Hello everyone interested in this topic!

After receiving my degree certification and CAP (curso de aptitude pedagógico), I am now considered to be "qualified" to sit the high school teacher civil service exams (next ones for Madrid will be held in July 2008, I believe).

Anyway, I am planning on taking a course to prepare for this test (I plan to sit the exam for teaching English) and would love to know if anybody else out there has already done this?

Either way, I'll keep you posted on how it goes. Its a very "long haul" for us "foreigners" to get a public school teaching post. However, "sin prisa, sin pausa", I hope to eventually get one. I have heard that its very hard to pass the test, but not so hard to get onto the substitute teaching lists and start working.

Anyone out there have any feedback/experiences with this process?

Thanks,

Val

Oh, wow, good for you Val! I'm very interested in finding out how it all goes--I know some other people who are contemplating a similar move. From what I've heard, it's a long haul for anyone to get a stable position in the schools, but once you do you are set for life.

What exactly is the CAP? What was the degree that you got certified?

I go to school with a public school high school English teacher (she's Spanish). Her degree was in filología inglesa, but she's studying filología hispánica now. If you are interested, I could put you in touch with her when I see her again (probably in October--she's surely off enjoying her insanely long summer vacation).

Hi again,

The CAP is a teaching certificate that allows you to teach high school classes at private schools and to take the public high school civil service exam. In order to take the CAP (I did it this year at the Complutense), you must have a Spanish university degree (or a foreign one that has been fully convalidated into a Spanish one). Your degree can be in anything (mine is "Administración de Empresas" - my US degrees are BA in Economics plus an MBA and both of these together were convalidated into this 5 year Spanish degree).

If you are interested in finding out more about the CAP, you can look it up at the Complutense (just put Complutense and CAP into google.es and it pops up). The CAP at teh Complutense is mostly independent study; you must attend 5 Saturday half day classroom sessions and study a large pile of books on your own. You must also write a long report (in Spanish and English for the English teaching CAP that I did).

Now, in order to prepare for the civil service exam, I will take a course (from October through June) at a specialised academy. So, if anyone else (especially foreigners like me) are doing or have done this, I'd be interested in hearing about it. We'll see how it goes!

That's all for now. I'll keep you posted. Val.

Hi Val,

Congrats on completing the CAP, getting your degree "homologado", and generally having a plan and pursuing it.

I'm doing something similar: After completing my "Magisterio" degree this year, I'll be sitting the June 2009 civil service exam for primary school English teaching.

I have a Slovakian friend who did what you're going to do - the secondary exam (for English)- in 2006. She speaks excellent English, and studied on her own. I believe she passed the exam, but didn't have a high enough score to actually get one of the teaching spots. She *was* soon called as a substitute, however.

As you probably know, you can do a nearly perfect exam and still not be hired, since you will be competing against people who have earned a lot of extra "points" (through years of teaching, or by doing additional academic work). Nevertheless, if you do an excellent exam, it *is* likely that you'll be called to substitute, as you said.

However, it's important to keep in mind that if your degree isn't an English Philology degree, you *must* pass the exam or you won't be included in the substitute list. (Those who have an English degree but fail the exam *can* work as substitutes, however. Go figure).

If I can help you out in any way (put you in contact with my friend...?, etc.), let me know. Best of luck!

Kristin

Hi Kristin,

It's really exciting that you will have your primary teaching degree soon! I would have liked to teach at the primary level, but couldn't see doing another full degree (I already have a BA plus a masters, although not in teaching).

Anyway, I know that it's a long, long haul. However, I figure that if I just plug away at it ("sin prisa, sin pausa" as they say here), I will someday get a spot. Meanwhile, I am doing a little translating (actually pays much better than teaching, but isn't steady work and the hours are weird - nights, weekends, etc.).

Anyway, let's keep each other posted on this thread on how it goes. My next step is to sign up at an academy for a full course (it runs from Oct to June).

Good luck and keep me posted,

Val

HI.

I realise this topic was discussed ages ago, but i have loads of questions.

Basically, I would like to know if i am qualified to attempt to take the oposicion to teach at an escuela oficial de idiomas.

I do not want to study for another degree.

I have a British BA, a Post Graduate Certificate in Education which qualifies me to teach geography at senior school and all subjects at Junior school, in England and Wales.
I also have the CELTA.

Can anyone help?

Thanks.

Hi Rachel,

You can't do the oposicion unless your degree has been officially recognized ("homologado") by the Spanish Ministry of Education. So this is the first step.

Escuela Oficial de Idiomas oposiciones are held every 2 years, I believe. The next ones are this June - so you would have to shoot for the exams held in 2010.

Best of luck,
k.

I recently became re-interested in living abroad, and specifically in Spain. I took Spanish in high school, but that having been many years ago without hardly any practice I speak it these days with about a 3 year old's proficiency. My degree is in Life Science Education here in the States. I have one year of teaching experience so far, and will have two at the end of the upcoming school year. What kind of hurdles am I facing should I choose to head down this path? Can you offer a good place to begin gathering information? I don't mean to hijack your thread, Val; it just appears that with your recent accomplishment you might be a expert in this area.