vsft

Hello everyone,

I have recently received an application update from the British Council, saying I have passed the assessment for (possibly) becoming a language assistant in Spain. From what I understand, they are now waiting on responses from Ministerio de Educacion regarding allocations, etc. However, the Council offers little to no help with documentation/finding accommodation so I'm quite worried.

I understand Spanish better than I speak it so I'm not sure if that will be sufficient when faced with the bureaucracy there (from what I've read around blog posts, etc.).

I'd like to know if anyone has any tips in terms of finding a place to rent/settling in/etc? I'd be really grateful!

snikpoh

You don't say where - every area is different.

Your main problem is that Spain doesn't really do technology! By that I mean many adverts on the internet are out of date and agents rarely respond to emails.

Your best bet would be to book into somewhere for a couple of nights and then look for rental signs on properties or visit agents in person.

You will at least need an NIE so you could get that now in UK.

Rosemary

Hi and a warm welcome to the Spanish forum on BE. Myself and Fred James are the moderators for the Spanish forums whilst BEVS moderates Europe. Moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. This is so that members gain the information that they are looking for and find their experiences on the forums to be friendly and worthwhile.

Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderator who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are usually friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge about the issues of living in Spain. I hope that you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

Retired in Euskadi

Don't worry yourself. If your heart is set on working in Spain, then follow it. The country is dying to improve its level of English and in general it's a very warm (friendly) country with a range of diversity & language! I live in the Basque country, so a rarity to meet Brits.
Where might you be working? You didn't say. The Valencia area speak a form of Catalan, whereas Madrid is pure Spanish. So is Bilbao, where Basque is spoken less than in the rest of Euskadi.
Bureaucracy reigns in Spain, more than rain; you could always let a "gestor" (agent) do some of your paperwork, for a fee of course.
The least the B Council should do is give you a list of what paperwork you need to complete. I worked for them for 2 years in Iran & had a thoroughly good time there.

Eric S

What's a "language assistant"?

- Eric S.

snikpoh

Someone who assists an language (English) teacher in a classroom?

Culebronchris

My partner worked on the Bilingual project with the BC for a few years. She enjoyed the work. The pay is reasonable by Spanish standards for people involved in teaching who haven't passed their state exams, the oposiciones. We ended up in a couple of really nice places. If they offer Ciudad Rodrigo that was a lovely town but Cartagena was good too and a friend had a great time in Burgos despite the winter cold.

Don't worry too much about the bureaucracy. It's often a bit overstated. Thousands of Britons without a clue have managed somehow. You aren't going to need much paperwork in reality anyway and Government departments will, eventually, do their job and give you whatever paperwork you need. The school and BC will sort out your pay and tax and any estate agent will easily overcome their problems with language in order to earn their commisssion and find you a flat.

Eric S

Looks like you're right. I should have just Googled it. Here's what I found: https://www.britishcouncil.org/language-assistants

- Eric S.

vsft

Many, many thanks for the replies! I've read through them today as I've been emailed by the British Council, saying I have been allocated a post in Madrid. I've been thinking of using Fotocasa and Idealista as I've read around a few blogs and people seem to opt for them when finding a place to live. I do intend to go there 1 or 2 weeks in advance to personally look around for places to live - as soon as I find out what part of Madrid/school I've been assigned to.

I'm sort of counting on a distant relative who has lived in Spain for many years for some help on paperwork and accommodation but more than anything, I'm pretty set on it so I do hope it works out - the bureaucracy and first few weeks of settling in, especially.