Why Murcia? My CIEE TEFL Experience as a Language Assistant in Spain

Hello there! My name is Nicole and after going through a divorce at 30 years old in 2022, I took a risk on myself and started traveling solo to Europe. In 2024, I made my way to Spain to run a marathon in Madrid and when I got home, I felt called to take the plunge and move abroad to Spain. I had always been interested in teaching and felt TEFL was the perfect way for me to accomplish my goals to live abroad. 

Why I chose CIEE and my experience in the CIEE 150-Hour TEFL course

My roommate at home had done the TEFL program years ago to teach in Madrid through CIEE and gave me a lot of guidance about what to expect. She had raved about her experience living abroad over our years of friendship so I instantly trusted CIEE. After reaching out I heard back right away from CIEE and appreciated that they took my goals as seriously as me. 

Starting the CIEE course was intimidating at first but I quickly realized expectations were very clear and there are tons of channels of support. It was definitely a lot of work between my job behind the chair as a hairstylist and a student, but to complete something that I was so passionate about was a great accomplishment. My teacher Alix was super supportive and gave great feedback and guidance throughout the course. I also realized as stressed as I was for a couple weeks, I enjoyed learning and the content I was learning about. I remember learning about the different learning styles and it resonated with me from when I was a young student and struggled. It really got me excited about the type of teacher I wanted to be. 

Going into my classroom on Day 1 I felt a sense of imposter syndrome, but the second I got with the kids I instantly felt at ease. I knew confidence was key and for the most part, the students were so excited to have a foreigner in the classroom that I felt instantly welcomed. The course definitely refreshed everything that is already second nature and gave me the tools to be a successful teacher. 

My hiring process was a very unique circumstance for me. I was actually placed before I even started the TEFL course due to a shortage in teachers that year. It helped me decide that even though I only had 3 months to complete CIEE’s TEFL program, get my Visa, and leave my business behind, it was absolutely the right move for me and I couldn't have imagined it any other way now. 

What to expect when arriving in Spain

I spent a week in Madrid before heading into Murcia because by the time I got my Visa it was December and the kids were out of school. Also, with my placement in Murcia, it was much cheaper to fly into Madrid than Alicante airport. I definitely traveled with too much luggage so I say be mindful of what you pack and I quickly realized that you can always buy an extra coat or pair of boots once you arrive! (Not to mention- I found the clothes to be cheaper, higher quality, and cuter in Spain!) All in all, I spent my first weeks trying to get used to my new city, find housing, and ultimately get used to living in a new country. I wasn’t used to restaurants opening at 8pm and shutting down during the day, hanging laundry up to dry, and having to take the bus so those 2 weeks were great to get acclimated. It was nice to be able to enjoy the Christmas season in a different country with so much culture and celebration. I even found I didn’t miss being home for Christmas and will always treasure that season I spent in Spain. I would say the first thing you should do before even getting on the plane is scheduling your TIE card as it did end up taking a month to get into my appointment and most things that follow-up (getting a bank account/ start work) revolve around this card. I wish I had prepared for that better. CIEE sent out very clear expectations of what you need for Visa and what to expect once arrived so I appreciated that. 

My life as a Language Assistant (Auxiliar) in Murcia

My school was a Public school and I was an assistant teacher. I worked with grades 1,2, 3, and 6 which I loved because even though I thought I would prefer to be working with grade 2, grade 6 ended up being my favorite year to teach. On average there were about 20 students in each classroom and depending on the teacher and grade I would have different lessons for each grade. For my younger classes I would sometimes take the kids into a private room to do small group work of 4 or 5 students but typically I went around making sure students stayed on task and were understanding the assignments. In my grade 6, we played a lot of computer games in groups of 2 for 5 minutes at a time. However, I felt that more than anything, the teachers wanted us to speak and engage with the students so the students were hearing how an authentic English speaker spoke. I loved the freedom and trust the lead teachers put in me to teach the way I thought would be most effective. 

My workday started at 9am. I would switch classes every hour more or less and some days I would end up going to 5 different classrooms in one day with all different age levels of students. There was a 30 minute break for recess for the kids lunch where I was able to be free and then the students finished school promptly at 2pm. 

