecciones a la semana y al final pueden ser 10 lecciones semanales o ms. Al final del ao se adquiere NQT (New Qualified Teacher) estatus por el cual el estudiante est habilitado para ensear. Para hacer el GTP se puede responder a un anuncio para el GTP programme (en peridicos o webs de trabajo) o hacer la peticin directamente a un proveedor de GTP como por ejemplo CILT. Para informacin general sobre GTP, consultar: www.tda.gov.uk/Recruit/thetrainingprocess/typesofcourse/gtp.aspx
CILT/ British Council GTP

Es un curso de GTP especial que organiza CILT en colaboracin con British Council. No hay limite de edad Hay un curso introductorio de 2 semanas en julio. Un ao de prcticas en un colegio 14 sesiones en CILT los viernes. Sueldo de 14.000 (profesor sin cualificar) Consultar : www.britishcouncil.org/learning-graduate-teacher-programme www.cilt.org.uk/training Plazo de solicitud: 31 de marzo Entrevista con CILT en mayo Entrevista con los colegios en junio (en principio CILT recluta colegios y los colegios eligen al estudiante. Si el estudiante quiere hacer prcticas en el colegio donde ya est trabajando, debe hacer la peticin al jefe de estudios de lenguas modernas y el colegio debe ponerse en contacto con CILT.) CILT, the Nacional Centre for Languages 20 Bedfordbury, London WC2N 4LB Telf. 020 7379 5101 e-mail:info@cilt.org.uk website: www.cilt.org.uk For advice on the CILT/British Council GTP, the number is 020 7379 5101 ext.261. E-mail: gtp@cilt.org.uk
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Other addresses of interest

TDA (Training and Development Agency for Schools) Teaching info line: 0845 600 0991 E-mail:teaching@tdainfo.co.uk Website: www.tda.gov.uk The TDA is the government agency for information about teaching in the UK. The Teaching Information Line is a useful source of information and advice on all matters related to Initial Teacher Education. Graduate Teacher Training Registry (GTTR) Rosehill, New Barn Lane, Cheltenham, GL52 3LZ Tel: 0870 112 2205 Website: www.gttr.ac.uk The GTTR handles applications to PGCE and some SCITT courses in England and Wales, and produces a handbook to assist with selection. British Council World Links and Partnerships Education and Training Group British Council 10 Sping Gardens, London SW1A 2BN Tel 020 7389 4447 e-mail: teachers. programmes@ britishcouncil.org website:www. Britishcouncil.org/ learning-graduate-teacher-programme.htm The British council manages Foreign Language Assistants Programme and handles applications for CILT / British Council GTP scheme for native speakers of French, German and Spanish.
Alba Miquel adds: A couple of non-teaching related contacts which might be useful in London: ICIC London (Institut Catal dIndstries Culturals) and Copca. Their aim is to advise Catalan companies, so theyre not going to get anyone a job, but the people working there are really kind and theyve given me some helpful tips on getting information and contacts: www.gencat.cat/cultura/icic/internacional and www.copca.com
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6. Finding summer work in a UK hotel

Sabrina Ferr
Working in a hotel is sometimes hard but it is great! You meet a lot of people, you can work as a waitress, receptionist or housekeeper, and the hotel provides food and accommodation. www.anyworkanywhere.com is a website where you can find all kinds of work in many different countries (and not just Europe), though most of its jobs are in the UK. The advantage is that you apply for the job directly to the workplace rather than through an agency or website. You can find the description of the job, how long you can work there, and even how much you are going to be paid. Moreover, you can also see whether the workplace provides accommodation or not. (This is very important.) If you dont want to apply for a job through this website, take note of all the places you are interested in and email or phone them directly. The phone is always better but you will need to email them your CV. The second option is going to a travel agency which offers a program on working abroad. This is the easiest because they will find you a job and accommodation for you. But it has also its disadvantages. First of all, it will cost you about 600, and there is no guarantee that if you pay they will find a job for you. Another disadvantage of travel agencies is that in most of the cases you cannot choose the place you will work. One travel agency that offers you this program is ASATEJ Barcelona at Rambles 140, 5 C. There is one very important advantage in going to a travel agency like ASATEJ. A lot of travel agencies work with the English company TWIN and they offer you a certificate called Work Travel Experience Certificate and it is an official Cambridge certificate (like the First Certificate, Advanced, and Proficiency), which is good for your CV. However, if a hotel is satisfied with your work, it will give you a reference, and references are as important as any certificate if you want to get a job abroad again the following summer, for example. Getting a second hotel job will be easier once you have a good reference. The third option is to simply surf the Internet, choose a geographic area you like, search for hotels located there and email all of them asking if they need more staff. You will almost certainly get an answer from some of them. It is important to start looking online in March. This is when most hotels are hiring for the summer. It is a good idea to apply to many places simultaneously. Then if several of them offer a position, choose the one that offers the best job.
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7. Living and working in China

Alba Avellaneda Canals & Jos Manuel Cabello Cotn China has been growing very fast over the last decades, and since the Olympic games in 2008, China has a lot of job opportunities for foreigners who want to go there and teach foreign languages, especially English. In the biggest cities, there are plenty of English schools that offer jobs teaching English to small groups of kids or families that want private classes for their children. However, most of the time they want native English speakers. For non-native speakers two things can happen: one is that they pay you less money than they would pay a native speaker (usually 11 - 16 per hour); or, they wait to find a native speaker first, but if they cant, then they hire. Nonetheless, this tendency to prefer native English speakers will depend on the location. That is, in big cities such as Beijing or Shanghai, which are quite cosmopolitan and therefore have a large number of foreign residents, they will have little trouble finding native English teachers. But China is huge and there are many unknown places where there are no foreigners at all. So in such places non-natives can work as an English teacher even without a proper degree and if their English is not that good. Sometimes schools just want their teachers to have a Western face. And I am not talking about schools or language academies, but also about bigger institutions such as colleges or universities. In terms of teaching Spanish as a foreign language, opportunities are more limited for the moment. However, the number of people who want to learn Spanish right now is growing. There are more and more universities offering Spanish language courses and opening Spanish Departments. At the moment, you do not need to have a PhD to become a university Spanish teacher in most places in China, because China lacks Spanish native teachers so the required qualifications for the teachers are not high. A masters degree is enough and, in some cases, even just a university degree will suffice. Spanish is an attractive language for China for several reasons, one of them (apart from the fact that it is one of the most spoken languages in the world) being the fact that China is trading more and more with Latin America. At the university I was working last year [Jos Manuel writes] the number of students of English, Japanese, Korean and Spanish was increasing very quickly, while interest in German, French and Russian was decreasing. Many of my students left the university before they finished the degree because they were already offered jobs in companies where Spanish was required (most of these companies are in Guangdong province, Southeastern China, famous for trading). This will give you an idea of how important Spanish is becoming in China. There are also some job offers to act as extras in films. Also, if you are a woman, you may be able to get work as a hostess at conferences or public ceremonies. Foreigners attract Chinese people and they give more prestige to the place. If you come here to work I suggest you check out these two websites: www.aecid.es/web/es/becas and hispanismo.cervantes.es/empleos.asp. Money: If you teach Spanish at a university, the avarage salary is between 4000 and 5000 yuans (which is more or less 410 - 510 euros) per month, but they will give you accommodation and medical insurance and usually also pay for your flight from Spain to China. This may sound like a low salary, but it is enough to live here. You may also be able to negotiate to earn more on the basis of your experience or skills. Remember that the Chinese love to negotiate and bargain! Cost of living: Life in China is very cheap. You can eat at a normal restaurant for 1.5, so sometimes it is cheaper to eat out than to cook for yourself. A night at a hostel can cost as little as 6. (Hostels in China are really good! The first time my friends told me to sleep in a hostel, I was a little bit afraid of what I might find, but in fact it is often difficult to tell the difference between a normal hotel and a hostel, which can sometimes offer better facilities despite being cheaper.) Public transportation costs at most 0.22. In addition, taxis are really cheap and you can find them everywhere. And clothes are very cheap too if you know how to bargain: shoes (like Converse, Adidas or Nike) and designer clothes for 10. Nevertheless, although China in general is cheap, you have to be careful and know where to go shopping. The stuff you find in little shops or street markets is cheap, but if you go to normal supermarkets and shopping malls everything is more expensive and, depending on the product,
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it can be as expensive as in Europe. You have to bear in mind that while rich people in China constitute a relatively small minority, but that still means more than 200 million people, which is enough to make such high prices possible for this country. Housing: If you come on your own, the best thing you can do is first decide which area you want to live, and then, try to go to every agency you find (usually they are all in the same street). At the beginning they will probably show you flats that you would never think existed, but dont panic! Middle class or even prosperous families can also live there. Then, when you start explaining what you really want, they find something suitable for you. For example, Im sharing a duplex apartment with 4 bedrooms, big living room, kitchen, bathroom, toilet, terrace for more or less 160 per person. I would love of an apartment like this in Barcelona with such a good price! Nevertheless, it is better to have a Chinese friend who can help you to talk with the agency. There are some cities where you also have to pay to the police extra for renting. Language: If you thought that in Spain we are very bad at speaking foreign languages, you have to come to China. Communication will be a big issue: very few people can speak English. In the biggest cities such as Beijing or Shanghai you can find young people who can speak English, but if you go somewhere else you cant communicate with anyone if you dont speak the language. Even in Hong Kong it is not unusual to ask a question in English and receive no answer. In addition, do not expect to have, for example, the menu in a restaurant or the stops of the buses in English. Instead, you will only find Chinese characters (I repeat that in the big cities this is different, at least in the tourist and centrally situated areas of the city). Of course, this situation is changing since the government has realised how important English is for the development of the country and is starting to make important efforts. So I would strongy recommend that you take a course in Chinese before or after you arrive. Do not expect to speak it in a year, the main difficulty being pronunciation and the tones. During your first year of Chinese lessons, you just get used to the tones and learn some basic communication skills. It is actually during the second year that you more or less understand and speak the language. However, many foreign teachers arrive in China without knowing a single word of Chinese, and they still manage to learn it. Safety: Believe it or not, China is a very safe country, especially for foreigners and especially in areas where foreigners are uncommon. The Chinese are generally quiet and innocent people. What is more, people usually treat you really kindly when they see you are a foreigner. It is relatively safe to walk around late in the night alone almost anywhere. The government is very serious about this, so any sort of aggression is severely punished here, especially if you are a foreigner (althoughlike anywhere even if they are foreigners women have to be more careful). In addition, you are unlikely to be cheated over prices when shopping or taking taxis. You have to bear in mind that there are many places where foreigners are rare, so they have not even thought about this idea of tricking tourists. Obviously, in the cosmopolitan cities the situation is different and you have to be careful. There is a blog for those who want to go and live in Asia, where you can ask for or find information of all kinds (work, housing, etc.). It was very useful for us, especially before arriving and during the first few days we were here: www.expat-blog.com/es/directorio/asia Getting there: Flying to China is not as expensive as one might think. If you book the ticket in advance you can find offers for 550 to Beijing or Shanghai. Most of the largest companies fly to China, but the cheapest one right now is Aeroflot (Russian airlines).
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8. Living and working in India

Diana Hernndez How to get a job in India? If you follow sites like todoele.net, you have access to publications of job offers for Spanish teachers and other language-related jobs all over the world. I had been applying for jobs abroad as a Spanish teacher for more than a year before an offer was published on January 2013 for New Delhi, specifying an interest in Latin American teachers. I applied, I received a reply requesting an interview and I was offered the position two weeks later. What helped me get the job? Previous experience teaching Spanish (although my experience with groups was limited), a good command of English, and the fact that I was one of the few Latin American applicants who covered the requirements. Which jobs are best in India? Employment visas for India normally require a minimum yearly salary of USD 25,000, with the exception of (a) Ethnic cooks, (b) Language teachers (other than English language teachers) / translators and (c) Staff working for the concerned Embassy/High Commission in India. Which means language teachers and translators can expect to be paid Indian salaries. However, the amount will depend on each school / company. Instituto Cervantes might be a better option than private language institutes. Also, private schools offer a much better salary than Spanish institutes, about 50,000 rupees a month. Working for a company could also be a higher paying option, but the conditions will vary greatly from one company to another. Visa Requirements You need to get an offer of employment to get an employment visa, the only way to work legally in the country. Please note that employment visas can only be extended by your current employer. If you want to change jobs, youll need to go back to your country to get a new employment visa. Once in the country, an E-visa can only be changed to a) medical visa, or b) an X visa, in the event of marriage to an Indian national. Neither of these visas will allow you to work legally in the country. (More info at www.immigration.ind.in/) How are the working conditions in India? Speaking from my personal experience in the Spanish institute I'm working in, working conditions are tough and demanding. The economic crisis in Spain has made Spanish teachers from Spain readily available (and disposable), and therefore employers have less need to keep us happy. I work in the institute six hours daily for six days a week, including weekends. I also get assigned extra work, such as translations or very occasionally interpretations, which in some cases have been month-long or week-long projects and have taken up all of my free time. Some teachers are assigned to in-company classes, which require hours of transport stuck in Indian traffic. We have one month of paid vacation offered at the end of the 12-month contract, with only the possibility of 2-3 day casual leaves before that. The school has a guesthouse for foreign teachers, which saves money on rent and saves us the hassle of arranging our own housing. It also means, however, that someone might be sent to live in your bedroom without hardly any warning and definitely without asking for your permission. The work itself teaching Spanish in group or private classes is fun, although you have to adapt to their curriculum, the class schedules and their way of teaching, which requires a frequent use of English. My salary is more or less 400/month, although I regularly make a bit more than that, thanks to the extra work (translations, interpretations, extra teaching hours). Combined with a thrifty lifestyle, avoiding expensive clubs or restaurants, buying cheap clothes, cooking at home, etc. it's allowing me to save 50% or more of my earnings.
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Working conditions, salaries, etc. will vary from school to school and company to company, especially for foreigners, but in general, hard work for little pay, late hours, 10-hour workdays, very few holidays (forget about puentes) and rude, greedy bosses seem to be the norm in India. And what about living in India? Living in India has its own compensations and complications. The food is great, the city is very green, the clothes are cheap and pretty, the culture is fascinating... But many things make it a hard country to live in: the traffic, noise and pollution, the dirty streets, a sharp division between rich and poor, a disregard for the suffering of others, traditional gender inequality, the constant stares of men (especially hard for women), and the very hot, humid weather, coupled with rainy months where streets flood and going anywhere turns into a challenge. Expect a long-lasting culture shock, from dealing with bureaucracy and vendors to work culture, dating culture, and language learning methods. For more information and questions, you can e-mail me at diana.a.hernandez.g@gmail.com. Also, if you are considering work at INSTITUTO HISPANIA in India, please feel free to contact me for information and an insiders perspective.
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9. Teaching in Slovakia
David Checa Gmez In Bratislava, where I live, both English and Spanish are becoming more and more trendy and teachers are needed. Work. If you come to Slovakia you will not find yourself unemployed for long. For finding work in Slovakia, the most important website is www.profesia.sk. This website is also in English and is basically like infojobs. You can choose region, occupation and so on. A quick look at the website will show you how many offers there are for English teachers. Spanish is also in great demand, with opportunities in language schools, some bilingual schools which offer a third language, usually Spanish or German, or private lessons. directory.spectator.sk also has a directory of language schools. Schools generally want teachers for the full year. The regular school year starts the first week of September, but the best time to look for teaching work is in June. Classes in the summer (JuneAugust) will depend on demand. When I started out, I was teaching at a high school, and they only asked me for my degree certificateI needed nothing like the CAP or any certificate to prove that I was a qualified Spanish teacher. In my experience, when you apply to work at a school, you are interviewed (in English or Spanish), and then if they are interested, you may have to prepare a mock lesson with students or teachers. Many foreigners are working for multinational companies because they need English or in some cases Spanish teachers or simply Spanish-speakers. These multinational companies usually give you the specific training you will need to work for them. Money. If you teach Spanish, as a native speaker you get more money than a Slovak. The average salary is 600 gross and I earn 1000/month working around 10 hours per day, depending on the month, because I teach private lessons and so on. In other words, with a bit of luck and time you can make a good living. In language schools, wages vary considerably (as usual) but typically pay 8 12 euros gross per lesson (usually the lesson is 45 min. but can be 60 min.) Cost of living. Though the salaries may sound low to you, bear in mind that for the moment the cost of living is also lower than in any country in Western Europe. Though Bratislava is getting expensive, yesterday some people told me that they were renting a room in a flat for around 220. So renting a whole flat might cost around 550, depending on the part of town. Public transport costs about 45 euro cents. Cheap hostels or hotels cost 12-40/night in Bratislava. You can eat well for relatively little money, even if you eat out. Soup + starter will cost about 4 euros. A drink costs about 1.10 euro. Yes, beer is cheap! Housing. For housing information, search www.reality.sk/foreign/eng/detailsearch.aspx. You can read it in English or German. Language. Many people speak English or German, especially young people, so language will not really be a problem. Getting there. Try Ryan Air or Easyjet for cheap fares. The farther in advance you book, the cheaper the fare is likely to be, i.e. 6 months in advance, if possible. Remember, Bratislava is very close to Vienna.
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10. Teaching in the Czech Republic

Dani de Rueda Garzn There is a great demand for English and an increasing demand for Spanish in the Czech Republic. Work: Language might be a problem when finding jobs in the Czech Republic but I managed to find several language schools by doing the following: go to http://www.seznam.cz/ and type jazykov kola and the city you want to go to. You will find an extensive list of language schools so the only thing you have to do is send a curriculum to the ones you are interested in. I worked in Brno for ASCHOOL and AMIGAS. ASCHOOL was a great language school since they have a library full of teaching materials, an excellent methodologist who every two weeks offers very useful teaching seminars, a big office to work in and share opinions with other teachers. The atmosphere was simply great. You will probably have to prepare a mock lesson and show that you know something about methodology so its wise to do a training course on teaching, whether for teaching English or Spanish because, however good they are, the courses taught at the UAB are not enough. I suggest you start looking for the job very early and contact the language schools in person before September. Then you will be able to find many Spanish courses that need teachers. I appeared at the schools relatively late (15 September) but still managed to find many English courses and a few in Spanish. There are also many big companies like IBM who need native speakers to answer calls from customers and you dont need much of a curriculum for that since they provide the training. Money: The situation of teachers here seems the contrary of Spain since language school teachers get really a lot of money. I got 160-200 crowns (25 crowns is 1 euro) for 45 minutes of class, and classes often lasted an hour and a half. That is a lot of money here: people usually get 16,000- 17,000 crowns (640-680 ) per month for working 8 hours per day. I got 13,000 or 14,000 per month and I didnt work more than 18 hours per week every month (that is about 4 hours per day plus the time of preparation of the classes which is included in the salary). I personally got paid for the hours I do, so if I fell ill for a week and coudnt do the classes I did not get paid for that week. Cost of living: Prices in the Czech Republic are comparatively lower than in Spain, but if you live in big cities the prices will be obviously a bit higher than in the rest of the cities. Renting a room in a shared flat should cost you less than 160 per month without internet, and you can even share a room (here it is not unusual for students to share bedrooms) with someone, which should cost you around 80 or 100 per month. I suggest trying to work in Brno since it is the second biggest city in the Czech Republic after Prague and although it is not very big, it might be interesting enough for one year at least. Everyone here says one lives much better here than in Prague, I guess because of the tourists, the cost of living, etc. Brno is quiet and pleasant, one can go everywhere on trams and buses (theyve got an excellent transportation system). You can get a 3- month transportation ticket for about 2000 crowns (80 ). Language: Here young people usually know some English and some German, and older people know German. I havent had many problems in communicating with people in my everyday life. Otherwise you can always try to learn Czech! Getting there: The cheapest and easy way is to travel to Viena or Prague and from there take a bus. I suggest you try with www.studentagency.cz. Rayanair might also have direct flights to Brno from Girona if you decide to go there.
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11. Teaching in Poland

Danny Hidalgo Brenes Just as it is different to work in Gelida than in Barcelona, I cannot generalise about working in Poland. I have no idea what its like working in Warsaw or Krakow, but I can tell you about my experience working in Torun, a small city half-way between Warsaw and Gdansk. Teaching: If you have finished your degree in English studies and you intend to move here in order to teach English, my advice is: DONT COME TO TORUN! Torun has a university which provides around a hundred English teachers yearly. Toruns population is around 208,000 inhabitants, so the proportion of English teachers per citizen is quite high, and the chances of getting a job as an English teacher are very low in Torun and also in the surrounding towns. Their English is excellent so competition is fierce and survival difficult, because Polish teachers have the advantage that they speak Polish. However, if you intend to teach Spanish things change, since youre a native speaker. The average salary is around 30zl (4zl=1 approx.) per 45-minute class, which is quite a good income by Polish standards. On the other hand, come prepared from home as most schools dont have any materials for teaching Spanish. In most cases, you will be in charge of designing the whole course, finding and selecting materials for the activities, preparing your class and finally teaching it, which if youre inexperienced is quite stressful and time-consuming. Working conditions: So far I think I have worked in all possible ways, from illegally uninsured to legally contracted with health insurance (like our social security). However, there are different types of legal contracts, some of them include health insurance some other dont; in that case it is the worker who has to pay for any illness or medical issue and these services are quite expensive. For legal working, a NIP is required (fiscal identification number). Cost of living: Prices here are low compared to Barcelona. However, once you are paid in zlotys this cheapness obviously disappears. The average monthly salary here is around 2,000 zl (500), though in other cities such as Warsaw, Gdansk, Poznan, or Ldz this can go up to 5,000. Some prices: A carton of milk is around 0.50 Half a litre of beer 1 (in a bar) 0.70 (in a supermarket) 1 kg of sausages around 3 Housing: Renting a flat is around 600-800 zl (150-200). Renting a room costs around 250-300 zl (60-72) plus sharing bills. It is also advisable to know the area you are going to live in, as there are certainly some dangerous neighbourhoods that should be avoided. Language: Although young people usually speak English, it is very difficult to communicate and get help in this language on a daily basis. In most public institutions or public services like trains or buses stations, no one speaks English at all. So ordinary life may be extremely difficult if you dont speak Polish (as in my case). Therefore, a crash-course in Polish would be helpful before moving here; otherwise, make sure to have friends who can help you when needed. Getting around: The Polish transport network is obsolete to say the least. Few motorways exist, and roads are poorly maintained. Trains are old, uncomfortable, slow and often delayed. Getting there: There are several air companies flying to Poland. However, the cheapest flights can be booked through Ryanair and Wizzair. If you book in advance and are not picky with the dates you can get a very low fare for a round trip.
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12. Teaching in Bulgaria

Marta Ros Monta
I have recently started working as a Spanish teacher at the Instituto Bilinge Miguel de Cervantes in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. In Bulgaria, bilingual high schools are a type of schools in which 13-year-old students do a whole year of introduction to a foreign language, in this case Spanish. During this year they only learn this language and nothing else, meaning that it takes them an extra year to graduate. After this intensive year, they go on with 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grades, studying all the usual high school subjects in Spanish (except for Maths, Science and Bulgarian language). Looking for work: Usually there is demand for language teachers in Sofia, either in public schools or in private academies, if one does not mind an average-low salary.The best moment to look for teaching jobs here is before the academic year starts, that is, during summer, but throughout the year teachers are needed to cover for sick or absent teachers. In my case I was very lucky: I gave my CV to this school, and the next day they called me with an offer. But ordinarily it could take you months before you receive an offer. These are the main job-searching websites in Bulgaria: http://www.jobs.bg/ http://www.jobtiger.bg/ Consejeria de Educacin en Sofia: http://www.mec.es/sgci/bg/es/home/index.shtml Instituto Cervantes de Sofia: http://www.sofia.cervantes.es/es/cursos_espanol/estudiantes_espanol/material es_didacticos.htm Teaching conditions: A teacher's salary is quite low, but it is enough to get by as the cost of living is also low. In order to supplement my low salary, I will do some private lessons, which are very well paidaround 15 euro for a 90 minute lesson, which is a small fortune here. Other facts: Bulgarian high schools work in intensive shifts, either in the morning (7:30am to 12:30am) or in the afternoon (13:30 to 19:30). Something that might seem strange to a Catalan is that Bulgarians do not do puentes as in Spain. If there is a holiday on a Thursday, for instance, in order to have that Friday off they need to have worked the previous Saturday. Also important for teachers: Bulgarians adore bureaucracy. Absolutely everything, from a substitution to student absences, has to be written down and signed, and many copies given to different people. Getting here: Since Bulgaria belongs to the EU there is no need to get a visa. Spaniards can travel here with just an ID. The best way to travel to Bulgaria is by plane, using either Bulgaria Air or WizzAir, both of which have direct flights from Barcelona which last about 3 hours 45 min. Other companies such as Lufthansa, Alitalia, Czech Airlines, Malev and AirFrance also travel to Bulgaria, but they stop in other countries first.
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Once at the airport of Sofia, the best way to get to the city is by taxi. Taxies are incredibly cheap here. For example, an average ride from the airport to the city centre is about 7 leva (= 3.5). Money: The currency in Bulgaria is the Lev (1lv = 0.50 euro). As far as I know, there is still no way to exchange levas outside Bulgaria, so it has to be done at the airport. When I arrived for the first time, credit cards were not used, in fact many people did not have one. Nowadays many shops accept them if the sum is over 20 leva (10 euro), but small shops still keep their money in plastic boxes and accept only cash. Cost of Living: Bulgaria is cheap for groceries, but imports such as shoes, clothes, electronic gadgets and so on can be really expensive. It is very cheap as well to eat in restaurants. One can have a 3-course meal for 4-5 euro, depending on the place. Health services: The Bulgarian public health system is not the best in the world, and hospitals look really creepy (dirty, old, very communist-like). However, one can go to a personal doctor by paying only about 1.5 leva per visit and unless one has a serious illness, they are doctors, after all. Language: Bulgarian has been a challenge for me for the last few years, but like all languages it can be learned. The alphabet is Cyrillic, and as Slavic languages have nothing in common with the Romance ones, it is difficult, but there are many courses in Bulgarian as a foreign language. I have taken three at the Sofia University Kliment Ohridski, where I studied alongside Erasmus students from all over Europe. Weather: Winters in Sofia are really, really cold, reaching -20 degrees in January-February. By contrast, between June and September temperatures can reach 35-40 degrees. Public transport: In Sofia there are buses, trolleys, tram, a few lines of subway, and marshrutkas, which are a kind of small van which stops by request at any point of the way. Tickets cost 0.50 - 1 lev (0.25 0.50 euro) in buses and trams, and twice as much in marshrutkas. They are all usually quite dirty, old and creepy, but usually with the right combination you can get to any part of the city. Leisure: In Sofia there are cinemas, theatres, opera, expositions, museums, all of them really affordable. Cinemas have an advantage for foreigners: most films are in the original English version with Bulgarian subtitles, so they are easy to follow. For nature lovers, Bulgaria is full of amazingly beautiful mountains, woods, lakes and fields, and guided excursions are usually cheap. Summing up, nobody will get rich teaching in Bulgaria, but given the situation in Spain I think it is better to have a modest job abroad than nothing at all in Spain.
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13. Working in the tourist industry in Norway

Carlos Verge Ferr If you are considering Scandinavia as an option, and specially Norway, I would definitely recommend that you look for a job within the tourist industry. The reasons are undisputable: the large workforce needed, the relative importance of having some previous experience, and the indulgence regarding your Norwegian language skills. Demand is high during the whole year, especially at the beginning of the seasons, April for summer and October for winter. Summer sees the arrival of hordes of tourists looking for some of the most spectacular landscapes in the world; winter, on the other hand, is the time for Norwegians to go skiing, turning mountain resorts into thriving places in need of staff. Hotels, campsites and wooden cabins (an institution in Scandinavia) are good targets when looking for a jobthere are thousands of them spread all over the country. However, dont rule out other more innovative possibilities: work in an ice-hotel that melts when the summer comes, be a crew member in Hurtigruten, the 100 year-old coastal cruise, guide tourists on dog-sledges or over cracking glaciers, drive a quad or a snow-scooter or become a northern lights hunter (with a bunch of tourists at your back, of course). Cost of living and housing: The cost of living in Norway is outrageous. It always comes as a shock, no matter how prepared you are, and is a really serious difficulty for those looking for a job in Norway from Norway itself. That is why I strongly recommend that you already have your job set before travelling to the country. If that is not your case, if you are the knock-on-the-door type and you find yourself unemployed in Norway for a while, try to hold out as much as you can. Remember that even the worst paid job will easily allow you to cope with the cost of living, and remember the crazy prices for alcohol and tobacco will make you contemplate abstinence as something other than an option. Expect to pay 10 Euros for a beer, and from 500 Euros a month for a bedroom in a shared apartment in the capital or in other cities in the country. A one-course meal at the restaurant can easily amount to 50 Euros, drinks not included, nor coffee or desert. Prices for fruits and vegetables are ridiculous as most of them are imported products. Again, a job within the hotel business will help you to solve both food and accommodation problems since meals and apartment/room are provided by the companies. Language: If you speak German, you are likely to learn Norwegian quite fasta few months will sufficeand you will probably understand the written basics from your first landing at the airport. Otherwise, dont worry, because everybody in the country speaks perfect English. Try to learn the language if you want to stay in Norway for a long period of time or if you want to improve your working status; Norway is a very young nation and its inhabitants are very proud of their land and their language: you can be expected to speak only English when working as a waiter, but you will be required some kind of language mastering when applying for other jobs with different responsibility, for example teaching. And above all, dont think of Norwegian as a waste of time: it opens up for working possibilities in both Denmark and Sweden, since the three languages are highly mutual intelligible. Work permit: Norway does not belong to the EU area, but it is a member of the Schengen treaty. That allows any Spaniard to travel to Norway and work there uninterruptedly. Once you get into the country and within a period of three months, you will have to register yourself at the nearest police station. This procedure does not limit your job search and you will be free to travel all over the country in search of a job no matter where you registered. Processes are straightforward, in a way we are not used in Spain. By the way, do not even think about working off the books in Norway; their level of seriousness about it is extreme. How to find a job? The most widely used internet webpage is nav.no. It belongs to the state work department. You will have to register your CV like in so many other similar web pages. Nav.no is also available in English. Another popular web page is finn.no. Offers in this one are usually posted in Norwegian, so you will need to have some patience or narrow your search with words like Spanish or English. Jobzone.no is a third option worth a look, though its offers are only listed in Norwegian
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and Swedish. Come what may, when looking for a job within the tourist industry, try to contact the employer directly; it is usually quicker and it gives better results. A tip from my last Norwegian job: I made a trip through Google maps to some unknown tiny Norwegian locations I had never heard of. I chose them randomly; I could well have chosen some others further north or further south. After that, I checked whether those locations had some kind of hotel or accommodation, and once I found out they had them, I googled the accommodation name, I got the contact address and I sent my CV to the owners. Deals are commonly made over the internet and they can be trusted. Sometimes, contracts are even sent online for you to sign and send back. Interviews are rare; at the most they consist of a few words spoken on the phone, but be aware references that on the CV are always required and they are always contacted. Your chances to get a job will increase the further north you travel and the farther from the big cities you are, above all if you have no experience in the hotel field. Big hotel chains in the cities will usually hire trained native waiters, while small family-owned businesses in the countryside will be packed with temporary, inexperienced students. Dont be afraid to go north or spend some time in a tiny village. Some of them lie amidst Middle Earth-like landscapes. Your life can be very different from what you are used to in Barcelona, but once you get a liking for fishing, canoeing, climbing or mountain biking, youll have a hard time leaving. What can I expect from Norway? Do not expect Norway to be as cold as you imagined. It is a land of never-ending forests, waterfalls, lakes and mountains, but not the land of ice. Despite its latitude, the Gulf Stream softens the Norwegian climate, making its winters resemble those of New York or Boston. Summers are mild, but they can be hot as well, especially in the south. If you enjoy nature, you are lucky: the range of outdoor activities in the country and the possibilities for engaging in any of them are simply outstanding. Do not expect to see people raining from the windows every now and then. Most Norwegians live very happy lives away from the problems the mortals in other nations go through. Norwegians have huge state support and enormous benefits exist for the workers, retired people, students and single mothers. This one is true: days during the winter are shortor simply dont exist at all in the north of the country- which is a good excuse to spend Christmas in Spainbut then they are long in the summer and the sun does not set. Not everything is fabulous in Norway. Coffee tastes awful and serious non-sensationalist press does not exist at all. Mosquitoes are huge, really annoying and, from June to September, found everywhere where there is a source of water. Taxes are scandalous and you might expect to pay, at least, the 36% of your salary. Rules cannot be broken and sometimes they can seem to make no sense (for example, you will have to pay for an appointment at the hair-dresser or at the mechanic even if you didnt show up!). For a Spaniard, the constraints and strictness of society and laws can be daunting at first. For more lax societies, like the Mediterranean ones, many rules can be perceived as freedom-threatening. Nordic control may seem abusive and one can feel trapped at times. And theres a certain detachment from the problems of the world; a certain feeling things happen in another sphere. Some advice: dont try to fight against the others disdain; it simply doesnt work. Worse than anything, some extreme right-wing attitudes are on the increase, making the Populist Party the second most voted option at the elections. Money: But for those who manage to adapt to Norwegian society, or simply dont care, the country offers good job opportunities, possibilities to develop a career and good wages. When working as a waiter in a hotel, you can be expected to receive around 150 crowns/hour (gross), around 19 Euros, plus some extra crowns for night shifts, weekends and national holidays. Bearing in mind that food and accommodation are included in your contract, the amount of money you can save is considerable. A basic salary will prove not only to be much higher than in Spain, but also to be rational and proportionate, with a good balance between earnings, taxes, expenses and savings. All that wrapped in seven-hour continuous shifts, a formula unknown in Spain, something that allows you to have the most precious of all commodities: time.
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14. Living and working in Germany

Laura Buitrago Barroso & Meritxell Balls This might seem like a somewhat pessimistic opinion about moving to Germany at the moment, but I would just like to picture what the real situation is like, and thus maybe partly remove that idealized idea that most Spaniards have about the country. It is true that Germany may be a pioneer country, which can manage to better handle a situation of economic crisis, but that does not mean it can offer a solution for every country that is bankrupt. It might therefore become a bittersweet experience to just move to Germany, for those whose main objective is just to escape the financial situation in Spain. Some truths about the country are that they are looking for people, also Spaniards in particular, who come and work here. However, they are looking for people with training and skills, professionals who are specialized in very specific fields, such as engineers. For such people, it might not be that relevant to know German very well, since they might have to do a very specific task, which does not require a very good command of the language. This is, however, the great minority. Most of the Spaniards I have randomly seen/met, came here without having a clue about the language, the country or the work situation itself, thinking that they could just take a one-month language course in German, with it be able to chapurrear the language and then work as a waiter, just to give an example. This does not work! Of course, you might just be lucky (I have seen such cases), but in general it is not the best idea, especially at the very moment, when everyone is doing the same. German takes years to learn. I started learning it when I was 14 and it is still not perfect! Germany is not like England, especially London, where you can just go and work as anything (as in easy-to-get jobs, such as waiter, sales person, etc.). Germans want successful, qualified people for everything! (It sucks, I know) Even to work in a supermarket you have to have done an Ausbildung (apprenticeship, vocational training)! So my advice is if you really want to come and work in Germany, first learn the language in Spain, at least get to level B1-B2, which is not much (I had level B1 when I first came to Berlin three years ago and I could hardly manage to understand people and have a normal conversation) and then keep improving it here. A good option would be to get a grant/internship already organized from Spain and do it here. I did an internship thanks to the European programme Leonardo Da Vinci and it was very useful, it helped me introduce myself in the German labour market. Of course I can only speak about the situation in Berlin, since I have only lived here, but what I have said above speaks for the whole Germany. Though it is the capital, Berlin is at the same time the poorest city in the country and therefore has the highest unemployment rate. You can see lots of homeless people around. Most of the people who come here just think of Berlin as the capital, the cool city, the place to party 24/7, and it is like that of course, if you come as a tourist, but it is probably not THE place to make a living. Working: For those who want to teach Spanish in Germany, I cannot really tell, what the situation is like. I do have a couple of friends who are doing it, but do not really know if the demand is high or not. What I do know, through two friends of mine who have done it, is that the Instituto Cervantes offers twice a year (in February and September) a two-month course to prepare people to become teachers of Spanish. You get an official certificate and are able to teach, but of course have some limitations in comparison to people who have done a degree in that. The course is pretty cheap, around 300. Just have a look at the website, the course is called D.E.L.E: http://www.cervantes.de/nueva/de/ueber-uns/das-instituto.php As for websites to find easy jobs, try www.promotionbasis.de, especially to work as a waiter, hostess, flyer promoter, and the like. Promotion is very common in Berlin, especially as a student job and for foreigners, whose mother tongue is different than German, since your task is generally to approach tourists. It is normally well paid and flexible. A nice possibility to get started! Learning the
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language by doing. Of course, even for such easy jobs, you need a pretty good command of German, since knowing just English is not usually enough. Germany is not precisely like other northern countries, where English is spoken everywhere; not all Germans can speak fluent English, especially middle-aged or elderly people. Just another tip is to find Spanish companies/chains, which usually want/do not mind having Spanish workers, which makes the company even more representative of Spain. The translation field, in which I am personally interested, is oversaturated, because there are too many translators, and we are consequently not well paid. I work as a proofreader from home, thanks to the Leonardo grant, but I cannot make a living of it. I randomly saw some time ago that the publishing company Cornelsen offers internships for qualified English linguists. Cost of living: Life in any city in Germany is pretty expensive. However, Berlin is very cheap. Food, eating out, shopping and partying is in general a lot cheaper than in Barcelona. Nonetheless, transport is very expensive, for which reason many people go by bike, myself too! Single ticket: 2.30, one week ticket: 27, monthly ticket: over 70. Of course if you are a student you get a discount. As for finding accommodation, it is not that easy. If you are a student, you are allowed to live in dorms, which tends to be cheaper. However, you normally need to be enrolled at university/school or in some cases do a language course. Non-students tend to live in shared flats (WG = Wohngemeinschaft), which is the easiest, cheapest option. The prices have risen a bit since last year, but still, an average monthly price for a shared flat is 250-300 (at the cheapest), utilities included. The general difficulty with finding a shared flat is that many hosts want people who at least can manage to have a conversation in German. If you only speak English, it gets difficult, though not impossible! Another difficulty is that everyone wants to move to Berlin, which makes the demand here higher than the supply, so you often find yourself in a mass casting instead of an individual interview, when visiting a flat. The most well-known websites to find a flat are www.wg-gesucht.de and http://www.studenten-wg.de/ Once you find a WG or Wohnung (flat) you need to register with the town council and the formality is called Anmeldung. Salaries: Salaries tend to be better than in Spain, very generally speaking. In my case, working at Desigual as a sales woman, I earn a bit more money here than doing the same in Spain. The promotion field is not bad, since you are freelance and therefore pay no taxes unless you earn a lot of money. As for other fields, I cannot really tell. Getting here: The cheapest flights BarcelonaBerlin tend to be on Easyjet. Vueling is now new in this route and also has nice prices. AirBerlin is expensive, but you might find nice deals. There is a website which looks for the cheapest flight options: www.billigefluege.de Studying: Study in Germany is in general very cheap in comparison to Spain. You can do a Masters Degree for as low as 1000. In most cities, you pay around 500/semester in fees, plus less than 300 for things like a monthly transport ticket, student ID and a couple more things. So taking into account that a masters will take you two years, you can study for a total of 2500-3000 Euros. In Berlin it is a lot better, you pay no addition feels (i.e. no 500)! And as noted, if you are a student you get lots of discounts everywhere. For information about post-graduate programs in Germany, see www.daad.de/deutschland/studienangebote/international-programmes/07535.es.html Meritxell Balls adds: It is very important to speak German if you want to live in this country. The Goethe Institut in Barcelona offers good courses to prepare yourself and then be examined before coming here. See http://www.goethe.de/ins/es/bar/deindex.htm?wt_sc=barcelona Once you are here, the Volkshochschule (popular university) offers cheap German courses from A1C1. I was also able to teach Spanish there giving Spanish lessons (see http://www.vhs.de).
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15. Working in New Zealand

Marta Heredia Life in New Zealand is very quiet. Auckland and Wellington are the 2 main cities in the North Island and Christchurch and Queenstown are the 2 main ones in the South Island. Life is very peaceful and quiet in both islands and the landscapes are amazing. Cities have nothing to see but once you are out you discover paradise. Furthermore, if you like hiking, walking, skiing, bungee jumping, kayaking, parachuting and so on, New Zealand has it all. Teaching: If you want to come and work in New Zealand as a teacher you need to follow a number of steps. First of all you need to get all the degrees, diplomas and certificates translated into English. This includes translating also the diplomas you have from school and high school. You also need to get translated a police clearance record. Basically, any papers that may help you to get registered as a teacher in New Zealand have to be translated into English. Furthermore, in order to teach in New Zealand it is compulsory to take the IELTS exam. It has to be the academic one and you need to score a minimum of a 7.0 in each part of the test. Once you have all these, you need to send all the documents to the NZQA: http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/ They will match your studies from Spain to the ones here in New Zealand. This process costs around 400 euros and it takes around 2-3 months. The NZQA will make a report on your qualifications and you will have to send this report plus all the rest of the papers to the New Zealand Teachers Council: http://www.teacherscouncil.govt.nz/. In New Zealand you need to be registered in order to teach. This process costs around 150 euros and it takes 6 weeks. Once you get your provisional card you will be able to teach. However, as you might all know, to be able to work in New Zealand you need to have a work permit. It is a little bit difficult to get one, either you get a job offer, you ask for the working holiday (which alllows you to work only 6 months in a year) or you can ask for guidance at immigration so they can help you out. So far I have done a substitution job in a school and I might start working for Unitec: Institute of Technology as a Spanish teacher. I also work in a language school. So, once you have the degree and the papers it is quite easy to find a job. Furthermore, if anyone who has magisterio wants to come, there are many offers in primary schools. It is a little bit more difficult if you want to do Spanish because its more specific, but there are offers in the market. Housing: To find an apartment or a house (kiwis live mainly in the suburbs, in the city center there are mainly foreigners) you might check 2 webpages: www.nzflatmate.co.nz and www.trademe.co.nz and also in the NZ Herald. Getting here: There are different companies that fly to New Zealand. You can check Air New Zealand, Korean Air, Fly Emirates, Singapour Airlines, China Air, Lufthansa and many others. Cost of living: New Zealand currency is New Zealand dollars. Life is not very expensive if you compare it with the one in Barcelona. However, things like tobacco and alcohol are very expensive. Also, forget about Jamon Iberico and similar, because New Zealand has a very strict policy if it comes to food from overseas and you wont be allowed to bring any type of food. However, you can find some cheap accommodation. There are different options available if you dont want to spend a lot of money in housing because people offer a room in exchange of some work. Once you have a job, even if its not teaching but just working in a bar, it is enough to pay all the expenses. If you go to Australia, even though salaries are better the cost of living is enormous.
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16. Working in Australia

Alba Carmona Giralt
Citizens of almost all the European Union countries can obtain a Working Holiday Visa which allows them to work in Australia for a year, and only costs around AUD 250. However, Spanish citizens cannot get this visa as easily as citizens of other countries. You can apply for it once or twice a year and few people get it. So if you want to go to Australia with this visa you not only need to apply in advance but also get a lot of information about the application process. Another possibility is to get first hired by a company here because if they sponsor you, you can get a Working Holiday Visa. If you are studying here and have a Student Visa you are allowed to work 20 hours a week. All the information about visas is in the website: http://www.immi.gov.au/ I didnt have time to apply for one of these visas, so I arrived here in Sydney, Australia, in late December on a Tourist Visa. This means that I will have to leave the country every three months. The cost of living in Sydney is extremely expensive, so I thought that aupairing for a family would be the best solution for me. After three days of searching on www.aupairworld.com, I found a family. I am now working between 30 and 35 hours/week, earning around AUD250/week. Moreover, they pay for all my food and accommodation (room, toilet and kitchen). Once I had that for sure, I tried to find something else. So now on Tuesdays I do reading groups at a local school and also organise some Spanish lessons. I must say that Australia is a good place to be right now. If you want to work, there are plenty of job offers and much better paid than in Spain. The Asian economy is keeping the Australian economy really strong, so salaries here are really high. Simple jobs, such as bar attendant and waiter, are paid AUD22 per hour.
17. Working in Canada

Laura Monerris Oliveras 1) If you are between the ages of 18 and 35, you can obtain a Working Holiday Visa. This will allow you to experience Canada, without many restrictions on the type of job, location and time, for up to a year. Be aware that the number of applications processed each year is limited. As a Spanish citizen, you may participate in the International Experience Canada program only twice and each time under a different category. There are three categories: working holiday, young professional and international co-op (internship). See http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/spainespagne/experience_canada_experience/index.aspx?view=d 2) If you obtain a valid offer of employment from a Canadian employer, you will be able to apply for a Work permit, for the duration of your contract. See http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/index.asp If you want this job opportunity to become a more permanent situation to allow you to immigrate and get established in Canada, you may be eligible to apply as a Skilled Worker and become a Permanent Resident. With such a status, you will enjoy the same rights and privileges as a Canadian citizen, except for the right to vote. See http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/skilled/apply-who.asp
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18. Working in the US with the VIF Program

www.vifprogram.com Former students who have done it it: Mariona Salvador (2006-2008), Felix Comella (2007-2010). This is a private organisation that places foreign teachers in public schools in several US states. Teachers from Spain typically teach Spanish to English-speakers or English to Spanish-speakers (our veterans recommend the latter). Teachers are given good orientation and support by the program and may participate for 1-3 years. The salary is based on that states public school salary scale, so it will be very good and even excellent if you have a lot of prior experience.
19. Volunteer work

If you not sure what you really want to do, do volunteer work these organizations can help you decide what you are really interested inand let you develop your foreign language skills. Its probably the best time of your life to try something like this.

