RagsToRich

We are two friends, 26 and 27, escaping the rat-race (forever), currently learning Spannish, probably taking the car (I know all about the taxes, don't worry my car is worth very little so it won't cost me much to retax), maybe doing a TEFL...

By the time we hit Spain in August-September I'll have basic Spanish, probably some kind of TEFL (although maybe a cheapo one), and hopefully a web-design business on the go in the background (UK VAT registered).

The decision to go somewhere else was made over a year ago, the decision for that place to (initially at least) be spain was made last month. I am travelling with a friend, so there's two of us. He's at least as set on this as I am - he tends to be more of a nonchallant idealist and I am more of a visionary realist.

My Income: Before I leave the country I will almost certainly have set-up a web design business with another friend. This venture could bring in the entire living income that I'll need - it'll be a UK VAT registered busiess and all my work will be done via a laptop. Or it could only provide part of my income.

If it only provides part of my income then I will need a job in spain. Things I am considering right now: Teaching English, or Bar-work (part time, I won't entertain service industry work for any longer than 25 hours a week).

Our skill in Spanish? Right now - zero. We need to start learning soon.

Why Spain? Out of our options it seems the easiest place to potentially get settled in as well as meeting all our other criteria.

What happens if Spain doesn't work out? We move to Cyprus where we'd have a free place to stay for two months and could hopefully get established in that time.

Here's our criteria for location...

1) Has to be in commutable distance of party-central. By which I mean a resort!

2) Preferably living in a university town. I get on well with student types and free thinkers.

3) Probably north west or southern coast.

4) Relatively good job opportunities for English speakers - which means jobs involving basic Spanish skills (bar-work or working in an English capacity) or teaching English.

Don't get me wrong, I will be learning Spanish 1 hour/day for the next 6 months (began yesterday ) but I'll probably only get to basic level with this.

Any ideas?!

jackytoo

My idea would be for you to read this forum for a few days.

Everybody and their Grandmother has a TEFL here so don't waste your money. Don't know about the website business except lots of people here seem to have one! Bar work (if you can get it) would hardly pay your rent.

cricketman

Sounds very exciting. But not sure Spain is the right place to live if you have little money and want to escape the rat race.

You will have to work just as hard in Spain if not harder to make ends meet.

In terms of location; Málaga is a renowned uni popular with international students and it is a pretty cool city. And then you have the whole Costa del sol to look for English speaking work.

Warning, you'll be fighting with thousands of other Brits for a job.

I cant think fo any other good uni towns in Spain that are close to resorts. I love Granada as a city and it has a really good uni, but its quite a drive to the coast.

In the North West of Spain you dont have resorts in the way you'd imagine a holiday resort.

Then you have Barcelona and Madrid, but your talking serious money for rents. Madrid is THE party town in Spain. I actually found Barcelona not a very fun place at all, it was quite conservative with few going out areas except over-priced ones for tourists.

agoreira

I wish you well, but in the present climate, you might end up having to change your name to richestorags! It's difficult to be realistic and not sound negative, we have seen similar posts many times, but the harsh reality is it's very difficult without the language and a guaranteed job. It seems nearly everyone has a TFL and is a web designer, the market is full of them. As I say, I wish you luck, I'm sure there are many here better informed than me that will offer you more advice.

Edit. I see 2 posts have come in since I started writing!

bil

Back when things were booming, and they were doing 'place in the sun' type progs, they would sometimes wheel out people who had been living there and making a go of it to inspire/advise the would be purchaser.

The one thing that struck me over and over again was the number of times the successful people pointed out that they were working all the hours god sent.

Now, if it was like that then, what price now?

steviedeluxe

If you want TEFL work go to Madrid. Anyone who has taught there (and I have) will tell you that in Autumn or in Jan/Feb it normally only takes a week or two before you can get lined up with a job. My contacts there still have (seemingly!) plenty of work in that field, and I still get emails for business classes paying 25Euro a hour in Madrid. You will need to have a decent level of Spanish to survive there though, and if you can build up some experience before-hand (perhaps teaching English in one of the umpteen cheapo language academies in London) you'll have a head start.

Here are a couple of links worth perusing:

http://www.madridinsider.com/

http://www.eslcafe.com/

http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/

HBG

Go for it. Malaga, Alicante, Valencia are all uni/party towns on the coast. Just keep the phone number of someone reliable in the UK to get you home should it go wrong - I’m sure it won’t.

Good luck.

manamama

The only places for young people in Spain is Madrid.

You'll have a fair chance to teach English or bar work.

I would say get a TEFL at least so that you know partly what you do when it comes to teaching English.

You must have basic Spanish at least to survive.

For Teaching English you would need to go before September to start applying for the English Academies. A tough outgoing personality is a must too !

If I in my mid 20s (although I had finished my partying and got down to a serious career by then) I would go to to Asia to Teach English. There are plently of opportunities there and usually with accommodation and support.

You're not giving youselves much time to get into action if its September 2010 you're off. Not enough time to learn enough Spanish (talking years not months) or do a TEFL.

I'd plan it a bit better..get a proper job while learning Spanish and TEFL (get some experience too), get some money behind you.

If you were my kids, I would be reining you in a bit..

Veleta

Decent academies would not look too kindly on someone who only did a "cheapo" TEFL, particularly if you have no experience. A cheapo TEFL demonstrates that you are not too serious about pursuing this as a career, and whilst that may be true it doesn't look good from the employer's point of view.

Do the Uni of Cambridge CELTA. It's the industry standard.

missile

Good luck to you and your chum

I have two sons similar age and both have good jobs and homes in their home town in the UK. Can't live their life but I would rather they were a bit more adventurous and saw a bit more of the world.

steviedeluxe

There's a standard 4 week TEFL certificate course which is very similar to the 4 week CELTA. It's the experience that counts however, and that will get you the better jobs.

agoreira

I wouldn´t knock them for that, we´re all different, not everyone wants to travel. If they are happy as they are, there´s nowt wrong with that. I have two, as different as chalk and cheese, one is in the Forces, triathlete, fitness fanatic, has been all over the place, the other, a nethead, computer geek, but like yours, both have good well paid jobs, their own house and both very happy with their lot.

Veleta

Which course are you referring to? The CELTA is a four week TEFL certificate. Perhaps you mean Trinity? This is also good, but the CELTA is more recognised.

The OP has no experience at all, so a good qualification is a must.

RagsToRich

Thanks for all the responses. There's a few "reality check" type posts... I'm not too concerned about that. If this was a forum called "Moving back to the UK" and someone posted a plan like this to return to the UK on there I'd expect a much grimmer response.

Overall I'm extremely encouraged by the overall positive reception - thanks especially for the advice re: location.

With regards qualification - I don't care at all about actually having the qualification - I only want the experience. I know the English language, particularly grammer, like the back of my hand. Not a problem at all.

All I need is classroom experience and some tips of giving lesson plans etc.

Basic Spanish? I'm all over it. After talking to a friend who has been travelling the world for ten years learning Spanish has rocketed to my #1 priority. I started an audio course yesterday and will be doing an hour a day for the next 6 months. Also going to make some new Spanish friends to practice with (I'm not kidding )

No way it's more expensive in Spain than the UK, in-fact I know it isn't because I've crunched the numbers

Cheers!

Rags

jackytoo

No way it's more expensive in Spain than the UK, in-fact I know it isn't because I've crunched the numbers
How can you know that when you don't even know which location is ok. Do you claim to know more than people living and visiting.

There is more to teaching a foreign language than knowing the grammer (sic)