I loved the freedom and schedule I had as a teacher in Spain. I became friends with tons of other Auxs and joined a women’s fútbol league with them which was something I had never done before. It turns out I love soccer and I’m really good at it! Also, unfortunately as an American, I can’t afford health insurance and so being able to go to the dentist and doctor were great advantages because you get health insurance while abroad. 

Getting Settled in Spain (and my advice on how to make it easier!)

The CIEE partners were great and whenever there was a question, especially in my early days with making appointments, receiving payment, etc, they were always quick to respond and they always were able to point me in the right direction of who to ask if it was a question that was outside of their control and more of a Spanish bureaucracy question. 

With all the moving parts of leaving the United States like my Visa, the TEFL program itself, quitting my job, and packing my apartment back home all in 3 months- finding an apartment in Spain was the least of my worries. I started my stay in Murcia in an AirBnb in the city center while I got used to the area and it was lovely, but the price for one week was more than most apartments cost for a month ($500 USD.) Unfortunately out of desperation I settled on the first apartment that accepted me. While I thought it was a deal at the time- it was a major rip off and a glorified hostel. I was paying almost double my colleagues that were staying in the city center. While my colleagues only had 1 roommate, I had 7 roommates. My friends staying in the city center were paying $350 for massive apartments with balconies that they only shared with one person while I paid $500/ month and had 6 roommates in a much worse apartment in a much worse area. Not to mention, typically, blankets, dressers, and utensils are usually provided and my apartment did not, so I had that extra expense. My advice is that it's always better to stay towards the center or where the action is. Public transport is so easy in Europe but something I didn’t consider as I always have had a car. Ultimately, this is really the only thing I would have done differently during my entire experience. Idealista and Fotocasa are great apps to search for housing and I would definitely start reaching out before you move. 

Navigating the language barrier

I studied Spanish most of my life but very loosely and part of the reason I wanted to live in Spain was to become fluent. I figured if I lived in Spain it would just click but you definitely need to be intentional about studying. Definitely practice general phrases, but with google translate it's much easier to navigate than you expect. I had full friendships with Spanish girls that did not speak one word of English. I feel that Spanish people for the most part are very warm, kind, and welcoming and just want to see you try. I highly recommend signing up at a language school (some classes are as cheap as $15/ class) if you are super worried about it and even Duolingo and jump speak are good ways to refresh. 

Solo Travel and Safety in Spain

I felt extremely safe in Cartagena, Spain and loved that it was a small coastal beach town. I had no worries if I left my phone on the table during dinner whereas in Barcelona and Madrid, I never take my bag off my body and clutch to it no matter what out of fear of pickpockets & thieves. (I was robbed in Barcelona 7 years prior during my first visit which was a huge bummer and has kept me on edge traveling solo in the years to follow but have never had an issue since then.) There are good people in every country but there are also bad people- use the same caution you would when traveling alone in another country or even in your own city. Don’t drink too much, don’t trust everyone you meet, keep your head on a swivel later at night, but I felt very safe the entirety of my stay. 

Holidays and Traveling with Murcia as your homebase 

There were tons of opportunities for travel and I spent the majority of my time in Gran Canaria as it was a $100 flight and I was able to spend weeks there at times depending if there was a holiday week going on. (ex: Christmas, Semana Santa) It was a 3 hour bus ride to Alicante airport so I did not travel as much as I would have liked but it was out of laziness and also- I loved where I lived in Cartagena!! :) 

My Takeaways

All in all, this has been the best experience of my life. I am currently back in the states as I write this and I’m dreaming of the sunsets over the Mediterranean Sea, the laundry blowing in the wind on my rooftop, going for a run to the top of one of the fortresses on the sea, the music and language that filled my soul up. More than anything, I’m missing my last day of work. I had students come up to me and tell me they will never forget me, not in their brains but in their hearts. This was the most beautiful experience of my life. I am looking for my next step to take me back to Europe in some capacity and I would recommend to anyone wanting to take a risk on themselves to join CIEE’s program. The only regret I have is that I didn’t get there sooner. 

¡Buena suerte y buen viaje! You’ll never regret taking that risk on yourself.