Secretaria General de Joventut de la Generalitat de Catalunya (C/ Calbria, 147. BCN) www20.gencat.cat/portal/site/Joventut Service Civil International, SCI (Carrer del Carme, 95) www.sci-cat.org Barcelona Voluntria (C/ Pelai, 44) www.barcelonavoluntaria.org Asociacin WAFAE (www.wafae.org/cms) Wafae needs teachers of Catalan and Spanish as well as activity leaders for immigrant children. It also sometimes organises summer work camps in Morocco. Camps de treball internacionals COCAT (Calabria 120, baixos, Barcelona) www.cocat.org Work camps all over the world, lasting from two weeks to six months. Activities range from environmental work or archeological excavation to construction work or summer camps for children. You pay a single participation fee and your travel expenses, but then food and lodging is covered when you are at the site. English is the language used at most sites. Registration period is mid-March to mid-November. Servei Voluntari Europeu (www6.gencat.net/joventut/catala/sgj/internacional/accio2.htm) Associaci Sociocultural La Formiga www.laformiga.org/ (C/ Elkano 74 baixos (metro L3 Poble Sec) 08004 Barcelona Telfon:93 443 82 07) Teaches Catalan and Spanish to immigrants.
20. Volunteer experiences in Africa

Christian Justicia and Annas Vzquez Even before finishing the degree we had been thinking about volunteering in Africa. As we progressed towards the end of the degree, we looked for some NGOs that could offer an interesting project to be involved with. We thought our experience as teachers of English and camp activity leaders for children or teenagers would be of interest, but we were open to other kinds of jobs too. It was also important for us that the NGO could help us financially; we wanted to volunteer for a year more or less, and we had heard that for a long stay some NGOs financed all the costs. But in the end we could not find a NGO that would assume the costs. In fact, we found lots of NGOs in which you had to pay a lot of money up front in order to be able to work for free.
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However, we finally found an NGO called CCONG that, though it did not give us any financial assistance, did not force us to pay high costs for volunteering, just the basic ones. Besides, CCONG said they would let us work as English teachers and anything else related to education that we might come up with once we were in West Africa. We agreed to go to a little village in Mali called Hombori. The NGO had been working there for several years and the director of the NGO was highly popular in the village for having constructed a school there and having promoted fish farming and other things. He said that just by virtue of the fact that we were coming through CCONG all the locals there would be very nice to us. With the financial help of family, friends and institutions (including the UAB Department of English), we decided to go to Hombori and spend six months as teachers and/or childrens activities leaders. We arrived and Hombori and soon we suffered from the heat, new food habits and lack of cold drinks. However, we were very enthusiastic about starting our classes since all the children and teenagers we met around the village were very happy about our presence there. After a couple of misunderstandings that made us spend two weeks doing nothing, we started teaching classes of Spanish for teenagers and English for children. Soon we realized the huge difficulties involved in teaching there, largely due to cultural reasons. We were white and had a very fun attitude. The local teachers there were very serious and respected people, nothing to do with the image we projected. Being a white person meant being almost an alien, and all the children stared at us as if we were something unique. If you add our natural fun attitude to that, the response of the students was a mixture of fascination and extreme amusement. In addition, most of the children did not have notebooks or pens and did not attend class every day. Furthermore, when we were in class there was a constant flow of children of all ages coming into the classroom and jumping through the window. They were all very excited because there were some white people teaching in a very strange way. All of this was a huge challenge for us. Sometimes, for no apparent reason, class did not happen at all, and we were never warned the day before. We learned that in the traditional areas of Africa, such as Hombori, there was no sense of distant future; they lived according to an everlasting present. It was a good attitude, but it was hard for us to adjust to. We asked for some advice from the only teacher and person that spoke English there, a young man that could understand our way of thinking better than the rest. He basically said that we should do language drills very often, and provide all the input very slowly. We carried on with the classes, but our dissatisfaction persisted. We felt that we were making huge efforts to make them learn, yet seeing little in the way of results. Nevertheless, after watching things with more perspective, we came to the conclusion that the physical and cultural conditions there made things difficult in themselves, and our way of teaching was something that they were not used to. Besides, in observing the other classes there, we realized that the common way of teaching was the typical one that prevailed in the Western world 70 years ago. We found ourselves in a world in transition from the educational point of view. They were abandoning an Islamic and traditional way of educating, that is, based on the teacher and his or her straightforward explanations as the base of education), and adopting a more modern and Western one. Hombori was a village in a rural area; these new influences were becoming felt only slowly and in a very dysfunctional way. Whether this process is morally right or wrong is another matter, too complex to be discussed here. At any rate, almost all the children ended up speaking the basic introductory sentences in English that we taught them. Any time they saw us they said anything they remembered from class as if it was a game. Apart from the odyssey of trying to teach and the difficult living conditions, there was something that really complicated our stay in Hombori: the family we lodged with. I could write a book about what happened with them but Ill summarize it by saying that they were only concerned with the money we paid to live with them, not much by our standards but a lot by theirs. And our ways of considering the world were totally different, at an emotional level. This made living side by side very difficult. They were not the family that our NGO had described. So we called the director of the program and described our disappointment. Though we liked Hombori and our volunteering in the school, it was an exhausting thing, and the fact that the family was bullying us all the time when we were paying them a lot of money made matters unsustainable. We said that we wanted to leave and quit our volunteering. This was at the beginning of January. So our director proposed that we go to Ouagadougou, the capital
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of Burkina Faso, where there was an association of handicapped people in which we could continue teaching. He said that he felt sorry for what had happened and that it was a pity to leave that way, and he even proposed to pay for the costs of the bus and the visas to compensate us. We thought about it and finally accepted. In Ouagadougou we found a much more comfortable place to live; less heat and a lot of fruit and vegetables available, apart from a lot of boutiques in which we could buy cold drinks and chocolate. In the association we found a lot of friendly handicapped people that were very anxious to start working with us. We had two tasks: classes of English and Spanish for adults, and stimulation for handicapped children. The latter ended up being our favorite thing to do; we fell in love with those handicapped children that laughed instantly at anything we did with them. We carried out some exercises of stimulation, which meant playing with them by showing them colors, or making them grasp some sponge balls and putting them in a basket. We also tried to follow up the progress of some handicapped children in their homes or at school. Their disabilities were physical, psychological or often both. All the children were very specific in their needs, and working with them required a lot of energy, but we loved it. The classes of English and Spanish were very difficult to carry out; a lot of people came to learn, but some were illiterate, some others knew some English or Spanish and others knew a lot of either one or the other. They came all together in one class and attendance was very irregular. Whenever I could I split the class in two because it was crazy to teach English with so many different levels in one group. As I have already noted, these adversities were considered natural in Africa, and we had to adapt ourselves to that. It was strange, because we were adapting ourselves to becoming relaxed and calm, and we were not used to it. Everything went fine. We carried out our activities with a lot of energy and enthusiasm and I think that the results were good. Besides, all the citizens of Ouagadougou were the nicest people in the world, even more than in Hombori. Their nobility was something that came more from their childish innocence that from conscious attitude. We should stress that we spent our whole volunteering experience among the lowest classes, who still do not have a Western way of seeing the world. Being a Western volunteer in such a situation means thinking about the millions of things that could be easily done to improve things there. But soon, you perceive that Africans worry very little about everything, and trying to tell them to start worrying is really complicated. They are used to living in a very simplistic way physically, mentally and emotionally. We did not tell them how to do things, we just did what we thought might help them and if they wanted to learn from our way of working and living, it was up to them. It must be remembered also that the Western society is being implanted there principally through its darker sides, like the urge to get rich, the cult of physical appearance and obsession with electronic devices. When we arrived there and tried to tell them that we did not care about that, and that there were other things more profound to consider, they did not believe us or simply did not understand us. I insist on saying that everything is very complex to explain. Anyhow, sooner or later they will have to face life the way we do it, more or less. Fortunately or not, their model of society is becoming a Westernized one. In the end, we returned home very happy about our experience, with all the smiles of the children we have been with in our minds, and hoping that our work there might prove useful for their future. It was a truly worthwhile experience, and we strongly recommend it. Judit Besora Tondo (written in 2011) I started thinking about what I wanted to do after graduating during my last year at university. I had been to South Africa the previous summer volunteering with an NGO, and the experience had proved very rewarding, so I wanted to do something in that direction. I contacted the NGO I had worked with and told them that I would like to spend one year teaching English somewhere in Africa. They got me in contact with another NGO in South Africa who suggested we could start a project to give extra-
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curricular English classes in a township called Khayelitsha. English, they told me, was a basic tool to get a job there and most people did not speak it fluently. I did not have the means to pay for a year living in South Africa and to fund the project, so I started looking into ways to make money. I spend the summer working at a campground at the seaside and devoted my spare time to organizing fund-raising events. I made a webpage where I explained the project and, helped by friends and family, I organized concerts in my town and talks around the province. I also wrote a dossier explaining my project and contacted companies and public institutions that I thought might be willing to contribute. I calculated that I needed to get together roughly 7500 in four months. At times it seemed impossible, but eventually I got the sum (and even a little more) and, very proud of myself, left for South Africa. When I got to Khayelitsha everything that could go wrong did. Everything the NGO had promised me (accommodation, a building where I could teach, hundreds of students who had supposedly already enrolled for the classes, etc.) turned out to be just a huge lie. This did not discourage me, however. I thought I would just have to start from scratch and look for everything myself. But during my first days there I realized most people spoke English, if not perfectly, at least fluently enough to hold a conversation. I told the NGO that I could not see the need for free English classes there, to which they rapidly agreed. They said I should forget about teaching English and we should use the money I had raised to start up a project to clean the townships trash bins (it sounds like a joke, but, sadly, Im being completely serious). I considered their suggestion, but decided it made no sense because it would not be self-sustainable in any way (once we ran out of my money, the project would die out). So I said I would not do it. Fed up, disappointed and frustrated I tried to think positively again and look for solutions instead of regret my luck. I thought that there had to be a place in the country where my project made sense, so I decided to spend some time looking for that place. I left the township and set up my base-camp in a hostel in Cape Town. I got in touch with other NGOs and started visiting other places where I could work. But then the real nightmare started. The NGO in Khayelitsha said the money I had raised in Spain belonged to them, and I said that that money was for my project. I was sure that all the donors would agree with me on that. Among other very nasty things, the NGO contacted donors saying that I had been doing fraudulent stuff and they threatened to take legal action against me. I contacted a lawyer and, to make a long story short, the NGO blackmailed me until I was forced to leave the country to save my assand the money for the project. So two weeks after leaving for South Africa for a year, I was back home, completely devastated and unable to believe that an NGO could do something like this. For the following few months I had no idea what to do. One side of me thought I should not give up and I should try again, but the other side told me I should just stop thinking about helping others and start helping myself. I started looking for a job in Catalonia without much success, until some three months later I got a really good job offer. At that point I had to make a tough decision. I knew that if I took the job, it would mean the end of my African dream. The night before signing the contract I could not sleep. The next morning I got up and contacted Christian and Annas (two former students who I knew were volunteering in West Africa). That very same day I went to talk to the president of the NGO they worked for, told the company that had hired me I could not take the job and I booked a plane ticket for Ouagadougou, in Burkina Faso. I have been here since April working in an association for handicapped people. I teach English and Spanish, I help five deaf kids study and try to stimulate children with mental and physical disabilities. My work is very different from what I thought I would be doing when I first planned my year in Africa, but it is proving nonetheless well worth it. Apart from the teaching and stimulating I am trying to use the money I raised (and my time) to improve peoples lives here. I am setting up a course on traditional African music and if everything goes according to plan we will already be able to offer small concerts by the end of the year. I am also planning on setting up free courses at the association so that its members can find a way to make a living by knitting and sewing, hair-dressing, making African jewelry, growing vegetables, making furniture, and anything else they are willing to learn.
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After two months here I can say I am for sure one of the happiest persons walking on planet Earth at the moment. Burkina is an amazing country and it is a pleasure to work with and for its people. I still do not know how much of what I plan I will eventually achieve (surely also here there will be obstacles to overcome), but I am really looking forward to finding out. Ruth Gmez Layola I had always wanted to go to Africa with an NGO since I was a child. Last year I started to think about it seriously and I decided to start looking for an NGO which looked interesting. I finally found an association from Figueres called Children of Africa which seemed reliable. I thought it was very important to find an NGO which could help you at any time, before and during your stay abroad. Many people are sceptical about the real work NGOs say they do and the fact that you cannot see where the money goes and to whom. When I saw and read the website and all the information I found about Children of Africa I realised it was reliable a 100%. None of the people working for the association was getting paid at all and all the money was for the people in Kenya. The volunteers had to pay for the flight ourselves and once we were there we just had to pay for some food and transport. In the autumn I sent in my application to go to Kenya for the following August. I had already talked to the president and she put me in contact with other volunteers that were going there in August as well. I bought the flight with two other girls who were also flying from Barcelona. I was very excited because I had been in contact with all the volunteers and the association itself via e-mail for the preceding months. We were all informed about every necessary step we needed to follow before getting there and also when we arrived to the country. We were also told about all the things we needed to bring. We organised some charity events to raise money before going to our destination. I was vaccinated and packed my bags and finally flew to Kenya. Once we got there the president of the association and some volunteers were waiting for as at the airport. This was extremely important since the country was completely unknown to me. The president was very kind with us and she explained us all the things we needed to do before getting to the village. She went with us to buy everything that was necessary and we changed our money there as well. I found it very safe to be there in the middle of the chaotic city of Mombasa with a person helping us in every little thing. I realise now how important this simple action was, supporting the newcomers in our first day in an absolutely different world for us. I felt the cultural shock but I got used to it easily. The thing is that I had imagined the worst and when I was there I realised it was not that bad. When we arrived at the little village of Tsunza we were all welcomed by the kids there who helped us to carry our luggage. It was from the very first moment that I realised it was the best experience I would have in my life. People in Tsunza were all very welcoming and nice to all of us. They showed us the accommodation for the volunteers which was a hut that we had to share with one of the families. I did not find it was going to be difficult for me to spend a month living there and it was not. I quickly got used to the food habits although the first days I was a bit hungry. People from Tsunza used to cook for us and we used to eat all together. They also taught us how to cook typical Kenyan food. I really got on very fast with all the volunteers and the people from the village. They were all very easy-going and we had no coexistence problems in the whole month I spent there. The president of the association was there giving us advice about any single thing we needed and she told us we were free to organise our days there however we like. We decided to organise a class timetable and we started teaching the kids some English, music and Spanish. They were all very happy and interested in everything we did. It was the month of holiday for them and we spent almost the whole day with the children. We encouraged them to study hard and we used to give them homework every day for them to practice and improve their skills for their return to school in September. The relationship with all of them was amazing. The teenagers I taught there are the best pupils I have ever had. They were very interested and eager to learn. Even the small ones were incredibly eager to learn more and more new things. I can guarantee that teaching there was a very rewarding experience to me.
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Apart from the lessons we also played with the children as they were not used to it. Playing time was like a reward for their everyday work at class and at home studying and doing the homework. While we showed them many games and songs they showed us local songs and dances as well. There were many projects taking place there and I helped with the ones I could as well. I finished painting the library that was built there for them to have a studying area and I helped to organise all the material we brought for it. I also painted a new kitchen that was built for them to cook in healthier conditions and a workshop that was going to be open for them to learn new jobs and crafts. We also organised a football league and talks about AIDS. People in Tsunza were very positive about it all and they took an active part in everything. There was a sponsoring program as well. We went to the city to buy all the material for the sponsored kids and we gave it to them. I realised at that moment that sponsoring was truly effective and that all the money sponsors had sent to the association reached their kids. People there were very grateful to us and the point is that at the same time we were helping them they were actually helping us as well. Only seeing their smiles when they had almost nothing, it was one of the things about being there that made the greatest impression on me and it taught many values to us. I really think this experience as a volunteer has changed me. I have realised that many material things we think here to be indispensable to us are not even necessary at all and I have learnt that you can be happy without anything. Actually, I can say I was for sure one of the happiest persons on Earth after having been in a volunteer experience like that.
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Teaching English to very young learners

Thanks to Elisabet Pladevall & Virginia Moreno Teaching very young learners is a completely different profession from teaching adults or teens. Some of you may find yourselves suddenly asked to do it without having had any proper training. The following advice is intended to give you a very superficial orientation in the event of such an emergencyit is not intended to be used as a comprehensive guide.
Routine is very important. Always follow the same sequence of activities. Example: 1) story-time 2) colouring time 3) puppet time 4) song and dance time Begin with the same little ceremony and always end with another little ceremony. Make up your own little rhyme and actions for these ceremonies, e.g. Turn around and 123, touch your head and touch your knee, touch the floor and touch the sky, now its time to say goodbye. The function is to mark opening and closure of the class. Before the closing make sure that everyone is attentive and does the closing together. Use different parts of the classroom for different activities. One corner is the story corner, another is the colour corner, this is the weather wall, etc. That way kids when you move to a story corner they will be ready for a story. Kids need a lot of signposting to help them follow routines. An alternative is to put on different items, like a different hat, for different activities. When the teacher puts on the story hat, they know its story time. Repeat activities a lot. They like and need this (unlike adults). Do a lot of repeating. Read the same story several days in a row. Get them to interact as much as you can (within their linguistic means). Ask them questions for which they know the answers: Whats the monkeys name? Read or tell the same story several days in a row, always asking the same questions. Use your body and physical gestures for EVERYTHING. Give them very short model dialogs that they can memorize easily. For example: At the market:
Good morning. Good morning. How much are the potatoes? Three euros. Thank you. Goodbye.
Teach them basic classroom phrases from the beginning. Good morning. May I go to the bathroom, please? (whatever they typically need to say). But if they are tired and need to go to the bathroom and cant remember the English, let them speak their native language. One way to deal with translation is to use puppets. The puppet will speak their language and you speak English. So you can say something in English to the puppet and then the puppet will address the students in their own language and explain what you just said. Find an alternative to Please be quiet! like 123, listen to me (point to ears and yourself) . Find books and tapes/CDs of English rhymes for little children. You can order many online from Amazon.co.uk. Some possibilities:
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Wee Sing Childrens Songs and Fingerplays with CD (Audio) (Wee Sing (Paperback)) Pamela Conn Beall, Susan Hagen Nipp (Price Stern Sloan Move Over Mother Goose: Finger Plays, Action Verses and Funny Rhymes by Ruth I. Dowell, Concetta C. Scott (Gryphon House)
Get yourself a set of childrens books in English. Amazon will give you suggestion lists for young learners. It is best if the text is simple, but you can ignore complex text and tell your own simplified version. However, always tell it exactly the same way, and interact with students as you go. Some classics:
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle (for very small kids) Curious George takes a job (or any other Curious George book) Goodnight moon Where the wild things are Stories featuring Madeline (various) Stories featuring Babar (various) The Gruffalo Any of the many books by Dr. Seuss Any of the many books by Richard Scarry Any version of Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes (these are a good length for little kids)
Dont teach them things they are unlikely to be learning at school in their native language classes. If you can parallel what they are doing in their native language classes, so much the better. Do lots of physical activities that have them move and point and touch and repeat. Get them to do what you want by carefully showing how to do it while speaking in English so that they can see what you are doing and dont need to understand everything of what you are saying. They also like to do tasks in small groups of three or four. Colouring or cutting and pasting, for example. That way they have room for a bit more independence. Dont expect little kids to learn much. The most they will get out of the class will be slightly greater comprehension later in lifebut only if they continue to go to English classes. With little kids, foreign language acquisition is easy come, easy go. Resource books:
Teaching Languages to Young Learners (Cambridge Language Teaching Library) by Lynne Cameron (Cambridge University Press) Very Young Learners (Resource Books for Teachers S.) by Vanessa Reilly, Sheila M. Ward (Oxford University Press) Young Learners (Resource Books for Teachers S.) by Sarah Phillips, Alan Maley (Oxford University Press) The Primary English Teachers Guide (Penguin English Guides) by Gail Ellis, Jean Brewster, Denis Girard (Cambridge University Press)
You may be able to find useful resources at these websites: www.billybear4kids.com, www.eslkidstuff.com, and www.learnenglish.org.uk.
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Becoming a freelance translator

Vctor Rodrguez Casafont Becoming a freelance translator is quite a long task that requires considerable patience. Should any of you want to become a freelancer, I would strongly recommend doing a postgraduate course in translation. That way you will be able to enrol in any of the associations for translators available in Spain (see www.atic.cc). English philology students who do not have a postgraduate degree or 5 years of experience translating will not be accepted. The next step is to decide what type of translation are you willing to do (the main possibilities are technical, scientific, literary and legal translation). Your income will vary depending on the type of translation you choose, and most probably you will need some type of additional training and/or education in the target field. For example, you will need to read technical or legal books in order to get yourself accustomed to the vocabulary you will work with. Customers are very, very demanding. It is also very important that you consider translating from another language apart from English. There are millions of translators worldwide and this has two major consequences: on the one hand, you will have to lower your rates quite a lot in order to compete with South American translators, who usually work much cheaper than we do; and on the other hand, there are so many English-Spanish translators, that finding work is getting more difficult every day. I would recommend learning German, Japanese or Chinese (no joke!). Also, you will need to familiarise yourself with some of the translation tools available in the market. These tools consist of the so-called Translation Memories (translation tools which remember all translated sentences and give automatic translations whenever the same sentence is repeated later on in the file). They are very helpful to speed up your work and they are definitely necessary to get competitive rates. (Your customers will require you to apply discounts on the repeated segments!) Explaining these tools in full depth would be too space-consuming here, so if you are interested, visit some of the following websites: www.star-group.net www.trados.com www.translationzone.com www.proz.com www.translatorscafe.com. Once you have got familiar with some of these translation tools, you will face the greatest problem: lack of experience. Finding customers is very difficult if you do not have enough experience; most translation agencies make it a prerequisite for accepting rsums that the translator has 5 or more years of experience, and even then they usually require a translation test before including you in their database. Also, experience is very important for yourself: at first it is very easy to produce translations that are too direct, i.e. they are more like an English text written in Spanish than a Spanish text, and your goal will be to write texts which sound totally native in Spanish. Of course you can practice at home, and the best way to achieve this goal is to review your translations two or three times once they are finished and make all necessary adaptations. You will be amazed at the number of sentences you will modify slightly in order to make them sound more Spanish. This sounds very obvious, but I myself have found that it is more difficult than it seems. The best option is to try to get into a translation agency as a permanent for three or four years and then decide if you want to become a freelancer or if youd rather not take the risk. Before deciding to go freelance, I would recommend that you first build up quite a wide client portfolio. (It took me about 4 years of translating nights and weekends before I reached that point.)
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Most agencies will not send you regular jobs till youve been working with them for approximately a year, and also, at first you will have to lower your rates quite a bit. I would recommend starting with a word rate not less than 0.035 (although most South American translators work for 0.020.025at that rate, you would have to work too many hours for this job to be profitable). And I would not recommend that you become a freelancer till you can earn a gross income of at the very least 1500/month. In order to become a freelancer (which is just like any other autnomo in Spain), you will need to go to the Treasury Office and the Social Security Office. There you can get all the information you need to become a translator, what you must do, and everything you must pay for. For more information, see the following link: www.atic.cc/preguntes.htm Note item 11: Qu he de fer per treballar com a traductor autnom? There is a very useful .pdf dossier available here.
Arantza Elosua adds: If you want to become a professional translator, you generally need a specialisation, which you can gain by doing a specialised postgrad translation program or by having equivalent working experience (as full-time worker only). In order to become a member of any Chartered Institute (which I highly recommend), you need references from two mentors at least, and a Masters is always a good idea for linguists (if you are an engineer wanting to translate about engineering, you do not need it, as you make up with the specialised knowledge).
The Collegi Oficial de Llicenciats en Filosofia i Lletres i en Cincies posts a webpage that lists recommended fees for translating and proofreading. However, you should probably regard these rates as the ideal high end of what you can expect to charge, especially when you are just beginning. See www.cdl.cat/serveis/honoraris_professionals
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Working in the publishing industry

Carme Font & Alicia Carreras Carmes comments: If you love literature and writing, if you are an avid reader, are interested in culture and have a creative slant, publishing might be the right thing for you. As in other fields of endeavor, beginnings are never easy and it may take some time (from six months to two years) before you land in relatively safe haven. Also beware that working for publishers does not mean that you will translate or edit first-rate authors, that you will socialize with big shots in literature or that you will receive a substantial cheque for your first novel. It is a highly competitive career which requires a series of less glamorous activities: negotiating contracts and foreign rights, organizing budgets, drawing up marketing plans, scheduling marketing campaigns, working under very tight deadlines, laying out texts and negotiating your niche in bookshops. If you definitely want to have a hand in this area, the first thing to do after graduation is enrolling in a masters program related to publishing. Some of these program are very expensive (like the one in Pompeu Fabra University), and others are more modest in their approach. Paying more does not necessarily mean receiving a better training, so my advice would be to pick a course you can afford which at the same time offers a complete look inside the different trades in the publishing sector. After your masters, whether this entails practicums or not, send your CV and cover letter to as many small, medium and large publishing houses and literary agencies you can. Send it both to their Human Resources departments AND to specific publishers by name. You will need to call to remind them of your existence and your willingness to work with them. Your CV should highlight the following items: your degree in Philology, your Masters, your practicum hours or final master project, as well as the languages you write and speak. If you know the rudiments of electronic design and lay-out, for example, thats a bonus for you. Many publishers are eager to hire young graduates because they can pay them less than senior workers and because they can teach them the trade. Publishing is still a trade in the old sense of the word: you learn it while you are working. Usually, you are first hired as an junior editor. If you are much more interested in a particular aspect of the trade, you have the option of working FOR publishers, and becoming a freelancer. These are some of the most common trades. Translation. A word of caution here: translating books is a fascinating but difficult job, and it takes several years before you are given quality literature to translate. Good translators are nearly always good writers. So you have to demonstrate the following abilities as a translator: a) A command of the language/s you translate from. I recommend you be able to translate from two or three languages (no more): English, French or German (theres a shortage of good German translators) and any other language, preferably an exotic one (why not Russian, Chinese, Arabic or Portuguese?). You must connect in a creative way with the text and shape it into your mother tongue. b) A command of the language you translate into. ALWAYS translate into your mother tongue. MAKE SURE that your Spanish and Catalan are impeccable, that you dont make mistakes and that your discourse is rich in style and resources. c) An ability to adapt to your publishers needs. I always knew, from a very tender age, that I wanted to work with books and literature. I love writing, reading, translating, researching and teaching literature. This is my life and my passion, and this has allowed me to endure all sorts of obstacles and disappointments before I could forge myself a specific name in the Spanish publishing industry (sorry for the sermon). I say this because, before you come to translate English classical authors and writing prefaces, you will be asked to translate all kinds of
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fiction and non-fiction works from self-help books to cooking manuals, political biographies, books on fine arts, traveling guides and prenatal textbooks. You should be prepared for the best and for the worst. But remember that every project is a stepping-stone to demonstrate your ability as a writer and translator. Eventually, you will be entrusted with high-quality projects. d) An ability to meet deadlines. Publishers are obsessed with deadlines. Welcome to the real world! You have to meet deadlines, without excuses. e) An ability to manage your projects and your finances. As a freelancer, you have to keep track of your finances, taxes and clients. f) You are normally paid 8-10 euros per 2,100-spaces page. Reading. Reading for publishers (becoming a lector/a) means that a publisher gives you books and manuscripts to read. You are asked to write a report on each book/manuscript and be able to form a literary and a commercial opinion. Some books are good from a literary viewpoint, but are a poor commercial investment. This requires the following abilities: a) You need to enroll first in a Professional Reading course. Some of them are on-line. b) You need to read in several languages (English, French and German, preferably), apart from Catalan and Spanish, of course. c) You need to read fast and well (several books per week). d) You need to be acquainted with literary trends, home and abroad. e) You need to assess a book/manuscript taking into account both its literary and its commercial value.
Correction and proof-reading. Some freelancers specialize in correcting and proof-reading texts from publishers. Usually, manuscripts and texts go through a long and tedious correction process. Good style proofreaders, for example, are difficult to find. First you need to enroll in a proofreading course (some of these are online), and demonstrate your absolute command of the Spanish/Catalan language, apart from a fine eye for detail. There are other jobs for freelancers, like becoming a freelance publisher. If you need help and advice in order to begin your career in this sector, you can contact me at Carme.Font@uab.cat
Alicias comments: Yo trabajo en Difusin, una editorial de lenguas que, si has hecho el curso de ELE de la IH, ya conocers. No hacemos literatura (aunque me gustara muchsimo!), pero yo hice antes unas prcticas en Cabaret VOltaire, una editorial de lite mayoritariamente francesa, muy bonitos. El funcionamiento de estas dos es muy distinto entre si. En Cabaret Voltaire se hacan novelas y ensayos, y se trataba de una editorial pequea, independiente, por lo que slo haba un editor principal y otro que trabajaba en sus ratos libres. Por eso, se suelen todava servir de becarios para sacarles trabajo durante una temporada, como hice yo. El ritmo era bastante tranquilo, sacan unos 8 ttulos al ao, y ms que nada era controlar un poco el Indesign, y comunicarte con las editoriales francesas para negociar los derechos, etc., adems de un poco de prensa y comunicacin, contactar a crticos, enviarles nuestros libros, mirar en sus blogs, saber qu saca la competencia, etc. Fue muy bonito pero, claro, como becaria se me qued corto. Eso es todo lo que puedo decir de editoriales de literatura.
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En cuanto a las de lenguas, es otro mundo. Para m, ms entretenido y con ms posibilidades, aunque s que echo de menos no tener literatura. Y aqu, ya no son dos o tres editores, sino 30 o o 50 o 100, o ms, depende de la editorial. Ser editor de libros de texto significa coordinar un proyecto, digamos, de ingls o de ELE o de francs, para cierto nivel del marco, y ser responsable de todo el proceso, desde un inicio hasta su entrega en imprenta, es decir, contactar y gestionar diseo, maquetacin, autores, correctores, traductores a veces, documentalistas... haces un poco de todo. Planteas unidades didcticas con un hilo temtico, te renes con los autores y se discuten los contenidos, luego el editor recibe los manuscritos y los pasa a la maqueta, retoca, elimina o pide ms contenidos, escogiendo las fotos de bancos de imgenes, la tipografa, colores, buscando derechos de textos o citas en fuentes diversas, etc... en fin, tocas un poco de todo y todo el mundo pasa por ti, lo cual es muy divertido pero tambin muy estresante. Las fechas deadine suelen ser muy apretadas, todos solemos hacer horas extras de vez en cuando para acabar el proyecto, y todo recae sobre ti, en menor o mayor medida. Pese a todo, es un trabajo muy bonito, aunque, como siempre en este mundo, mal pagado. Si te quieres dedicar a la edicin, hay que tener eso en cuenta tambin. En relacin a los cursos, mira, yo hice el mster de Creaci literria de la UPF, que era ms de escribir, pero en el que haba dos asignaturas o tres de crtica, el oficio del libro y el mundo editorial, y te enseaban los signos de correccin, un poco todo el funcionamiento interno, etc, aunque sin profundizar. Eso s, como hice las prcticas voluntarias en la pequea editorial, entend un poco ms todo. Lo normal es hacer el mster de edicin directamente, el de la UPF-IDEC (pero es muy caro), o el de la UAB. Tambin es interesante el de libro digital de la UOC, de hecho me estoy planteando si hacerlo en algn momento, ya que la edicin tiende inevitablemente al proceso de digitalizacin de los libros (que nosotros ya hacemos en la editorial). Si te inicias en el mundo, creo que es una buena opcin, ya que ahora y cada vez ms, el perfil que se busca/r es el de alguien con capacidad crtica-humanista (un fillogo, traductor) pero con conocimientos tcnicos (pginas web, blogs, lenguaje html, xml, ebooks, etc.). Otra opcin es el de gestin de contenidos digitales, tambin muy buscado ahora, pero se aleja un poco de la edicin en si, que es lo ms atractivo, en mi opinin. Si no quieres pagar un mster, aunque creo que para dedicarte quiz es lo ms apropiado, hay cursos sueltos de correccin, de edicin, etc, en cibernarium de Barcelona activa (gratis, cortos, no muy especializados en el mbito), o en Editrain, que es la pgina del gremio, y suele ofrecer formacin continua a los que ya trabajan en edicin pero tambin a desempleados. Todava no he podido cursar ninguno, pero me gustara mucho. Si no, he escuchado hablar de Clamo & Cran, aunque ya son escuelas privadas, supongo que es caro, No s, chale un vistazo a todo a ver qu te parece. Ah, tambin, claro, es una muy buena opcin probar los centros cvicos de Barcelona, que suelen ofrecer cursos de Indesign, el programa de maquetacin que seguramente te piden en cualquier editorial.
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Business communication basics

If you find yourself in a business-related job, you might find the following pages useful.
1. Communicating data on the phone

The alphabet
Be especially careful to pronounce these letters right: A/E/I/Y J/G B/V K/Q H If you use proper names to clarify, make sure your listener will understand, e.g. dont say V for Valladolid unless the other person is familiar with the name Valladolid. The NATO spelling alphabet: Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, Golf, Hotel, India, Juliet, Kilo, Lima, Mike, November, Oscar, Papa, Quebec, Romeo, Sierra, Tango, Uniform, Victor, Whiskey, X-ray, Yankee, Zulu.
Punctuation marks
: colon ; semi-colon , comma - dash or hyphen . in text full-stop or period . in numbers point . in email addresses dot apostrophe open quotes close quotes (open parentheses )close parentheses CAPITAL LETTERS (or upper case)/small letters (or lower case) new line space _ underscore / slash or stroke
Numbers
1. The conventions for the use of commas and points are reversed relative to most European usage: two thousand dollars = $2,000.00 2. Numbers to the right of the decimal point are read individually, not as tens and hundreds: 42.39 = forty-two point three nine 3. In isolation, 0 is read as zero or nought or oh 4. Before decimal fractions, we do not necessarily say nought or zero: 0.67 = point six seven 5. We say and after hundred: Two hundred and ten thousand, four hundred and three. 6. We dont say three millions of dollars. We say three million dollars 7. In US usage, a billion means a thousand million, not a million million 8. Currency symbols are written before the quantity but read afterwards: 400 = four hundred euros 9. In amounts of money, we often dont say point. For example, 14.60 = fourteen euros and sixty cents or fourteen euros sixty or fourteen sixty Examples 1,432.69 one thousand four hundred and thirty two point six nine 3.5m three point five million Euros or three and a half million Euros
Phone numbers
1. We read them in groups of two, three or four, with pauses between 2. We dont read phone numbers as tens or hundreds. WRONG: twenty-four ninety-three sixty-six. RIGHT: two four nine---three six six. 3. Double numbers may be read as such, e.g. 44 double-four 4. If there is a country code, we usually describe it as such
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Example: 34-937-303031 Country code three-four for Spain [pause] then nine-three-seven [pause] three-oh-three [pause] oh-three-one
Dates
There is variation in the way they are written 1. 7 January 2006 2. January 7th, 2006 3. 7/1/06 4. 1/7/06 (US system) a. On the phone, this date can be read as January seventh two-thousand-six or seven January twothousand-six or the seventh of January two-thousand-six. b. In face-to-face conversation, we prefer January seventh two-thousand-six or the seventh of January two-thousand-six.
Times
16.30 (or 16:30 in the US) can be read as 1) four-thirty PM 2) half past four PM 3) sixteen-thirty (especially on the phone) 16.27 is read as 1) sixteen-twenty-seven 2) twenty-seven past four 16.45 can be read as 2) sixteen-forty-five 3) a quarter to five (PM) 4) fifteen to five
Email addresses or websites

