In this article, an EBC Road2Spain graduate shares what a day in the life of an EBC Road2Spain student is like. From embracing everyday life in one of the most beautiful countries in the world and learning a new language to teaching English while having a great work-life balance, see the opportunity from the perspective of someone who is living the life-changing Road2Spain experience.
In this article, an EBC Road2Spain graduate shares what a day in the life of an EBC Road2Spain student is like. From embracing everyday life in one of the most beautiful countries in the world and learning a new language to teaching English while having a great work-life balance, see the opportunity from the perspective of someone who is living the life-changing Road2Spain experience.
A day in the life: Life leading up to the Road2Spain
Before I start narrating a day in my life as a Road2Spain student, I want to start with a backstory. I originally moved to Spain as a language assistant under the famous programme by the Spanish Ministry of Education. I came straight from university, right after I earned my Bachelor’s degree in International Relations.
Ever since I was a little girl, I have always been fascinated by the Spanish language. It’s quite funny, actually, given that no one in my immediate circle spoke it. All I remember is that any time I heard anyone on television say something in Spanish, it sounded like music to me.
Then, when I was in middle school, my family and I went on a short trip to Spain to accompany my brother, who joined a football immersion programme. I remember seeing cities like Seville, Barcelona, and Madrid for the first time. Though the trip only lasted two weeks, Spain had already stolen my heart. From there, it became my dream to live in Spain.
Fast-forward to my first two years. I did two schoolyears with the Spanish Ministry of Education, working as a language assistant in a bilingual school in the beautiful city of Córdoba. These two years were formative to my TEFL journey because they helped me discover just how much I love languages.
Though I had gotten used to preparing fun activities to help my students practice their English in school, their questions about English grammar and vocabulary made me realise that I wanted to learn how to actually teach the language. Furthermore, in Spain, you need some sort of certification to teach English. It’s not enough just to know how to speak the language.
So, after my second year as a language assistant in Spain, I looked for a TEFL course.
A day in the life: The Road2Spain experience
Funnily, in my search for a TEFL course, I found something better. I stumbled upon the EBC Road2Spain programme, which allows you to study Spanish for a year and get certified to teach English in Spain.
The first part of the programme began with me taking the 4-week online EBC Trinity CertTESOL course. The course was intensive, but definitely worth it because it helped me grow in my confidence, lesson planning and English teaching skills. After I had finished the course, I was ready to start with my Spanish classes.
The best thing about the Road2Spain programme is the amazing work-life balance you can have while doing all these amazing things. Exploring a beautiful country, learning a new language, and teaching English.
There’s really nothing quite like the routine you get to establish with the Road2Spain programme. Here’s what a typical day for me looks like.
A day in the life of an EBC Road2Spain student: Early in the morning
I wake up to the sunlight dancing across my eyelids. Today’s a new day, and there are a lot of fun things in store. I start my morning off by meeting my friend María at a café for breakfast. To get there, I walk through the neighbourhood park. On the sidewalk, I pass by parents walking their kids to school.
When I get to the café, María is already there. I give her a hug and sit across her. We order tostadas and coffee. Over breakfast, we talk about her family and how she’s planning to visit her pueblo (village) over the upcoming puente (long weekend). She says I can tag along if I want to. She asks me about my Spanish classes, and I tell her about how I’m learning subjunctives. “Uff,” she says, with a little laugh.
After we finish our breakfast, we head over to the gym nearby and start warming up for our aerobics class. Our aerobics instructor, whose name also happens to be María, pushes us hard today, but it’s always a great feeling to break a sweat in the morning.
A day in the life of an EBC Road2Spain student: Later in the day
After our gym session, I head back to my apartment to freshen up. Then, I get ready for my Spanish class. Thanks to the time I had to go to the gym this morning, I feel energised, which is why I don’t find it hard to pay attention to my Spanish teacher. Plus, she’s the nicest person ever.
I enjoy how she facilitates really engaging activities that get us using the target language for the day. It also amazes me how much Spanish I’m learning every single day. After all, whatever I learn in class, I immediately have a chance to practice when I step outside because this is Spain.
After a few hours of Spanish class, I head to the restaurant across my school to meet my good friend, Manuel. Manuel speaks English quite well, so speaking to him is a breath of fresh air. However, today, he’s helping me improve my Spanish listening skills, so he talks to me in Spanish the whole time. We order tapas and a couple of rounds of beer.
When we finish, I say goodbye and begin to head back to my apartment. On the way, I pass by the supermarket and remember I need to buy eggs. This is one of the things I love about Spain. Everything is so accessible, you can walk pretty much anywhere. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever walked so much in my life.
When I reach home, I have time to get a little siesta (an afternoon nap) in. As I drift off to sleep, I smile at the realisation that I get to have this kind of balance.
A day in the life of an EBC Road2Spain student: In the afternoon
When I wake up, I gather my things for my English classes, and I head to the bus stop right across my apartment. The bus doesn’t take very long to arrive. Before I know it, I’m in my classroom, setting up everything I’ll be using for this afternoon’s lessons.
Today I have a fun game I know my teen students will love. Academy classes are in the afternoon, so the kids normally come in tired from school. I’m sure my exciting game will do a great job of waking them up.
My students arrive and I greet them all with a smile. I take their attendance and check their homework. Then, I transition to our warm-up activity. I designed it to introduce the lesson of the day, so by the time we finish this activity, we’ll be able to go straight into our discussion.
Throughout the lesson, I make sure to keep my students engaged and thinking. Instead of telling them everything, I ask them questions that will force them to think and analyse for themselves.
The lesson goes as planned, and they understand the lesson so well that they breeze through the last activity.
When it’s time to go, I walk them out the door, and one of them turns around to say she loves my English class. As I get through my next few classes, I can’t help but feel a deep sense of gratitude for this moment. I get to live in Spain, immerse myself in such a beautiful culture, and teach my first language.
Perhaps it’s the gratitude that helps me make it through my last English class without losing my patience with one student who just won’t stop talking.
A day in the life of an EBC Road2Spain student: In the evening
As the day ends, I feel tired but fulfilled. I got to go to the gym, catch up with friends, learn Spanish, and teach English. All in one day! Tomorrow evening, after my last academy class, I have a private English class with my next-door neighbour’s daughter, who is preparing for a big exam.
With this in mind, I realise I can’t meet up with anyone tomorrow night because I’ll be ending later than usual. So, I send a message to the group chat I have with some of my good friends who are also teachers, and we decide to meet up for some drinks.
On my way to our favourite bar by the river, I take in the sights and sounds of the city. The sun is just starting to set, casting a warm orange light on everything. My teacher friends and I have a drink and exchange class ideas. This is a great support system to have.
After about an hour, we all head home. I take a nice warm shower and make myself a salad. Then, I get cosy in the living room and watch a Spanish movie. By the time it’s finished, I’m more than ready to doze off.
As my head hits the pillow, I find myself smiling again. Today may seem so ordinary to someone else, but to me, this is something I used to dream of. I doze off, with this sense of gratefulness resting lightly on my chest. Tomorrow is another day, full of new possibilities.
Enrol in the EBC Road2Spain programme
If you want to learn Spanish for a year and teach English in Spain all while having a great work-life balance, enrol in the EBC Road2Spain programme today!
