Overview
Click to OpenAs a part-time Language and Culture Assistant in the Community of Madrid you will help Spanish students develop their conversational English skills. With fewer days of orientation, this program is designed for experienced travelers and educators that are ready to hit the ground running and need less support upon arrival in Madrid.
Program Highlights
- Placement within the Community of Madrid
- Teach 16-hours per week
- 4-day work week with 3-day weekends
- €1,000 monthly stipend
- 2-day orientation in Madrid with hotel accommodation
- 24/7 support from CIEE staff in Spain
- Pre-departure assistance including visa guidance
After reading the program overview on this page, be sure to check out our Teach in Spain FAQs!
This program is ideal for applicants with upper-intermediate or advanced Spanish proficiency, experience living in a Spanish speaking country and prior teaching experience. Don’t quite meet the requirements for our Basics program or want more support? Check out our main Teach in Spain program.
Add a 150-Hour CIEE TEFL Certification For $1,000 ($1,100 Value) Apply Now
Location | Start Date | End Date | Compensation | Deadline |
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Madrid | Late September | Late June | 1,000 Euro (approx. $1,150)/month | June 1* |
About Our Program Fees
As a non-profit organization, CIEE relies on program fees to provide participants with placement assistance, international insurance, orientation, and support before and after arrival. The program fee of $1,550 is paid in two installments:
- $500 commitment deposit after acceptance ($1,000 for programs with TEFL)
- Remaining balance due when you receive your placement
CIEE alumni receive a 10% discount!
COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement
CIEE is requiring all participants to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before traveling on programs. Read more ›
What's Included
Click to OpenWhat's Included
- Placement as a Language and Culture Assistant
- Pre-departure assistance – including visa guidance
- iNext insurance for lost belongings, delayed bags and medical evacuation
- Private health insurance for medical expenses, with 24/7 emergency hotline
- Ongoing support from CIEE staff in Spain
- Airport pickup and transportation to your orientation hotel on arrival day
- Two days of orientation with topics including housing, banking, residency, health & safety, and more
- Two nights of hotel accommodation provided during orientation
- Cultural activities during orientation such as sampling cuisine from different regions of Spain

The Destination
Click to Open

The Destination
Madrid is the heart of Spain. More than a rich cultural heritage site boasting world-renowned art museums, Madrid is a lively, artistic metropolis with a variety of food, tapas bars, dance shows, opera, concerts, parks, jazz clubs, soccer matches, ethnic neighborhoods, and contemporary theater and cinema– all ready for you to explore.
CIEE wants all our participants to feel welcomed, supported, and empowered to succeed while teaching abroad. Local CIEE staff have provided details about conditions and cultural attitudes that teachers with specific identities might encounter in Madrid.
Follow our Travels:
The Take-Aways
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Compensation
Monthly stipend of €1,000 in Madrid.
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Preparation
Job placement, pre-departure assistance, an online pre-departure course, 2 day in-country orientation, cultural activities
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Assistance
Visa application guidance, iNext international insurance, 24-hour support from CIEE staff in Spain, resources for finding housing.
Program Blogs
Click to OpenProgram Blogs
Job Description
Click to OpenJob Description
You'll work at a public school as an English Language and Culture Assistant, a role that is part of a nationwide initiative. As a native English speaker, you will be assisting classes or small groups of students in order to develop their listening and conversational skills, as well as their understanding of your home culture. In many schools, you'll also teach English to members of the school staff. If you are placed in a bilingual school you may facilitate English conversational activities in subjects such as science, art, and history.
Exact responsibilities of Language and Culture Assistants vary according to each individual school. However, you won’t be left alone with an entire class of students, nor will you be responsible for grading, discipline, or the independent supervision of students.
Assistants in Madrid typically have 16 classroom hours per week. The school year starts in early October and goes until late June.
Learn More About the Experience of CIEE Teachers During COVID-19
Compensation
CIEE Language and Culture Assistants in Madrid work from October to June and receive a monthly stipend of 1,000 Euro (approx. $1,150). For most participants, this is adequate to afford a comfortable lifestyle. If you’re careful with spending, you’ll have some money for fun and to explore Spain and other European countries. Your income will go further outside of city centers where the cost of shared accommodations, food, transportation, entertainment, etc., are lower. We will provide you with advice on how to find an affordable apartment and how to best plan your budget each month.
Most program participants also teach private English classes, either through their school or independently. CIEE can help here, too, with advice on how to advertise and find private lessons when you get to Spain.
CIEE participants have paid holidays around Christmas and Easter. Exact dates will be confirmed when the school calendars are approved in September. There is usually a two week break around Christmas. Participants also have Holy Week off, which is the week before Easter. Official provincial calendars are available in September.
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Schools
CIEE teachers are placed at schools participating in an ongoing bilingual initiative led by the Spanish government, including primary and secondary schools. The majority of schools are in suburban and rural areas outside the city centers. In the region of Madrid, it is possible to live in the city center and commute to your school if you are placed in a small town or suburb. Location and age-group preferences are considered by CIEE, but we are not able to guarantee specific placement preferences.
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Workload
You will lead conversational activities in English and give presentations on your home culture. You may also participate in other activities, such as music, theater, sporting events, English language clubs, and more. In addition to your classroom hours, you may be required to spend a few hours attending planning or professional development sessions each week. You’ll still have ample time to take part in activities that further enrich your experience, such as finding an internship with a local business, volunteering for a local charity, or teaching private English lessons.
Qualifications
Click to OpenTEFL Certification
Click to OpenOur Team
Click to OpenOur Team
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Luke Beland
Teach Abroad Manager
Luke studied abroad in Morocco and taught English in Jordan, and visited many other countries along the way. He is pleased to put those experiences and lessons to good use helping CIEE participants!
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Lauren Massey
Senior Coordinator
Lauren taught English in South Korea for two years and she has since traveled and lived in over 20 countries.
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Laura Canadillas
In-Country Support
Laura worked in various social services positions in France, Scotland and Thailand, before she came back to her hometown, Madrid, to support CIEE teachers in Spain.