1) 2) 3) 4) @ is at . is dot _ underscore or underline domain names may be read as acronyms, but make sure they will be understood. For example, if you read .es as dot es, an English speaker will write .s.
In all cases, its a good idea to confirm that the information has been correctly received 1) by repeating the dictation OK, so let me repeat that number/ that name/ that address/ the whole thing 2) by requesting that the other party confirm. OK, so could I ask you to read that back to me?
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2. Useful telephone phrases

Making a call
Hello. This is ____. Could you put me through to ____, please? Could I speak to ____, please? Id like to ____. Hows everything going? Do you know when hell/shell be back? When will I be able to reach him/her? Well ( good. Use it to hesitate.) Could I leave a message, please? Ready? Would you like me to spell/repeat that? Have you got that? Would you read that back to me, please? Thats right. Thats all. Thats OK/Never mind. Ill call back later. Great. Thank you. Bye. Hola. Soy ____ Me puede pasar a ____? Puedo hablar con ____? Me gustara ____. Como va todo? Sabe cuando volver? Cuando puedo encontrarle? Bueno Puedo dejar un recado? Preparado/a? Quiere que lo repita/deletree? Lo ha cogido? Me lo puede repetir?[para confirmar] Exacto. Nada ms Es igual. Ya llamar luego. Muy bien. Gracias. Adios.
Receiving a call
Hold on. /Just a minute, please. Ill put you through (to____). Speaking. Whos calling, please? What can I do for you?/ How can I help you? (Im afraid) hes/shes busy right now. Hes/shes not in at the moment/today. Shell/Hell be right back. Shall I have him/her call you back? Shell/Hell call you as soon as she/he gets back. Could I have your name again, please? Could you spell that, please? He/She should be back at __ oclock/ Would you like to leave a message? OK, go ahead. [to begin a dictation] Lets see. Sorry, I didnt catch that. Got that. Yes... I see...OK...Good...Fine...Rightetc. The thing is, Sorry. Could you speak a bit slower/louder, please? Ill make sure that ____ gets your message. Listen, Im really busy at the moment. Can I call you back in two minutes? Thanks for calling. Im afraid youve got a wrong number. Have a nice weekend! You too! Espere./ Un momento, por favor. Ahoro le paso (a ____). Yo mismosoy yo Quien llama? De parte de quien? Como puedo ayudarle? (Me parece que) est ocupado/a en estos momentos. No est en este momento /hoy. Vlover pronto. Quiere que le pida que le llame? Llamar tan pronto como vuelva. Me repite su nombre por favor? Me lo puedes deletrear por favor? Volver a las__ /dentro de__ minutos Quiere dejar un recado? S, diga. A ver... Perdon, no le he entendido. Vale, ya lo tengo. De acuerdo. Ya, ya, si, vale, de acuerdo, si... Es que Podra hablar un poco ms despacio/ fuerte? Ya me encargar de que ____ reciba su recado. Oiga, estoy ocupadsimo/a en este momento. Te puedo volver a llamar dentro de dos minutos? Gracias por llamar. Me parece que se ha equivocado de nmero, eh? Buen fin de semana. T tambin.
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3. Email basics
Based on Paul Emmersons Email English (Macmillan 2004) IMPORTANT Sp. un mail = Eng. an email If an English-speakers says, Ill mail it, they mean they will send it by paper post (correu normal). If they mean electronic mail, theyll say, Ill email /:/ it. English mail is noncountable. You have some mail. Mail is often referred to as snailmail (because it is slow relative to email). When you receive an attachment by email, it is always a good idea to immediately confirm receipt. We dont write Here you have the report or Here you are the report. We write Here is the report. (We use Here you are or Here you go when with speak, but note that we do not include the object.) We dont write I have attached you the report. We write I have attached the report.
Formal or neutral style Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms Sanders [you dont know the person] Dear Claudia [you know the person] Thank you for your email of 7 March Further to your last email, In reply to your last email I apologise for not having contacted you sooner. I am writing with regard to your delivery, I am writing in connection with We would like to point out that Im writing to let you know that Im writing to confirm that We are able to confirm that I am delighted to tell you that We regret to inform you that Please find attached the documentation you requested. Im sending you the report as an attachment. I have attached the report as a PDF file. Could you give me some information about? I would like to know Im interested in finding out Id be grateful if you could I wonder if you could Would it be possible for you to? Thank you in advance for your help in this matter. I will discuss the matter with I will investigate the matter and I will contact you again shortly. I will forward your email to Would you like me to? Let me know if you would like me to Thank you for your help. Many thanks indeed for [gerund or noun] Do not hesitate to contact us again if you require further information Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions/require further clarification. My direct phone line is I am looking forward to [gerund or noun] Give my regards to Best wishes Best regards Informal style Hi Claudia Hello Claudia Claudia Thanks for your email. Re your email Sorry I havent written sooner. Regarding your delivery, Please note that I just wanted to say that Just a quick note to confirm that Good news! Unfortunately, /Im afraid that. Ive attached the documentation you asked for. Here is the report. Can you tell me a bit more about? Id like to know Please send me Could you? Would you mind [gerund]? Many thanks in advance. Ill talk if over with Ill look into it and Ill get back to you ASAP. Ill let you know ASAP. Ill forward this to Shall I? Do you want me to? Many thanks for[gerund or noun] Let me know if you need anything else. Just call me if you have any questions. My number is Looking forward to [gerund or noun] Say hi to See you soon./Talk to you soon. Bye for now.
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Contributors to Alumni Reports 2013

or other parts of the LAG pack
2012 Manuel Arnedo Snchez Meritxell Baz Garca Laia Castan Abad Sofia Chtchepetova Yvette Corominas Plans Pau Donay Lpez Laura Dorado Martorell Ruth Gmez Layola Maliki Konteh Neus Luna Barrabs Estel Mandri Martnez Jordi Morera Herrero Nria Sabater Liesa Adriana Soto Corominas 2011 Maya vila Martnez Ariadna Boada Riera Jorgina Bolde Farelo Alba Carmona Giralt Antonella Cittanti Ostrowicz Cristina Cusid Bay Nria Fras Jimnez Daniel Hidalgo Brenes Vanesa Jurez Paris Javier Fernndez Snchez Josep Antoni Jimnez Velzquez Jeehye Kim Marc Lpez Martnez Aida Marin Mora Mara Mercedes Mrquez Hernndez Sara Martn Ruiz Maria Moreno Herrero Laura Moreno Gonzlez Silvia Moreno Silvestre Francisca Osorio Troncoso Ksenia Ouzioumova Silvia Plach Roca Mireia Pla Bosch Aida Ribot Bencomo Laura Romero Sastre Noelia Snchez Campos Glria Tost Gasc 2010 Alba lvarez Holgado Meritxell Balls Antonell Judit Besora Tondo Carmen Cavia Garrido Adri de Gracia Ortiz Paula Denari Carles Gell Bou Mireia Ilarri Gonzlez Paula Jimnez Martnez Christian Justicia Snchez Cristina Pardo Valls David Soler Ortnez Oleksiy Zarubin 2009 Zara Aguilar Torra Anabel Arcos Coca Snia Barroso Sez Anna Bernal Daz ngels Blad Castells Guillem Blasco Garriga Carles Brosel i Oliu Laura Buitrago Barroso Ana Isabella Byrne Bellorn Mireia Caadell Monton Ester Cervero Martn Esther Codina Potrony
Laura Crespillo Gonzlez Cristina Estanol Hugas Miguel ngel Fuentes Arjona Laura Izquierdo Torres Elisabet Juli Perea Marta Madrid Ribas Nria Marco Rodrguez ngela Masi Sola Noem Ortego Jdar Vernica Paez Fuentes Olga Parera Bosch Ariadna Puig Cabeza Alexandra Tejero Canal Alba Torres lvarez Annas Vzquez Vega Isabel Vila Casas Teresa Maria Xiqus Garca 2008 Cristina Abnades Lpez Alba Avellaneda Canals Jos Manuel Cabello Cotn Silvia Cerezo Jimnez Irene Cuenca Snchez Daniel de Rueda Garzn Carol Gmez Lpez Mariela Gonzlez Gmez Aaron Herrero Hidalga Cinta Llorente del guila Cristina Martn Parareda Carolina Padrosa Trias Marta Ros Monta Carlos Verge Ferr Anna Vidal Calbet 2007 Xavier Aldana Reyes Laia Arnaus Gil Kor Arques Burgos Carolina Balada Prez David Checa Gmez Mnica Cordero Peas Belinda Costa Olivares Cristina Delgado Garca Vanessa Fernndez del Viso Romn Rafa Gallego Garca Cristina Garca-Verdugo Gonzlez Merc Guix Casellas Marta Heredia Rodrguez Nria Hernndez Castillo Diana-Aurora Hernndez Garca Auba Llompart Pons Virginia Moreno Gonzlez Alfonso Olmedo Pablo Ortigosa Pastor Sanae Ortiz Nakamura Jordi Pags Espua Cristina Prez Padilla Iolanda Reig Mal Samuel Rsquez Aguado Slvia Surez Carrin Ana Tallon 2006 Laura Bujalance Planigum Natlia Casal Fernndez Noem Fernndez Snchez Sabrina Ferr Juli Rebeca Garca Jimeno Mara Rosa Garrido Sard Slvia Garriga Galobardes Montse Gmez Laredo Judit Gonzlez Lpez
Silvia Imbernn Ramrez Ral Jimnez Justo Juan Meneses Naranjo Nria Navidad Navidad Mnica San Jos Martn Laura Viader Roger 2005 Marta Carrillo Judit Espinosa Marsal Elaine Higa Zoraida Horrillo Godino Susana Prez Martnez Ana Beln Snchez Montero 2004 Maite Caicedo Valent Tanit Carr Cardona Arantza Elosua Francia Ibana Larrubia Rovira Miriam Rodrguez Lpez Maria Sabat Dalmau Mariona Salvador Jaum Juanjo Snchez Belmonte Meritxell Simn Martn Sandra Torres Mensat Carme Valls Anguera Maria Velzquez Gonzlez-Nicols 2003 Elisabeth Castillo Fbrega Eva Gonzlez Berruezo Mamen Hidalgo Villn Ivn Matellanes Fresnadillo Estel Planas Pascual Elisabet Pladevall Ballester Nria Tuda Carro 2002 Diana Gasol Nykvist Susan Hernndez Hernndez Josep Jutglar Company Masha Kubyshina Salvado Eduardo Martnez Timn Alba Miquel Laura Monerris Oliveras Esther Piqu Coll Vctor Rodrguez Casafont Mnica Salvador 2001 Cecilio Alarcn Ortiz Teresa Aul Llins Tnia Garriga Luzn Rosana Martnez Fernndez 2000 Miriam Urgells Coll 1999 Eva Fit Martnez scar Ros Joven 1997 Adela Mena Garca 1995 Carme Font Paz
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Alumni reports 2013

