Thanks again, mariposita, I'll see if I can edit the post to show the real program link.

It looks as if I can't edit/delete the original post - it is letting me do that with my other responses, but not the main one, because the message is saying "Guests cannot edit posts".

hey instantrejoinder.

i wrote..." i first thought it was an advertisement", then i saw it was you who started it and obviously realized it was not an ad.

yes instant rejoinder, board members cannot make edits. if you tell me what you want to edit in a private message, i can do it for you.

Cervantes...

quote:

I always thought it was the more well-off people that were the shrewdest with their money (that's what you've always taught me, Master Obi jer!)

yes but there are still a LOT of wealthy parents out there who will see the program and accept the fees to give their "child" the experience without thinking to look into a cheaper or free program.

i work with a lot of students on the cell phone front and often see them going with companies that are a rip-off. a lot of the time it seems money is no object. manhy of them work it out and choose to change to my services but many do not. i think they believe that the service must be better just because they are paying a lot more

quote:

To feed off people's wealth, I agree - fair play to them. If you're providing a BETTER service and can charge high amounts for it, then great. But to feed off people's innocence and charge MORE for the SAME service, that is immoral.

yes but it is easy to justify oneself and show that they offer a "BETTER" service. for example, a program that sends you abroad from the u.s.a. and has bilingual staff can justify an additional expense for the same program offered by say a spanish company whose employees do not speak english.

take a well-known medical clinic here in madrid. they sell themselves as a bilingual clinic and charge a lot more for services than you would pay if you went to a spanish clinic with employees who only speak spanish but provide the same services.

when i was studying here 10 years ago, i used them to get a test done to know my blood type. cost me 35 euros.

i just had to go do another one here at a private spanish laboratory but where they only speak spanish and it cost me 6.75 euros

there is a fine line my friend.

saludos,
jer...

I'm presuming you wrote most of this without having noticed mariposita had offered the same thing without the 1,500€. I'd never said there was anything per se wrong with the placement, just the initial payment. But anyway, a few responses:

quote:

Originally posted by instantrejoinder:

I don't feel the need to carry entertainment around with me... certainly not while in a unique, exciting foreign country.

Well, I do. Once you've sat on one metro for half an hour, you've sat on them all. But I don't see the need to pay for a service that you can get elsewhere for free.

quote:

None that match this program's features, obviously.

Mariposita found one.

quote:

It's funny you'd even try to lecture me about attitude.

Didn't think I'd insulting anything about your way of life or ways of spending your money, just that the program you are supporting is a rip-off.

quote:

It gives you an opportunity that is much different than striking out on your own *in Andalusia*, and you have many easy chances to earn more. What I said was a comparison with Madrid, which is the location most talked about on these boards.

Teaching jobs are in their abundance in Andalusia.

Being a classroom assistant, assisting presumably a Spanish native teacher who has a weaker level of English than you do and who hasn't studied the modern EFL methods of the Cambridge/Trinity exams doesn't sound like a very pleasant experience to me. I've spent a lot of time mopping up the drivel that passes for English among Spanish school students. Plus: you're teaching in a state school which is going to have even less motivated students than in a private academy.

quote:

Any participant can ditch this program at any time.

And waste 1,500€?

quote:

As well, the program might treat you fairly.

Of course.

quote:

Consider that the routine advice around here is for people to save ***$5,000+ US*** just to fly over and teach privately.

But at least you can shop around for the best work.

quote:

for no prestige

Working as an assistant to a Spanish person trying to teach English or being the main teacher in a class of motivated students? I know which I'd choose.

quote:

stability

I've never had a problem getting eight months continuous work in a language school in Spain. In fact, I've found it hard to leave.

quote:

or professional development as a teacher.

It's not easy to develop when you're an assistant.

quote:

live with roommates,

(a) What's wrong with that? It's part of the experience. (b) You don't have to live with people on this program? I doubt they give private accommodation.

quote:

struggle to balance private lessons.

Plenty of language school work out there, people usually go private because they want to, because the money is better.

quote:

Qualified teachers on this board repeatedly complain about pulling in enough money every month.

And they'd complain if they were earning 631€ a month too. They only way they could earn more would be to "commute all over, and struggle to balance private lessons."

quote:

It's not a certification program. After the orientation, which is not intended to provide a certificate, they move straight to the job placement component.

So, you're saying "orientation + job placement" is better than "certification + job placement"? (which most Trinity and Cambridge courses offer).

Damian

Yes. I finished writing my response while mariposita was posting that link and didn't update my view of the page until after she put it there, so the rest of this no longer needs to be discussed.

Thanks!

For the benefit of those who might read this thread in the future, seeking information, I thought I'd add:

- I'm a "language and culture assistant", and got my job the "free" way (see mariposita's link).
- I work in Madrid, not Andalusia. You can be placed anywhere, I think (? - check the official information on this point)
- In Madrid the pay is higher - about 890 Euros per month. In return, you must teach the schoolteachers 2 hours per week.
- I enjoy my job immensely.
- I've learned a lot ("developed professionally").
- My colleagues, the schoolteachers, are generally very well-qualified and not at all old-fashioned (with one unfortunate exception... hopefully he'll retire soon).
- If you're coming over here and this is your only source of income, yes, you'll need to do some private classes. The good thing is you'll have no trouble lining these up: both parents and teachers will be begging you to teach their children after school. Or at least that's been my experience at our school.
- The job is October to June, with private health insurance and periodic teacher training sessions included. Oh yes - and "student visa" legal status.
- If you enjoy yourself, you can do it again the next year (maximum 2 years).

Keep in mind, of course, that I'm speaking from my experience in *Madrid*.

Kristin

Thanks for talking about your experience, Kristin. (I'm the one who had started this thread without knowing about the free government program.)

Yes, the online application lets applicants specify which region they want and all of them were listed (or nearly all, I did not check closely but still saw many regions listed). You can select three in order of preference.

The tip about Madrid is especially useful. I didn't know they paid more.

It seems to me that a key advantage is being able to have a stable income and work location in a less populated area - without endless commuting. So people who want to experience something besides Madrid/Barcelona have an immediate arrangement set up. Of course one can also be in those cities and do fine.

I tend to agree with you about the public school teachers. Like I said earlier on, it's the prestige factor of working with established professional educators among the local population. The private sector usually can't match that.

The program deadline has been extended to May 11.

Grants for North American Language and Culture Assistants in Spain

Buena suerte,

Shawn