Many thanks to all contributors. This pack was compiled by Michael Kennedy-Scanlon. If you detect any errors or omissions, please accept my apologies and inform me of them immediately at Michael.Kennedy@uab.cat. 2012 Manuel Arnedo Snchez I began looking for a job last summer as a recent graduate. I wasnt very lucky, maybe because summer positions were already taken or rather due to the huge recession were currently experiencing. Therefore, I tried to survive by teaching individual private classes which I found both among acquaintances and on the internet. At first this may sound a bit awkward but I found it challenging as well as rewarding: I truly improved my teaching skills and what is more, I developed a powerful creativity (I created my own lesson plans). My client list was becoming so positive that I even thought about becoming self-employed officially. I learnt how to create a webpage and I created www.englinea.com, a site where I often upload my own lesson plans (so that I have them ready to use in classroom with a projector). From September to December I worked in an academy named Northon School, where I taught both children and adults. I had a great time and experience there, but I found a more appropriate position for me in Maristes la Immaculada, a school in Barcelona where I still am. Although its only 8 hours per week, Im combining this job with the individual private classes, with which I get by in these tough times. One of my main objectives after I finished my major was to get a Masters degree. During my last academic year in the U.S., I was lucky to study subjects from a field called Literature and the Mind, and I would love to expand my knowledge on that but I havent found anything related to it here. However there is a Masters program offered by the UPF, Creacin Literaria, which I want to do when I get the chance (that is, the money). Meanwhile, I am taking some free University courses online from www.coursera.org. Meritxell Baz Garca I have not had many changes from my former life as a student. I continue working in a language school as an English and Japanese teacher. But there is not much work in a language school and I really think we should start considering going to another country. I would also really like to do a masters in literature, but I still have to save some money for that. It is true, though, that I have published a book (that is, I had to pay to have it published) thanks to the encouragement of David Owen, and I have participated in some literary competitions. For the moment I am the only one selling my book because I still have to pay the ISBN and the Depsito legal which I hope to pay by the end of July and I will try to start selling in my town and see how it works. In the meanwhile, I have been selling it through my Facebook so if anyone is interested I can send it through the mail or in person if they are from Barcelona. I am very happy because all the people who have read it really liked it so I can consider myself a lucky person. Three chapters are available in my blog at alotroladomb.blogspot.com and the webpage is on facebook: www.facebook.com/meritxellbaz. I try to offer contests on a regular basis the prize for which is a free book. So feel free to participate! Laia Castan Abad When I started studying English Philology I knew for certain two things only: I wanted to go on an Erasmus year and I didnt want to be an English teacher. Now, five years later, Im working as an English teacher and did not go abroad on an Erasmus year for financial reasons. When I graduated last year I suddenly felt very lost: I had a well-paid weekend job, but after four years I was fed up with it. Instead of waiting to be sure of what I really wanted and thinking things through, I decided to try my luck and go to England to work as an au pair, so I looked for a host family in the website www.aupairworld.net. Many people are very lucky with their experience on this website, but that was not my case as I was made to work more than agreed and not much with the kids. So after a very short time there I came back home. I felt like a failure, I was jobless and I had the feeling Id be a ni-ni even if I already had a degree. Then I sent my CV to a few places and less than a week later I had two job offers as a part-time English teacher. Not the job of my dreams, for sure, but over the last months Ive gained perspective about my life and Ive been able to enjoy lots of free time. During this time Ive also been studying Norwegian, as I found I needed some sort of intellectual challenge after so many years in the educational system. Now I intend to study the UABs MA in Advanced English Studies (Literature & Cultural Studies) which probably wont help me much to find a job right now, but I know it is what I really want to do. Sofia Chtchepetova When I graduated I decided to live in Canada for a while. It all started when I came to Toronto on exchange in the last year of university. The exchange experience was great, I loved the people and the city. So I said why not try working here for a year? I applied for a Work on Holiday Visa which I got in two months and then I started the job hunting. I applied for all kinds of jobs, even the ones I did not believe I would ever get. I had many interviews in one month and I finally got the job I currently have. I am a Bilingual Emergency Assistance Specialist at Zurich (a travel insurance company). Did I ever imagine myself working in an insurance company after graduating in English Studies? Of course not! I basically got the job because I speak several languages and I have some experience in customer service. I did not need any insurance experience since they give you intensive training about the basics of travel insurance. I like the position because it is challenging at times and there is always something new to learn but most importantly the pay is quite good. Since going back to Spain right now is not the best option, I applied for the Young Professional Visa for next year and for now I am staying in Canada. Toronto is one of the most multicultural cities in the world with about 50% of the population being foreign-born and it is also one of the
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worlds safest big cities to live in. My plan is to go back to school in a couple of years but for now I just want to get some work experience and save up some money. Yvette Corominas Plans Some months before graduating, I started planning my next move. I wanted to go abroad since I thought my Erasmus did not provide me with a real idea of what living abroad meant, and also I wanted to challenge myself. I loved my Erasmus in London, but I was willing to push my limits further. Europe was out of question since it felt like home, so I decided to go to China. It all started when I decided to start studying Chinese. I thought it would be a good idea to spend a month in China doing a language course, but soon I realized it was not what I needed. I contacted an agency called Travel Work. They help you find internships around the world, but it is quite pricy, to be honest. I had to pay about 1,400 euro to get an interview with a school in China. I was successful and got a five-month internship in Shanghai Experimental School CIE. And eventually, this internship became a two-year contract to teach English, Spanish and help in the students affairs officewhich basically means making timetables, scheduling exams and some other very basic stuff. Although Travel Work gave me this huge opportunity to make a living in Shanghai, I would not recommend this agency to anyone. During the five months I was an intern, I got interviewed by the police several times and they refused to extend my visa. To cut a long story short, Travel Work told me I should get an Fvisa to go to China. A couple of weeks after I got there, I realized that it was not a legal visa if you were getting paid. Although there were no documents showing it, I did receive a salary from school and that attracted the attention of the police. The Travel Work agency in Shanghai told me I should lie to the Police and under no circumstances should I let them know about the agency. I decided not to contact the agency any more and get a legal contract directly with the school. Pau Donay Lpez I graduated after many years of struggling with my degree and just a couple of months before finishing it, I already got a job teaching in a language school in Castellbisbal. It is far away from home but, fortunately, I bought a small motorbike which makes transport cheaper. My bosses are quite good, every single euro I earn pays contributions to social security in 12 payments and, what is best, even in August and December I receive all of my salary. This is the current situation you will find when working in language schools, working in the afternoons with a low salary and earning part of it under the counter so the bosses make sure you are going to teach even if you get ill. Nevertheless, I am trying to apply for work as a translator. The handicap is that I have no experience. So I have decided to get training in translation. There are many masters degree programs in translation but if you dont have the time or the money, there is a company called Clamo & Cran that offers many courses on translation and editing even online and, more importantly, practicums. Prices are reasonable. If there is advice I can give you for college and everyday life is stay hungry. Stay Hungry for your dreams, for job opportunities, for getting what you deserve. Times are difficult but you should not sell your
soul to the devil. I have seen friends or even my partner with university degrees and working for free for some unscrupolous business owners who are taking advantage of other peoples situation. Remember, you and I have been studying for many years and we have made many sacrifices to get our degrees. No and I had enough are powerful words which can lead you being fired but the world is too big to not find anything else better. Laura Dorado Martorell After I graduated, I returned to Palma, my birthplace. I wasnt sure what to do next, and so I decided to take sort of a gap year to think about what I really wanted to do. I wanted to take up a new foreign language, and I decided to start learning German since its quite popular and useful here in Mallorca. I took several intensive courses on a monthly basis, from October to April, and in May I took the official examination offered by the Goethe Institut for the B1 level. At the same time, the language school for which I work during the summer as a group leader at summer camps abroad offered me a group to teach but it was far from home, they didnt pay for gas, and I was only going to earn 9/h. Thats when I decided to start something on my own: I talked to a couple of friends, former teachers and relatives, who recommended me as a private English teacher and it went really well. I had on average two kids a day, in the afternoons, who came to my house and since I am a college graduate I was able to charge 15/h. This money gave me the opportunity both to save and to spend on my leisure, and not to ask my parents for more. During this time, a concertada school called me for an interview to fill a substitute position, but when I was doing the interview they realized I didnt have the CAP/MPF and so they did without me (even though it wasnt on my CV, they had called me anyway). And so after a year doing all these little things, I decided that it was best for me to take the CAP/MPF, get it over with and then decide what to do next year. So Ive applied to do it at the Universitat de les Illes Balears and Im waiting to see whether Ive been accepted. The next step will probably be to do a MA abroad, though Im not sure yet what or where, but I still have this year to figure that out. Ruth Gmez Layola In the autumn before I graduated I applied to be a Teaching Assistant at the University of Maryland Baltimore County in order to be funded for their Masters in Intercultural Communication program (thats right, I dont have to pay any tuition costs). So here I am, doing the masters while teaching Spanish to a class of 30 undergraduates. The program I'm in is really good but they expect so much from me! That's a bit scary. Graduate programs seem very serious here. I need at least a B in each course, which scares me a bit. I'm taking my first course in intercultural communication and it is interesting to see how the things that we read and discuss in class are what we are experiencing every day! I'm taking a teaching foreign languages' course as it is compulsory for TAs and I am learning a lot. I also decided to follow the ESOL track and after taking 4 courses in that I'll be able to have the certificate. The course I'm doing from that program is also very helpful for my Spanish classes. I must confess that the first months in the US were very tough. I experienced a very big culture shock, not
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least because you need a car for everything. And I think I am on my way to becoming a workaholic! Maliki Konteh As an English Philology graduate in 2012, you can predict my likely career in recession-struck Spain: either underpaid English teaching at some language school or unemployment. I felt I was about to bang my head on a brick wall if I stayed. I was either out for a silent killer, by not going any further in my professional/academic career while getting underpaid or sudden death on the 6.3 million breadline. I did my final year at the University of Birmingham and was free to stay longer as I had no need to take any modules at the UAB. Hence, I stayed over the summer and worked at the London 2012 Olympics and applied for an MA at the same university where I had done my Erasmus. Unfortunately, I couldnt do it in the end as I had no cash for the fees, so I had to defer my offer for the following year. Now, I was left with 5000 to raise before September 2013 on a minimum wage job; it never happened. Finally, I had to bail myself out with a last minute plan: teaching Spanish in the UKs mainstream schools. For that you need the CAP from here or you take a state-funded PGCE (Post Graduate Certificate in Education) there. Theres loads of routes into that but the best one I reckon is school direct, you get school experience from the word go, and you also get your PGCE certificate, allowing you to teach worldwide, including in mainstream Spanish schools when the recession wanes. Most importantly, you get paid from the day you start training (up to 2000 x month) and employment prospects are very good considering that you are a native Spanish teacher. Especially for those doing it through school direct, since they just keep you and employ you after your training. For more information about getting the PGCE, see www.education.gov.uk/get-into-teaching/subjects-agegroups/teach-mfl/teach-spanish.aspx Neus Luna Barrabs While I was finishing my degree, I heard about the Auxiliares de Conversacin grant. I did not have much of an idea of what I wanted to do once I finished my degree and I thought that a year abroad would help me decide what to do in the future and whether I enjoyed teaching or not, and so I applied for the grant. When I graduated in summer 2012, I was told that I was the first on the stand-by list to go to Australia, and so I would have to wait and see if one of the people that had been given the grant would reject it. While I was waiting I worked as an English teacher in a language school in my hometown and kept thinking about all the options I had if I didnt get the job in Australia. I have always been very passionate about phonetics and, even though I knew that that was a difficult path to follow, doing an MA in phonetics was one of the options I had in mind. In the autumn they called me saying that a person had rejected the grant and so I would be going to Australia on January. I spent most of autumn doing paperwork. Before leaving to Australia,Juli Cebrian offered me the opportunity to work with him from home. It was an amazing opportunity and I learnt a lot. I have been here in Melbourne, Australia for 5 months and I am really enjoying my experience here. I am learning lots of things about teaching,yet working in a
primary school confirmed my previous thoughts that I do not like teaching that much and that I would love to study more about phonetics. I am now looking for MAs in phonetics that I could do and I spend my spare time in the library reading about the topic so once I get back home I will be prepared to study again. Estel Mandri Martnez As soon as I graduated I applied for an MA program in Public Relations at the London College of Communications University of the Arts. I really recommend this course for those of you who would like to start a career in business. I chose the communications path since having good foreign language skills is crucial. We live in a globalised world in which being able to communicate in several languages gives you huge advantage for business. I speak French and Italian and I am going to start with Chinese as soon as I finish my thesis! This MA is a full-time one year course. It is a bit expensive (7,500 pounds) but London is THE place to study PR, since they treat PR as business communications and not as part of Advertising and Marketing. Moreover, even if it is a full-time course dont panic! You will be able to work at the same time since you only have lectures 3 days a week. Living in London is very expensive but I managed to find a job here (not the job of my dreams but a job that paid the bills). It did take forever to find one, though. Most companys selection processes last up to two months! So I decided to apply for a job in Zara, where the policy is to employ at least 70% Spaniards. It was a bit frustrating to be working in a retail job with a degree, but then I said to myself: Come on, you just need to pay your bills and a better job will come once you have your masters! And it wasnt that bad in the end, because I met a lot of amazing people from all over the globe and I was even promoted. Jordi Morera Herrero I was a latecomer to university, beginning my degree when I was 33. It was a bit of a leap in the dark, motivated primarily by the opportunity to finally pursue those matters that had always interested me the most, and I must admit that I enjoyed (almost) every second of it. I finished my degree last year, and immediately afterwards I enrolled in the official masters degree in Advanced English Studies: Literature and Culture, offered by the department. My personal circumstances made it quite demanding time-wise, but since doing something you enjoy is never a chore, and sleep is overrated anyways, I made it through and now Im writing my M.A. dissertation. Simultaneously Ive been taking my first tentative steps towards the kind of jobs that attract me the most, with the hope of being able to someday switch my career, abandon my old, badly paid and extremely boring day job and make a better living for my family and me. To that effect, I have written literary reviews for a digital magazine, exploring the opportunities offered by the publishing industry, and right now Im negotiating the working conditions for a job as a translator in a small publishing house. From next year onwards, I also intend to advance farther along the academic road by pursuing a PhD in English Literature at the UAB.
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Adriana Soto Corominas When I finished college I felt the pressure of not knowing what to do, but this only lasted for a short while. I knew I was not exactly fond of teaching, so getting into that was not my priority. On the other hand, I was very interested in linguistics, in which I specialized during the last years of degree. In my last year of philology, one of my professors, who is part of this group, told me they were looking for somebody for that position temporarily. I immediately told her I was interested and after being interviewed, I was hired (temporarily). It was a great experience. In October, Grial, which is an inter-university research group, hired me as a linguist and this soon became an invaluable experience from which I have been learning a lot. I combined this job with teaching English part-time, like most of us do. In addition, I have occasionally helped some linguists out as their research assistant. Some of the tasks I have had to carry out are data recording, transcription or analysis. This has not always been financially compensated, of course, but it has been extremely enriching and rewarding in many other ways. I have gained a lot of experience in this field, I have also known many interesting people and I have found out what it is what I really want to do: linguistics, namely. At the beginning of 2013 I was awarded a scholarship by the University of Western Ontario, in Canada, to pursue a Masters Degree in Hispanic Linguistics. This MA focuses on many aspects of linguistics in Spanish. The reason why I will be working on Spanish and not English is quite straightforward: in America, a scholarship for Hispanic Linguistics is significantly less competitive than one for Linguistics. Because of this MA, I will be moving to Canada this July for two years, hopefully. 2011 Maya vila I started teaching in English academies a year before finishing my studies. The truth is that I never dreamed of becoming a teacher, but I cant really complain. Currently I work for two English academies, Fiac in Sabadell and Marys Language School in Cerdanyola. Most of my students (I teach all levels) are amazing, the money is not bad ( I earn about 1300/month) and I have mornings free to do whatever I want. Also, I occasionally do some translations for my boyfriends company. However, as I said before, Im not planning on teaching all my life, and thats why I keep studying languages. Last Saturday I did the exam to obtain the Nivell C of Catalan and I am also studying French. Im learning quite fast, and I hope Ill be able to get level C soon. Im aware that Im very lucky to have two jobs while many people cant find one. My advice for the newly graduated is to look for opportunities abroad. If I werent tied by affective (my boyfriend) and economic (my mortgage) bonds here, I would do it. Believe me, I arrived here alone from Mexico with $1000 in my pocket, and now (economic crisis and all) I can say that I am happy. But I still want more, and thats why Ill keep studying and sending out CVs. My working situation this year is pretty much the same as the previous year. Recently I applied for a job at the UAB English Department but, sadly, I was rejected (I presume it was due to my lack of post-graduate studies).
That dismisssal has encouraged me to carry on with my education and my plan is to start an MA program this coming school year. Since I havent really been able to find a course that suits my working hours (and since I cant afford to stop working) my plan is to look for an online MA, in a good university; preferably a French one, since I want to improve my knowledge of that language. What Ive learned this year is: always take something positive from the recruiting processes, even if youre not taken. When possible, try and ask the recruiter what the weak points of your application were, so you can do it better next time! Ariadna Boada Riera My life after graduation and after an Erasmus year in Berlin hasnt been as bad as I thought it would be. After graduating in 2011, I got a grant to work as a Spanish assistant (Auxiliares de Conversacin) overseas. I worked about 20 hours a week in Washington International School in Washington DC. It was an amazing experience, which I totally recommend to all of you who love teaching and kids. It was a great opportunity to learn new methodologies and get teaching experience in a different education system. I had different duties and responsibilities at school, such as presenting relevant aspects, celebrations and traditions of the Spanish and Catalan culture, telling tales to kindergarten kids, helping the teachers and the Spanish coordinator, going to the fieldtrips as a chaperone, etc. I was also able to work with the different grades at school (from Kindergarten to 5th grade), which was really interesting since I could learn from all the teachers and get new and different teaching ideas. The atmosphere at school was lively and the school community was really kind and nice to me. As for the accommodation, I stayed with a host family from the school. They were lovely and helped me feel like home from the very first day! I also had the opportunity to travel a lot around the USA, which made my experience more enjoyable! I just have thankful words for what future brought me that year. In summer 2012 I came back to reality and after giving it some thought, I decided to study the Masters degree Formaci del Professorat de Secundria Obligatria i Batxillerat, Formaci Professional i Ensenyament dIdiomes at the UB. I have to say that I am happy with my decision now that the academic year is over but I am not really satisfied with the organisation of the masters. We had too many problems throughout the course, which made my classmates and me lose the positive attitude and energy we had at the beginning. If I could go back in time, I would probably do it online since sometimes I had the feeling that I was wasting my time (lack of organisation, lack of purpose in some courses, etc.)! And this feeling is not just personal, as it was shared by almost all the students in my class. And now here I am, sending my curriculum vitae to schools, hotels, companies, etc., and hoping to get a job somewhere soon. Jorgina Bolde Farelo I have been living in Copenhagen for three years now, and I feel much better than when I first moved in 2010. With studies and stable job, I have gained a routine and structure in my life, which makes me feel better yet not perfect in Copenhagen. In February 2012, I got accepted to study a Master in English studies at Copenhagen University (Faculty of
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Humanities in Amager)., which differs greatly from what I was used to at UAB. At UAB, we are very used to many classes per week where the teacher gives lectures with limited interaction and class discussion. However, in Denmark there is another culture. Here, students are included as a resource in the classes and they participate actively with questions and comments to the teacher (It looks like students are the ones who teach the lesson). The teacher likewise asks many questions in class and expects the students to raise their hands and discuss internally in groups. However, in Denmark there are significantly fewer classes and I have experienced only having 2 courses per semester (each course equivalent to 2 hours per week/15ECTS). Students are on the other hand expected to study and read a lot although not all materials are reviewed. I would like to add that there is a wide range of courses offered by the University (from British, American to Australian studies). I am currently reading and studying for my Master thesis, which takes around 6 months, meaning that I will graduate in February 2014. At the same time, I am working in a company (I have a student job/studentermedhjaelper), in which I can decide more or less when and how many hours I want to work. Acquiring a decent job in Denmark is very hard as many companies or job placements require a relatively good command of Danish. Through the free Danish lessons offered by the Danish government to foreigners, who have a social security number, I have reached a level of Danish that enables me to work in Danish and live well. Apart from that, the University offers an annual grant, which I have been lucky to receive the three years. What happens after graduating, I do not know, but my time in Denmark has shown that with a lot of hard work, persistence and a bit of luck you can manage to create a good life. However, you definitely have to be patient with everything as the good things do not come to you overnight. Alba Carmona Giralt When I graduated from college, I realized that I needed to travel and see the world. My Erasmus stay in London was only the beginning. So I worked for four months as an English teacher in Girona, and then I packed my bags and moved to Australia. Everything was perfect, but it was a risky decision, since I only had a tourist visa and the chances of getting a decent job were very remote. I worked as an Aupair in Sydney for 8 months, and every 3 months I had to leave the country. So this, as bad as it sounds, was a chance for me to travel to countries such as Thailand and New Zealand. While in Australia, apart from surfing, I applied for the MSc in International Business that the School of Management of Barcelona (BSM) offers. Although this master costs about 15,000 euros, it is like an investment, since it may open a lot of doors to the future. In September 2012 I started studying business. It was a big change for me and I had to work really hard for the whole school year, but it was really rewarding. I learned a lot and I am currently (August 2013) doing a trainee program/internship with a company called LAKME. It is a manufacturer of hair care products that operates in over 80 different countries. I am working in the export department, as an Assistant for the European market. This internship will last for 6 months and it is
divided in 3 different projects. The one I am doing now is focused on the Baltic Countries. I need to develop a market research and find the best way to open a new market in Estonia and increase our sales in Lithuania. This gives me the chance to travel to these countries in September. This is a little bit what I am doing now, and I would like to encourage you to keep working hard and never stop learning. I know we are in a big recession, but people who complain and are full of negativity will never achieve their goals. Things will not come to you. You have to make things happen. Antonella Cittanti Ostrowicz I always thought that having a degree was important, but the truth is that when I finally got mine I felt lost, disillusioned and like just one more in a million. The feeling already started during the last year of my degree while I worked as an extracurricular teacher. None of my previous working experiences had upset me as much as those months did. For this reason, when I graduated I decided I did not want to work as a teacher (at least for the next few years). My job hunt was quite discouraging at first and made me feel worthless, but I got lucky when I applied for a job in the private health area. As I had to pay my tuition fees by myself, I worked at Sanitat Respon, which belongs partly to the state. So I had the experience and the knowledge of many languages. I was hired and have been working already for ten months. Right now I am not considering registering for any courses. I am enjoying my family, my life and the long list of books I have compiled during my years of degree. It gets better once you start discovering your priorities and not going crazy while you try to figure out what you want to do with your life. So dont feel depressed, search for things that might interest you and explore! Cristina Cusid Bayo I graduated when I finished my Erasmus year in Vienna and did not really know what to do next. It was clear for me that I did not want to go back to Barcelona. I had a thirst for adventure and just wanted to continue (in a clearly different way) the life I had started in Vienna. However, I had no money after my Erasmus and unfortunately my family could not support me to continue my adventure, so I had to go back home. Back in Barcelona it took me a couple of months to set a couple of goals. The first one was to get money so that I could go abroad again and the second was how and where to continue my studies, as it was clear for me that I wanted to continue studying. I found jobs very easily, so I didnt really feel the recession, fortunately. All the time I was in Barcelona I had a job and it was I who quit it to go abroad, in February. I decided to study my M.A. in Saarland, Germany. This is the smallest region of Germany but has lots to offer, especially to students. We are on the border with France and Luxembourg so its kind of multicultural and one can easily get to these other two countries for work or pleasure. I decided to go there for personal reasons and also because when I was in Vienna I was engaged in a project with the University of Saarland and Bradley University from the US. During the project I met some professors from Saarland and others from Vienna lecturing in Saarland and they encouraged me to go there to do my masters. The professors encouragement and
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my growing interest in Cultural and Transcultural Studies helped me decide about my academic future. The masters is called English, American and Anglophone Studies and you can choose your point of interest, For example Im taking courses only from American lit and culture and transcultural courses. I hope I can start Spanish next October. From the second subject you only take 27 ETCS, which is 4-5 courses, so not that much. And this is usually in German whereas in the English Department everythings in English. However, in order to be accepted to German Universities you must have some kind of certificate to prove your German language competency. I had level C1, a certificate I gained at the University of Vienna. I think they ask for at least level B2. Doing a masters in Germany is quite different from doing it in Spain. In the first place, its nearly free. I paid only 153 for the whole semester and with this money I got my transport ticket for the whole region. When it comes to academic issues, here you need much more initiative and do more independent work than in Spain and there are a wider variety of courses. Professors have more freedom and usually courses are not repeated term after term, so there are new courses with new insights every semester. When it comes to the working opportunities at University level, after what Ive seen so far, there are many more possibilities, if one networks properly. Its not such a closed system as in Spain and of course they offer many more financial resources (in general, in Germany there are no unpaid internships, for instance). Fairly soon I started working as an English and Spanish teacher at a Volkhochschule, which is equivalent to an Escola Oficial dIdiomes. Its a well paid job and well recognized as well. Moreover, I teach some private lessons and with the money I get I can pay for my rent and my expenses (I work only 12 hours a week). In Germany having a university degree gives you many more opportunities than in Spain. When it comes to the living expenses, like everywhere in the world, if you live in an important city such as Munich or Cologne the prices go up but here in Saarbrcken, which would be comparable to Girona, in terms of the size and student atmosphere, flats are really cheap. In a shared flat, a room costs between 200 -300 or a small one room flat is 300 with costs, which is not much. Food is cheaper than in Spain, and the quality is not that bad. In fact, some time ago there were statistics published where it was stated that Germany was the European country where the shopping cart was the cheapest. This year I am still working as an English teacher and I was offered a place as a HiWi and tutor by a professor so I am part of her team doing research and teaching supporting classes for undergraduate and graduate students. Being a HiWi means that you are a research assistant for a professor and do research for his/her future courses (as here the courses change every semester), prepare trips for the students, help students to understand what was not clear in the Profs lectures and help them to write their seminar papers and prepare their oral presentations. This semester Ill be done with all my courses and next semester Ill be writing my M.A. thesis, for which I have already started my research.
Vanessa Dachs Parras First of all, I must say that you are lucky because your passion for languages has led you to choose the degree in English and being a philologist has opened many doors to me after finishing University. My first experience was working in the MMVV, the Mercat de la Msica Viva de Vic, as a language hostess at the airport, since the local government needed a person who had a good command of languages in order to receive music groups and their professionals from different countries. The interesting thing is that when doing this work you have the opportunity to meet people and make contacts. I say this work because I have worked at the airport for 11 years and I am still working for the festival. Then the same company hired me to work in a language summer camp but before that, I got the official certificate to be a childrens activity leader. After having some experience in this field, I decided to get the official certificate in summer camp management and when doing the course I met the person who would later become my boss. I taught English and other subjects in his language school for 3 years and that helped me build my selfconfidence. After that, I quit the job because I wanted to go to Australia to study and work for 3 months and when I came back from Down Under I ended up in another language school for 2 years. You will probably be wondering why only 2 years? Because I decided again to work and study abroad: this time it was Italys turn. I spent 3 and a half months in Rome; a beautiful city, by the way! Once I finished my experience in Italy I ended up in another language school where I taught for 3 years and I had the opportunity to translate texts. Everything was great until I realized that I wanted a change of scenery in my life and the Spanish Teacher Assistant grant from the Spanish Embassy was a very good option to go abroad again, and work in a public school. I returned from the USA a week ago and it was an awesome experience in all respects since I learned how the American education works and what their culture is like, and my English is even better! A couple of days ago I had an interview with a person I met in Australia and I am part of his wonderful new project called Vmonos Australia! I am very excited and I know it will not be easy, but the greater the effort, the greater the reward. In conclusion, as you can see the world takes many turns and you never know where you will end up. My advice is clear: just follow your dreams, believe in yourself and you will get good and surprising results! Laura de Francisco Torres By the time I finished my degree two years ago, I had worked in different places. During most of my degree I worked as an English teacher with young learners, teens and adults in British House, a language school in Rub (I worked there for four years). Then I worked in a school in Barcelona as an English teacher of extracurricular classes (basically primria) and Ive been working there during the current academic year. Last summer, I worked for Kids&us with very young learners (children aged 4-6) as an instructor in a summer school. This summer its going to be pretty much the same. During all these years, Ive tried to combine work and education. I really think its important to keep
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updated and active as much as possible, especially now that were still young, although I know this may be hard since the economic crisis doesnt help much. As a result, I took classes in German for two years and attended a language school to get the Proficiency Certificate. Therefore, it wasnt until this year that I decided to do an MA (the Mster en Assessorament Lingstic, Gesti del Multilingisme i Serveis Editorials, described in the Further Education secction of this pack). The truth is that I didnt know what to do at all so I preferred to wait until I had no doubts about what I wanted to study. Javier Fernndez Snchez My short postgraduate experience may help those who wish to have a place in the academic world. In the last year of my B.A. I applied for a La Caixa scholarship aimed at graduating students who intend to pursue postgraduate studies at European universities. I wanted to go to University College London (UCL) because they offered a highly specialised Masters in Research (which is similar to an M.A. but entry requirements are usually more demanding) in Syntactic Theory. The La Caixa scholarship is very prestigious and generous, which is why it is extremely competitive (but so is academia!). Getting the scholarship enabled me to study at UCL, an otherwise difficult option (you may know how expensive housing, transport or tuition fees are in London). The experience was well worth the effort, though! I read my M. Res Thesis in September 2012 and since December 2012 I hold a fully-funded, four-year PhD position at the Centre de Lingstica Terica here at the UAB. The paying institution is the Ministerio de Economa y Competitividad, and my scholarship is called FPI. The experience here is absolutely wonderful. I mean lets face it, PhD life is everything but easy and comfy: salaries are not very high (especially in the current economic context, where R&D is so ill treated, let alone R&D within the humanities and social sciences!) and the work load is inmense. However, I am being paid for doing research on what I like the most, I get to travel to present my own papers at conferences, I am allowed to stay as a visiting student at any university I want and I constantly meet new people with similar interests from around the world which, to me, really pays off. So in sum, if doing research is your thing and you like the academic world, explore the funding possibilities that governments and private institutions have to offer and enjoy! Nuria Fras Jimnez Last year I worked as a Spanish Language Assistant in Scotland. I have been told that they are not going to hire any LA in the area I was located next year, so I am afraid the number of assistants in general has also decreased. We were only 8 Spanish in Scotland, which is not really a big number and thats why we were a lot on the media during last year. Spanish assistants work both with the British Council and la Consejera de Educacin of the Spanish Consulate (located in Edinburgh). I was very happy with both institutions because we had the chance of doing extra activities with them that you can add to your CV later on (the ones with la Consejera count as training hours and are signed and stamped by the Spanish Consulate, so its quite official!). For example, the BC asked us to do a project with whichever class we wanted (mine was the filming of how to bake a Roscn de Reyes
for Christmas time). And from the Consejera we took part in an immersion day for higher-level pupils and a PowerPoint presentation on Spanish language and culture for A levels. The problem with Scotland (apart from the weather, of course!) is that you cannot choose a particular region. In my case, I lived and worked in Inverclyde, on the west coast of Scotland (close to Glasgow). Even though you cannot compare living there with living in either Glasgow or Edinburgh, people were very nice in our schools and you felt at home. The location was pretty good for visiting some Western islands. They also helped us with accommodation and banking. I guess that is the good thing about being in a small community. But again, your final destination is something you cannot really choose and it still counts as work (you definitely save more money in small communities than living in big cities). Considering that there are less assistants every year, you must feel lucky to have been selected! It could happen that you are asked to work in primary schools, but the syllabus there is more informal and you do not normally have a Spanish teacher with you. So in some ways you have more liberty to do what you want. I do not know the background of the future assistants but my degree was in both Spanish and English so I was interested in teaching Spanish as a foreign language. Even if your plan is to teach English, this is still a great way to gain teaching experience. As for extending your stay, the BC persuades the schools not to renew the LA contract because that means fewer people will be able to take your position. It is almost impossible to renew if you happen to work in a state school but I know about some people that have been able to stay in their public/boarding schools. Others have decided to take a post-graduate in Teaching at a Scottish university, as you cannot be a Teacher of Spanish if you dont hold the similar CAP from there. In Scotland it is still important to know other foreign languages, as those positions are usually for Spanish/French or German. Now Im doing a post-graduate program called Mster Erasmus Mundus en Aprendizaje y Enseanza del Espaol en Contextos Multilinges e Internacionales (described in the Further Education section of this pack). I am now in Barcelona because the classes of the second semester take place here but during the first semester I was studying in Bilbao. At the end of August Ill be leaving for Iceland as Ill do my teaching practice there. I wasnt expecting to continue studying after my year as a language assistant but it was difficult to find a proper job so I decided to take a post-grad instead. Josep Antoni Jimnez Velzquez I have been teaching English for nine years now. However, in the last few years, I have been forced to become a self-employed teacher. The days when one single school or academy could supply you with loads of well-paid teaching hours are gone. Or maybe they can offer you those hours but they are not interested in having to pay your social security and other taxes. Becoming a self-employed teacher solves the problem for them. The bad news: the monthly fee for self-employed professionals in Spain is outragingly highmore than 250, and this payment usually becomes troublesome during those months in which teaching drops to its lowest (July, August, and months including long holidays, such as Christmas or Easter).
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The good news: you may work for as many schools and academies as you want at a time, and you can complement your salary with private lessons. Also, language teaching is a VAT-exempt task, so you will not have to present the usual VAT statement every three months. Another advantage is that you can actually sign a contract with another company and thus become their employee, and remain a self-employed professional at the same time. Actually, I have been in the Generalitats llista de professors interins with the speciality of Spanish language and literature for five years now, but I have never been contacted to fill in a vacancy. I considered signing up with the speciality of English language and literature, but the alternative is not so appealing anymore. I have had the opportunity to teach students of all agesfrom four-year-olds to retired peopleranging from beginner to FCE level. Future candidates, make really sure teaching is really what you want to do. It can be a very rewarding dedication, but it definitely is an exhausting job. Do not jump into teaching just because you have a good command of English and people tell you that is something you could do: being good at English is not a reason to become a teacherjust a requirement. It will not turn you into a teacher overnight. Working hard every day will... maybe. Jeehye Kim After graduating, I moved to Madrid in order to work for LG Electronics in the TV Department as the assistant of the Product Manager. It is true that knowing languages, especially Korean, gave me a huge advantage when it came to being selected, but my command of English and a course that I took at Foment Formaci in Barcelona in Marketing Strategies were really positively considered by the interviewer. Some of my duties were: controlling the budget and the samples stores of the department, drafting daily, weekly and monthly reports and presentations for the Manager, taking care of my superiors personal duties, controlling purchase orders and deliveries from the TV factory in Poland, Korea and Europe, etc. I worked there for a year, and then I quit and was hired by Cheil Spain (a Samsung Agency) in the Events Department as the assistant to the Events Executive, and my task is supervising important events (like the Mobile World Congress) for Samsung Electronics. In sum, throughout my short labour experience I am aware of the fact that English is essential, and it is also important to know an unusual language (like Russian, Chinese, etc.) and doing courses no matter whether they are masters degrees or short courses. Marc Lpez Martnez Right before graduating, I was hired for a job in a shipping company. This would at first last for the summer. When it was over my contract was extended for two more months. Unfortunately the contract then expired and I had to walk the streets hunting for a job. I had never before found myself in a situation in which I had nothing to do but to build my own timetable with whatever job or courses I could find. For about six months I looked for work and took some UOC online courses. As the next summer arrived, I knew it was the moment for me to find a job. During the time I had spent sitting around without putting much effort into my
search, I did meet some big fish. Then I realized the world turns around faster than I thought. I started working in a summer school in Barcelona only for the sake of it. This, however, happened to be much more important than I could ever imagine. Being employed put me back in the working wheel. After spending a busy summer I accepted another crappy job in an English school. This would at least pay for the German course I had just signed up for. Four months later, two more offers came to me. These were more like to what I had been looking for. It was probably luck or the wheel effect. All that mattered was that I was properly employed. After this long professional trip, I have come to know working not only gives you some income at the end of the month, it also helps you broaden your mind and meet new people. Now, two years after graduation, I am about to start a Masters in Multimedia Design while I teach English in the afternoon. I still have a long way to go. Aida Marin Mora While studying at UAB I was working as an English teacher at a language school, which was great at that time because I could earn some money and I still had time to focus on my studies. However, once I finished the degree I started to panic because I had too much free time. I applied for several grants such as Auxiliar de conversacin, but I didnt get any of them, which was very disappointing too. I found some interesting courses for unemployed people at www.oficinadetreball.cat, and I decided to enroll in one on Human Resources. At that time I wasnt sure if I wanted to be an English teacher, so I thought it might be good for me to try something different which could enable me to work in different fields and where I could still use English. Just after some months I got a phone call from another language school and I started to work in the mornings teaching English in different companies. I had to quit the course, but it was worth it since I really enjoyed teaching business people. By the end of the course I felt kind of stuck in Barcelona so I decided to leave Spain. I came to Dublin last summer and started working as an au pair while doing the Mster de Profesores de Secundaria online (offered by the UNIR). Last February I started my internship at a school here in Dublin, and I left the family. Ive already been at the school for 4 months so far and now they have offered me a job working during their summer camp. Mara Mercedes Mrquez Hernndez I started my degree in Philology not wanting to be a teacher and I graduated in 2011 dreading the world of teaching. But inevitably as a novice in the labor world, I began to look for a job as a teacher. At first it was quite difficult because some language schools ask for experience, but I was lucky to find a part-time job at a language school in Cerdanyola. My experience was positive and encouraging. I started to discover that teaching was something that I actually enjoyed. Nonetheless, after a whole year struggling with commuting problems, I decided to look for another job in Barcelona, closer to my home. Surprisingly, it was not difficult to get job interviews. I was offered different part-time jobs in
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different schools, but I wanted a full-time job in teaching, which may sound utopian. I finally had an interview for a full-time job, but it was not a complete success. Apparently I was the youngest and most inexperienced teacher that had been interviewed so far, but three days later I was told that the job was mine. I have been teaching for one year already and my view of teaching has changed dramatically. I love teaching and I want to continue to do so for the coming years. Drawbacks? A lot of work in and outside the school, a lot of pressure to follow the teaching method and to meet the expectations of the directors of the school. A positive side? Learning, gaining experience. This is not about teaching English, it is about dealing with people, students, bosses, pressure, stress, yourself. The salary is not the best there can be, but for a beginner it is not so bad either. My advice? Even if you think teaching is not for you, do not be reluctant to try it, you may be wrong. Different jobs open different doors, and they allow you to check or cross out what you want or not want to do. I cannot consider studying or going abroad right now, so I will probably be teaching in the same school for a couple of years more. However, there is always room for new future experiences. Sara Martn Ruiz While finishing English Philology, I started another degree at the UAB: Teoria de la literatura i literatura comparada. It was not really what I was expectingtoo much theory and too little literature, in my opinion. However, I decided to spend one more year there and finish that second degree. After that, I decided to do a Masters in Textual and Cultural Studies offered by the University of Zaragoza. The Masters, like any other Masters right now, I think, was quite disappointing for me in the sense of not learning many new things. However, I had a few really good teachers who made up for the whole course. Right now Im working on my MA dissertation on postcolonial Irish literature, and after that I will start my PhD on postcolonial literatureI still have to decide the geographical area. The economic and job situation at the moment is quite awful, so I think the best I can do is to continue studying and preparing myself as much as I can for when it gets better. If instead of that the apocalypse comes, at least Ill be a satisfied zombie, having done what I thought was the best for me. Laura Moreno Gonzlez Right after I finished my degree I moved to London without a moments hesitation. At first I stayed at the London School of Economics halls near Farrington. They have cheap rooms available right before the students move in for their new year so if you plan to go to London and want to stay in a nice cheap room in the summer, have a look at their website After that, while looking at pages such as gumtree.com and spareroom.com, I found a room in a nice house in East London, I found a nice flat from a private landlord. Agencies are OK when you just move to the city (they can help you out with the area and have different flats and rooms available for you) but in the long term a private landlord will be easier (and cheaper!) for you. Since I moved, Ive worked in many different jobs but, funnily enough, I always ended up working on the phone, whether it was charity work or doing telephone
surveys. I found most of the jobs through www.reed.co.uk, www.jobsite.com or www.gumtree.co m. Once you have uploaded your CV on one of those websites, many other job agencies contact you offering jobs. So after three months changing from one company to another, one of those job agencies (www.alsit.com) contacted me and told me that they needed a native Spanish speaker. The interview process was quite easy. I first did one on the phone, just as a quick explanation of my CV, then I did two interviews in person and got the job. I started working as an Event Coordinator at Intercall in Croydon. This position means that I coordinate conferences on the phone for banks and other big companies such as RBS or Deutsche Bank. Ive been working there for a year and a half so far. I am now also responsible for the Event bookings from both the Croydon and Gloucester offices that the company has in the UK. Thanks to this position I have also been working with the Web Conferencing Department, which deals with the webcasts and video calls from our clients. Because of that and my interest for the new technologies I decided to start an online course on Web Design. I got a great offer thanks to a website called Groupon. Hopefully, this will open new doors to a future job position and the start of a new career. Maria Moreno Herrero While I was doing my degree the only thing I thought I knew for sure was that I did not want to teach. While at university literature was what I enjoyed the most and I wanted to work in something related to it. After I finished my degree a couple of years ago I did a Masters Degree in Publishing to steer my career in that direction but I think I had a romanticised view of the field and the degree was a bit of a let-down. Because it was almost impossible to find work in that field I found myself teaching. I started with some classes here and there and now I spend my whole day from place to place. I teach extra-curricular English at Maristes La Immaculada in Barcelona and then I work with ACTIVA, a company that works with schools throughout Spain. During the school year Im at Col.legi Shalom, where I teach curricular and extra-curricular English to Kindergarten and Primary children and now during the summer Im doing Urban Camps at Col.legi Jess Mara in Barcelona. Im enjoying this immensely and Im considering doing the Grado de Meastro en Educacin Primaria online through UNIR. Im finding that working with small children is very rewarding and there is never a dull moment with them! Im also working with adults; in the morning I teach in-company classes to businessman in a company in Barcelona and in the late afternoon after I finish from school I work at a language school where I teach a Beginners course for adults. My experience clearly shows that what you think you are going to be doing (or want to do) and what you end up doing are not always one and the same. I had clear ideas about my future and thought teaching was not for me and now (though I have not forgotten my passion for literature) Im really enjoying what I do and Im learning a lot every day. My teaching schedule also allows me to collaborate with the cultural magazine El Bombn Cuadrado, for which I translate some of its numbers into English and also write articles about literature.
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Silvia Moreno Silvestre After graduating, I moved to England and started job hunting here, but it didnt take long until I realised that it was also difficult to find a job here. I ended up searching for all sorts of jobs, without a focusa big mistake! Finally, I took some time to think about what I should concentrate on and after some research I realised that the best option was to take a teaching course here in England (the PGCE, similar to CAP in Spain but more practical), as you get a bursary which allows you to live here (you can also get a loan!). I did this at the University of Chester last year. You can also do the GTP, which is more school based and allows you to earn more money as you are basically working in schools (with help from teachers) There are quite a few Modern Foreign Language teaching jobs here, due to a new government policy that has introduced the EBAC (languages until 16), which hadnt been in place until a couple of years ago. Spanish is also being preferred by students to French and German now so there is a bit of a shortage of new Spanish teachers, as the traditional career path as an MFL teacher here was to teach French and some German. I was lucky and found a job during my training. Most of the people I trained with have eventually found jobs as well, even if they are temporary, such as covering for maternity leaves, at least they are gaining experience in the field. I think when looking for a job it is important to keep a positive outlook (however hard it is!). I found it is also important to think openly of what your options are (whether in Spain or abroad). I never thought when I started studying at university that Id end up being a teacher. When I was in secondary school I always said to my mother I dont want to be a teacher! Now I am a secondary school teacher and although it was stressful at first (I was sent to some rough schools and I am not exactly an authoritative person), I have now found the right school for me and I am enjoying being a teacher. So I think its important not to close yourself and say I will only do this job as you never really know if youll enjoy something until you give it a go. Mara Francisca Osorio Troncoso After graduating in June 2011, I worked as a Course Leader in Oxford for the company EF. I spent a month organizing and leading activities for teenage students. After that, I worked for a month at RACC as a telemarketing phone operator. In August that year, I decided to go back to Chile after spending the last six years in Europe. I started teaching Business English in different companies. I also worked as a Tour Guide in Santiago and in the Fifth V Region. Those were seasonal jobs, so after a while, I found a steady job as Press Assistant at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office. While I was working there, I started learning Chinese at the Confucius Institute. I got a scholarship from the Institute, so Im going to learn Chinese fo r a month at the Nanjing University in August 2013. In September 2012 I moved to New Zealand with a working holiday visa. It wasnt that easy to get a job, basically because I didnt want to do fruitpicking or cleaning (typical jobs for working holiday visa holders). In the end, I found a job as Quality Control at Heinz Watties. I worked there for seven months. However, Im moving again in ten days, this time to Australia. Im going with a working holiday visa as well,
so Im very excited, and hoping to have a great experience there. Ksenia Ouziomova I was still working in a small private language school, when I graduated. I worked only 3-4 hours a day, so my salary wasnt high. When I finished university I thought that I needed to find a more serious job with a higher salary. I started to look and in December I was called for two interviews. The former was to be a Team Assistant at real estate agency Engel & Vlkers, and the latter one was with Mango for the position of RussianSpanish-English translator for Development Department. It was quite attractive, so no wonder I was very happy. After having had three interviews (with HHRR and managers of Mango) and done several tests on translation, they told me I was the perfect candidate and that the job was mine for sure. However, later I received a call and I was told that the senior manager preferred to take an intern, so she can be paid less, of course. So I took the former job. Team Assistant was not a bad job, but you had to do all kinds of things: administrative duties, translation, etc., and the salary was very low. I also didnt like the timetable, because it was from 10 to 7 and it took me almost 2 hours to get there, so I spent the whole day either on transport or working. However, I think it was being constantly told what to do is that I hated most. I realized that I couldnt be someones secretary with my character and knowledge. For me its almost painful to answer Im a secretary, when somebody asks me what I am, so I always add, but Im also a Russian and English teacher. So I wouldnt be lying if I said that I almost lost the meaning of life. However, bad situations make you move and think, so I realized that if my life from now on was going to be mostly working, then I needed to get a job that I was going to love. Therefore, I decided to find a new job, where I would have either more time or more money. More and more Im hearing from here and there that theres nothing to do in Spain anymore and it is a great experience to go abroad to live and work. Well, I already had that experience: my mother and I left everything in Russia and started a new life in Spain. It was as hard as hell for a 15-year-old teenager, but I worked hard and achieved a lot, so I dont want to move anymore and start everything from the beginning. I have a boyfriend and we bought a flat, and someday I want to get married and have children, so I dont want to go and live somewhere far away. So I spent a year trying to get a job with Mango, starting by applying for translating positions. I was then offered all kinds of positions in different departments. After the failure of my first try, the HR woman liked me and called me every time a vacancy appeared. I went to around 10 or 12 interviews, with a particular test in each one: languages, maths, logic, response and aptitude tests, etc., but each time there was something that did not fit in the profile they were searching for. The worst thing was lying and inventing excuses for my ex boss, each time I needed to go to an interview. Im proud of having been so persistent and I have learnt a lot from each interview. At first, I got upset, but finally I treated going to interviews as a new hobby. I only knew that I was not going to stay with the real estate agency for longer than a year. And, indeed, after a year, I had that final call, offering me my current position.
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So now Im working in Mango Customer Service, in the Head Office, located in Palau Solit i Plegamans. We do not answer clients calls (we have a call center for that), but mainly work with stores from all around the world and also deal with the most difficult customers issues. Working in Mango is not my utmost goal in life, but it is a good job for recession time and for my CV. I have some personal projects in mind, so Im going to study Psychology at the UOC and I really hope that someday Im going to live a life, built and shaped as I want and stop working for others. Silvia Plach Roca I finished my degree at the VU in Amsterdam. Since I always wanted to spent some time in the UK, and now I had a very exciting excuse (bf) I discovered that in the UK they require a diploma called CELTA, so after much consideration I decided to apply Oxford House College in London. I had an interview over skype and they accepted me! So I did the CELTA when I came to London in October, a full time course that lasted a month. Then the plan was to look for a temporary job. I did this through www.monster.co.uk, creating a profile, and updating and uploading my CV. I did the same with www.reed.co.uk/ abd www.multilingualvacancies.com, among other sites. That was after going for an appointment to get a national insurance number which you need that to work legally in the UK and every serious company will ask for it. I registered with the National Health Service and opened a bank account (for which you need a proof of address). Housing is expensive. We pay around 350 each, utilities included, for a big room and balcony at a house with four other housemates, and to be honest Im more than pleased to pay what I pay for what Ive got. You have to be careful because London is full of places you dont really want to live in, so check out the area before deciding on taking a place. Also check the deposit: we had to chip in 400 each and a minimum of 6 months stay. We found the house on www.gumtree.co.uk. As for the job hunting, every day I applied to about 10 jobs by just typing Spanish speaker into the job sites. Sometimes I didnt even know what I was applying for, but I didnt care! To be honest, I was pretty stressed out, but after two weeks I finally got a call and they interviewed me the following Monday. After English tests, and IQ tests, and two interviews, I got the job. It is with a serious international company that works in market research, and Id be working in the department where they get products from all over the world. My job consists of translating from Spanish, French and now even Portuguese and Italian to English. Its Monday to Friday 9-5, and I get around 1300 a month after tax, we work with targets so according to your performance and quality you get more or less money. The company is very funky, and I work with people from all over the world, something I really enjoyed in Amsterdam, and now it is the same but in a working environment. I was promoted last January, and now Im a Proofreader/Assistant Editor; I have to give feedback to my colleagues, check the grammar, punctuation, and make sure that everything follows the in-house style guidelines, as well as recognising a big list of marketing claims. With this job I get to work about three days a week from home, and even though I really enjoy the office, working from home gives me much more free time and therefore Im more relaxed. We also have
flexitime, which means that I can start work at 7.3010am and finish at 3.30-6pm. So overall everything has changed slightly for the better! Mireia Pla Bosch I graduated in English and Spanish Philology in 2011. I never had any doubt about my vocation for teaching and I was sure I wanted to become a second language teacher, teaching English to Spanish students. When I was just graduated I panicked, as usual. I felt an urge to start working in something useful for my career and also as means of experimentation. I did not want to do a masters until I knew the exact direction I wanted to give to my professional career. So I spent my first year working through a language company which offered me several positions in different schools, teaching English to ESO students in private schools, and also teaching some extraescolares. I spent that year talking and listening to everyones experience to broaden my thoughts about the future. While working, I enrolled myself in the course offered by the International House, Formacin de Profesores de ELE, and that made the difference. I discovered a new world I had never considered before. Immediately after finishing the course I found a job at a private language school in Barcelona and I have been working there for a year now. I love my current job because I work in my home town and every day at work we create a multinational environment which makes my job very interesting. Moreover, I am a native speaker and that is so much valuated by the companies and the students. The only but important disadvantage is that working as a Spanish teacher for foreigners in Spain is very complicated since it is a seasonal job; there is huge demand in summer but very little the rest of the year. My future plans are to study the Master offered by the UB in Formacin de Profesores de ELE and then probably emigrate. Aida Ribot Bencomo Since I graduated in English Philology in 2011, I have been studying in a PhD program in Linguistic Anthropology at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). I am also teaching Spanish grammar and conversation courses at the Linguistics Department at UCSD. This is the only way to fully fund my studies at a US university whenever there are no scholarships available. During my last years at UAB I discovered some fields of research that became interesting to me. I started reading articles and went to some international conferences. This gave me a sense of the topics that were primarily more interesting and of those that were not. This is an enriching experience if you plan on doing researchor at least if you feel it might be of any interestbecause you start meeting students and professors and they can tell you about their own experiences. Since I started the program, I have learned theory, methodologies and practices regarding the field of anthropology and linguistics. There area a large number of seminars, colloquiums, and workshops about everything and at all times in the department and outside it. These opportunities are an added value to the academic life because they provide an interdisciplinary approach to the topics, and a more relaxed and enjoyable environment for the learning process.
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During my first and second years at UCSD I presented some papers at different national and international conferences, something that is pursued from the very beginning within the US departments. These conferences are useful both academically and professionally, and in my case, they gave me a strong base for the development of a MA thesis, which is required in most PhD programs in the US. The thesis is also an opportunity for publication in one of the main journals of the field. Laura Romero Sastre I graduated in 2011 after spending a year in Edinburgh on an Erasmus exchange. Im from Mallorca but I studied the whole degree (Filologia Anglesa & Catalana) at the UAB. After graduation, I studied the old CAP, now a Master en Formaci del Professorat. The MA was just OK, I suppose it depends on every university, and UIB is not the best place to do it. Last October I came to Barcelona again and started my jobhunting. I spent two months on the dole and then found a job as an English teacher in Big Ben Acadmia dIdiomes from January until the end of June (2013). It was a great experience as I taught almost every kind of level: from 8 years old to retired people or Upper-Intermediate. They dont pay you for summer holidays, but instead, you can teach in the July intensive courses or just wait for them to call you again in September and start working again with a new contract in October, as I will. Its a pity that you dont have a salary during summer, but they pay very well the rest of the time. Now, Im trying to get a job for this three month break in Mallorca as a childrens activities leader. Failing that, Ill have mandatory holidays. Noelia Snchez Campos The year after graduating I did the MA in Advanced English Studies offered by the English Department of the UAB. One of the things I enjoyed about the MA was the fact that the classes are really interactive, which gives the students the opportunity to share their ideas about the different literary texts in very active way. Overall, the MA was a positive experience, as it allowed me to expand my knowledge on English and American literature and to analyze literature from different perspectives. I am currently enrolled in the PhD programme and doing my thesis on eighteenth-century literature. This is my first year as a PhD student, and the programme has been very satisfactory. As for my professional life, since September 2012 I have been working as an English teacher at Marys Language School, in Cerdanyola del Valls. I have taught students at different levels, from children and teenagers to adults. My experience in this language school has been tremendously rewarding. In this job, in the day-to-day classes, I have learned new teaching methodologies that have allowed me to grow as a teacher. The working environment is really nice; all my workmates are very supportive and the team spirit is very much felt. Gloria Tost Gasc I sent my curriculum to many schools a couple of months before I finished my masters for secondary school education at the UAB and a few weeks later I got a call from a private school that needed a substitute teacher, Escola Garb in Esplugues. I went for the
interview and got the job. Then I got a job in July at the EOI Manresa teaching level 4 for teachers. I worked very hard but the students were very happy with the course. Because I had no job in a school yet for September, I took a job in a language school in Ripollet in the afternoons to be on the safe side. But in September I got a job in a school as a substitute teacher for the whole year (they didnt tell me at the time it would be for the whole year, so I carried on with both jobs) a Les Dominiques de lEnsenyament. So this year I taught the 4th year of ESO and 1st and 2nd years of Batxillerat. I have to say it was a very tough experience, not so much for the students whom I had expected to be difficult at times but because of the board of directors who were very hard on me no matter what and favoured the students who are the customers in all situations. I have to say it was the hardest time of my life by far for a long time but I learnt to deal with it; I took two courses of Raiki, I learnt how to do meditation and how to connect or disconnect of things at will through thoughts, finding inner peace and happiness. But also very important, I learnt how to defend myself and stand up for what I think is right and to be indifferent to falsehood so it would stop hurting so much. They couldnt take me this July in EOI Manresa as they had no desdoblament this year for me, but I was fortunate to get a job at the EOI Guinard, and really it is intensive but also a breath of fresh air after teaching teenagers. The good news however is that last week I went for an interview for a job in a school, a full time job with a permanent position and on Friday they confirmed they want me to start next September. I am over the moon with this news, it really is a good job, full time and permanent (obviously they have to like me etc.) By the way, my masters thesis was published this year by the UABsee revistes.uab.cat/jtl3/article/view/495/558. 2010 Alba lvarez Holgado As I said in the last report, I worked in a language school without any kind of contract while I was doing the degree and I still worked there one more year after I graduated. Last year, I finished the MA in English teaching, which was the former CAP certificate, at Blanquerna. It was really a waste of time apart from the practicum, which was a wonderful experience. I realized I enjoyed teaching and overcame some fears I had. However, the course ended and the Borsa d'Interins didnt open for new teachers to apply. Last summer I got a job in another language school. That time I got a contract but at the end of the summer the man in charge disappeared without paying our salaries. So the academic year started with me and other workers suing the company. The whole legal matter hasnt been resolved yet. It has been a nightmare. Ive been in thousands of job interviews but no success yet. I'm still doing private classes, though. Positive side: I've learnt a lot about contracts and legal issues! These are tough times but we must keep going. I am engaged now in two literary projects: a website and a book of poems. None of these things is related to English or teaching but they keep me going and are a good way of exploring new oportunities. And Im having a good time.
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You should not get stuck with one thing. If you like teaching, that is wonderful but keep looking for other ways to make yourself grow and keep you active because the whole teaching world is really tough. My last piece of advice is to join a workers union, especially if you are in the Sector No Reglada (language schools mainly). Theres a lot of mamoneo out there and you have to be protected legally in some way. Meritxell Balls I applied for the Auxiliares de conversacin grant in Germany. I was very lucky and first obtained a position to work as a Spanish language assistant in a bilingual school in Hamburg and during the second year I was in a professional school in Weiden, Bavaria. Apart from improving my level of German, I found the whole experience really satisfactory and interesting, especially my relationship with colleagues at the school. I encourage everyone to spend some time abroad and have contact with the locals and its culture while developing the language skills. Due to personal reasons, I decided to stay in Germany and since June 2012 I have been working in the sales department of an international company. I also combine this with Spanish lessons in an adult education center. Carmen Cavia Garrido Ive been working in a review academy for about nine months and I feel really good so far. I work 27 hours weekly, but only from Monday to Friday, which is great. The job involves not only teaching English, but also helping students with parts of the language they find most difficult to deal with. My contract ends at the end of June but Ive just been informed that I will become permanent from that time onwards, which is something I didnt expect, taking into account that this academy has just been open for about two years. In my view, the key to its success is to have two hard-working young entrepreneurs who listen carefully to each employees opinions and ideas and take them seriously. Moreover, next year Ill be able to also teach German due to the demand for this language, which satisfies me since Ive never had this opportunity before. The only downside I find is the timetable since I have to work mostly middays, afternoons and evenings. However, the application for the SOC courses will change this and in the near future Ill be mostly working from mornings till afternoons. Adri de Gracia Ortiz After graduating I was awarded an Auxiliares de Conversacin grant to go the US, so I spent half of 2010 and half of 2011 working as a Spanish and Math assistant teacher in Arlington, Virginia. Once that grant was over I came back to Spain and found a job at Maristes school where I have been working as an English teacher for kids aged 7, 9, 10, 14 and some adults. Since I knew that I wanted to leave Spain, while I was working I applied for two possible ways that would help me do that. One was to apply for a Lectorado de Espaol which consists of teaching Spanish as a foreign language in a university and there are tons of them, but they have to have a position available because you can extend your stay up to three years. The second was to apply for an MA program in Denmark and I got it! So I am leaving for Copenhagen to do an MA in English Studies at Copenhagen University with an itinerary focused on Teaching English in the Danish Upper Secondary School.
Paola Denari When I was attending my last year at university I knew that I needed to gain some work experience if I wanted to add some extra attractiveness to my CV. Therefore, I was lucky that one of my classmates left a vacancy available in the English school where she was working and recommended me to the owner of the school. As I was still going to university I did not want to work full-time and I started with a few hours every day. That way, not only did my boss get to know me, but I also gained some experience teaching, from 7-year-old children to adults. Besides, I had to teach different levels and I discovered that I really enjoyed interacting with people even though one of the most difficult things was the management of the classroom. In contrast, this makes the classes different every day even though you are always teaching English. On the other hand, when I finished university I knew that I had to keep on studying, especially since the language that I am teaching is not my mother tongue. As a result, I decided to apply for a TEFL course at International House. Despite my university degree in English, they asked me to take an official Cambridge exam that confirmed my command of the language. Then, as I have always loved learning English I continue studying it to get prepared for the PCE. After two years of practice, I sat for the proficiency exam last June and I passed it. I was on cloud nine, but I decided to put off attending a TEFL course because I wanted to change jobs. In addition, last year I had applied for the Grundtvig grant to take a course in teaching methods during the summer in Ireland and I got it. The course was outstanding and I really enjoyed sharing teaching experience with English teachers from all over the world. Therefore, when I came back I had new ideas which I wanted to put into practice and I knew that at my English school I wouldnt be able to do so. Thats why before starting last school year I went to different English schools in Barcelona and I left my CV wherever they let me. Why do I say so? In most cases, they just accepted native English speakers and this is the only thing I cant change, my place of birth. To my surprise, one school called me even though its requirement was that I had to tell a white lie, which was that I was from Dublin if my students asked me. All in all, Ive just finished teaching at that school and I disliked not being able to be myself, although at the same time the experience taught me different ways to communicate with my students, such as miming, drawing and so on. In the end, it was the longest Pictionary game Id ever played and my students still believed I was from Ireland and asked me to be their teacher the next year. However, I dont want to go on lying and of course, I wont accept this offer. Moreover, Ive also finished my fourth year at the same afternoon school and my timetable was very busy, from 5 pm to 10 pm, without including the preparation of classes and corrections of exercises in the mornings. Due to the economic crisis, I cannot complain about my current situation. I had two jobs and some students at home, I am still extremely motivated and my students and their parents are delighted with me because I care about them. Nevertheless, I have been sending some CVs and Im looking forward to being part of a dynamic updated school which offers me the opportunity to create and try new things next year.
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Carles Gell i Bou After graduating in English Philology from UAB, I spent a couple of years working part-time in a small private academy in Vic, Barcelona. After my second year I decided to set foot on an adventure abroad and, after taking a course on Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language, I moved to London to look for a job as a Spanish teacher. After few weeks sending CVs to literally every advertisement I could find, I got a call from London Southeast University, an institution which through an agreement with Heilongjang International University was looking for foreign language teachers to work in Harbin, northeast China. I knew very little about the city, in spite of being a huge metropolis of around 10 million people. Harbin is known in China for its harsh winters, which can reach temperatures of below 40 degrees. It is for that reason that the wages in that university were significantly higher than in other cities. They were making a strong effort to hire foreign teachers, offering programs in English, Spanish and French. One of the things that surprised me most was the lack of organization (last-minute paperwork, lack of information, etc.). Chinese bureaucracy was for me the greatest cultural shock when I arrived. It is hard for foreigners to try to modify the structure of the courses, often stuck in old-fashioned Chinese teaching methods, and even though they like welcoming foreign teachers (mostly as a way to show off that they have money to hire them) they are reluctant to undertake changes. However, teaching in China is proving to be a wonderful experience, in spite of occasional problems, something I could never have dreamed of when I finished my education in Spain, considering the economic framework. Mireia Ilarri I was young and innocent, and I decided to start Filologia Anglesa taking for granted that I was not going to spend more than four years at college to become a teacher. In my third year at Lletres, I started working in different language schools and I realized that I enjoyed teaching; in my fourth I took my second degree: Magisteri Llenges estrangeres. Once I was done with both degrees, I faced reality: the work situation in our country is horrifying: no matter how many years you spend at college, there is no future around. I took the decision: I needed to run away from here. I opened my mind and started to submit resumes all over the world: from Russia, to China, the States, Dubai, etc. I used a lot of sites, but the most useful one was www.learn4good.com/. There you can find offers from all over the world! You apply to the offers by creating an account, the schools get your resume and get back to you. It was from learn4good that my current job, a public high school in Massachusetts, USA, contacted me, asking me for my CV (maximum 2 pages) in English; copies of my college transcripts; a letter of intent; and three letters of recommendation in English or with a translation attached. I sent everything to them, we did two interviews using Skype (and they interviewed one of my references by Skype too), and they hired me! The most annoying thing was the paperwork to get my visa (J1- allows you to be in the States for 3 years): I had to get married (my boyfriend, current husband, came with me), pay around 400 and go to Madrid (you
need to do an interview at the US Embassy). It proved worth it, though. So now I am the Latin Teacher at Hudson High School. Yes, the Latin teacher. I took Latin when I was at secondary school, and never think about it again (well, only in the first year of English Philology, when I took German and I understood what the declensions are used for). They hired me because of my English and my degree on teacher training (magisteri), and, of course, because I am Spanish and they can use me as the Spanish teacher in the future (and I know much more Latin than they ever will!). Next year I am going to be in charge of Latin (again) and of one of the groups for Spanish 3. The good points about this job are that it is really well-paid (I am earning about $3000 per month), I am learning a lot (both English and good teaching practices) and it is proving to be a great personal experience. The drawbacks are that there is no curriculum for Latin, so I am planning and teaching at the same time. And also the classes here are 90 minutes long (try to imagine having to keep teenagers working for such a long period of time). Life in the States is very different compared to Europe. I am living in a tiny town in Massachusetts, and living in NY, Chicago or LA would probably be better. However, it is great to be immersed in an English speaking country, and I am learning about the culture at the same time. Contrary to the popular myth, you can find whatever food you need in the US. And I have the opportunity to travel around (NYC, Boston, Montreal, Salem, Plymouth... I think of Historia i Cultura way too much haha!). The downsides are that you need the car FOR EVERYTHING, you cannot talk about politics or religion (hot topics there!), and you have to get up at 6, have lunch at 12, get dinner at 6 and go to sleep at 9 or 10. Also, people dont generally walk, so the streets are empty. And finally, Americans seem to be very open and ready to help you, but they are really individualistic, so although they always smile, they dont show what they are really thinking. Paula Jimnez Fernndez I finished my studies while on an Erasmus three years ago. As soon as I went back to Barcelona, I found a job as an English teacher in a language school and last year I worked in a private school teaching a kind of extra English hour a day. However, I started to be more interested in social work than in teaching. So in 2011, I went to India as a volunteer. I worked as a teacher in a nursery school and helped teenagers in reading, speaking and writing English. I only stayed for a month. Then, I decided to take a course related to NGOs and volunteering. The course was offered by VOLPA (and after it you can work as a volunteer for two years in a developing country through a project). I also took a course on volunteering in Catalonia. Both courses were pretty cheap and dynamic. In addition, once I finished my degree, I started a twoyear-course on Dubbing and Acting. I was always interested in it and I decided to do it after university. The problem is that it is really expensive even though the people at the Escola de Doblatge de Barcelona are very kind and you can pay it in installments. As I said before, last year I was teaching in a private school. I lost my job due to an illness (I was on sick leave). I didnt know what to do. But in October 2012,
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Treball Campus called me because I had asked for a Leonardo Da Vinci Grant in 2011 and there was a vacancy for going to Lyon, France. I didnt have a great level of French, but I decided to go. I worked in a European Organization for two months, Maison de lEurope et des Europens. I improved my French and I learnt new cultural administrative tasks. Once I finished, I saw an offer to work in an internship in Grenoble, France, in a Theater Center. I applied for it and thanks to my dubbing/acting experience, my English and French level, I got it. Now, Im still in France. This grant is called Eurodysee, and its a six-month internship. Its the first time Ive worked in a cultural and artistic association and Im really happy. I decided not to be a teacher and Im trying to get a job related to acting. You may think its kind of impossible to live through art. Although its difficult, in France, Germany and the UK, people are more concerned about art as a professional career. So please be optimistic! The job situation is horrible (we all know that) but I really think that by having more than one goal we can have a chance. Note that having another language is important too, even if French, German or Chinese are not as popular as English. The Leonardo and Eurodysee grants may be a good way of starting a new career abroad. Here are some useful websites: India-Volunteering: http://www.laiafoundation.org/ VOLPA: www.volpa.org/index.php?option=com _content &view=category&layout=blog&id=4& Itemid=15&lang=ca PAC: http://pasaporteparalacooperacion.org/ Dubbing: www.escueladoblajebarcelona.com/ And remember that English Studies need not be only related to teaching! Cristina Pardo Valls I finished my English degree during my Erasmus year at Leicester. The truth is that after one year living in Leicester and having one of the greatest years in my life, going back to reality was very difficult, especially because I met fantastic people I still have contact with. In summer, and in Terrassa, my home town, I started sending CVs online to job ads in both Barcelona and London. I applied first to teach English in language schools in Terrassa, but as the search did not go well. I decided to apply for any kind of job, but got no replies. The next step was to think that since I had a degree in English and if I remained in Barcelona the possibilities of losing my fluency in English were high, and I was starting my job search from zero, so it was time to go to live to London, where I lived two years and a half. The truth is that finding a job in London according to what one has studied is very difficult from the very beginning. After being sales advisor at a fashion company, French Connection UK, I decided to grow up professionally speaking and I got a job at Zara UK, where I worked as Department Responsible for almost one year. My goal in London was to work for important fashion companies, so I did my best and tried to have the work experience required to apply to get internal internships or being promoted with time even in the same store or joining the head office. While I worked all that time I took different internships and did different fashion courses. Even though it is difficult to combine work and studies, if you have the chance and can manage to do it is going to be worthwhile for your CV and job experience.
In fact, I say so because I took all the internships in my days off at work and holidays, a big effort. But in March this present year, after a period thinking about the advantages and disadvantages of coming back home, especially considering the bad times that Spain is going through nowadays, I decided to come back definitively to Barcelona. The truth is that I took the decision to come back and I thought that finding a job was going to be easy, due to my job experience abroad. I have to say that I have done a lot of interviews during these 3 months, and finally I have got a job. It is not a job I thought to get, within a fashion company, for which I applied and did many interviews, but in a bank. Having international experience and knowing languages were the two main reasons I got the job. I will be working in a bank office answering international calls. Three years ago around this time, when my Erasmus program and English degree were almost finished, I had no idea of where I would live and what kind of job I would be doing. I think how my life has changed since I finished my Erasmus, I am very proud of all I have done, worked and lived abroad, and the personal decision taken to start from zero my life again at home and definitely. As I learnt some time ago, everything takes time and it is not easy (especially living abroad without your family and friends), but always one has to think that by doing things step by step and day by day, never surrender and try to find the job you like! David Soler Ortnez Since my graduation in 2010, my academic, personal and professional experience has been always related to education and literature. In 2011, I did the masters degree Formaci de Professorat in Blanquerna (Universitat Ramon Llull) and there I became interested in education. Therefore, I decided to study it in depth and I enrolled in the research itinerary of another education masters degree (Mster Universitari en Lideratge en la Transformaci Socioeducativa). Meanwhile, at the end of 2011, a professor at Blanquerna proposed that I work with her team at ESADE (Universitat Ramon Llull) as a Research Consultant in the Educational Innovation Department. (I am afraid that neither of these masters degrees is being offered now.) In September 2012, once I passed the research itinerary of my second masters degree, I enrolled in a Ph.D. program. Thus, I am now a Ph.D. student and I have chosen to base my research on educational innovation and CLIL. Last year, I was also accepted as a Member of the Research Group on Language and Intercultural Competence in Teaching and Learning Languages (CILCEAL - Blanquerna). Regarding my personal experience, since graduation I have published a book of poetry entitled Ara que no em veus, Ed. Tmenos - ISBN: 97884904512, having won the 17th Narcs Saguer Prize in 2011. I have also written several short stories and some articles about literature. Oleksiy Zarubin Though I was born in Ukraine, Ive been living in Catalonia for 11 years already. I am proud to have done a degree in English. Many people think that this degree is totally useless and there are no opportunities and no perspectives for the future life. This is not true. After finishing my degree I immediately found a job as an interpreter in a hospital. This is the best job Ive done in my life for the moment because I really felt
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fulfilled because I helped peoplebasically patients who often required immediate help of the doctor. There were people from all over the world but the languages I mostly worked with were English, German, French, Italian and Russian. The job was also quite well-paid, around 1400 net, working 6 hours a day (and also 12 hours on Saturday or Sunday every weekwhich was not very difficult because I really enjoyed the job). It is a pity that this job is only available during the summer. Afterwards, I stayed in the same place working in administration. The salary was not as good as the previous one (around only 1000 net/mo) and the job was really boring. So I changed to a customer service job at Noel Alimentaria involved with exporting Catalan meat products. This job was really stressful and the days were very intense. It was not very well paid but at least it was interesting and very dynamic. For a while I was quite happy with the job. Lately, I have had some more changes in my life. Now Im back working in the private unit of the Hospital de Palams (the place I used to work at formerly). Since I did not get any feedback or promotion from my former company after two years, I accepted this offer because I was offered a better salary, more responsibilities and a better job in general. I am the Area Manager providing private healthcare services to customers in Russia, Italy and France. 2009 Zara Aguilar Torra During the five years I spent at the UAB I was not sure what I wanted to do after graduating, but I knew I did not want to become a teacher. I had been in Limerick, Ireland, for a year as an Erasmus student, and in my 5 th year I did the practicum at the Euncet (Escola Universitria de Negocis de CaixaTerrassa) doing some translation in the administrative offices of the university. I also registered in some modules offered by the Translation Faculty at the UAB because I thought having some training and practice in translating might be worth it. Back then, getting the CAP was easier than now because it used to be a 4-month course that consisted of two modules and an internship, and its cost was 500, but since I didnt want to become a teacher, I didnt take the CAP course. To be honest, at the end of my last year I was very worriedeven scaredabout what I was going to do because I had never had a real job besides being a private teacher of English or a substitute teacher for a few days at my old school in Barcelona. Fortunately, a friend of mine was the secretary at a school in Barcelona (Princess Margaret School) and told me they were looking for teachers for the evening acadmia. Although I didnt like the idea of being a teacher, I gave it a try and after an interview, I started working there. At first, I was a little lost due to my extremely short experience, but after three years there, I have learnt a lot and see the teaching job from a different perspective. Before I started the third year in the acadmia, I registered for the MA Estudis Anglesos Avanats: Adquisici del llenguatge I multilingisme at the UAB. I did so because a professor of the university recommended it to me and I thought it might be a way of acquiring some knowledge and skills that would allow me to find a
new job, away from teaching. I took the modules of the MA in two years. The first year was chaotic: in September I was offered a job as a substitute teacher at the Escola Virolai for three months, in October I also started the MA classes, so I had to do both things at the same time, and in November I started working at the Princess Margaret School as well. That was for three months, but for the whole year, working and studying at the same time was too much for me, so I decided I would not work during the second year of the MA, Id only teach private English lessons. I was lucky to have 6 different students during the year. Right now, I still have two students and Im finishing my MA thesis which focuses on the acquisition of English pragmatics in children with Asperger Syndrome. For that purpose, Ive also taken a course at the Associaci dEspectre Autista de Catalunya and have been working as a volunteer at their esplai. To make all this work with the MA useful, Im considering working with the association to start a pilot English course adapted to the needs of these children for next September, and I will also work again at the Princess Margaret School acadmia. Anabel Arcos Coca After I finished my degree, I worked for a year at a private school teaching not only English language but also Computing in English and Business English to FP students. Then, I moved to London and lived there for two years. Before moving there, I applied for the Auxiliares de Conversacin grant but did not get it. Once in London, I did the International House Spanish Teacher Training course in July. It was a very intensive course but I highly recommend it. However, it was useless for me as I didnt find a job as a Spanish teacher. During those two years in London, I struggled in terms of finding a teaching job there. I signed up with some teaching agencies but only did some supply work at primary and secondary schools. I wasnt able to find a long term job so I ended up working at a local nursery school. It was quite frustrating. Last year, I moved back to Barcelona and despite my lack of teaching success in London, having spent some time living and working abroad helped me a lot when looking for a teaching job here. For the past year Ive had three jobs at the same time; online tutor and English teacher at both an English school and an Escola Concertada. Theyve all asked me to continue after the summer holiday so I guess Ive been very lucky. Snia Barroso Saez I finished my degree four years ago and for three years I have been on the interins list. At the moment I am living in Donostia working part-time in a language school. As you may know, the working conditions of language schools are not very good though it is enough for me to live by myself. As for my expectations, when I finished the degree I was fed-up with studying and working part-time in language schools. So I wanted to get a regular job and be able to take courses I was interested in. In addition, it was clear for me I didnt want to work abroad. I had lived in Ireland some years ago and despite being a great experience, it was quite tough to start in a new place. However, the situation was quite frustrating. I wanted to grow, evolve and my career was getting worse working in a language school 7 hours a week. I had to do something.
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So, to motivate myself, I took a course in international social volunteering and started studying Basque since the Basque Country became a destination to go. I knew some people there and I liked the place a lot. And I have been here since two years ago, studying Basque in the morning and working in the afternoon. In my free time I work on a case of the death penalty for International Amnesty by translating letters and coordinating actions with other countries which are working on it too. As you can see, I have not accomplished my expectations but I I am learning a lot, and meeting extraordinary people. Advice: Always look on the bright side of life. Every cloud has a silver lining! Anna Bernal Daz During the last two years before graduating, I had been teaching kids at a language school in Mollet, where I live. I soon realized that I liked the job but that I needed some training, so I took the CAP (Certificat dAptitud Pedaggica) at the UAB. I then joined the borsa dinterins in order to work at a state school and, luckily, I started working at a primary school the following October. I devoted academic years to teaching young children, at both the language school and primary schools in the Maresme and Valls Oriental, and I gained a lot of experience. The schools were all very different, with pupils from all backgrounds, and I worked not only as an English teacher, but also as a tutor in one of the schools too. I have to admit that it was very rewarding in a number of ways, basically because I was constantly planning and adapting material to meet the needs of my students. I started teaching adults too in 2011 and I realized that I liked them even more than children! So, last summer I took the Spanish teacher training course at International House Barcelona. I really enjoyed the course and, although I havent worked as a Spanish teacher yet, it helps me with my adults groups. I knew that being on the lists is not a fairly secure job nowadays and unfortunately, Spanish education system is getting worse and the ongoing job situations for those who are on the lists is very poor. So, as I expected, last academic year 2012-2013 I was not called from the lists until May 2013! What we all need is a steady income, so in September I started working more hours at the language school. The truth is that since I finished the dregree I have always been working and although the working conditions are not always the best, English teachers are somehow required. I am now teaching kids, teenagers and adults at the language school and I am quite happy with it. However, I sometimes consider the idea of trying new skills. ngels Blad Castel Having finished the degree, the first months were really stressful because I couldnt get any jobs. I sent my CV to many private schools and I also joined the borsa d interins. However, as you may know, it does not run muchat least in Terres de lEbre and Tarragona. As time passed, I began to realise that that year I would not get work, at least in public schools. I also constantly checked those websites with job offers. I did eventually get a one-month substitution at a private school.
That November I decided to take a virtual Masters program (Educaci i TIC) offered by the UOC. I wanted to continue my studies because I had the feeling that I was wasting my time. Finally, I got a part time job at the Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Tarragona. I have been working as an English teacher at the Language Service Department for three years now. The experience has been fantastic! At the same time, I have been taking some courses so as to be more prepared and improve my CV. Since it is just a part time job at the URV, I have also taught in other schools: Oral English (language assistant) in ESO in the previous private school for two years, English for Academic Purposes (Arts and Crafts) in Cicles Formatius, and also a substitution for the Department of Catalan at the URV. To sum up, dont despair! If you cant get a job, you should take advantage of that time and continue studying and trying those opportunities that come to you. Sooner or later you will get something. Guillem Blasco Garriga Even before I had finished my degree I already knew that I would be working as a language assistant at Charterhouse School in the county of Surrey, England. I went there with a one-year contract and I have just finished my fourth year and I am staying another one. Some of you may think that it is time to change and do other things and so on and I may agree. However, during these four years I have done a distance learning MA and I will start another one next year. Being a language assistant allows you to work and study (online) at the same time (at least in my current situation). The main role of a language assistant is to train your students to pass the oral part of their exams (IGCSE for the 4th ESO students & Pre-U, which would be like some kind of selectivitat). In my particular case, I was given the Spanish department syllabus with the topics that teachers cover in class. My task is to design exam-like activities concerning the topic they are dealing with in class. My advice: do not hesitate to apply for everything there is out thereyou never know where your future may lie. Carles Brosel i Oliu After graduating in any degree a period begins where, usually, the student does not know whether to continue studying or to look for an adequate job. In my case, after having completed Filologia Anglesa I knew I wanted to continue my university education, and so I graduated in Filologia Catalana (2011) and in the postgraduate studies of Correcci i Qualitat Lingstica (PCQL) and Assessorament Lingstic en els Mitjans Audiovisuals (PALMA) (2012, as I could do both at the same time); all of them at the UAB. I am now writing the thesis for the Mster en Correcci i Assessorament Lingstic. I actually improved my mother tongue, Catalan, up to an almost perfect level (the old K-level) in these postgraduate courses. After these studies I hoped to work full-time as a proofreader of Catalan in written press, radios, publishing houses and so on. Nevertheless, the situation in this field is complicated, so I only had two very different internships in 2012, one for each postgraduate course, in the Institut dEstudis CatalansServei de Producci Editorialand with Rdio Sabadell 94.6. Internships are
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always interesting experiences where you learn a lot because you are working together with qualified professionals. After finishing university last July, I did not find a job related to proofreading in Barcelona or the surrounding area, so I went back home, the Cerdanya. During the second half of 2012 I took the opportunity to update my qualifications in first aid and lifeguarding, and I worked teaching private lessons of English and as a lifeguard too, especially on the weekends. With the arrival of 2013 I combined the work as a lifeguard with varied experiences in a language academy: extracurricular lessons of French and English to sevenyear-old children, English lessons to all levels and ages and a Summer Camp in English this July. In May I took the course of Monitor de Temps de Lleure. I have realized that a key fact is that people have to adapt to the needs of the market and of its environment; particularly, Cerdanya is a tourist place where, especially in the summer season, hundreds of families take their children to nature camps and, if possible, try to improve their English. Moreover, I work now and then as a freelance translator and proofreader in English, Catalan, Spanish and French. Laura Buitrago Barroso After finishing my degree, I didnt have the slightest idea what to do with my future. I just knew I wanted to take a break from uni and keep improving my German. So thanks to a grant from the MEC, I did a summer language course in Berlin, and after that, I decided to stay on in the city. I looked for a job but didnt succeed the high unemployment rate by that time and the fact that I wasnt fluent in German didnt help much. Despite everything, I stayed and kept learning the language by myself. In the meantime, I got the Leonardo Da Vinci grant, a European programme for graduates to do a 3-month internship abroad related to your field of studies (it was offered both by the UAB and the SOC (Servei dOcupaci de Catalunya) but at the moment I dont know what the situation looks like). My main task was to proofread and correct translations from German into Spanish/English in a translation agency, and Im still actually doing it. My boss was very happy with me and offered me to keep working for him from home. Its been more than 3 years already! However, although the job provides me with some good experience in an interesting working field, I dont get a permanent salary to be able to live on. Its hard to live on by just working as a proofreader or rather as a translator, there are just too many and its not well paid. Thats why apart from that, my main occupation has been till 2 months ago as saleswoman at Desigual. I worked for this Spanish company for 3 years, which, apart from giving me the opportunity to improve my German to a fluent level and afford my life abroad, provided me with work experience and with an overview of how the German labour market works. Thanks to this, I feel a lot more confident, when it comes to finding further (better) job opportunities. Now I work selling tickets for city tours by bus (like the catalan bus turstic). You can make really good money with such a job. The only disadvantage is that you stay in the street, which means, it can be very nice when its nice weather, but also pretty annoying when it rains or its cold. And its a job for the summer season only, that means from March to October. So my
plan for the moment is to sell tickets during the summer and then look for another job in my field of studies, if possible. Such jobs as sales woman and so on are not something I really enjoy doing. But its difficult to really know what you want to do for a living without trying out different things. Two years in a row I applied for the Auxiliares de conversacin grant (although I would never like to become a teacher, but who knows) and was put on the waiting list, so I decided to give up and really focus on my future. Four years after finishing my degree at the UAB, I decided to study again. So last year I applied for a Masters Degree in Kommunikation und Sprache (Language and Communication) at the Technische Universitt Berlin. Im about to finish my second semester now and Im very happy with it. We do a lot of linguistics, also computer based, and speech production, for instance, using different softwares. I find it really interesting. Im also planning on doing an internship abroad from January on, but still have to check everything. Nice job opportunities with the Masters are working with learning materials in a publishing company, as a language trainer, voice recognition, etc. If you want tp check out Bachelor or Master studies in Germany, go to http://www.hochschulkompass.de/ and for those interested in international programmes in English, see www.daad.de/deutschland/studienangebote/internationalprogrammes/07535.es.html Studying in Berlin is really cool, because most of the studies are for free. You just pay around 280 per Semester and get a ticket for the whole semester for public transport (which is very expensive, as in normal price). As a student you also get lots of discounts in museums and so on, and its easier to find a job, since hiring a student costs a lot less taxes. Ana Isabella Byrne Bellorn I finished English Philology in September 2009 and French Philology in July 2012, so I only just officially graduated from both last year having signed up for the double degree in 2003. Ive been working mainly as an English teacher, mostly to Young Learners, in an independent academy 2010-11 and since 2011 in a Kids&Us academy near Urgell. When Ive worked with academies it has usually been 12/h, and its so with Kids&Us too, but they always put you on contract and provide lesson plans and materials for almost all lessons. I still do some private tutoring and baby-sitting. Teaching young learners makes it hard to draw the line between them sometimes and muddles the rates but a try to keep it at a 20/h minimum for teaching and only go down to the baby-sitting rates (which change according to travel time) when its several blocked hours that dont involve lesson planning. Apart from teaching Ive also been working on occasional translations and even doing some interpretation at business meetings. These are odd jobs I get through the grapevine of friends or family. Last summer I started working at the port with Intercruises. They call you 2 or 3 days a week as certain cruise ships arrive according to your own availability. They provide port services to ships that dont include them in their crew. These past two years the cruise season went from April to the first week of November. As for studies, I completed the Trinity Cert TEFL course in Oxford House in 2010 and was very satisfied
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with it. It gave me perspective on my teaching and good pointers to improve. The main part of the course is practical, and its also good to have feedback from your tutor and your peers. Besides these more strictly professional endeavours Ive also been actively involved in the English-speaking theatre community in Barcelona. There are many groups and Ive been involved with B.I.G. (Barcelona Improv Group), Dusty Apple and The Tremayne Company, these are just three of the seven or so Im acquainted with and that have been putting up some very interesting productions all through this spring and early summer. B.I.G. and Dusty Apple got together recently to organise Play In A Day (the name says it all) in which I participated as a writer and other people involved in the aforementioned companies also participated as writers, actors, directors and organisers. In February I performed in The Vagina Monologues (in Spanish) which were played on consecutive weeks that month, first in Spanish and then English, both directed by the founders of Dusty Apple. In June I was performing in the Tremayne Company production A Woman of Many Parts, my second play with them after Six in the City 2 in February 2012. In B.I.G. were currently organising an international improvisation festival in Barcelona this November, and there are free weekly workshops and monthly performances going on. If interested, see http://www.barcelonaimprovgroup.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/DustyAppleTheatre. Mireia Caadell Montn I graduated in June 2009. It was the beginning of the economic crisis. I worked all that summer in the summer camps LEstiusteu meanwhile I looked for a job to start with in September. I had told my family my idea to travel abroad if I didnt succeed but I was lucky and I started working in an English academy in Vic after summer. It was only for a few hours but it was a good opportunity to gain experience. It has been 4 years and now I have a part-time contract in the same academy. I am a little bit frustrated because some of my workmates do not have the same qualifications as me but they have the same opportunity and salary (which is not bad). This has been a complicated year because the atmosphere was not the perfect one and for that reason I am looking for another academy. I have already had two offers. Two summers ago I also started working in a private school in the village I live in. I teach English and French to 3rd and 4th ESO students. I work there 10 hours per week and I get a good salary there. I consider myself a lucky person because the present situation is terrible and a lot of people around me are unemployed or working in a job that has nothing to do with their studies. I am a moonlighter, that is, a person with more than one job. Sometimes, it is tiresome and stressful but I have learnt a lot and I have experience which is very important when looking for a job but not essential. If I had to give a piece of advice to a person who graduated this summer it would not be a very long one. It is very important to keep studying, learning and working hard. You have to be confident because you have studied a lot and never lose your motivation.
Ester Cervero Martn After finishing my studies at the university four years ago I started working at a language school in Barcelona. I was not teaching but doing mainly administrative tasks and helping the director of studies organizing courses and helping students finding the course which would be most suitable for them. Although I was quite happy with it, I knew from the very beginning that it was not the job I wanted to do for the rest of my life, so I applied for the beca dauxiliar de conversa. Unfortunately, I didnt get it. Since the work situation in Spain at the moment is not precisely the best, I decided to move to Edinburgh where I had been living as an Erasmus student three years ago. The situation here is not as good as it was a couple of years ago, although not as bad as in Spain. It took me about three months to find a job. I worked at the reception of a hotel for nearly two years while I worked on an online MA. It was called Traduccin y medicacin lingstica de las lenguas alemana y espaola. I chose to do two specialisations: legal and technical translation. I decided to go for German because living in the UK my English was improving but my German was getting rustier and rustier. As soon as I finished my MA in September 2012 I applied for a job at RWS, a big translation company based in Buckinghamshire, where I started working as Project Coordinator and was soon promoted to Project Manager. At RWS I work in the medical department and what I do is basically managing translation projects. I liase with several clients (generally pharmaceutical companies) that ask me for a quotation to translate a document (e.g., articles, instructions for using medicinal products, etc) to be translated into one or several languages. Once they send me the files I need to work out the price and a turn-around time based on the number of words and the language combination. If the client accepts my quotation, then I will find the translator who is more suitable for the job. Occasionaly I do some proofreading tasks or completeness checks as well. Although its not th job of my dreasm, it will be quite useful if I ever want to become a freelance translator. Esther Codina Potrony When I finished the degree, I decided to do the Mster en Formaci del Professorat de Secundria at the Universitat de Barcelona. There were many good things, such as the long practicum in a high school, but it was very difficult to have a job while doing it because it was very demanding and there were a lot of assignments and deadlines to attend. When I finished the masters, I was able to enroll inthe Borsa de Treball de Personal Docent. However, they dont run much and I accepted a job in a language school. My first experience as a teacher was in the concertada primary school where I studied. Regarding the Generalitat, they called me to work for a couple of months in a primary school. Unfortunately they didnt call me either last year or this year. However, last year I managed to combine my job at the language school with a job at a concertada high school, where I taught students from cicles formatius. Since I have spent most of the last two years only employed part-time I have enrolled in many courses in order to refresh my knowledge and learn new skills, such as accountancy or exports, which I think may be useful if
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I have to look for another job. This year, I have decided to take a step forward and enroll in a post-graduatedegree at UOC which deals with technology and translation. Laura Crespillo Gonzlez After I finished my degree, I continued working in a language school called Mon Idiomes in Terrassa. I also got the titol de monitor de lleure, which allowed me to go on summer camps. Its a good option for those working at Language schools because contracts normally expire in summer, so with this certification you can also work during the summer. In summer I applied for a Comenius grant, which paid for a teaching course in Malta. It lasted 15 days and it was very good. The course was based on how to do motivating activities in class and we also reviewed idiomatic expressions and phrasal verbs. I really recommend taking such courses to improve or recycle concepts. After doing these courses, in September 2010, I started the masters in secondary school teaching at Blanquerna. I have to say that I found it really interesting and it taught me different perspectives on teaching. However, the situation in Spain is very disappointing at the moment and I think that registering with the lists to work as a substitute teaching in the public system is not worth it since you have to wait a year or more to get just a three-week substitution. Then I decided to go to UK for a year even in language schools there is stiff competition here, and many language schools only hire native speakers or people who have been in the UK or US for a period of time. So, I decided to move to London for one year mainly to get some experience on education in UK and to experience language in context. I was lucky since I found a job as a Spanish teacher in a Language school in the afternoon as soon as I arrived. However, they offered me few hours and agencies for substitutions in schools only wanted teachers with a minimum of 3 months experience in UK, no matter how many years I had of experience in Spain. After some months of persistence I started doing substitutions in nursery schools and primary as a teaching assistant. It has been a great experience since I had the opportunity to help children with their literacy in English, and I have also worked with children with special needs. I think I had the opportunity here of working in educational environments that in Spain are in some way restricted to people who have specific formation on several topics. For instance, I worked with a child learning Braille together with a Braille teacher and one day I worked with a child who only communicated by signs (I did not know sign language before that day, but at the end of the day I was able to communicate with him and give him some commands). It is a little bit uncertain because you work doing substitutions and sometimes at the beginning I only worked once a week, but as soon as schools know you you get more jobs working all week or at least three times a week. Finally, I got a job working as a Spanish teacher in a Secondary school for the last 2 months of the school year. Moreover, I started working with an American company as a Tour Director, which is really the job I had always wanted to do. I had the interview in London, although there were interviews in Madrid, London, Rome, Paris and Berlin. It was a very competitive selection process with several stages and a practicum of
three days. I didn t expect to get the job but finally I was one of the 14 people selected out of 1400. I am working in Spain and Portugal (for the moment). I lead walking tours, introduce museum collections, deal with suppliers and official guides and do cultural activities with the groups. The educational and cultural component is very important so I can create many activities to learn in a different setting from a classroom. I have done two tours this season so far and I really enjoy it. I am combining tours with substitutions and teaching in the UK at the moment. Furthermore, I wrote two teaching resources for learning Spanish for another company in UK. I could choose between getting paid for writing the resources or getting the royalties so I chose to keep the royalties. I am happy so far since I think I have done this year more than I would had done in Spain for a couple of years and I am improving my CV in terms of not certificates but rather jobs and experience, so I have decided to stay in London one year more. Christina Estanol Hugas Right after graduating from the UAB, I did the masters in Formacio del Professorat de Secundaria in the UB. After my masters, my situation was quite unstable for a year. I only worked for two months in a private school. I wanted to settle in France, but did not have enough courage, since I was quite lost. I applied then for the Auxiliares de Conversacin in France and I was lucky to get a post near Marseille, in Salon de Provence. This experience helped me a lot to learn French, to get familiar with the French administration, and many other things. After this, in September, I settled in Lyon, determined to look for a job. The situation in France is quite exasperating too. Finding a job is just as hard as in Spain, with the added difficulty that I am not French. Job offers as a teacher were quite miserable, forcing me to become a freelancer, and in most cases to teach Spanish. Plus, in France, teachers in both state and private schools need to have what is called CAPES, which is a sort of public examination like the oposicions. Thats why I am now studying for this CAPES. The particularity is that I have always been determined to be a teacher of English, not of Spanish. So, despite the many attempts of many people who have tried to dissuade me from trying the English CAPES, and encouraged me to try the Spanish CAPES, I have persisted and I keep studying to become an English teacher. Meanwhile, in order to help me survive financially in this expensive country, I work part-time as a shopassistant in a jewellers. Sometimes I feel desperate but as Pink says, Youve gotta get up and try try try. Miquel ngel Fuentes After graduating I decided to carry on with my education and take the CAP masters degree at UAB. As it was a full-time masters degree, which had periods of Practicum in the mornings and periods of theory lessons in the afternoon, I was forced to give up my job as an English teacher at the language school where I had been working since my second year of the degree. The good part was that I was able to focus on the masters degree thoroughly and I managed to finish it with a really good mark. By the end of the course, however, I was completely broke. I searched for a random job through Infojobs and I ended up working as a telephone operator. I needed the
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money but I hated the job, so in the end I mustered up my courage and quit so as to enroll for a second masters degree, this time in Research in Language and Literature Teaching at the UAB again. It was great because I managed to get a small job with the Research in Language and Literature Teaching program. I also returned to being a teacher at a language school (as I had been during the degree). Sadly, after a year, I was made redundant at UAB due to downsizing. Afterwards, I decided to become a PhD candidate in order to eventually achieve better credentials which might help me get a proper job in the future. I was unable to get a grant for it because my weighted average mark for the degree was below the standards to be eligible (the masters degrees didnt count). As of today, four years after graduating, I am still looking for a full-time, regular job in which I get a minimum of 1000 euros per month which seems almost Mission: Impossible. Laura Izquierdo I have always dreamt about becoming an English teacher, actually, this is the reason why I chose to study Filologia Anglesa. However, I can say that nothing has been as I expected. I started working while I was still studying at UAB. It was hard to combine both things, but it helped me to learn to be more organized. Nowadays I work in the same school as a part-time job. Of course, it is not the job of my life, but being there has given me a lot of experience. I have been teaching children from 3 to 18 years old, preparing students for Selectivitat and Cambridge Exams, organizing lessons, organizing material to make it more attractive and even creating my own material, working with adults, etc. This work has also given me the ability to improvise in front of a class when everything goes wrong and even put my first aid knowledge into practice when a child cuts himself. It is clear that with this job, my working and financial expectations have not been completely fulfilled, but at least I am happy to work in the world of education. I have also worked sporadically as a substitute teacher in a primary school and in a high school. This world was totally new for me and Ive seen how complex it is dealing with a class with 28 students. I taught English, Catalan, Spanish and even music! I have never stopped sending CV to lots of places, and I also continue applying for different grants to work abroad. I hope someday, with scholarship or not, I get the possibility to work in a foreign country. I have also observed that continuing with your academic training is important, not only for your CV but also for your personal satisfaction while you are looking for your perfect job. I have taken different courses and seminars about tips to teach Cambridge exams or working with TIC. Im also studying another language. Although all this may seem really negative, everything depends on how you cope with your present situation. The important thing is to learn something from everywhere you work, taking both personal and professional benefit from the places where you are. Marta Madrid Ribas I worked in different language schools during my degree. In the October after I graduated, Michael forwarded an e-mail from another former student saying that Cambridge University Press in Barcelona was looking for a sales representative and I sent my CV. In
December Cambridge University Press called me for an interview. I was surprised because I had already forgotten about having sent the CV. After the first interview, they said they would call me for a second interview. As the new year started I thought that they wouldnt call me again but I finally did the second interview in the second week of January and started working in February 2010. After three years working as English Language Teaching representative I can say that Ive learnt a lot about methodology and marketing. Having worked as a teacher with some of their books is a great advantage when I had to promote them. Ive met a lo t of interesting people such as other representatives from other parts of Spain, authors and editors. The job of a representative consists of visiting schools around Catalonia, preparing events related to Cambridge Exams and English teaching, learning about new materials and competitors and doing some office jobs. It is a good job to do in the first years after finishing the degree because you learn a lot and it is a good chance to try something that is not teaching but is related to your degree. The job conditions are really good: you have to work some Saturday mornings but you get days off in compensation for that. These last two years have been very tough because of the recession. Schools havent got money and its difficult to sell them anything, so completing the 20 visits bosses say you must do in a week is a really difficult task. When this happens the job becomes very stressful. I finished the UAB masters degree in publishing last year. I'm trying to get promoted to the publishing department and the editors in my office sometimes give me some editing jobs to do. As the publishing world is suffering a lot with the recession I dont think it is possible to work only as an editor at the moment. The chief editor may give me some work to do as a freelancer this year. At the moment the only thing I can do is wait for the times to change so in the meantime I am going to start a course in ebook design and publishing. Nria Marco Rodrguez After having worked as a teacher in a nursery school in London for two years, I have decided that even though it has been a great experience, this is not what I want to do and if I want to move on, the only way is to continue studying and start looking for another job. With this in mind, I have managed to reduce my working hours. I still dont know what is going to happen next year. I have applied to some MA programmes and other courses. I doubt about what the best options are. However, I am sure that in order to teach older children here or elsewhere (not in Spain) I need to have a TEFL certificate, as well as the course from Instituto Cervantes or International House to teach Spanish and another language like French or German. It is very hard to make decisions in the present situation, but I believe that we still need to try and not settle for something if our heart is not in it. Because the truth is that time flies and if you dont do it now you wont do it. ngela Masi Sol As I explained in the last pack, when I finished my degree in 2009 I quickly started sending lots of CVs to all the private schools I knew. It is really difficult to get a position in one of these schools, especially nowadays, but I didnt give up. Two years after graduating I was able
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to start working in a private high school in Salou, subbing for the English teacher. Luckily, when the substituion period finished, I was offered a job for the following academic year. So this year I am teaching English and German in 1st, 2nd and 3rd year of ESO and I am also doing some classes in primary (this is another maternity substitution). Although the school is 45 minutes from my town, I am very happy because I know that nowadays it is very difficult to get the job you love. My advice: dont stop sending your CVs and dont stop studying languages or doing any course you can do. You can finally get what you desire. Noem Ortego Jdar Last year I took the exam to become a guia oficial de turisme de Catalunya and since then on I have been working as such for the same company I have been working for the last three years. Before I was working only at the Palau de la Msica Catalana and now, with the title, I have more options: Sagrada Familia, Park Gell, Montserrat, etc. and the salary is a little bit higher than before. Also a couple of months ago I signed a permanent contractyay! It looks like tourism is the goose that lays golden eggs but I think that we may break it soon. The city is getting more and more expensive every yearadmission fees, especiallyand since the economic crisis started there are a lot of unqualified people carrying a colourful umbrella and explaining anything they want to visitors. So there's a lot of competition and infiltration. To sum up, I feel that I have a very rewarding job, since I am always meeting new people and I learn new things every day but, if you are considering this career, speaking a foreign language is not enough preparation. You need to read a lot, have good communication skills and be a service-oriented person. Vernica Paez Fuentes After surviving years of studying and part-time work, I finally reached the end of my student life four years ago. However, I had to face then the recession! Every day was a wake up and smell the Infojobs webpage. It was a nightmare to be in such long, rigorous application processes but I learnt a lot about how to do proficient job interviews. I have been working at ESADE Business School since 2010 as the person in charge of official academic certificates and accreditations. Given the international prestige of this particular school, most of the students are international and that is why they hire so many graduates in English Philology, to ensure at least good social and communication skills with the students. I am starting a Masters Degree in Public Relations and Protocol next academic year, since I see to get more prepared in order to keep surviving in the current job jungle. Olga Parera Bosch When I was in my last year of English Philology, I decided to start the second cycle of Translation & Interpretation. Im so happy I decided to do English Philology first because I had acquired a solid base in English that allowed me to head to Translation & Interpretation with more confidence and knowledge. Translation & Interpretation is more like a practical degree in comparison with English Philology.
In Translation, there are two subjects related to Legal Translation, plus the faculty offers a 10-week course on this field as well that gives you credits de lliure elecci and official credentials from the Generalitat de Catalunya to be an English-Catalan/Catalan-English sworn translator once you graduate. This course is optional. I did it and it really helped me to become more specialized in this subject. If any student from English Philology would like to have that credential, he/she will have to sit an exam. You can find further information at www20.gencat.cat/portal/site/Llengcat under Acreditaci de coneixements. This year, Ive done the MA in Media Translation and I truly recommend it. You can do it either on site or online. You do different subjects such as dubbing, subtitling, audiodescription, videogames, etc, plus you must attend a circle of lectures about how to become a freelance translator, tips about the job market and others related to the subjects youve made in the course. Within the master, there is an internship program, which is optional. If you do the internship, then the final project will be based on that. If you dont, then you have to look for a topic and do some research. I did my internship as a conference translator and subtitler at the CCCB in Barcelona. It was nice. Id love to always work as an audiovisual translator. But this MA taught me (our teachers told us) that translators cannot be specialized in one field. The more fields you work in, the better, especially considering the difficult moment the job market is going through. Maybe in the past you could but nowadays its impossible. So I started my own business as a freelance translator. When I finished the MA, I started to work right away as a freelance translator in a dubbing studio translating and making subtitles of movies and TV shows. While I was looking for more clients, I did an online course on Literary Translation at Calamo & Cran. I totally recommend it because it helps you translate in all genres (novel, poetry, essays, etc.) and at the same time, it gives you a perspective about the current situation of literary translation. Currently, I basically translate in the audiovisual and advertising business but Im also looking to step into the publishing world. In October, my little business will turn two years old and despite the crisis, Im blessed to be working in what I studied and love. Ariadna Puig Cabeza The year after I graduated I took a Masters course in Audiovisual Translation at the UAB. In that Masters program I had the chance to do an internship in a company called Selecta Visin S.A. adding subtitles for TV series and translating some films or trailers from English into Spanish. This company works a lot with Japanese animation, so as I was studying Japanese as well, they kept giving me work even after the Masters program ended. So I became a freelance translator. In the summer of 2010 I spent a month in Kyoto taking an intensive Japanese course with the goal of being able to translate from Japanese into Spanish someday. But when I came back, as in Selecta Visin they didnt need my services often enough, I needed an extra job, so I started working at UAB Idiomes Barcelona Casa Convalescncia in administration. However, I was just a substitute and when the contract finished two months later, I was unemployed again. Four months later, I started working at Barcelona Tour Bus (Bus Turstic de Barcelona). But the job wasnt so nice. My superiors
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were rude and in 6 hours of standing in the same spot, we couldnt even have a break, so your legs hurt a lot. Although I liked guiding the tourists, I quit two months later as I was needed again at UAB Idiomes. As I knew this job was also temporary and Id always had in mind the idea of making films, in 2011 I started a Cinema degree at ESCAC (UB). Next September Ill happily be a third year student. Alexandra Tejero Canal A degree in English Philology, having spent a year abroad on Erasmus, four languages, computer knowledge, very communicative and hard-working. That was me when I left the UAB. Nice, right? It would not be difficult to find a job! I sent thousands (well, maybe only hundreds) of CVs everywhere. First to all the schools I could find as I wanted to become a teacher, then to all the multinational companies I could contact, to some friends and acquaintances for them to pass it around... No luck. I ended up in a school in Rub, which was not at all what I wanted but which provided me with some spending money. After three months I decided the advantages there did not exceed the disadvantages, so I quit. Not long after that I found a job in my city, as a friend of mine was leaving the job and thought I could take it. I was working at a language school which was really not very motivating or anything, but which would help pay the bills. I was there for half a year. Then my neighbour said that the language school where she is working was looking for teachers and that she had recommended me to her boss, so I should send my CV. I did so, and I have been working at FIAC as an English teacher for one and a half years. I loved my job and teaching, I had wonderful colleagues, and my boss was a teacher himself so he knew what he was talking about. However, they recently said, after having kept me for one and half years, that they could no longer keep me under a temporary contract and that I don't have the profile of the teacher they want, so I am not looking for a job again. My advice to you is first that you work hard to widen your networks. I will not say I have no job, because people will think I am useless. WRONG. Tell people, let people know what you are like and what you are good at, and chances are one of these people will call you one day when you least expect it and say Hey! I thought of you, are you interested in...?. My second tip is that you keep your hopes up. BE POSITIVE, you will achieve your goals, maybe straight away or maybe after trying some jobs you dont like, but you will get it in the end. And last but not least: DO WHAT YOU LIKE. When the day is over, having a job you like is the most important thing. Alba Torres lvarez I finished the BA and the CAP in 2009 after my Erasmus year at Roehampton University in London. Meanwhile I worked as an English teacher and secretary at a language school. Afterwards, I did the MA in Advanced English Studies: Literature, Culture and Publishing in 2010 also at the UAB. During that time I worked as an independent reader writing reports for authors-, as a publishing assistant, and as a bookseller at Llibrera Laie which I enjoyed a lot because I read and reviewed new novels, learned a lot about the publishing industry and met authors such as David Vann and Juan Mars.
Looking for adventures, and eager to improve my German, I moved to Austria in 2012. At first I lived in Vienna and worked as a media analyst and translator in an international company. I had to select certain articles from the daily press and translate them into English. The main topics were renewables and telecommunications. I combined this with proof-reading and translation works as a freelance. Doing an ELE training course at the Cervantes Institute allowed me to work as a Spanish teacher, which I really enjoyed. After that I also worked as an English trainer, and developed a methodology to teach languages involving storytelling sessions for both children and adults. I am currently living in an Austrian town very close to the border and working in Liechtenstein. I am considering doing a postgraduate course on digital publishing via the UOC. I encourage graduates to face their professional lives with a positive attitude. No matter how difficult it looks now This is one moment / But know that another / shall pierce you with a sudden painful joy. (TS Eliot). Why? Speaking different languages will always be an asset, you will find that the cultural background you acquired in the BA will be enriching both personally and professionally. My advice is try to make a difference by specializing (do a MA in translation, literature, communications, marketing); learn an uncommon language such as Norwegian, Arabic, or Chinese; be very flexible, so consider moving abroad, and dont forget to have some fun! Isabel Vila Casas I finished my degree in February 2010. Though I am from Vic, I moved house to Manresa for personal reasons and looked for a job. As the days went by I found that in many places you are asked to have at least 2 or 3 years of experience. I couldnt believe that no one could give me a chance to get that first experience. Where could I get it? I was very disappointed. However, one day a language school called me for an interview. The boss told me that she would give me a chance to work there by giving me some extra training. I agreed and I worked there for one academic year. For the next year I was told that I would be given fewer groups and I decided it was time to do something else. I enrolled in the Masters course in 2012 to teach in secondary schools and EOI that had previously been a 6 months course. I made that decision because I thought it was then or never. I have to say that I enjoyed it very much. I went to a high school in Terrassa and I taught science in English. I also went to the APAC and CLIL convention for teachers, which I recommend very much because you get lots of new ideas to put into practice in your lessons. After finishing the masters I couldnt get onto the llistes thanks to the crisis and budget cuts, but I continued looking for a job and I found another language school near my flat. I have been working there this academic year and my boss told me that he is counting on me for September. Although I have few groups, I am very happy with the job. My advice: When you finish your degree, dont stop! Study, send CVs, go to interviews, etc.
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Teresa Maria Xiqus Garcia I have always had a special interest in linguistics, so after finishing my Licenciatura in Spanish and English Philology I decided to continue my educational career by enrolling in a Masters in Cognitive Science and Language program. Since I also really like teaching too and I was keen to develop my teaching skills, I started working in a school as an English teacher at the same time. I taught English to students aged from 18 to 30 who were undertaking Vocational Training courses related to tourism, secretarial studies and administrative management. Moreover, I also started working as a research technician at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. I collaborated in a project called HISPACAT, a comparative database of syntactic contrastive constructions in Catalan and Spanish. During that year, I had to handle multiple projects and deadlines. Later, I worked as an English teacher in the Professional Qualification Program at Turbula school until I was awarded by the Catalan Government a FI pre-doctoral scholarship to pursue graduate studies. Currently, I am completing my Ph.D. thesis in Linguistics at the Department of Spanish Philology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. Since then, I have also had the opportunity to present part of my work in workshops and conferences and stay at the University of the Basque Country and, last spring, at the Department of Linguistics at the University of Massachusetts/Amherst. This last experience has definitely contributed to my academic and personal growth. I encourage those who want to continue their educational career to pursue a Ph.D.. The Catalan as well as the Spanish Government offer grants, but if you like travelling and want to live in a foreign country, exploring its culture and a new way of life, I recommend you to apply for a graduate program abroad. 2008 Cristina Abnades Lpez When I finished the degree, I did a Master in International Business offered by ESDEN (Escuela Superior de Negocios y Teconologa). They have a building here in Barcelona, but this masters was in Madrid and semipresencial, that is, we did some work at home via the internet and then we met once a month. It is very interesting because you meet people like yourself who have just finished their degrees and need some more training in this area, but you also find people older than you who are already working in this area and can share information and impressions with you. Moreover, this masters offers an internship and the school tries to find a company close to your city. At the end of the Master, there is also a bolsa de trabajo to help us find work. The situation in Spain is being difficult for a long time, but I finally found a company in Barcelona to do my internship. After that, I worked again in this company three years ago after not having found a job for about a year. Curiously, while I was working in Barcelona, I was called from a company in Rub, where I worked for three months in the Customer Service Department (Departamento de Ventas), the area in which I would like to continue. In fact, this is my third summer there and, currently, there are many chances of getting work in this company for a long time.
Simultaneously I have continued to take different courses, since I think the more you know the better, because in companies they not only look for someone who has experience, but also someone who is highly trained. It is true that the current situation is a bit exasperating, but we must not lose hope because there are opportunities for us, although sometimes it is difficult to find them. Jos Manuel Cabello Cotn I graduated from the Universitat Autnoma de Barcelona in 2008 after having spent at the Universidad de Sevilla and another year at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (Erasmus). The degree took me six years and made me realize what I really like doing, which is teaching languages and culture. After those years away from home, I came back to Seville and took the last CAP courses at the Universidad de Sevilla while working in a couple of language schools. The experience was quite good, teaching at a nice high school with good students. I was lucky because I heard that some classmates who initially liked teaching got to dislike being teachers due to the bad experiences they had during the practicum. In addition to English, I also like teaching Spanish, which is why I decided to do a Masters degree in Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language in Seville, at the Universidad Pablo de Olavide. During my teaching practice, I was offered a job at a university in China teaching Spanish once I finished the masters. I did not know anything about China but I did not hesitate and went there the summer of 2010 to gain some teaching experience. One year later, I joined a top Chinese university working less hours for more money (which proves how easy and fast it can be to progress in China). I signed a one-year contract with them. I had been teaching there both Spanish and English for six months when the Universidad de Sevilla (US) offered me to work with them teaching Spanish for Chinese speakers (espaol para sinohablantes). That was a great surprise since I did not expect to be required so quickly after having previously participated in a bolsa de trabajo. I like travelling and living abroad, but I could not reject such a great opportunity. Anyway, I have to say that working in such a difficult country was an amazing experience both professionally and personally. As I, and many other people, see it, China is the new land of opportunities. Now, I am lucky to have a job that I like and a good salary back home at these hard times. My job basically consists of helping Chinese students of the US reach a B1-B2 level of Spanish and help them get used to Spanish / Western culture. Nowadays, because of the crisis and the high university prices non-EU students have to pay in Spain, there are not so many Chinese students who come to our university as before. They are starting to choose other Spanish speaking countries such us Chile, Peru or Argentina. So I hope things can get better so that I do not stop working. To conclude, nobody has given me anything. It has been a matter of effort and perseverance. If I had not dared to go abroad nothing of all this would have happened to me. So I encourage you to go to either China or any other country, which might be, as it was in my case, a springboard to a better future as well as an amazing experience
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Silvia Cerezo By the time I graduated in 2007, I was working parttime as a tourist guide in Barcelona. Just like some of my classmates, I enrolled in the llistes for substitute teaching positions in state high schools and elementary schools as soon as the enrollment period opened. About six months later I was called for the first time. It was meant to be a four-day substitution at a high school in Montcada i Reixac, which, according to legal regulations, I wasn't obliged to accept for the high school was a CAEP, a Centre d'Atenci Educativa Preferent. This acronym is a soft term to refer to schools with a high rate of newcomers from a wide variety of countries, and usually located in poor areas or slums. Even though I was warned I wouldnt teach English but a set of core skills from elementary level to teens with highly disruptive behavior at 3rd and 4th CSE levels, I did take the challenge. The four days turned out to be six months and I can just say that I regard that as being the most rewarding experience in my short career as a teacher. What I learned from those kids really paid off. After that substitution, several followed through academic year 2008-2009. Ever since 2009, I have occupied vacancies, that is to say, one-year substitutions at different elementary schools, as an English teacher along with other core subjects. Yet it is true that I have sacrificed money (elementary school teachers work more hours per week and get a lower salary) but Ive enjoyed a certain stability in return since it is almost impossible for a young teacher with little experience to get a vacancy at secondary education workplaces. I should also point out that, from 2009 until now, both my bank account and my work chances have undergone the effects of the cutbacks or socalled retallades. For example, in 2009-2010 I was hired at 83% of work dedication and salary, 66% next year and, finally, 50% last year. This year, though, its being really tough since I am no longer a substitute teacher for a whole year but just a substitute (main difference is havingor notthe right to get paid summer holidays). I lived on unemployment allowance from September to the end of November, when I was called for a substitution at an EOI. After that, I have covered a couple more substitution positions. Now Im working in a high school in Barber del Valls until the 30th of June. Although the current state of things is anything but encouraging, I must say that I dont feel disheartened, not a bit, because I do love what I do. However, I've got the feeling, too, that theres no longer room for people like me in the Spanish/Catalan educational system and things dont seem likely to improve in the short term. I have even thought of getting DELE diploma and try abroad if I don't have the chance to work here. This is something I have to think about thoroughly, even though I would definitely do for a better chance to keep on doing what I like the most. Irene Cuenca Snchez Before finishing my degree I spent a few months in England and I realised I enjoyed using my English on a daily basis so I was determined to go back. During my last year I applied for the Auxiliares de Conversacin grant and I also did CampAmerica once I finished the degree and it was one of the best experiences in my life. I was first rejected for the Auxiliares grant in June but then in September I received a phone call from the British Council offering me a placement in London.
Being an Auxiliar was an awesome job, because you only work 12 hours a week, you barely need to prepare anything, the money is enough to live on and you have plenty of free time to do loads of different activities and travel. As my Auxiliar position was about to end I got the opportunity to do an interview at the same school and I got a job as a full-time secondary school teacher. It was meant to be for only a few months but they finally gave me a permanent job. This is my fifth year now (fourth as a teacher) and I am also a Senior tutor as well as KS4 coordinator (similar to coordinadora de la ESO). I recently got appointed as Second in Department which helps you prepare to be a Head of Department in the future. It is true that the job market is quite competitive in England but it is also true that there are many more opportunities to get a promotion within your school, which comes with an increase in your salary. Schools have less and less money but if you prove to be an Outstanding teacher it will be difficult for them to let you go. Carol Gmez Lpez When I graduated, I went to my local INEM office (though I was not eligible for unemployment benefits). They found me a course at the Escola Pia that would train me to be an all-purpose sales assistant. It was completely free and very useful. Their method of working is based on a simulated company. You interact with many other simulatedcompanies from all over Spain and Europe and you learn from the inside of the company. You work with the same efficiency as if you were in a real company, but you dont suffer negative consequences if you make any mistakes. Escola Pia tries to find every student a job at the end of the course although I was the only one who got one (due to the current recession). It is worth saying that my English Philology Degree made I could be chosen for that position. I know it is not what I was looking for when I graduated, but it was a good start to learn and become fluent inside the business world. What is more, I have been promoted twice in the company. One of the promotions consisted in being in charge of a new service offered in La Roca Village shopping centre. The other one was a sales representative position in the Graphic Department. The latter promotion was a complete challenge for me. I not only had to learn all the secrets of the printing and design world, but also selling techniques and how to deal with troubles on your own .Nowadays, I am no longer in that position (because of internal movements within the company). I am where everything began: in transport. However, I am going to start a Marketing and Sales Masters Degree in ESIC next October. I am really excited about it, because it is an interesting world for me, which I got to know when I was a Sales Representative. From my point of view, my current job is no longer challenging. I know everything it can teach me, as I have been here for several years now. Nevertheless, it will hopefully be the perfect one to face the long work hours I will have to devote to the Masters project and classes. As far as I am concerned, everything comes at its due moment in life. My English Degree helped me to achieve the goals I set to myself. Furthermore, I am ready to move abroad as soon as I finish my Masters and get experience as a Marketing Manager there.
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Finally, regarding my DJ job, I am not much involved now. That was a stage of my life which I fully enjoyed, but it does not fit much in the moment I am currently in, although I still attend some gigs! Mariela Gonzlez Gmez After finishing English Philology and an undergraduate degree in Furniture Design I went on to study a masters degree in Contemporary Design in London. I am currently the director of Roomservice Design Gallery in the center of Barcelona where we showcase and distribute the work of renowned contemporary designers. During my summer break I also work as a camp director for English Summer. Aarn Herrero Hidalga After finishing the degree I immediately took the CAP course at the UAB and joined thepublic substitute teacher list. In October 2009 I got a call from a language school but I quit the job some months later as I didnt have a contract and the working conditions were awful. In January 2011 I worked at a private school with ESO students for a few days and in April 2011 I got the Advanced level certificate in Catalan (D). Then I worked at another private school from the beginning of May until the end of June 2011. But this time the substitution was longer and it was a tough teaching experience as I had really disruptive students in class. Nowadays its really difficult to teach teenagers since they often misbehave in class and you have to approach them with patience and understanding. In September 2011 I got my first substitution at a public school and I worked a few days in El Garraf area. There I taught ESO and Batxillerat students and I noticed that Batxillerat students were quieter in class. This last academic year has not been good as far as work is concerned. However, in January 2013 I got a casual job as a teacher of adults at a language school. There I taught English to unemployed adults and it was my first experience with adult students. On the whole, I think that the experience was rewarding, but it was a mixed-level class. I had students with three different levels of English. I found it really difficult to reach all students and some of them were critical of my teaching methodology. Unfortunately, Ive been unemployed since March 2013. In the meantime Im taking teacher training courses because I want to keep on learning. Cinta Llorente del guila When I was finishing English Philology I went to Berlin and worked for a tourist company as a ticket supervisor. At the same time I learnt German. Then I did the Master de Traducci Audiovisual at the UAB. I learnt a lot. We did subtitling, dubbing, voice-over, videogames, software, etc. It was very interesting and useful. However, it was hard to find a job as a translator in an audiovisual company and make a living from it. The most common way to become a translator is to be freelance and step by step build up a clientele. I got a job in a studio as a dubbing translator, which was kind of interesting, but it wasnt well paid. I worked for them just a couple of months. I also worked for private companies who needed subtitles for their promotional videos. Three years ago I also worked at El Palau de la Msica as a guide for English, Spanish and Catalan groups. I also sold tickets and did some other tasks like
picking up people at the airport. In addition, I did some translations from time to time, though I was not well paid for it. Now I run a language school in Berlin. After I finished the International House course to become an ELE Teacher, together with my German boyfriend, I opened a school in Berlin called Sprachkombinat (www.sprachkombinat.org). I just had a baby and we had to find new teachers to substitute for me. Now we have four teachers and one director and our school is growing every day. We are also building a cinema for our students called Klubkino. Cristina Martn Parareda After graduation, I chose to become a teacher because I thought that it would help me to work not only in my country but also in foreign ones, so first I obtained the CAP at the UAB. I taught English in a semi-private religious school in Barcelona in order to get some experience in the field. My students were 13 to 16 years old and even though it was a hard experience, it was very rewarding. But what I really wanted was to spend a year in an English-speaking country working in something related with my degree. I started looking for scholarships and I realised that the Spanish government gives a lot of opportunities in teaching, such as Comenius, a paid month doing a course of any language in a foreign country or the one I am doing right now, Auxiliares de Conversacin de Espaol para Extranjeros. Initially I was not accepted for the grant, in fact I wasnt even on the waiting list. However, just when I was losing hope, they called me to go to Malta. So I spent the year in Malta in a secondary girls school teaching Spanish with two teachers, who used opposite methodologies in the class. Fortunately, I taught all the Formsfrom Form 1 to 5and I was in charge of the speaking and cultural section. It was a great year full of experiences, challenges and impressions because I was living in a different country with a different culture, languagethe Maltese speak English and Malteseand educational system. As a teacher, this experience was very enriching because you are in contact with students who have a different behavior and education. The salary and timetable were suitable for someone who is just starting to work but the greatest thing was the experience, the things you live and learn and all the people you meet in a year abroad. After that year, I came back to Spain and the job search was very hard because Spain was going through a very difficult moment in terms of work. I spent six month unemployed but fortunately, I found a half a year replacement in a semi-private school in Badalona. Since then, I have been working in different semi-private schools from Barcelona and its outskirts and teaching not only English but also other subjects such Religion, Studies Techniques, Classical Studies, Catalan reinforcement and being Form teacher from different levels. I really appreciate that all these schools have given me the chance to become more versatile and grow as a teacher but at the same time, I have also realised that a teacher can never stop studying because the schools are looking for a multi-skilled person. No school has hired me yet, and I have learnt that if I want to have a permanent job, I have to study more languages such as French and German. Since 2012, German has become a
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very important language and many schools want to include it in their educational programme, so I have started learning it in order to see if it gives me more work opportunities. Even though it is difficult to find a job, we have to use other resources such as studying, contacting former colleagues from uni and being in touch with the schools/companies you have worked for instead of staying depressed at home. Carolina Padrosa Trias After graduating, I attended classes to get the CAP and I passed the exam to get the nivell D de Catal. As for my work experience, after graduating, from September 2008 to January 2009 I worked as an interpreter for the conference calls at a company called Inquide in Poliny. Moreover, I taught English at the Fiac language school in Terrassa and to the workers at a company called Mikalor in Sabadell. During the school year 2009-2010 I worked as an Auxiliar de conversacin in Nancy, France. I strongly recommend this grant since its only 12 hours per week teaching and, as a result, you have plenty of time to study, travel around and meet new people. Furthermore, I taught Spanish at the University of Nancy because in France being a secondary school teacher entitles you to teach at university too. Since October 2010 Ive taught English and French at different language schools (Fiac in Terrassa again, CIFE in Santa Perptua de Mogoda and now Edi in Banyoles). Ive also proofed a Spanish book for the publishing house Gra and proofread and translated articles from Spanish into English for the Psychology Department of the UAB. Moreover, since Ive danced since I was 12 and I needed to devote myself to dance or theater, I entered a dance school in Barcelona in September 2010. Now Im in my fourth year and by this time next year I hope Ill be working as a professional dancer. Carlos Verge Ferr I had always been interested in Scandinavian countries; that is why in 2006 I decided to take an Erasmus at the University of Troms, in Norway. The experience was captivating: not only did I discover an amazingly beautiful country, but I was able to participate in meaningful social, educational and recreational activities. I fell in love with Norway and decided to stay there after the Erasmus was over. There was just one problem: I needed a job in order to survive in one of the most expensive countries in the world. The adventures and misfortunes of a job-seeker in Scandinavia could fill a whole book, so I am not going to recount them here. Lets just say that, after thousands of disappointments, I got a job as a waiter in a hotel. The job gave me the necessary experience, the exact number of reference letters, the perfect amount of the Norwegian language and the essential quantity of contacts that I needed in order to turn the adventures and misfortunes of a jobseeker in Scandinavia into a longforgotten recollection. From then on, finding a job as a waiter in Norway has been quite an easy task. During the last nine years I have been working as a waiter in different hotels all over Norway. I just work there during the summer season, which runs approximately from May until September; then I return to Spain for the autumn/winter. Usually I have used those
long winters to expand my formation with diferent language diplomas or teaching courses, including the famous master in teaching formation, the former CAP, or the fantastic E/LE course, described in this pack. While I wait for the chance to work as a teacher in Spain, a seasonal job in Norway is definitely a far better option than total unemployment. The other option, that is, staying in Norway for the long term, has often crossed my mind. I do not deny that, given the current economic situation in Spain, perhaps a one or two years stay in this Scandinavian country would be a more sensible choice at the moment. Anna Vidal Calbet I finished my degree in 2008. After so much time at university I was eager to find a full-time job. I didnt have much experience in teaching, just some temporary jobs in some language schools. At first I was enthusiastic: I registered in the Departament d'Ensenyament lists, I opened an account in several job websites, I mailed my CV to private and concertat schools and, of course, I let all my friends and acquaintances know that I was looking for a job. The job search became a job in itself. But months went by and there werent any substantial results and I was beginning to feel disappointed. Eventually, I was offered a substitution in a concertat school which was my first real experience teaching in a high school. Obviously, because I had to teach teenagers, having a control of the class was my main goal, and, needless to say, it was almost impossible to achieve. Another substitution followed and, at the same time, I decided to prepare for Oposiciones, though I wasnt really motivated and eventually failed. The following year, I taught the whole academic year in a concertada primary school which was a good experience in terms of both teaching and gaining some financial stability. Since then, finding a job has become harder and harder due to the economic crisis. I combined substitutions, language schools, courses for unemployed people and, again, private classes. In spite of this, I spent several months unemployed and I had to come back to my home town, where I am currently surviving thanks to private lessons. Thats why I am strongly considering the possibility of going abroad. 2007 Xavier Aldana Reyes After an exchange year at Roehampton University, I studied an MA in Modern and Contemporary Literature at Birkbeck College (University of London). I then began my doctoral studies at Lancaster University, where I researched the roles of affect and corporeal transgression in contemporary Anglo-American literature and film and ran the International Summer Programme for the British Culture and Literature 1800-2000 course as Academic Coordinator. I also worked as Associate Lecturer in English literature and, during my third and fourth years, in MMU Cheshire. I am currently Research Fellow in English (Gothic Studies) at Manchester Metropolitan University, where I am helping to build Englands first Centre for Gothic Studies under the directorship of Dr Linnie Blake. I have begun work on two contracted books - Body Gothic: Corporeal Transgression in Contemporary Literature
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and Horror Film (University of Wales Press, 2014) and Spanish Gothic: National Identity, Collaboration, and Cultural Adaptation (Palgrave Macmillan) - and have published articles in international journals such as Gothic Studies, Horror Studies or The Bulletin of Hispanic Studies. I am currently developing Gothic Manchester, a weeks worth of evens that will help launch the centre and will focus on the dark side of Manchester: http://conferences.visitmanchester.com/contact-us/drxavier-aldana-reyes-and-dr-linnie-blake---manchestermetropolitan-university. Most recently, I became a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, completed a PGCE in Academic Practice and was invited to be guest blogger for the month of July for The Gothic Imagination website, run by the University of Stirling. I welcome inquiries from students thinking of pursuing further academic studies in the UK, particularly of a doctoral nature. You may contact me at X.AldanaReyes@mmu.ac.uk, visit my departmental website: http://www2.hlss.mmu.ac.uk/english/academicstaff/?profileID=467, or find me on twitter: @XAldanaReyes. Laia Arnaus Gil Desprs de la meva estada dErasmus a Bochum (Alemanya) vaig tornar a Barcelona per a acabar els meus estudis de filologia anglesa amb lalemany com a segona llengua. Evidentment, lesfor fet en millorar ambdues llenges havia donat els seus resultats i em trobava cursant les ltimes assignatures a lUAB per a poder obtenir el ttol, mentre treballava per les tardes en una acadmia donant classes dangls i alemany a tots els nivells. Tot i que el meu futur professional s'encarava a impartir classes de llengua, la vessant ms investigadora de la lingstica continuava interessantme.Tant s aix que em vaig presentar a les beques que otorga cada any La Caixa en collaboraci amb el DAAD (Deustches AkademischesAustauschdienst) per tal de cursar un doctorat a Alemanya, el qual he completat amb xit durant el 2012, amb el tema La seleccin copulativa y auxiliar: las lenguas romances (espaol italiano - cataln - francs) y el alemn en contacto. Su adquisicin en nios monolinges, bilinges y trilinges. La publicaci data del febrer 2013 per leditorial Narr Verlag (Tbingen). Des de la meva arribada a Alemanya lany 2004 i la meva etapa acadmica de doctorat a finals del 2009 he tingut loportunitat de continuar formantme professionalment grcies a la tesi doctoral i al meu treball com a collaboradora cientfica dins dun projecte dinvestigaci financiat pel ministerio dinvestigaci alemany (DFG) amb el tema Codeswitching en edats primerenques com a punt principal del projecte. Des de llavors hem tingut la oportunitat de presentar els nostres resultats a diverses conferncies de caire internacional aix com loportunitat dampliar el corpus lingstic amb nous infants bilinges i trilinges residents a Espanya, Itlia, Frana i Alemanya. Desprs de 4 anys d'investigaci en aquest camp, el projecte hafinalitzat al maig daquest any i es preveu una publicaci (llibre) dels resultats per aquest mateix any. Apart daquestes tasques en el camp de la investigaci, he anat impartint diferents seminaris de lingstica espanyola. Durant el curs passat i lactual cubreixo la ctedra de lingstica espanyola (W2Professur) amb 5 seminaris en el nostre departament tant
oer a estudiants de grau (Bachelor) com de postgrau (Master). Kor Arques Burgos Since I finished the Masters in Teacher Training (here called Master en Formacin del profesorado de ESO, Bachillerato y Escuelas Oficiales de Idiomas) in 2011-2012, I tried to join in the teacher list for substitutions in the Public School. However, they never opened it, and there are no future prospects at the moment. This was quite disappointing given that this was one of the purposes for me to do this Masters, and in the long term possibly to take the next entrance exam for the position of teacher in the Public system. I have qualifications enough, perhaps too many qualifications someone could say for some positions, and some teaching experience, but this may not seem enough to get a good job nowadays. At the end of last year I started to consider the possibility of getting abroad with a grant. 7,500 people applying for a grant with only a few hundred vacancies in Germany/Austria (my choice). Resolution: NO VACANCY due to massive demand. This year (2012-2013) I started working for a small advertising company that works jointly with Fira Barcelona. In broad terms, I am in charge of the online catalogue (exhibitors information and products) and advertising that is published at each fair, and I also give support in other administrative tasks and have contact with some customers/exhibitors in English. For the moment it is a good position and the atmosphere is quite good, but Im afraid this wont be enough for me in the long term. To be continued... Carolina Balada Prez Since finishing my degree I have specialised in International Business Management and in Translation. I have been working for six years now in an international company dealing with GPS products for automotive, aviation, marine, outdoor, and sports applications. I am currently working as the Head of the Purchasing Department for this company. My responsibilities include forecasting, sending orders to suppliers, monitoring inventory and shipments and some other tasks related to quality and production. At the same time, I am trying to find a path as a freelance translator. I am building a website and attend brief translation courses whenever I am able to. David Checa Gmez I am now running my own language school here in Bratislava, Slovakia, together with a guy from Madrid. Being self employed requires time, patience and having somebody fluent Slovak. I set up my own school because the quality of many language schools here is a bit poor and I think I can offer something else. Moreover, I have some contacts with clients from companies who were interested in continuing with me since they think I am a good teacher and my approach is much more personal. The prices we charge are cheaper than other schools but not much since we have the advantage of being native speakers. We offer all kinds of courses but we focus on companies since they pay most for a lesson. For general courses, we have just reached an agreement with a private school to rent a classroom certain days and hours at a low price. All this it would be useless without the help of an accountant, but I have the advantage that my Slovak wife,
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who studied law and was for a time in social service, is currently on maternity leave. She knows the paper work and is willing to study to be in charge of all the numbers. Mnica Cordero Peas I must admit I didnt know what to do next after obtaining my degree in 2007. I was interested in both tourism and English teaching but PhD programmes in Tourism were expensive for me at that time. I started working in a language school in Rub where I taught very different levels of English, from small children to adults. The experience was good, I really learnt a lot about teaching but I hated working in the afternoons! In 2008 I started working in schools. I was offered a job as English teacher of the four levels of ESO in Cornell. The first trimestre in a school can be challenging for you as a teacher and as a person, especially if you come from language schools where people really aim to learn. Eventually, you end up creating strategies and techniques to deal withor survivestudents and sincerely, you will find it particularly rewarding. After two years in the school (I had a two-year contracte de prctiques) they told me they wouldnt give me a long-term contract as it was expensive for the school to have permanent teachers. I was very lucky and I wasnt unemployed for long periods of time. From 2010 to 2011 I worked in different concertada schools and in different levels: primria, ESO and Batxillerat. Last year, I had two part-time jobs. In the mornings, I was an English teacher for some courses for the unemployed (SOC courses) and, in the afternoons, I worked in a concertada school teaching both English and Catalan in 3rd level of ESO (got the Nivell D in 2011). Currently, I have a quite long-term job in a concertada school in Barcelona for at least the next two years. My duties during the 2012-2013 academic year were teaching English in Infantil and Primria. The next academic year I will be also teaching in ESO. In the meantime I am still taking teacher training courses every now and then to keep me updated and I am considering starting the degree in Educaci Primria next year. As for the future, who knows? Right now, I am still working in education and I really like it but I am open to new projects and opportunities such as starting my own business if education gets even more difficult. Lets see what the future holds... Belinda Costa Olivares While doing and since I finished English Philology Ive never stopped working, and the jobs Ive had have always been related to English. In 2007, when I graduated, I started working for a chemical company. There I was in charge of dealing with international phone callsno matter what the topic was. I must admit I felt rather silly, since I didnt even know what I was talking about. Chemistry isnt my field at all. Plus I also did those so-called administrative tasks in general. However, it is rather easy to find such jobs because most times English is required. After that, I decided to go back to teaching at language schools, while I prepared for oposicions because, in my view, teaching is a far more rewarding job than belonging to this or that company. After doing the CAP, which to me is a utopian, unrealistic portrayal of teaching at high-school, as well as spending quite a lot of money on Cenoposiciones, I decided not to take the
NON-vocational path of stability. I consider that teaching MUST be vocational so that we can transmit to our students that education is a privilege. In fact, I think that some of the main reasons why Spain has run into the socalled crisis are the lack of education and the feeding of rotten civil servants. I must admit that this has made me realize I do like teaching. Then I kept on teaching at language schools and I didnt like it either, mainly because of strong personal principles, so I started organizing volunteer English conversation groups in different environments: parks, bars, the streets, my place, La Nau youth centre, La Bombeta art & culture association, etc. Obviously, I didnt do that for a living but there my hatred of the Spanish educational system grew even stronger. Therefore, I would simply like to become its pain in the ass. However, while knowing how to reach my dream job, Im working as a tutor in a kind of computing school which offers training courses for workers, language courses amongst them. I must say that after six/ five years Im truly unsatisfied with what Im doing. I guess that is the reason why Im doing Catalan Philology through the UOC and receiving private German lessons at home. Furthering my education and getting involved in projects that have to do with education or art make my shitty job less bad. Nevertheless, I do not regret having studied English Philology in the least, since there are still some VOCATIONAL professionals left in this fuckingly numbed system. Vanessa Fernndez del Viso Romn As soon as I finished the degree and I got the CAP, I started sending my CVs to some schools as I was really tired of working in two English Academies. One day, I received an offer from a school near my homeI was really lucky! After one meeting with the headmaster, I got the job and I was in charge of all the ESO courses and the BATX courses, too. Two years ago, I thought about improving my methodological techniques so I enrolled in an official MA in Research on Language and Literature Education at the UAB. In September 2012, I defended my MA dissertation about Project-Based Language Learning. It was really hard to research and write down everything but it was worth it. Next, I published my first articlean interview of a professor from an English Universityin the Bellaterra Journal. This September 2013 I will be enrolled in the PhD in Education program. After six years being working as an English teacher and being tutor of the 4th ESO course I have realized that I love teaching and dealing with teenagers. Its a hard job but its really fulfilling. Rafa Gallego Garca Once I finished the degree I did the CAP. Then I managed to find different jobs using www.infojobs.net, e.g. as an online teacher. It is very different from traditional teaching: you are in touch with students only by means of a virtual campus and the phone. I dont really recommend it because you feel you are mainly doing clerical work. In 2009 I worked as a foreign language assistant (Auxiliar de Conversacin) near Liverpool. I strongly recommend this program. You usually work 16 hours/week, mainly doing oral activities in class or oneto-one speaking sessions. It was one of the most
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rewarding personal and professional experiences I have ever had. In 2010 I worked at Disneyland Paris. You only need an average level of English and French. You must be ready to work under pressure and be open-minded. It can be fun, but you soon realize it is not precisely the place where dreams come true. I joined la borsa dEnsenyament three years ago. I wasnt called once, so I obviously think it is a waste of time and you should consider other options. I am currently working as a cabin crew member for an airline in the Middle East. I had never considered doing this job but they offered good working conditions, nothing to do with what I could get in Spain. The recruitment process (three days if you get through all the oral and written tests) was 100% in English. Only six of us were selected out of 160 people, so I would encourage those of you who are confident with your language skills and willing to travel the world to go for it and leave the teaching positions for when we get older! Ramadan has just started and it is veeery hot here, but I still cannot believe that I am doing what I am doing. Tomorrow London, then Kuala Kumpur and Paris I have also been to Melbourne, Auckland and Beijing. Cristina Garca-Verdugo Gonzlez I graduated in 2007 and since then Ive been working as an English teacher in different schools and companies. The first thing I did was enrol in the borsa dinterins de lescola pblica. Then, I decided to send my CV to some non state schools. Fortunately, it didnt take long since one of the non-state schools contacted me. I worked for this religious school for two years. It was my first experience as a secondary English teacher. The school was small with few children and consequently they had to reduce staff and I was made redundant. Some colleagues told me once that if you survive the first two years you are made for teaching teens. So I started a new quest. I got a maternity leave vacancy for a year in another religious school as a secondary English teacher. To my surprise, at the end of the academic year while I was working for my second religious school (and after 3 years of being in the borsa) I was summoned. I quit the school to start working for an adult state school. It was a great experience. People who wanted to learn! After teaching teenagers that place was paradise for me. Fifteen days later I went back to reality. This experience marked the start of my adventures as a self-employed person. I started by opening a professional profile in websites for freelancers. I wanted to teach at other levels. It was a fantastic decision because since then I have been enrolled in many projects as an in-company teacher. I have seen the inside of many important businesses and learnt from the experiences of other professionals. It is a rewarding job indeed. Today I still work as an in-company teacher but I combine it with the state/non-state schools. Instead of waiting to be summoned every now and then (which is a bit desperate) in the meantime, I have decided to continue with my in-company classes. Merc Guix Casellas At the time I graduated, I had already been accepted in the Visiting Teachers Program in the US so I knew that my first experience after graduation would be teaching in California. This is a program organized by the Ministerio de Educacin y Ciencias. All the positions are in the US
except for a very few in Canada. You can choose the state you want to go to, and once you are accepted you can even choose a city before the interview (interviews are held every year in Madrid between March and April). Positions are available in Elementary, Middle and High Schools, though with Filologia you can only apply for the latter two. Because I had done Magisteri before Filologia and I had the experience to fit the requirements, I was able to teach in Elementary. The salary is good and it allows you to live well, travel and save. You are hired under the same conditions as if you were a US teacher. The bad side is that most of the states ask for a minimum of 2 or 3 years of teaching experience in a school (private language schools or extraescolars do not count for experience). Also, bear in mind that we are given the positions that American teacherswho can chooserefuse to take, especially here in Oakland. Im talking about schools which are located in unstable neighbourhoods. We work with socially and economically disadvantaged communities. I shouldnt call this a disadvantage actually; I really like where Im working at the moment. Teaching here is simply a completely different experience, tough and highly demanding but exciting and very rewarding at the same time. I have just finished my sixth year. Each year gets better and it is relatively easy to find good opportunities to grow professionally. I am a member of the instructional leadership team of the school which means that you contribute to make important decisions about planning, instruction, program implementation, assessments, etc. Once I cleared my California teacher credentials two years ago, the Multiple Subjects and the Crosscultural Bilingual Credential I became what it is considered a highly qualified teacher. This is a requirement if you want to continue working in the country after the third year. I have become tenured in the district, which gives me stability in the midst of the current economic crisis (you become tenured on your fourth year in the district). The state of California is cutting lots of funds in education and its been a year with many lay-offs. It is not easy to keep your job here either, especially if you are a first or second year teacher but now that I have acquired a little seniority I feel that I need to take advantage of it. This is such a great experience and I am constantly growing both professionally and personally. Oakland district is in high need of bilingual teachers. I know they are hiring Spanish teachers in Madrid again this spring (it had not been the case in the last 3 years). Its worth trying! I still dont see myself staying here for good but for now I think it is one of the best options, especially looking at the economic situation back in Spain. Marta Heredia Rodrguez I graduated in February 2008. At that time I didnt know what to do so I applied for the Integrants (www.integrants.es) and Argo (www.becasargo.es) internship grants to work for foreign companies and I also applied to work in the Llistes dinterins. In the meantime I worked at the airport and then, since I was studying German, I decided to spend the summer holidays in Heidelberg trying to improve the language. I liked it so much that I went back for a second summer (www.heidelberger-paedagogium.de). When I came back from Germany I didnt want to stay
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in Spain so I went to Manchester. However, things didnt work out as I had planned so I decided to come back to Spain. I was very lucky because as soon as I got back from Manchester I got a job through the Llistes. Then I worked in one high school for one week and then in another high school for four months. Through this experience I began to learn how a high school works because while I did the CAP I didnt learn anything. During all this time, I only had a few offers from the Integrants and Argo grants: one from Integrants which in the end was canceled and the rest from Argo. However, the offers I got from Argo werent interesting either. I applied for them anyway but I never made it to the final selection process. Most of the offers I got from Argo were to work in nurseries and I didnt apply for that. So I was not very happy with these programs. The year before last I worked in New Zealand (see the section I wrote in the Working Abroad section of this Pack). I came back in September 2011 and I worked at La Salle Manlleu doing a substitution. Then in May 2012 I applied for a visa to go to Canada. I was lucky because we both were chosen (we know people that couldn't make it) and it is not a matter of having good grades or anything of that sort, there are 750 spots and it is first come first served. I arrived in Vancouver in mid-August and by the end of the month I had found a job in an opticians (I found a job faster than a place to live). It has nothing to do with my degree but quite frankly I didnt want to go through the whole process of validating my degree again. I have been told that it takes a very long time and also a lot of money, and in the end you might not even get the degree validated. Apart from all this, life here is very expensive. When you want to rent an apartment most of the apartments are unfurnished. So you need to go to IKEA or use Craigslist. We were quite lucky and we found a small studio flat with everything included and we are paying around 850 euros/month. But you should see the place, it is tiny! However, we are quite happy. When it comes to food, it is also expensive. Obviously salaries here are also higher but even so... Nria Hernndez Castillo I started teaching English about ten years ago. My first job as a teacher involved teaching English as an afterclass activity in a primary school but soon I started teaching teenagers and adults in a language school. When I graduated in Filologia Anglesa I completed a postgraduate degree in Legal Translation at the UAB, because I am very interested in terminology and also because at that time I was considering becoming a legal translator. The following year I started an MA in Institutional Translation at Universitat d'Alacant. However, I started working at the Servei d'Idiomes of Universitat Internacional de Catalunya (UIC) before I could even start my research project, so I decided to concentrate on my new job and to finish the MA a year later. I worked in the Servei d'Idiomes for a year teaching ESL and ESP to students of Architecture, Humanities, Audiovisual Communication, Advertising, Business Management, and Law. Three years ago I switched over to the Faculty of Education at the same university as an associate teacher. A year later I was offered a full-time position at the Faculty and I am currently coordinating the Minor in English for teachers, which is aimed at finalyear Education students who wish to specialise in
teaching English. Furthermore, I am doing an MA in Multilingualism and Education, which I find truly interesting, and which will shape my doctoral dissertation. Diana-Aurora Hernndez Garca After finishing my degree, I entered the 2-year program in East Asian Studies at the UAB-UPF (which no longer exists). As part of my degree, I had the opportunity of studying abroad for a year in Kyoto, Japan. Afterwards, I went back to my home country, Mexico. In Mexico I was offered an undergradlevel teaching job in two private universities within my first month of searching, although they were very few hours, which meant I could hardly make a living. I also worked twice as a Japanese interpreter, which was wellpaid but very demanding for my current level of Japanese. I worked for a semester teaching English to teenagers at a private school. I even tried street juggling! Mostly I worked from home teaching Spanish as a Second Language through Skype. It was well paid by Mexican standards but I didn't have enough students to be able to live on my own. Finally, at the beginning of this year, I applied for and got a position as a Spanish teacher in New Delhi, India. Ive been in Delhi for almost two months now. Living here is an amazing experience, and Im enjoying and learning all I can. The working conditions are a bit draining, though: six hours a day (or more, if theres extra work) for six days a week, weekends included. Auba Llompart Pons After my graduation in June 2007, I enrolled in the MA in Estudis Anglesos Avanats: Literatura i Cultura at the UAB, because I wanted to pursue my studies in English Literature. The MA is a great opportunity to study some aspects of English literature and culture which are not covered at an undergraduate level, and to do research on a particular topic, as students have to write and present a dissertation on a subject that interests them. After completing the MA, I spent a year in Oregon , USA , as a Fulbright Teaching Assistant for Spanish at Pacific University , an experience I would recommend to anyone. I was reluctant at first because I knew that this would mean putting my graduate studies aside for a while, but at the same time I didnt want to miss the chance to live in the United States for a year. So I took the chance and it turned out to be a good move. Taking a break from my studies helped me understand what I really wanted to do; I got some teaching experience and I learnt a lot about American culture. Back in Catalonia in the fall semester of 2009, I started to work on my doctoral thesis in English Literature, while working at a language school in Sant Cugat, and I am currently teaching English Language at the Universitat de Vic. Alfonso Olmedo More than six years after finishing Filologia Anglesa as well as a teaching degree (Magisteri), I cannot but look back and be grateful to God. My career started immediately after my last year at UAB. I was hired and worked as a primary school teacher for approximately three years. However, after those three years I went through a period of time of uncertainty about what to do. For a long time I have been considering going abroad, but
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for the time being that has not come to fruition. One of the things I did, though, was to get the Proficiency in English certificate (CPE). In addition, having done a translation internship as part of my English Philology degree, I decided to enrol on a Masters degree ( Mster en Traducci Cientificotcnica), which I finished earlier this year, my thanks to God. As far as employment is concerned, last year (2012) I had the chance to temporarily work as a teacher of English in three private schools (teaching adult and teenage students). But after that I was out of work again. This year I have done some private tutoring, and I started a blog to promote myself as a tutor of English. Be it tutoring or translating (which I hope to have a chance to do), I am aware it is keeping active that matters. Many things have happened, and I have gone through truly hard times both professionally and personally; but God, Jesus, has been my protector and Saviour, and I have found him to be my shelter, my rock, now and in eternity. Pablo Ortigosa Pastor After graduating, I did the CAP. It was really rewarding and I learnt a lot about how to deal with a class face-to-face. After finishing the CAP, I was able to apply for the llista dinterins. Meanwhile, I started working at a language school teaching intermediate level to 12-16 year olds. It was a very good experience to start with after graduating and I worked there for a year. During the next several years, I did substitutions at various schools in the Valls for short periods. At the same time I attended a course to prepare for the oposicions de secundaria dangles in Barcelona in 2011. I haven't been called to work in the llistes at all this year. So I have enrolled for a course in a centre de formacio ocupacional in Sabadell called Esec where they offer courses for unemployed people like me. It is a course which prepares you to work as a secretary in companies and it provides you with the knowledge of important terms in the corporate world. Jordi Pags Espua After I graduated, since I had substantial experience in the field of engineering, especially in technical drawing, I applied not only for job opportunities directly connected to my degree but also for those which might show interest in my varied profile. Three months later I was offered a job in the civil works technical department of an enterprise with branches abroad. I carry out consultancy and control tasks. The prospects were really appealing but these hard times have absolutely ruined them. On the other hand, my interest in teaching is not gone. As I hadnt resigned myself to giving up teaching, I enrolled at the Departament dEducaci as a substitute teacher. So far Ive worked at several high schools for short periods of time. Unfortunately I must admit that the working conditions are not up to my expectations. Besides, they have suffered a severe deterioration recently, what make this job not an alternative anymore. I also do not rule out enrolling in a postgraduate course to widen my professional career to a different professional area in the future. Cristina Prez Padilla The year after I graduated I taught at a language school in Barcelona and the following year I moved to
London and taught private classes to adults for a year. I then decided to move to the United Arab Emirates, so I searched the Internet and created a database of all the international schools there. I called and I asked for the principals personal email address. Once I had that, I sent her/him my CV and cover letter. The QTS (Qualified Teaching Status) was required in order to be able to apply to all those schools. I applied for it when I was living in London and it was very easy to get. You just have to follow all the steps listed at www.naric.org.uk. As part of the process, all degrees, master courses and CV have to be legally translated. Another important matter is that in order to be hired in the UAE, as in any other country that does not belong to the UE, you have to go to the countrys embassy to have your Diploma stamped, which is what they do to certify that it is authentic. In other words, your diploma needs to have the stamp of the country you are going to work for. In my case I had to go to Madrid (the UAE embassy is there) to have my diploma stamped and then once in Dubai, I had to go to the Ministry of Education to have it stamped also there. Then later all your documents that have been previously translated should be stamped also by the Spanish embassy once there in the UAE, India or whatever the country is. The school does all the legal procedures from that moment on, so you dont need to worry about the residence visa or anything else. This summer I am moving to Panama, where I hope to find a job in an international school as a Spanish teacher. Iolanda Reig Mal Before finishing my degree in 2007 I had already been working in several language schools. The classes were small and I loved teaching different levels and age groups. Still, I couldnt make a living out of such jobs so once I got my degree in June, I did the former CAP. I then joined the llista dinterins i substituts, where I worked for about three years. I only did a secondary substitution and the rest of the time I worked as an English teacher in primary. I got to do a whole academic years substitution in primary but substitutions were mainly from three days up to three weeks, which got me working in almost every town in the Valls Occidental. The experience all in all was enriching but exhausting at the same time. Most of the teachers came back before holidays (Easter, Christmas or summer) so I never got paid holidays. I didnt get to know the pupils or the schools projects, which made adaptation quite hard. I also realized I wasnt prepared for secondary teaching and forgot about oposicions. While I was doubtful about my continuity in the llista and substitutions were becoming more and more infrequent, a colleague from the degree told me about a vacancy with Cambridge University Press. I did the interviews and got the position as an ELT representative in January 2011. I like the fact that I get to meet other teachers and schools and speak in English. As the job is stressful, I try to take courses that I like in my spare time, such as narrative writing or French. Being a representative is not something I would have imagined myself doing but mine is a steady job and the salary is relatively good so Im planning to stay for the time being. Samuel Rsquez Aguado I always knew I wanted to move abroad and work as a Spanish teacher, so the year I graduated I took the
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International House teacher training course and applied to be an auxiliar de conversacin. My application was successful and for a year I worked at a secondary school in the north of England. When my contract ended, I decided to move to London and look for work as a Spanish teacher to adults. Unfortunately, there wasnt as much work as I thought there would be, and I soon realized that it would be very difficult to make a living exclusively out of this. Luckily, I had done the CAP before leaving Barcelona, so I was able to do some work as a supply teacher in secondary education. It paid the bills but it wasnt for me. Finally, after almost one year in London, I was extremely lucky to secure a permanent teaching position. For the past four years I have been working as an inhouse Spanish and English teacher and translator at the London offices of a Spanish company. For almost three years I have also been working part-time as a teacher trainer, first at a London university and now at the Instituto Cervantes. This has been a fantastic opportunity and so far it has allowed me to speak at a conference for Spanish teachers and have a paper published. However, I havent forgotten my other academic interests, and I recently completed an MA in Gender Studies here in London, which I took part-time over two years. It was a very good experience and I may resume my research one day, but now I think its time to focus on my career in languages and do some more training in this area. Slvia Surez Carrin Ever since I came back from my Erasmus in Germany, I felt I wanted to continue studying German. When I graduated, I really wanted to continue working with both English and German and at the same time get training as a translator and interpreter. So I studied Translation and Interpreting (English/German) at the UAB. What I liked the most about this degree is that you have to know a little bit of everything, be informed and keep up-to-date with what is going on around the world and with other countries, cultures, traditions, etc. At the same time I also I attended the 4th and 5th year of German at the Escola Oficial de Idiomes. I simultaneously started working at ICCIC, teaching English in the Language School department. I had already worked with them in the summer camps they organize together with the Generalitat, so I already knew how the school worked and many of the teachers working there, most of them native English speakers. It is a great place to work since they keep offering workshops for the new teachers on topics such as teaching grammar, teaching teenagers and teaching how to write, which made me really happy. Once I was done with my second degree I went to Berlin for an internship with the Leonardo Da Vinci programme. There, I worked as a trainee in a language school where I was able to put into practice my skills as a translator and teacher. After three months in Berlin, I came back to Barcelona to work again at ICCIC. There, apart from teaching English, I also worked in the ICCIC Summer Camps department, which is in charge of the Generalitat camps. After my stay in Berlin I also taught German at a school in Barcelona. As I wanted to continue working on my professional development I attended the CELTA course at International House Barcelona. It was a great experience
for me since I got lots of feedback that helped to improve my teaching skills. I strongly recommend it to everyone interested in teaching English to adults or to those who are interested in learning more about teaching English. It requires a lot of time and effort but in the end you feel it was worth it. At the moment I am working as a secondary school teacher at Escola Thau Sant Cugat. I had the opportunity move from the language school to Thau, which is also part of ICCIC schools, and I am very happy there. I was ready for a change and very lucky to be offered the job. Together with my colleagues in the English Department, we are working hard to improve the quality of our teaching and at the same time we are adapting to the new classroom technologies. Ana Tallon I finished my degree 24 hours before coming back to Argentina in 2008. When I decided to study English I was already 28. I had always loved this language ever since I was a little girl. My fathers family used to communicate in English and, although I only spoke Spanish, I understood everything they were saying. It was not until quite recently that I found out that being a language teacher is one of the most common professions within this side of my family. And what is most awkward of all is that I swore to myself not to study Philology to become one! For the past three years I have been teaching English in a bilingual school and at a private language school here in my hometown, Bariloche. It was the best way I found to keep my English up to date, and an excellent part-time job to combine with being the mom of a beautiful little girl, Abril Erin. I really enjoy teaching. In particular I love teaching higher levels because it challenges my own knowledge every day. I don't know if I'll do this for ever. Do far it has satisfied all my present needs. However, deep inside I want to try other posibilities. 2006 Laura Bujalance Planagum After graduating, I spent two years completing a Master in Tourism Management by the Universitat de Girona. During my second year, I simultaneously started working as the head of the Communication and Media Department of the Grup Costa Brava Centre, a hotel and catering group. I worked there for two years. Since Ive always wanted to live abroad, I applied for the becas Turespaa and went to live in Toronto, Canada, for two more years. When I came back, I applied yet again to another internship, this time for the Agencia Catalana de Turisme. I am now living in Brussels, Belgium, and hope to be here for the following two years. What Ive been doing professionally for the past 5 years has mainly been tourism marketing and PR, which has always allowed me to combine my love of both languages and tourism. One could say I could now start moving forward and abandon the easy way out of the becaswhich I will have to do anyway because Im turning 30 this year and I wont be allowed to apply anymore. The truth is this long period has allowed me to travelthe thing I like most, probablyand find out I do not enjoy working in the corporate world that much. Ive gone through periods of time when I thought my future was very clear, then Ive felt lost for months on end. Now
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I can only say its OK to just flow. I am confident everything will fall into place at the right time. Natlia Casal Fernndez This is a message for those of you who are about to finish their studies and still have no idea of what they want to be when they grow up: It is going to be ok. Im 31 years oldoh Godand I still do not know what I want to do with my life when I grow up. Being a teacher is probably the obvious thing to do when you finish your English Studies, so that was what I did for almost ten years. I really believe that experience has made me a better person, but there was always something inside of me telling me you are not made for this. I have always liked cinema and media theory, so I decided to take Media Studies at Universitat de Barcelona. I finished my second degree a couple of years ago, when The Economic Crisis had already started. It took some time to find a job, but it was the combination of English and Media studies that got me the opportunity. Right now I work as a Project Manager and Multimedia Editor in an e-learning company in Barcelona and ready for this? I like what I do every day! I am learning so much and it is fulfilling. Getting here was not easy. I went to live abroad a couple of times, I took many courses before I decided to study Media, etc. In the end, it was trying what made me realize what makes me happy. Needless to say, I do not know if I want to do this for the rest of my life. But if there is something I have learned since I finished my English Studiesand Alice in Wonderland played its part in thisit is that I am not scared of change. Noem Fernndez Snchez After graduation, I was an Auxiliar de Conversacin in Massachusetts, USA. Then upon my return to Catalonia I worked in a primary school as a subtitute English teacher in Rub. I got that job because I was registered with the substitutions list of the Generalitat. I was quite happy because I was able to work in a public school the whole year but they just offered me 10 hours a week. So my salary was not good and I had to work in a language school in the afternoons. As the year went on I began to think seriously about living abroad because I realized that I was just a number for they Generalitat and they might well offer me no work at all the next year, since they were reducing the number of teachers in public schools. My expectations were not very high so I decided to go abroad again. Since I had not been able to save enough money I could not take the risk of living in expensive countries such as England, Germany, Switzerland or Denmark. So I decided to live in a cheaper country, Slovakia, a small, very nice country in Central Europe. I knew an exclassmate from the UAB, David Checa, who was living there so I sent him an email to ask him for help finding a job there. He told me that I could find a job on the Internet on the webpage www.profesia.sk and it was like Infojobs in Spain but you do not need to subscribe and upload your CV. You just look for job offers and Profesia tells you the email of the company. The webpage was in Slovak and I had no clue of Slovak but Google translator was my friend and my second best friend was the webpage translator at www.microsofttranslator.com.
There were not many offers related to Spanish or English teachers in February but David told me that schools and language schools start to look for new candidates in May and June and that was true! I always sent an email to the company with my CV but also a covering letter saying that I was living in Spain but I was going to move to Slovakia in August and I would appreciate having a Skype interview to provide further information. I was lucky. Slovak companies need people who speak foreign languages and language schools need Spanish teachers. Moreover, they are open-minded and I did several interviews via Skype and another by telephone. One private school in Bratislava offered me a job as an English and Spanish teacher. I had been able to save 1000 euros and that was enough for me to start my life there. I was a full-time teacher and I liked my school and students. There were no behaviour problems like in Catalunya. I just earned 750 euros per month but life is cheaper there. Of course, I could not really save money in this country but I gained further experience. Furthermore, Bratislava is close to Vienna, Budapest and Prague so you can visit all of central Europe. And regarding language, young people speak English so you will have friends here for sure but I recommend that you try to learn Slovak. It is a quite difficult language, but Slovaks appreciate the effort. This year I am in Zurich working as a babysitter (two babies), full-time and learning German. I have to say that I do not recommend Switzerland to anybody. It is extremely expensive and very complicated for immigrants who do not speak German at an advanced level. Maria Rosa Garrido Sard At present, I am in my final PhD year at the Universitat Autnoma de Barcelona and I work as a lecturer in English at the School of Education, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya. My four-year scholarship in the C.I.E.N. research group (www.groupcien.uab.cat) came to an end in July 2012 but I still had not finished my thesis, so I had to look for a job that allowed me enough time to work on it. Fortunately, I was offered an associate lecturer position at the UIC that suited both my needs and my education in English linguistics. Juggling both research commitments, my thesis and teaching new subjects has been a major challenge this year. In fact, I was even on sick leave because of stress in May and I have had to reshuffle my priorities and deadlines. I started my PhD programme in 2006 right after I finished my degree in Filologia anglesa at Roehampton University in London thanks to an Erasmus grant. While I was studying there, I got a part-time job as a Spanish teacher in The Spanish Machine, mainly thanks to my ELE qualification from International House BCN. I also volunteered as an English as an Additional Language teaching assistant at the end of a PGCE module internship there. Since then, my most valuable experiences have been conferences, research stays and contacts abroad. During my scholarship, I have enjoyed two research stays in Chicago (2011) and London (2012). The research team I am part of has many international contacts and I have had the opportunity to discuss research ideas with fascinating people from all over the world. Last but not least, my research in sociolinguistics has opened my eyes to
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diversity and I have realised that speaking English is not enough for our geographical and social mobilities. In these difficult times, I do not regret having chosen a postgraduate education in the least in spite of the common comments that I could have secured a civil servant position as a teacher. I might like this challenging, unstable and exciting path better because I have learned many things and met many people that I would not have met otherwise. Slvia Garriga Galobardes The year after I graduated I did the CAP and an online postgraduate course called Nous entorns de formaci offered by the Institute for Lifelong Learning (which is part of the Virtual UB). I found it really useful. I also decided to give oposicions a try in order to be familiar with the whole process, though in the end I didnt have much time to prepare for them. In May 2007 I started teaching full-time as a substitute at a secondary school in Manlleu, and that is what I have been doing since then. I got the job by word of mouth. In 2008/2009 things changed a little bit, since I was working part-time in the secondary school. This gave me the chance to enroll in the English departments masters program called Acquisition of English and Intercultural Communication. I finished it in September with the presentation of my final project. I have to say that I really enjoyed the masters and I found it really useful. In 2009/2010 I was offered a full-time position again and couldnt start my doctoral thesis. However, I really love my job and I can say that Im one of those lucky people who still has a full-time job! My advice for graduating students is that you should continue studying after finishing the degree in a way that is compatible with a job. And if you end up working in something you dont like, try something else. Montse Gmez Laredo When I graduated I didnt want to get the CAP, because I didnt want to be a teacher. I worked on the Tourist Bus in Barcelona and also in a private school as a Catalan teacher to immigrant children (nouvinguts). Most of the students were Chinese, but I also had children from Bangla Desh, India and Morocco. It was interesting to see how they communicated with each other in Spanish and Catalan, and how they struggled to learn both languages, even when they got into a mess. I also tried to find work as a translator but was not successful. When I finally decided to get the CAP, since it was the only option I saw for the future with my degree, it was too late. The new Masters was going to replace the CAP. So I did the new Master Oficial en Formaci del Professorat dESO, Batxillerat, Formaci Professional i Escoles dIdiomes, which replaces the CAP. It was really tough. Because it was the first year of the masters, it was a bit of a mess and we were overloaded with work. Now Im registered with the lists for Substitutions, this is the third year, but I havent been called yet!! (I have around number 30,000, but I started at 61,000). I did the latest Oposicions in Barcelona, just to see what they were like. And I passed. But because I had no points gained from doing substitutions working at a high school, it just lowered my number 30,000 positions. Meanwhile, Im working as a receptionist at a hotel in Barcelona, because fortunately tourism in Barcelona is the only sector which is not in crisis. I also studied German at an
EOI and this year I obtained el Certificat de Nivell Avanat. Judit Gonzlez Lpez After coming back from my Erasmus year in Manchester, I started working as a teacher in a language school in Manresa. Teaching in a language school or in a school had never been a priority for me during my university years, so it was doomed from the starts. Teenagers, I thought, werent my thing. Simultaneously I was doing a post-grad at the UAB. As will happen to most of you if you decide to pursue this option, I needed to work full time in order to be able to pay for my expenses at university and live at the same time. So I decided to look for a non-teaching job and, luckily, in less than a month I already working at a publishing house as an English Language Teaching textbook sales representative. During my time there I eventually came back and finished my Masters degree in Literature, but so far, not much has happened to me in terms of being able to achieve my goal of pursuing an academic career. Oddly enough, after five years within this publishing house, I have discovered that I do miss standing in a classroom. My job responsibilities have changed, and now not only do I sell books but also I provide methodological sessions to groups of teachers in schools that want to change their English classes. At the same time, every now and then I go to EOIs and secondary schools to give motivational speeches for students on how to study, how to prepare for PAAU, etc. And it is such a good feeling to see that they believe what you say and they smile at you, and they learn, and they enjoy their time! Maybe it could really work for me, going to class, but, right now, when I have the chance to see it all from outside the ring, I have to tell you that things are difficult. Teachers, although motivated, feel at the same time really frustrated because of all the cuts and changes that the education system is undergoing. The profession of school director is turning into being the manager of a company, and some schools really feel that their kids are not getting the best out of it. Money is also a big problemor rather, the lack of. These are really hard times. The world of the publishing houses is not perfect either. While I can be happy, as my company is the only one that hasnt had to let go of any employees, things are getting difficult. We (all of us) are devaluing the world of culture and learning. Books are downloaded from sites, photocopied cover to cover or worse. But we still want to go on a holiday at every opportunity, have the best car in the neighbourhood, etc. So, if two years ago I would have recommended with no hesitation joining a publishing house, as a sales rep, editor, or whatever, now I would recommend the experience with a big but. If we, as students, teachers, society, do not value books, there will come a time when publishing houses will have no option but to disappear. And that is way too sad. Now that teaching is getting also to a low point (not many offers and not many chances of working if you are in the llistes either, I encourage you to look into the private sector and let go of education for a while. It will help you to value it more if you ever come back to it, and it will be helpful to see a different world, which is always educational.
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Juan Meneses Naranjo After getting a La Caixa fellowship for two years and working in the English Department as a Teaching Assistant and writing tutor in the Writing Lab, I recently finished my Ph.D. in English Literature from Purdue University in Indiana. One thing I have learned in my years in the U.S. is that initiative is highly regarded and will get you farI have received great support and encouragement whenever I have proposed projects and asked for guidance. I would also encourage you to keep an open mind as to what kinds of jobs you could get with an English degree (this is particularly important for your application letters and job interviews) and should consider pursuing a graduate degree and/or an academic career only if that is what you really want to do. Nuria Navidad Navidad Recuerdo muy bien la sensacin que tuve en mis ltimos aos de carrera: cansancio. Me senta como una escaladora a la que todava le queda medio Everest por subir. Estaba all, sujeta al arns. Si miraba hacia atrs vea que el camino recorrido haba sido muy largo y difcil, no poda abandonar; pero todava quedaba mucho por subir. Lo nico que me alentaba era pensar en el futuro. Con mis estudios, pensaba yo, podra obtener un buen puesto en alguna buena empresa. Todo el sacrificio pasado y por venir se vera recompensado con un trabajo reconocido socialmente y que me procurase un sueldo generoso. No fue as. Durante mis aos en la Universidad trabajaba por las tardes en una escuela de idiomas como profesora y en verano en el Bus Turstic de Barcelona. Al acabar la carrera (en realidad fueron dos carreras, filologa inglesa y francesa) me sali la oportunidad de trabajar en un instituto de secundaria a las afueras de Barcelona. Al poco de empezar las clases me di cuenta de que no me gustaba en absoluto ese trabajo y decid volver al Bus Turstic. Lamentablemente, mi contrato en el Bus Turstic se termin muy pronto y hasta enero de 2009 sobreviv gracias a hacer clases particulares de ingls. Yo estaba convencida de que, con mis idiomas, las empresas se pegaran por contratarme. Nada ms lejos de la realidad. En enero de 2009 decid irme al extranjero a vivir una temporada a ver si las cosas por all estaban mejor (y ya de paso a ver si olvidaba un amor) Estuve viviendo en Londres durante 5 meses. All trabaj como camarera en el hotel de un restaurante de cuatro estrellas. Fue una buena poca, ya que crec mucho como persona y aprend a estar sola, pero volv para Barcelona porque en realidad me senta demasiado sola y el tiempo londinense no acompaaba. En Inglaterra me haba vuelto ms bohemia y decid perseguir mi sueo, cantar y bailar. Al regresar, aprovechando por otra parte que no encontraba trabajo, me matricul en una escuela de comedia musical en Barcelona. Estuve un ao luchando por mi sueo, haciendo castings, cantando en una orquesta, bailando y cantando da y noche, pero me di cuenta que haba empezado demasiado tarde. Haba chicas que llevaban hacindolo desde pequeitas y que siempre seran mejores que yo, y eso, en un mundo con muy pocas plazas y muchsima competencia, no era muy alentador. As pues, decid dedicarme a lo que realmente se me daba bien: los idiomas. Uno de los mayores problemas que encontr en el mundo de la docencia, que no fuera un instituto de secundaria, fue que todas las ofertas de profesores pedan
profesores nativos. Yo no lo soy. No me apellido Smith, ni Parker, as que tuve mucha suerte al encontrar una escuela de idiomas que valor las ventajas de trabajar con no nativos. El mundo de la empresa era igual de complicado, si no ms. Todas las ofertas solicitaban conocimientos de Administracin de Empresas, Economa, etc. Yo slo tena filologa. Llevo tres aos trabajando con esta escuela y a la vez tuve la gran suerte de encontrar otra escuela en la que soy profesora de espaol para extranjeros. Aunque mi nmina a final de mes no me permita tener ningn tipo de lujos, es un trabajo que no me desagrada y me siento afortunada por tenerlo en la situacin en la que estamos hoy en da. El ao pasado solicit una beca para trabajar como auxiliar de conversacin bien en los EEUU bien en Australia, pero no me la concedieron. Tras recibir esta noticia mi intencin era estudiar otra carrera relacionada con el mundo empresarial, ya fuera ADE o alguna ingeniera, pero lamentablemente el precio de las matrculas universitarias est fuera de mi alcance as que de momento he decidido dejar de lado esa opcin. Este septiembre empezar a trabajar adems en un instituto concertado como profesora de ingls y francs. Estoy un poco nerviosa ya que no s cmo se me dar manejar a una clase de adolescentes, pero espero hacerlo bien ya que, visto lo visto, no es que haya muchas ms opciones para m. Quiz algn da pueda hacer algo que realmente me apasione, hasta el momento intentar sobrevivir lo mejor que pueda. Mnica San Jos Martn My experience in teaching has continued over the last two years. In 2008-2009, I was given a substitution at an IES. It was perfect, because I the job was guaranteed for the whole academic year. It was part-time so I could devote the rest of my time to studying for Oposicions. I didnt pass them in June 2009, though my mark wasnt completely bad, but as I didnt have enough points for mrits (which you acquire by taking specific courses for teachers, Nivell D catal, EOI courses, etc.) I didnt get a position. In southern Catalonia, where I live, the work situation was really bad. I only worked for two and a half months the whole year. After I finished my previous substitution in August, I was almost sure that by September I would be given another vacant, so I waited and waited, and it never came. Very important for people in this situation: when you finish a contract you only have 15 days to register for the unemployment benefit. Because I expected a new post, the time for the unemployment benefit passed. So I spent 5 months and a half without either a job or the unemployment benefit. Still on the lists, I covered a pregnancy in Alcanar for four months but it was 1/3-time job, i.e. an 8-hour week! However, I have to admit that the salary was good relative to the few hours that I worked. But by then I was fed up with the situation in education in general (politically and with the students themselves), and I wanted to try something else. So I studied to be a Management Assistant through the UOC. It didnt require much work most of the time but every 15 days more or less, depending on the subject, you had to hand in different papers and they required a lot of time. Nevertheless, here I am, still working as a teacher. At least it is a relatively good job, with better students.
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This year Ive been working since September in the same high school I was last year. I have a contract until August. Im doing two thirds, thats 17 hours, but I end up doing more than that. Im very happy because I started from the beginning of the year and I will finish it. Im teaching from 1st ESO until 2nd Batx. Many different classes, and thats a lot of work to do. Laura Viader Roger I graduated, finished the CAP and finished my Erasmus in the same year. I had always pictured myself as a translator, so I did a masters in translation at the UAB while working in a language school. I loved the masters but, honestly, it was not very helpful careerwise. After my Erasmus I knew that I wanted to go abroad again so I asked for an Auxiliares de Conversacin grant in the U.K. and I spent two years working as a Spanish assistant in primary schools in Stoke-on-Trent, England.I highly recommend this experience as it was greatly rewarding in many ways. After coming back from England, I knew I wanted to teach, so I started working full-time at a language school, teaching all levels, preparing students for Cambridge exams, and I also became a FCE speaking examiner. I also took Oposicions for the EOI but, unfortunately, I did not pass. By that time I was also on the Generalitat teaching lists and, after endless waiting, I was finally offered a job. However, it was really far away and only 10 hours a week, which made it difficult to have another job at the same time, so in the end I turned it down and decided to stick to my full-timejob at the language school. Last year I was hired as an associate instructor at the UB (probably thanks to my experience in primary schools in England), so I have been teaching Methodology of English and English Language to students of Magisteri. It has been very hardcombining both jobs as it meant lots and lots of work and no free time at all but it has been a great experience. 2005 Judit Espinosa Marsal When I was a child I knew I wanted to teach English. Therefore, when I came back from Scotland, where I finished my degree with an Erasmus grant, I did the CAP. That year I was very busy because while I was doing the CAP I was preparing for the oposicions for the EOI too. I was not successful because I didnt know how the oposicions worked and did everything wrong, except for the theory exam. That year I also started working at ICCIC, a language school in Barcelona. I started working there because I had worked in summer camps the school organised for the Generalitat for several years while I was studying. At first I thought I was lucky because I had started working the same year I finished my studies. However, I did not feel that it was the job I really wanted. I worked only eight hours a week and, apart from the fact that I was not paid enough for all my expenses, I had to travel from my village near Tarragona to Barcelona every day to work for a maximum of two hours a day. That year I also decided to join the substitution lists. I had to wait for the whole year to start working in the public schools, but once I started working, I got constant substitution jobs, in both primary and secondary schools.
It was a good experience because I could really see I loved teaching, especially teenagers. Apart from that, I attended a private school to prepare for the oposicions seriously, since the previous ones were not what I expected. This time I passed them but didnt get a post because I didnt have enough mrits. After that, I also took some cursos de formaci permanent, not only because I needed the mrits but also because I wanted to learn things other than what I learnt during my degree. In 2007 I worked part time in a high school in Torredembarra because I was preparing for the oposicions again. I decided to take a part-time job that year because I wanted to prepare better for the exams. Finally, I got my position! As we say in Catalan, a la tercera va la venuda! It is such a relief to know that I dont have to look for a new job anymore. Nowadays Im teaching full-time in a high school in Cambrils. Ive been teaching there for two years, but I dont know what will happen next year, since I dont still have my final post. Im still in a provisional position, but I hope I can stay there. Last year, in this school in Cambrils, we were involved in a Comenius project, together with Cyprus, Poland and Italy, but unfortunately it was denied for economic reasons, though we were allocated a British native teacher to help us to improve the students oral skills and it was quite successful. Well try to get both the Comenius and the British helper again this academic year, but we dont know if the proposals will be accepted by the Departament dEnsenyament. On the other hand, this year I will also start taking a French course because, due to the reduction of teachers the high school in Cambrils, the option of giving the students to choose studying either English or French is not possible. Therefore, the cap d'estudis asked me if I could take the course so that students can have the chance to learn the two languages. I love teaching, and taking into account the current situation, which is changing and giving the head teachers the possibility to choose their teachers, the more interesting your curriculum is, the better, since the oposicions nowadays only guarantee you a job, but not a position in a high school near home or where you would like to be. Zoraida Horrillo Godino After graduating, I took some courses of the former Doctorate offered by our Department. I learned a lot and had a very good time, but these courses did not lead to any material gain. Next I completed a masters in education at the UAB that has become the official masters that one has to complete to qualify as a teacher. When I finished this MA, I felt I wanted to know more. So I did a masters in research in the field of language and literature teaching. In the meanwhile, I worked as a research assistant at the UAB. It was very interesting, but they hired me for short periods and it wasnt a full-time job. As you can imagine, they paid me peanuts. Since then, I have been teaching at all educational levels, i.e. university, primary school, secondary school and Escoles Oficials dIdiomes. I am currently a supply teacher in an EOI. Although EOI teachers are regarded a nd paidas secondary teachers, teaching at an EOI is closer to teaching at university, particularly when you teach the highest levels. This involves loads of preparation and correction work. It may also mean
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controlling a few teens, like in a secondary school. Before most secondary schools had classes only till lunchtime, the advantage of teaching at an EOI was the timetable. Most days you dont start working until 2 or 3PM and you finish at 9 or 9:30PM. Susana Prez Martnez I never really thought about my professional life when I went to university. Never thought about teaching, probably because I dont like it. I only knew I liked studying languages in general, and English in particular. Before graduating, I wanted neither to take the CAP nor end up teaching teenagers for the rest of my life. But, as everybody thinks you must try teaching just because you studied Philology, and I had the opportunity, I tried. Almost as soon as I finished my degree I started working at UAB Idiomes Barcelona. My students were adults and I thought I could also learn from teaching them. And I did, for two years. It was an interesting experience, but not enough for me. So I decided to start working in the administrative office, and I am still there. It is quite good, because I use English every day and I work on my own. Im in charge of the international students who come to study Spanish. That involves giving information, registering them for courses, contacting agencies, universities and embassies, and helping students whenever they need it. At first I wanted to apply for a Postgraduate program or a second cycle degree. But I never found the time. And, at present, I find neither the time nor the money. But I need to study languages from time to time, so I got the nivell superior de catal and went back to German classes. I did German as a second language at the UAB and, three years later I studied German again. I'll probably apply for another German or English course this year. I would like to take a monographic course in English (cinema, literature), because Im always using the same kind of vocabulary at work, and Im afraid Im losing fluency. I feel really fine at my workplace and enjoy doing my job. Thats very important for me. My advice: for those thinking about going abroad, go! Because you may not have the chance to do it in the future. If you are looking for a job, send your CV everywhere and remember that word of mouth among friends and family works better than any LinkedIn or any other social network. Beln Snchez Montero While studying I worked as an English teacher, both in schools and giving private lessons at home, but I realized that being a teacher was not my dream work, so I decided to experience in other fields like translation, interpretation and even office work. During a summer, I worked at El Corte Ingls, positive experience but badly paid. I also worked for Europcar car rental, at the airport as a guide, and as a shop assistant, and they were all good jobs in the sense that I had contact with tourists and it was a great opportunity to improve my English and German. But I got tired of temporary jobs, precarious conditions, Monday to Sunday working hours, and I decided to apply for a vacancy I saw posted on infojobs.net (actually, all my previous jobs were found on this web site so I highly recommend it): Person required for the Human Resources Department in a multinational pharmaceutical firm. High command of English and
French (a third language will be valued), translation and administrative tasks and so on. After eight interviews and English level tests, I managed to get the job at Sanofi-Aventis as a department secretary. I was in charge of budget negotiation with suppliers, supervision of permanent and temporary workers, translation of companys policies and support to the Human Resources Director. It was a good but hard experience, as I was a beginner in the real working world, and not everything is as positive as it seems to be at first when you are extremely motivated. After a year and a half in the Human Resources Department, I had the chance to work in another business unit as a Regional Business Managers personal assistant within the Cardiometabolic Business Unit. My everyday work was to organize meetings with Area Managers, Sales Representatives and doctors, and therefore, I had to travel a lot, basically in Spain but sometimes out of national territory. I really liked it since I was in contact with the outside world; it was not the typical indoor office job, it was very active and dynamic and this fitted properly with my personality. I had the opportunity to meet new people and do networking, and moreover, I had a very good professional relationship with my boss. After four years being a personal assistant, in February 2010 the company offered me a new position, so I am now working as a Market Researcher within the Marketing Direction. However, it is a very hard and delicate job in the sense that I have to coordinate projects, analyze figures and competence market and translate these figures for the Marketing departments so that they can define the correct strategies for the products. I still have to learn a lot, but the most important thing is that I really like what I do. So I hope I can continue developing my career at Sanofi-Aventis. In my case, after finishing English Philology I studied a postgraduate course in Marketing and Management of Tourism Companies at the UOC, and I really enjoyed it at the same time that I learnt about tourism and companies in general. However, I still believe in the traditional face to face method, and although the online education is very practical in the sense that you can study at home and at your own pace, it can sometimes be impersonal. 2004 Maite Caicedo Valent After I finished my degree, I worked as a translator in a company based near Martorell called Cialit which is an international distributor of photographic material to many suppliers all over the world. I got this job thanks to a friend who was working for the Technical Department of the company. At that time they needed a person with a high level of English to cover a three-month maternity leave to carry out administrative tasks. Suddenly, during my stay in Cialit, the translator quitso they offered me the job! I translated software and operator manuals and was also in charge of the communication with all our foreign suppliers, by mail, telephone and in person when they came to visit us. It was a very interesting job, because I was constantly in touch with people from very different countries and cultures. At the same time I learned a lot about computers and how to use important translation software such as Trados.
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However, I continued to hope to work someday at a high school and kept my name on the Llistes dinterins. Finally, in September 2006, I received a phone call and they offered me a full-time vacancy in a nearby primary school to teach English. So I quit my job as a translator and worked for two years as an interina in primary schools, fortunately for the whole year in both cases. Four years ago I started working in secondary education, but only for three months, since I had a baby! In spite of the short period of time that I spent working with adolescents, the experience was very gratifying, and professionally I learnt many new things concerning teaching and how to fight with teenagers. However, after November we could say that my job was changing nappies and studying for the oposicions in June. I passed them but did not get a post because I had too few points in the mrits sections. Therefore, I decided to take a year off. So that year I took a lot of online courses and of course took care of my baby too. I took nine courses in Basic Competences, Methodology, Linguistics, Student Motivation, Teacher Burnout, Evaluations and so on. It is an easy way to learn from home and in your free time and moreover it is the perfect way to get some points for the merits sections if you want to study for the oposicions. Here are the two websites where I found the teaching courses: http://cv.il3.ub.edu/ice/ and www.isftic.mepsyd.es/formacion/enred/usuarios.php Then I spent the next school year teaching English in a high school in Esparreguera as an interina. I tried the Oposicions for the second time, and although I passed them with quite a good mark, I didnt get a post. It was because of the cutbacksif the Government hadnt reduced the number of posts, I would have gotten a one. Two Septembers ago I got a new placement as an interina in the high school in my home town, but I could only work until October, since my second baby was born in December. Now I am enjoying my maternity leave and waiting for a new placement in September. If I'm lucky Ill get a Nomenament for the next school year. But it is hard to be optimistic in the current climate of cutbacks in education. Tanit Carr Cardona After graduating, I enrolled in a two-year program to get a Masters in International Relations at CIDOB. During those years I worked at Berlitz Inc. as a freelance teacher of English, Spanish and Catalan. During the summers, I worked at summer camps in England with British Summer. Once I was done with the masters I decided to try to get a grant to go to the States for a year. For that purpose, I did a course in teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language at International House. That course and the work experience I gained by teaching English for Berlitz made me eligible to apply for the Fulbright Spanish Lectureship. So I applied and after an exam and interview, I was accepted. I spent a year working as a Spanish Teaching Assistant at Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania. The experience is well worth it because you not only improve your teaching skills but also get to be part of the American way of life. However, it does not guarantee a good teaching job once you are back here. I came back in May 2008. After a summer of intense ELE Teaching at EFand still missing the Statesa friend (Alicia Montenegro) and I decided to bring the US to Barcelona by means of importing all the
amazing teaching resources we had seen there. Therefore, we set up a shop and imported teaching aids from the States, so that any teacher or parent could teach English, German, maths, etc., through play. Our shop, Paradise for Educators (www.paradiseforeducators.com) opened in June 2009. It was a hard journey since I still kept my teaching jobs. We tried to make ends meet without a loan, which means having nearly no money for advertising or having to depend on family and friends when we were on a leave. Out of the blue my partner got a job offer in Switzerland starting August 2013. After evalutating my quality of life at the moment, I decided to reroute by carreer there too. Nowadays, the shop is still run by Alicia online. Arantza Elosua Francia After I finished my UAB degree I moved to Edinburgh to study a MSc in Translation Studies, which opened many doors work-wise. I have been working at Edinburgh University since then, as well as for different businesses and translating and interpreting for agencies and for myself. Twice a year I also teach languages on a cruise ship for about a month each time. For a while I worked for a multinational company as an in-house Spanish linguist running their Spanish department, 4 days a week, and doing self-employed work on Fridays. It was great to be able to work simultaneously as a teacher, translator and interpreter (mainly at hospitals, police stations, etc., what is called community interpreting). However, you need to be very constant and be approachable 24/7 for interpreting (e.g. for an emergency at the weekend) and the summer months are always low in income, but good for long holidays. That is, you have to work hard for the rest of the year to make up for the calm months. I also started my own online translation business. Last year there were loads of changes here due to the recession and I went back to self employment as a Spanish linguist, with both direct clients and agencies. I did interpreting in Court, the police, hospitals, conferences, etc., and translated from home. It is my first month after a two-year stint in the whisky industry and I hope I can survive, but work is coming in slowly but surely. Incidentally, for anyone wanting to become either a professional translator or interpreter, my advice would be to join a professional body, like the Institute of Translators and Interpreters, to gain credibility, at a cost of around 100 pounds a year. This year I am still self-employed and working from home doing translations and private lessons so that I can look after my daughter before she starts school (they dont do so until they are five in Scotland and nurseries are very expensive). On the one hand, it is great as I can look after her and make sure she is raised bilingual while continuing with my career to some extent. On the other hand, being freelance means no paid holidays, sick pay, maternity leave, etc., so it compensates personally more than financially. I am not interpreting right now because of childcare reasons and not being able to rush it to court, police station or prison without notice (not sure I will ever go down that road again, to be honest, exciting but tiring and not well remunerated for the effort put it).So now Im only working for my best direct clients as I dont want to lose them and they are being understanding about the
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situation and therefore generous with their deadlines. I also occasionally help out at the Translation Department at Edinburgh University, with fewer and fewer lessons every academic year, also due to cuts, as I used to teach in the Spanish department and no longer do so. It is tough times here in Scotland so probably not the best of times to come here for work, as there are cuts everywhere, including companies and university departments. Maria Sabat Dalmau I combined my undergraduate studies with teaching English as a foreign language. I worked in two language schools in Igualada for two years, did a three-month internship at UAB Idiomes (in Barcelona), and then worked for them for about a year. It was really good practice, and I loved it! After graduation, I became interested in the academic world, basically because I wanted to get to know more about what I had learned from my degree I was (and still am!) particularly interested in the fields of intercultural communication and sociolinguistics. I worked towards a PhD in English Studies and Linguistics at the UAB English department, first with a grant called beca de col.laboraci amb Departament and then with a small position in the same department, teaching English in the Humanities program. I simultaneously worked in a language school in Cerdanyola del Valls throughout my MA program and my doctoral courses, for no grants or positions were enough to make a living out of them. Since 2010, I also work as a consultora at the UOC, in a postgraduate program on the management of linguistic diversity whereby I have learnt about teaching via the new information and communication technologies. In 2006-2007 I got a grant from La Caixa which allowed me to do a one-year MA in Linguistic Anthropology at the University of Toronto, a great experience with all the tuition fees, flights and studying material fully covered. Luxury! There I realised that I wanted to continue doing research in the topics of multilingualism and migration within the fields of linguistic anthropology and critical sociolinguistics, and finally came back to defend my PhD at the UAB in October, 2010. From 2007 until 2011 I worked on it with another grant which depended on the UAB (Personal Docent i Investigador en Formaci, called PIF). It was the first time I had a two-year grant plus a two-year contract, which meant that for the first time I did not have to work in different places and could strictly focus on research. Also, I learnt a lot and really enjoyed teaching in the department. A relief and a privilege!! Apart from teaching university courses (descriptive grammar; phonetics; history of the English language; use of English, etc.), this grant also allowed me to continue learning and travelling the world, for example by enjoying a three-month research stay at the Centre for Transnational Studies, at the University of Southampton, UK, where I learned a lot. Im currently hired as a post-doctoral fellow in the same department, until this upcoming September (2013), and I still do ethnographic work and never-ending reading, congresses, publications, etc., which are very rewarding tasks. While I love teaching and doing research, I can see that this is definitely not the best moment for the academic world, particularly since 2011: there are fewer and fewer positions available, no grants in prospect, endemic serious work and economic instability
and also precariousness, which are the negative sides of this sort of jobs. Mariona Salvador Jaum After graduating, I worked as an English teacher at a language school for a year and then decided that I wanted to go abroad. I decided to apply for the Auxiliares de Conversacin grant. I was accepted and worked in Kent, England as a Spanish Language Assistant for a year (2005-2006). I loved it! My job consisted of speaking Spanish with secondary school Spanish students. I had to prepare games and activities or practise conversation. I only worked 12 hours a week but got paid around 1000 euros a month. I encourage you to apply for it. Its a very good experience to get to know another culture and education system, to enjoy yourself and to try to think about your future plans, since youll have lots of spare time! After working as an assistant, I decided I wanted to have more responsibility in my job as well as keep travelling and I applied to work as a teacher in the United States. I got a position as a Spanish teacher in Charlotte, North Carolina, through a program called VIF (Visiting International Faculty). Although my visa lasted three years, I only stayed there two years (2006-2008). Right now the situation in the US is not as good as before. They are mostly only hiring teachers from the United States due to the crisis, but its worth trying to apply. If you are interested check their website at www.vifprogram.com. Its a very reliable program. If any of you decide to apply, try to work as an ESL teacher, they dont have as much work as Spanish teachers. (And email me at iona95@hotmail.com so that I can explain what it is like more fully.) Working as a Spanish teacher in an American high school was very challenging. When I arrived, I just knew Id be working in the United States, I had no idea how the school system worked, the type of students Id be teaching, my schedule, etc. Although VIF organises a very helpful orientation for new teachers, you dont really learn about it until you find yourself in front of 30 kids (in my school 90% of them were African-American), trying to teach them Spanish when they are only thinking about partying, music and giving you a hard time. I dont want to lie, it was very hard at the beginning, and it was a cultural shock. On the ohter hand, I learned a lot, not only as a teacher but also as a person. Life in the United States was easy. I met a lot of people, travelled to many different places like California, Colorado, Washington DC, New York, Mexico and Puerto Rico, that is, I had a blast. After two years I decided it was time for a change and I came back home. I worked as an English teacher at EOI Girona for two years, and I loved it. Teaching adults was great. However, as you know, its quite hard to get a full-time job as a teacher if you are not a funcionari. So in February 2012 I also started working at the UOC as an English consultor. The job is convenient because you always work from home. Im also interested in new technologies and how to use them with students, so this is an ideal place to work. Ive been working really hard and Im enjoying it, but I have to say that the salary is not that good. If any of you are interested in applying for a position there, visit www.uoc.edu. I think they look for consultores twice a year (May and December).
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Juanjo Snchez Belmonte I got a nice job teaching English in a private secondary school in Barcelona back in 2005. However, working at the Escola Oficial dIdiomes is probably the ideal job for an English teacher nowadays (you get a maximum of four groups of adult, nice students at the right level willing to learn foreign languages) and thats why I tried the oposicions for the EOI in 2008. I was very happy to see I had a nice mark and was seventh in my group. The only tiny thing was that they gave me very few mrits points and I didnt get in because, as you may know, the Catalan Education Department is like any private company and rewards their employees by giving them three or even seven times more points per year just because they have taught in the EOI. Even people who have worked in an IES or CEIP get more points than someone who has worked in any private institution teaching adults. So Im still teaching in the same school, Stucom, in downtown Barcelonaa job which at least gives me a decent contract, a decent salary and incentives. I teach English for Special Purposes to computer and business students, and the experience is great considering we create our own materials and adapt others. I also have a couple of Batxillerat groups, which are also good, but less challenging since we use textbooks and the syllabus is quite closed. In June 2009 I also applied for a position with the UB English Philology Department. I was selected and I taught Business English for the entire 2009-2010 academic year in the Faculty of Economics. Last year, though, I decided to change subjects and I am currently teaching Language, Translation and Textual Production in their B.A. program in English Studies. Teaching at the university is rewarding in terms of personal fulfillment and satisfaction, but, to be honest, salaries are not high and you may very well spend a great deal of time preparing classes. As a professor associat, you must prove that you have been working somewhere else for at least two years and that you still hold a contract with another company. If you would really like to become a university teacher, then you should apply for this kind of job so that you can expand your curriculum. Though you are not required to have completed a Masters degree before applying for this kind of position, it is advisable that you show some interest in teaching and research at this level, so Id encourage you to look for a Masters programme you like and enroll for it. Contrary to what many people may think, Masters degrees are not that expensive in the new Bologna system, and if you opt for a Masters in the field of Linguistics and Teaching, you will most probably have to take only 60 credits. Im currently doing a Masters in Applied Linguistics at the University of Barcelona. The Masters covers all aspects of second, third and further language acquisition processes. Its really interesting and, like most Masters programmes, it runs in the afternoon and in the evening so that people who work have the time to attend classes. You can find more information about it at www.ub.edu/masteroficial/laalcm/. Last but not least, if you like university teaching, the UOC sometimes advertises positions for a consultor. Of course you have to have some experience in distance learning and teaching, or, at least, state in your curriculum that you are very interested in the learning-
teaching process from a distance. Check www.uoc.edu for further information and click on uneix-te a la UOC. Meritxell Simn Martn I graduated in 2004. I did my last year in France as an Erasmus student at the University Paris VIII-Saint Denis. I spent one year in Paris improving my French and in 2005 I enrolled for a MA by research in Modern English History at the University Paris IV-Sorbonne. I funded the MA with a French scholarship: Aide au mrite (http://www.cnous.fr/_vie__dossier_15.156.39.htm ). All EU students are eligible. The only requirement is a BA and a DALF diploma. In 2006 I began a PhD under joint supervision (Paris IV and UAB) with a research grant: Bourse de thse en cotutelle (http://www.parissorbonne.fr/Files/cotutelle.pdf ). In 2007 I moved to England and I worked as an assistant teacher in Charterhouse to fund my PhD archival research there. In 2009 I was awarded a three-year scholarship at the University of Winchester so I transferred my PhD there. Scholarships in the UK require the IELTS diploma. I wrote up my thesis back in Paris while I was a visiting researcher at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales. I finished my PhD at the University of Winchester in November 2012. This academic year I have worked as an assistant lecturer in English at the Universities Paris 3 Sorbonne Nouvelle and Paris 1 Panthon Sorbonne and next year Ill teach at the University of Toulon. A career in academia is a twofold job: lecturing at under/graduate level and doing research. In terms of research, you work on your own most of the time or in seminars in your lab. You present your methodology or results in conferences and you publish your research in scientific journals. A career in academia is intellectually very rewarding but it is a very competitive world because there are few positions available, especially in public universities. Here is my advice if you want to pursue a career in academia: there are many MA and PhD scholarships, La Caixa, Caja Madrid, and AECI in Spain and www.jobs.ac.uk in the UK. It is extremely important to have a robust research project and good letters of recommendation. An excellent project that fits the research lines of a lab is crucial so you can get appropriate supervision. Take your time to discuss your research interests with lecturers at the UAB. You can contact professors abroad directly by e-mail. In general they are approachable and supportive. These scholarships are highly competitive and it can be very frustrating to have yours turned down one after another. You need to be persevering. Once you have funding, doing a PhD is a long and very demanding project. It requires patience and diligence. Not recommended for those looking for quick results and rewards, including money. Moreover, once you get your PhD, there is no guarantee that youll be offered a permanent position. Usually you get temporary contracts for years until you are offered a tenure-track position. For that, you need to have the acreditaci in Spain (www.aneca.es/Programas/PEP) and the qualification in France (https://www.galaxie.enseignementsuprecherche.gouv.fr/ensup/cand_qualification.htm). These are not required in the UK. My intention is to develop my career in France, where I live with my partner. To get a permanent position in a public university here (to be a matre de conference = professor titular funcionari), you need to have passed the French
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oposicions: CAPES or Agrgation. These concours are meant for secondary school teachers but they are also required for those applying for a position as a professor titular in universities. They are highly competitive written and oral exams, most of which are in French. Im currently working on my French so as to prepare the CAPES concours in 2015. As you can see, I graduated in 2004 and Im still studying. A career in academia is definitely for those in love with books! If you are one of these and you have questions, you can contact me at meritxell.simon@winchester.ac.uk. I wish you all the best! Sandra Torres Mensat I finished my degree while on an Erasmus in Vienna and decided to stay in Vienna to perfect my German. So I took intensive courses in German and taught intensive courses in Spanish to adults at an official language school and simultaneously applied for an internship with the UNs Investigations Unit, Office of Internal Oversight Services. I was not optimistic because I knew they receive many applications. So it was a great surprise when they offered me a position in December. I was a UN intern from April to July. I was in the department responsible for investigating things like fraud, abuse of authority, sexual harassment, and misconduct among the 40,000 UN employees around the world. Yes, it is actually possible to do an internship at the United Nations. I encourage you to apply via the Internet at the following address: www.unis.unvienna.org/unis/en/internship.html However, if you surf a little bit on the net you will see that there are internship programs in New York as well as other offices and agencies. By the way, given the unpaid nature of the internship, I got a Leonardo grant. After 2 years in Vienna I moved to Brussels and worked for a settlement bank called Euroclear (www.euroclear.com/wps/portal). At Euroclear there is a continuous demand for young graduates with as many languages as possible because the work itself requires being constantly in touch with agents from banks from all over the world. I simultaneously took a postgraduate course in International Cooperation Project Management offered by the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya. I then applied for the European Commission Traineeship Program and was awarded it! It was well paid (1000/month) and lasted 5 months. In order to apply, see the following website: ec.europa.eu/stages/index_en.htm. Check the list of Directorate Generals and read all the information very carefully, as it is extremely important to choose the 3 DGs which have most to do with your background and experience. For instance, in my case, I was selected to work at the European Anti-Fraud Office for a specific project in cooperation with the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services, where I did my internship in 2004. After the traineeship ended, I was extremely lucky as they took me as temporary agent in the same unit, as a Strategic Intelligence Analyst. In the meantime I had prepared myself for one year for one of the EU competitions in the field of auditing and I passed! So now I am part of the team of EU external auditors of the European Social Fund in Directorate General of Employment and Social Affairsthough currently taking a maternity leave to take care of my baby daughter.
Maria Velzquez Gonzlez-Nicols I taught in an English school for four years. I loved teaching but working conditions were not the best: a 5hour-contract when I was actually working 25 hours a week. Besides, in summer I didnt get any money because my contract was from October to June. I started thinking about working in an export/import company and I found out that a lighting company was looking for someone with a good command of English. I sent my CV, went to an interview and got the job. At first I was in the customer service department for the USA/Canada/UK and Ireland. Six months later I was asked if I wanted to be more involved in sales, and I was promoted to Ireland and UK Sales Executive. In October 2007 I was promoted again to United States and Canada Sales Manager, but in March 2010 the company decided to put these two markets on hold as their economies were not in very good condition. Since then I have been taking care of European countries including Ireland, Malta, Croatia, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Cyprus, Slovenia, Serbia-Montenegro, Bosnia- Herzegovina, Albania, Moldavia and Macedonia. My job implies travelling almost 50% of my working time. I spend one week in the office and one week visiting customers. I have to organise my trips, make a lot of phone calls and send several emails a day. The good thing about it for me is that you can talk to a lot of people from different geographic areas, and travelling and paying them a visit and having a more person-to-person conversation is what I like most. It keeps your English fresh. The bad thing about it is that you are often alone, though customers keep chasing me to go out for dinner! In 2007 I took a one-year postgraduate course in International Commerce and Marketing at FUB in Manresa and I really urge people interested in business careers to take it. I found it very, very useful. Fortunately the company Im working for is selling worldwide and last year we grew in sales +8.5% overall, and were still hiring people! For me 2011 was one of my best years since I achieved 23% higher than my sales target, so I cannot complain at all. In January 2012 I was given three more markets: Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia. In 2013 I have also been given the Greek market so in total I manage 17 European countries, my sales in 2012 went up again and in 2013 the company still expects to have further sales. There are markets such as Croatia where there's a lot of construction going on so this helps the fact that other markets are not growing as they were in the last couple of years. When I tell my family and friends that our business is thriving in spite of the recession, they think its impossible because in the mass media the news we hear or read every day give just the opposite impression! I will keep fingers crossed so this situation in the company continues and will work even harder to keep growing. 2003 Elisabeth Castillo Fbrega After graduating, I focused my job search on English teaching posts, but there were no good opportunities for a graduate. Consequently, I ended up working for different companies and in so many posts that I accumulated experience in different areas like accountancy, logistics, marketing,human resources, etc.
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After some years translating, working as a secretary, accountant and so on, I accepted a job as a teacher of English for the Departament dEnsenyament. Since then, I have taught not only English but also French, Sciences in English and other subjects in many high schools and primary schools. Apart from working, I have always kept on studying in areas related to teaching (methodology, ICT, etc.) either in Catalonia or in the UK. Last year, I started studying a new degree on Primary Teaching in English at the "UAB". It's been a great experience. I intend to keep on studying so for the next three years while working in high schools in the mornings. I enjoy teaching! To conclude I must say that English has been a powerful tool for me. A degree in English language offers graduates lots of employment and formation opportunities. What is more, graduates can enjoy and learn from other fields through English. Eva Gonzlez Berruezo After graduating in 2003 I went on to study a second degree in Translation and Interpreting, as I didnt want to become a language teacher and I really liked the idea of becoming a translator. I studied in the United Kingdom for a year (through the Erasmus programme) and after finishing my degree in Spain I moved back to Sheffield, where I had met my husband. It took me about 3 months to find a job and it wasnt as a translator, but as a multilingual customer service advisor for a betting company. I didnt particularly enjoy what I did there, so I kept looking and after a few months I found a job as a UK and Export Sales Executive. I never thought that I would get into sales, but I must say that it was quite an enriching experience and it made me realize that I could take on challenges that were out of my comfort zone. There I took care of customer queries and orders by phone and email, I did sales analysis and invoicing and attended fairs in an interpreting and sales capacity and I even got the chance to do some translation (brochures and business emails mainly). I can definitely say that speaking several languages helped a lot in order to get those jobs. A year later, I decided to register as a freelance translator and finally get into what I really wanted to do. Becoming a freelancer is quite easy in the UK, sodecided to give it a go and I opened a small translation agency with a business partner.We started to work for other agencies and also private customers. This process took quite a long time, though, as agencies dont usually give you regular work until you have been working for them for a while. However, after two years and a half things were not running as smoothly as they should have in terms of money and I decided to pull out when I found a job as an in-house translator and reviewer at a translation agency in Leeds. I must say that I learned a lot during my time there, both about the translation business and about myself. At the beginning, the work pace was frantic and quite stressful but I managed to survive and after the first year things got better and I also managed to improve in terms of quality and speed. After working as an in-house translator for over two years, I decided to go freelance again and make all those extra hours worth it. It also helped that the company I worked for agreed to add me to their freelance database and send me regular work after I left. I have been now self-employed for over a year and Ive managed to make
a living out of it, so I cant really complain. Being a freelance translator is not easy and you need a lot of patience and to build up a solid customer base in order to receive regular work, but it is really worth a try. You can always start by doing it part time and having a second job, doing some voluntary translation or going on an internship. But whatever you do, dont give up. Studying languages is definitely a good investment, as it can get you to jobs in other fields as well. Mamen Hidalgo Villn It has been nine years now since I became a secondary school teacher. Now everything is so different than when I started. I earn less money than I used to and I work more hours, but I still love it. To be a teacher you need to be good at dealing with teenagers. At the beginning of the school year I still get so excited, even nervous before the first lesson. However, in June I am stressed out. Ive done so many things in the course of these years: organizing a student exchange, grading PAU exams, being the tutor of different kind of groups... Every year it has been a different story. I became the pedagogy coordinator of my IES two weeks ago. It is a new challenge which I am really looking forward to. Therefore, working at a secondary school it is not just teaching English. There are so many other things which this job offers. Ivan Matellanes Fresnadillo Hace cosa de 12 aos que acab la Universidad, y desde entonces estoy en el mundo de la docencia. Al ao siguiente de acabar la carrera hice el Curs de Qualifici Pedaggica [CQP] en la UPF (Un mster muy exigente y mortal de necesidad, pero recomendable al 100%) para ponerme despus con las oposiciones para profesor de Ingls de secundaria (ESO). Me apunt a las listas de interinos y, mientras esperaba a que me llamasen, aprovechaba para ir preparndome para las opos. Como me fui a vivir a Benicarl (Castelln), solo poda optar a la pequea y demandad zona administrativa de Terres del Ebre, lo que termin en dos aos de espera para mi primera sustitucin y vacantes muy cortas durante los aos siguientes. He estado trabajando en diferentes institutos desde entonces, haciendo sustituciones en Tortosa, San Carlos, Flix, Santa Brbara ... Con el fin de no pegarme un tiro a causa del aburrimiento, estos aos de poco trabajo los dedique a prepararme bien las Opos, sacarme otra carrera (en la UOC) y hacer un Mster de Estudios Americanos (En la UAH). Sea como fuera, tras varios aos intentandolo, acabe sacndome las oposiciones en la Comunidad Valenciana y ahora estoy en expectativa (sin plaza fija) trabajando en el IES Els Ports (Morella - Castelln). Gracias a todos estos aos de preparacin y de mi condicin de minusvlido (soy enfermo de Chron, lo que junto a otras dolencias han justificado un grado leve de minusvala) he podido aprobar las oposiciones. En la actualidad, compagino mi vida profesional (la docencia) con mi hobby cultural (las humanidades y la historia americana), con lo cual he creado una revista digital de Humanidades cuyo objetivo es facilitar a alumnos y jvenes investigadores la posibilidad de publicar sus proyectos o inquietudes de una manera ms acadmica. Os invito a todos a visitarla y, aquellos que quieran, participar en Sarasuati (http://www.sarasuati.com).
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Estel Planas Pascual I have been working as a self-employed English teacher for some years now. I have specialized in Business English so I teach in-company in different fields (hotels and restaurants, state agencies, import and export, and so on). Some of my courses are subsidized by the government (for people on the dole, for instance). During the last years, I have also taught the privates and officers at a military base near my town. Besides, I also work at UOC. I work as a consultora for one of their English courses, B1 Intensive. It is really interesting to be an online teacher and it constantly poses new challenges. Last summer I finished an online master course in TOEFL, which was very interesting and helpful. I would like to continue studying but my current timetable does not leave me any free time for that! After combining my experience as an online teacher and what I learnt in my master's degree, I have been using online tools in my classes for a while now. Some of them are a blog that I keep for my students (www.up2learn.com) and an online campus. I run this with another former UAB student, Alex Iglesias. Nria Tuda Carro During the ten years since I graduated, Ive had various jobs, some of them related to education and others not quite so. Since Id always liked Translation and Interpretation, when I finished English Philology I decided to do the second cycle of Translation at the UPF and finished in 2005. Meanwhile I worked as a secretary to earn some money. Entering the translation world (especially in literary translation) did not prove to be an easy task, and after a year working as a bookshop assistant and secretary, I received the good news that I had been accepted as Spanish language assistant in France, thanks to the MEC scholarships. This was one of the most useful experiences Ive had, since that year made me realize that I could really enjoy teaching. Moreover, it gave me the opportunity to get to know a new culture and to improve my level of French. After returning from France and working as a hostess to earn some money during the summer, I was summoned by the llistesdEnsenyament. I started teaching English (and other subjects) in a primary school in lHospitalet. Being a teacher is really challenging and every day you have to work hard and do the best you can so that your students learn. I cant say it is an easy task, but it has its rewards and satisfactions, and I definitely like it. In addition, through the translation association I belong to, I was contacted to translate a handbook of English grammar originally addressed to French speakers. The year 2012-2013 I taught English in a high school in Badalona, a little bit more than half time. The vacancies in Ensenyament have been reduced since last years, thats clear, so if you are just finishing your degree and you want to teach I recommend you to look for teaching jobs in private and concertada schools and to keep on specializing in whatever you are interested in and like. Last December I applied for a Visiting Teacher vacancy in the USA offered by the MEC (www.mecd.gob.es/eeuu/convocatoriasprogramas/convocatorias-eeuu/ppvv.html) and after preparing all the documents and going to the interview in
Madrid I got a vacancy for a Middle School in Florida, the state that I applied for. It has been a hard process but it promises to be a great experience and I am really looking forward to it.All that I can recommend is to try accomplishing your goals or dreams, because sooner or later you will have results. 2002 Diana Gasol Nykvist After graduating I worked for four years at an American university that offered an Executive MBA program in Barcelona for students from all over the world. Then I got a masters degree in International Relations at the Institut Barcelona dEstudis Internacionals. I wrote my dissertation (La educacin superior como instrumento de proyeccin internacional de Europa y la Unin Europea) while I worked for a relocation company where I spent four and a half years. I have been working in a multinational company in the information technology industry for more than two years now. This job has meant a major change in my career since I joined a business development team and have managed several projects to create and improve processes. Definitely, this change has been both challenging and exciting. Susan Hernndez Hernndez After graduating I continued working in the English academy where I had been working during my degree, and simultaneously did the CAP. I also studied German and Russian in Barcelona in the mornings. In July of 2003 I signed up to be a substitute teacher with the Generalitat. However, you cant spend at least half a year relaxing before they call you, so I decided to look for another job. I didnt like the conditions in language schools so I got a job in a private secondary school. I had a great experience as a teacher, but I didnt like how the whole institution worked. We didnt receive any support when problems came up and we worked more than 8 hours a day. At the end of the school year in 2004 I decided to quit the private school. I thought that with a bit of luck I would finally get a call from the Generalitat. In the meantime, the parents of one of my students offered me a job as a school manager and teacher in a language academy. I accepted the position, since I had started thinking about the possibility of having my own academy. I worked there for only 5 months before receiving a call from Ensenyament, and I started the difficult adventure of doing substitutions. That year I did oposicions and I got a good mark. However, I didnt have enough points in terms of experience and courses and I couldnt get a permanent position (a shame). I realised that getting points was as important as getting a good mark. You can even get a 9 and you still wont pass oposicions if you dont have the mrits! However, that August I was offered a job at the same secondary school for the whole year and I loved being there. After having worked in so many secondary schools I was finally working in one which was very good. The following year, I worked in a different school and I decided to take the oposicions exam again and this time I was successful. I worked in the same school for 3 years, the third being on my practice period after the oposicions
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exam. This was the place where I learnt the most as far methodology is concerned. We had a very nice, ambitious and competent team of teachers in the department and even though I was in a school with misbehaved students belonging to a difficult background we all did a good job. After three years, it was time to apply for a permanent vacancy and even though I included my last high school, which was about 40 minutes from home, I also applied for a vacancy near my hometown (you can apply for about 10 places and you are awarded one vacancy or another depending on your points, which depend on your years of experience and continuous training). That year, I was finally awarded the permanent vacancy I wanted and now Ive been working there for about two years. I love my job and Ive been very lucky because I work in a small village near home where students are quite motivated to learn and Im planning to carry out some European exchanges in the near future. Josep Jutglar Company I had never thought of teaching as a career but after finishing my degree on an Erasmus exchange at the MMU (Manchester Metropolitan University), I had the opportunity to do an internship in the CAL (Centre dAutoaprenentatge de Llengues) of the UAB. They needed someone who had just finished a degree, preferably with no teaching experience. That was me! Suddenly I found myself working in a self-access centre where I learned a lot about self-learning. When I finished the internship in the CAL I decided to try my luck and started working as a free-lance translator dubbing films. I had done a postgraduate degree in Audiovisual Translation at the UAB and worked for two dubbing studios. The job was fun as I could work at home and didnt have fixed hours but there were some weeks with no work and I could barely make ends meet. Thats why I went back to teaching. I worked for 3 years as a teaching assistant at UAB Idiomes St. Pau doing support tasks for the head of studies and after that I managed to secure myself a full-time job at Servei de Llenges (UAB), where I could put into practice all things I had previously learned. Quite a few years have passed since then, my experience in teaching has grown considerably and Ive dealt with very different types of courses. One of the most challenging ones has been a course called English for Chemistry aimed at postgraduate students of chemistry who need to improve their English at a professional level. When I was told I would be doing this course I panicked, as it required a lot of preparation. Eventually it turned out to be very rewarding and I have taught this course three times now. Last year I was also asked to teach a new course called English for Librarians which was time-consuming to prepare but very gratifying to teach. Ive also been a teacher for the UOC for four years and Im enjoying it a lot. The UOC look for consultors of English to teach virtually with prepared materials and to dynamize forums, etc. The only condition to work for the UOC is that you already have a contract with another institution (whether part-time or full-time). This job has allowed me to learn a lot about distance learning and to get some extra money. The only problem is that it requires extra work at home at nights and weekends. Combining the UOC and Servei de Llenges courses is exhausting.
My biggest challenge this year has been doing a parttime coordination substitution at the UOC for three months. I must admit I almost went mad, as I had to combine my full-time job at the UAB, my collaboration as a consultor and the substitution coordination tasks. However, it has been good experience. For the first time in my life I have had to do coordination tasks ranging from dealing with teachers queries and questions, preparing calendars, programming courses, and creating course material to holding job interviews for new teacher candidates. Masha Kubyshina Salvado Actually I finally completed my UAB degree in 2004. By that time I was living in California, USA. I had also pursued a degree in photography and after four months of searching I landed a job in a photo studio in a big department store. It was a horrible experience, and I lasted there for two weeks. I did some small gigs for independent fashion designers and model agencies and later landed a job in a very small fashion company, igigi.com. From photography I moved to marketing, then to business operations and found my real passion: business. After having worked for five years at IGIGI, I opened my own clothing company, kids organic clothing line. I operated it for two years. Due to my husbands job we moved to Norway and I started working on a tech startup with two cofounders, just to find 4 months after that we were not a good fit as a team. I then developed projects on my own and partnered with our current CEO. We started building our business last May, and right now we are 6 people (3 from Spain and 3 from the USA) and we are about to release our event organizing platform and also working on fundraising and marketing. You are welcome to visit out corporate site at www.iwpro21.com and my personal blog at www.mashakubyshina.com Eduardo Martnez Timn I finished my degree in English Philology in the summer of 2002. The only thing I was sure about then was that I did not want to teach English. My first job experiences were really disappointing. I worked in an awful workshop of electric components for three weeks, then in a metal warehouse for only a day and afterwards in a company of telemarketing for different campaigns for phone companies like Amena or Vodafone (in those days called Airtel). The only thing in common in between these different jobs was that they were really badly paid and that none of them required any educational skill. At that time, I was really annoyed and I started thinking I had wasted all the time spent at the university. Luckily, things changed for the good when I applied for a job with Panasonic Espaa and was accepted. They were looking for a person with a university degree and high English skills to work as an assistant in the technical department of the air conditioning range. I was in charge of translating technical data sheets and I was also the contact between Spain and Panasonic factories both in Japan and Malaysia. After a year and a half, near the end of 2004, I quit Panasonic and moved to Fujitsu, also related to air conditioning. There I was in charge of teaching technical seminars to their whole net of distributors. In this case, my teaching skills were really appreciated. The salary
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was good, but I was forced to spend more than half of my time away home, and finally it became a little bit stressful. Thats why I started thinking about moving to a new job. As I was aware I needed to improve my CV, I took a program in marketing in the CEF (Centre de Estudios Financieros) in Barcelona. Just before finishing this program, I moved to MACtac Europe, a manufacturer of adhesive products (very similar to 3M, but not so big) with its European facilities based in Belgium but with the headquarters in the US. Now, six years after I arrived at MACtac Im really happy. Im in charge of the whole range of technical adhesive products for the industry and I take care of the big accounts in Spain and Portugal like SEAT, NISSAN and FAGOR. As you see, the beginnings were really difficult (I guess that now with this crisis, even more difficult) but with a little bit of luck, complementing your degree with other studies and with good efforts you can build a pretty good career not necessarily linked to English teaching. Alba Miquel After I graduated, I worked for a language school for a while but realised that teaching was not my vocation. I tried to find work at a publishing house but was unsuccessful. I then took a postgraduate course on digital editing, which was really interesting but did not prove useful in finding a publishing-related job. At about the same time I did an 800-hour course in International Commerce and German at Centro Humboldt in Barcelona, and once I finished the course I spent 6 months working as a trainee for a forwarder, where I learnt a lot about transport, import and export. They then helped me find a job at the purchasing department of a distribution company. There I had to contact their mainly foreign suppliers and manage stocks amongst other admin tasks. Since it was not well paid and did not motivate me much, after a few months I quit and started working at the transport department of Mango, the clothing chain. There I was in charge of the shops in Germany, Austria, Sweden and Greece. What I did was manage stocks, deliveries, incidences, claims and transport. I spent a year working there and eventually quitsame reasons as before: bad salary, low motivation and very little prospect of promotion within the company. After that I went to Bremen, Germany, for four months and took an intensive course in German. After a brief return to Barcelona, I went to London and started working at Solbank, where I worked for over two years trying to attract customers for the branches in Spain. Solbank is a subsidiary of Banco Sabadell which specialises in foreigners who are interested in buying properties or opening a bank account in Spain. Two years later the Solbank department in London was dissolved and I started working in the Operations department of Banc Sabadell, first in operations and treasury back office, then as Compliance Assistant, afterwards as Deputy Compliance Manager and finally as Compliance Manager. All along I kept learning new skills (both related to my jobI actually got qualified in Complianceand also to do with therapies as well as multimedia design, yoga, tai qi, meditation, acting or publishing). While I was never passionate about my job, the fact that I was given the chance to progress within the branch gave me the opportunity to learn a wide spectrum of skills and gradually take on more responsibilities and manage a small team, which I valued as a learning
experience. After my 7-year experience in Londonwhich despite its many challenges I dont regret at alI decided to move on and go for what I had been considering doing for a number of years: in February I quit my job and left London. I am now temporarily back to Barcelona but in a few months I am going travelling for an extended period of time, starting with Canada (I got a 1-year workingholiday Visa) and then heading South to the States and Central and South America for as long as I can afford to (or feel like it). Regarding the Visa for Canada, it is part of the International Experience Canada program aimed at people aged between 18-35 and there are three options. I chose the working holiday one, which allows me to travel and work on a casual basis for one year, but there are also the Student Summer Job and Young Professionals options. The application process this year opened in February and it generally gets fully booked really quickly (in a matter of days, in fact) but it might be of interest for someone who wants to apply for it next year. The link is at http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/spainespagne/experience_canada_experience/index.aspx 2001 Cecilio Alarcn Ortiz Getting to pass all the subjects and finally obtaining the degree as a Licentiate in English Philology was really hard and a long process, at least for me. When it was finally over, I felt prepared for the afterlife (as one of my teachers suggested) Was I? Not sure. My first experiences as a teacher consisted of doing after-school activities in English. I simply did not know what to do, therefore I improvised a lot and I enjoyed the process. I had never done that with kids before, since all my training had been as a teacher for teenagers and adults. It was really hard, the pay was not enough (is it ever?) but the people I worked with and the new experiences (teaching toddlers may end up being a very physical experience, but it is fun) was clearly worth the effort. In the meantime, I was teaching youngsters and adults in different academies, not only English but everything related to languages (I speak a bit of German too). Then I moved on to the circuit of private and semiprivate schools. It was hard. Nobody ever told me I had to be first a policeman, then a teacher. But I survived, I did learn a lot from both students and teachers (though it was a really tough time sometimes) and it took me up to the next level, in terms of maturity, both as a person and as a teacher. While adjusting to everything, I worked for a couple of years in an office and as a receptionist, basically taking advantage of my knowledge of English and German. In the end, I decided that I preferred to be a teacher, although I keep my mind open to do whatever is necessary. Then I started to work for the public school system; it has been so far my most satisfactory experience. Although Ive been a substitute for a couple of years, never more than six months in a row at the same place, it is where I feel I belong, though circumstances may put my adapting-to-a-new-situation abilities to the test again. Therefore, I keep my options open, and whatever comes
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along in the form of a new job and an end-of-the-month regular salary will be more than welcome. Teresa Aul Llins When I finished my degree, I first got a job in an Opening School where we taught English with computers. Then I worked in a factory as a secretary where they promised I would speak English a lot with the customers, but in fact I didnt. After participating in some summer camps organised by IC-CIC, they offered me a job at Thau School in St. Cugat; I worked there for six years and gained a lot of experience. However, after my second child was born, we moved to Olot, my and my husbands hometown, because we missed our families, friends and the landscape. I am currently working at a secondary school. In fact it is the school where I went as a child and Im pretty happy here. I started with few hours at first but Im teaching a bit more now. I really like it and I hope Ill be able to enjoy teaching here for a long time! Tnia Garriga Luzn While still studying in the UAB, I was also teaching English in a small private English school in my city (Manresa). I used to study 8 to -16 in the UAB and then leave a bit earlier from class and work in Manresa from 17 to 22. However, after being a teacher for 5 years, I decided to stop. I didn't like it that much. I'd rather practice and learn more and more English every day, than just teach with no communication with real native English speakers at all. So I graduated in Tourism as well, and worked in a hotel for a while, where I had more exposure to different languages that I could put into practice. However, working on holidays, weekends and alternating shifts was not the most convenient timetable. So I switched to what I am doing now, which is being responsible for export administration in an international company near where I live. We manufacture laser equipments for marking and coding and have distributors worldwide, so it is fun to be in touch with so many different cultures and get to practice different languages every day. I take care of shipments, customs procedures, sales assistance to our distributors, and so on. Working times are convenient for me so I can also enjoy my family. Rosana Martnez Fernndez After I graduated I worked for Xauxa, a company I had already worked with (I found the offer at Infojobs). First I worked as a camp leader again (monitora dangls) and then I did some other tasks with more responsibility. Then I went to Brazil for some personal reasons (no, I didnt have a Brazilian boyfriend). I worked as an English teacher for several academies/companies and also taught private classes. But I had no legal contract or work permit, so I left after a year. When I came back to Barcelona I did some other jobs like teaching, translating, etc, and I realized that I wasnt sure of what I was doing. I decided that I needed a change. So I did the segon cicle de periodisme at the UPF. The good thing about Pompeu is that you can finish in two years. The bad thing is that it is almost full-time, and you have a lot of homework, so it is almost impossible to have a job while you study.
Then I did my prctiques at Xarxa de Televisions Locals and I worked there for about five years. What I liked most at first about my job was dealing with real life issues. You get to know many things and meet many people. The worst was that I hardly practised the languages I know. After some years there I was bored of the kind of journalism they make you do. It is not journalismyou just copy a lot of stuff, everything you do you do alone (I am a camera women, journalist, editor, etc.) and it is really tiresome and stressful, since you are always in a hurry. Also I had to deal with politics and politicians, which I really hate! I tried to change my job for years, but its really hard. Finally I got to change my job (although it is the same people that hired me, with the same precarious contract, etc.). Im doing the same job, but for a culture programme at Barcelona TV. Ive been there for three years now and Im much happier! I like culture, and my team is much better. I work fewer hours and with much more flexibility. So my advice to graduates is: stop for a while, breathe deeply and look inside yourself. Think about what you would really like to spend most of your time and energy doing. Get informed about all the options, investigate, talk to people...move! And if still you dont know what to do or how to do it, dont worry, youre not alone! Im 36 this year and still have no idea of what I want to do in life! 2000 Miriam Urgells Coll After being offered the opportunity to finish the degree through an Erasmus scholarship in Glasgow, I have mostly lived in the UK. Just after I completed the BA, I decided to study further, so I enrolled on a Computational Linguistics masters in the University of Essex. I really did enjoy the experience, and even though I thought that pursuing an academic career was certainly an option, I wanted to take some time to think about such a commitment and I went to Japan after completing the MA. It was a really rewarding experience, and I did learn quite a bit about teaching in academies, and I concluded that I didnt want to work in such an environment. So instead, I enrolled for a PhD, which I completed in 2009. During the time of study I also had the chance to teach different subjects at university level, and I was very keen on the research and teaching aspects involved in an academic life. I continued teaching in universities for another two years after finishing the PhD, but the impossibility of finding a permanent position together with the wish of starting a family, made me look for employment in the private sector. I applied for a variety of graduate jobs, and I ended up working in a publishing house in London as a researcher, which is what I am currently doing. My job entails interviewing professionals from various sectors (e.g. lawyers, bankers, etc.) and reviewing legal documents to produce a series of books of recommendations of lawyers and law firms around the world. All the reports are written in English, though interviews can be done on any language one feels confident using.
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1999 Eva Fit Martnez After I graduated, I completed an MA in English literature in Hull, UK, in 2000. Back in Barcelona, I taught English with part-time contracts. I decided then to try to go into business as it was clear to me that I would not want to build my career around teaching. I completed a short course in Secretariat Internacional funded by the European Social Fund. It was one of those courses (around 200 hours) offered to people who are unemployed in order to encourage training and options within the labour market. It was not an in-depth course but it gave me good basic knowledge of key aspects of secretarial work, which, together with my knowledge of foreign languages, made my CV quite attractive for secretarial jobs. I then applied for jobs in admin positions in multinational companies. I got a job in Mangos Buying Department, as a buying assistant, which was basically administrative and gave me good knowledge of the company, its product and what it is like to work in an international department within a multinational company. After a year I applied for an internal vacancy that arose in Mangos Human Resources department, as an assistant, since that area was appealing to me. I got the job, which led some time later to a move to London as the companys training manager for the shops in the UK. I worked in London for four years and completed as a part-timer a masters degree in Human Resources Management. The latter allowed me to gain more specialized knowledge of the field where I currently work, as a HR Manager, which I really enjoy. Four years later, I moved back to Spain where I took my current post in HR management. My advice goes to graduates who want to work in a company instead of teaching. It is important to be open and give things a try when you get started. Keep your eyes and your ears open to different professional opportunities that may arise, be ambitious and develop curiosity for things in different workplaces. Try to listen to your heart, to do what you really want and build your objectives from there, and not from conventional expectations. I would not advise completing postgraduate or masters courses right after graduating. I would advise you to do this instead as a part-timer while you work, once you gain job experience and find something interesting at work in which you can grow specialized. scar Ros Joven After teaching at various language schools for six years, I realized that there was no future in it. So in September 2006 I passed an exam and started as asubaltern at the Generalitats Departament de Cultura. Since then Ive been occupying various posts and passing more official exams to get promoted within the Generalitat. Thus, I worked as an auxiliar administratiu at the Departament dEconomia i Finances, as an administratiu at the Departament de Cultura i Mitjans de Comunicaci and as a tcnic superior at the Departament dInterior i Relacions Institucionals, to name a few. As of a couple of years ago, Im a tcnic de gesti at the Departament of JusticePrison Personnel Section and though I dont especially like the job, most of my partners contribute to create a really nice environment and I try to regard every little task at work as a kind of
mental stimulus (e.g. if I have to write some kind of boring report, I take it as a writing task, at least). And sometimes there are little surprises. For instance, one day I had the chance to visit the Centre Penitenciari dHomes de BarcelonaLa Model. That was a real experience! On the other hand, I dont need to tell you that the governments politics at times makes it difficult to maintain my little interest in work. But I suppose these are the rules of the game were playing, especially as civil servants. Im still working at the Department of Justice in Barcelona, dealing with all kinds of subjects related to the human resources of the people working at the Catalan penitentiary facilities (also known as prisons). So Im basically physically at the same place, with more or less the same kind of workthough a greater amount of it and with a lower salary thanks to the government cutbacks. As for my alter ego, Scar, hes still playing the bass guitar in INTO THE NETHERMOST and weve recently released our debut album called Once Upon the Graveyard. You can check it out, download it for free and even order a physical limited digital edition via intothenethermost.bandcamp.com/ In addition, for all kinds of novelties, pics and future gigs, see https://www.facebook.com/IntotheNethermost 1997 Adela Mena Garca After finishing my degree in 1997, I taught in a language school. I loved the job, but the timetable was irregular and the pay low, with a fair proportion in black. After two years I needed a change. I started studying German and I did a course in Microsoft Office. I started working in an Export Department for a multinational company dealing with orders, customers and complaints on the phone. It was a very macho company since women tended to have the routine jobs, but I was getting experience and after a year, it was time for another change. In the meantime, I carried on with my German lessons. I applied for a job as a Personal Assistant to a Managing Director thirteen years ago and began working for a multinational company. The first few years were the best: really challenging, using my languages all the time, terribly busy but fulfilling. I continued German for five more years and after that I took a course in Marketing and Finance at EADA. Then, I started with French. Five years ago, there was a management buy-out and we became a national company. My job wasnt as interesting and I even considered leaving. Two years ago I had a baby and I took unpaid maternity leave for a year. I came back last October and I went for a reduction in my schedule (I only work 6 hours in the morning). Im really happy now since I work in the mornings, have my free time for my daughter in the afternoonsevenings and we became a multinational company again after a sell-out. Unfortunately, we are about to move premises and instead of ten minutes to work, itll now take me 45 minutes by car and the company wont pay travel expenses!
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Life After Graduation Pack 2013

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Life After Graduation

LIFE AFTER GRADUATION 2013

Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanstica, Universitat Autnoma de Barcelona August 2013