4 reasons why you shouldn´t come to Spain to teach this summer

Last year, for the summer,  I lived and worked in Spain, a country very familiar and popular with other Americans.

For many, Spain might be the place to relax, perfect their tan and dip their toes into the Mediterranean. For me, I was still very much in the mindset to learn more about another country, another culture, and another way of life. These are some of the things I learned:

1.  The challenges and solutions of modern-day Spain.

I went to Spain to teach English at a summer camp. Why is something like this so important right now to Spain? In 2008, much like the rest of the world, Spain was hit by a recession. Since then, the unemployment rate climbed up to as high as 36%, and for people younger than 25, up to 50%. This is something that we often don’t think about while we are vacationing on Spanish beaches and touring beautiful castles.

However, I found it incredibly fascinating to talk to Spanish youth about growing up in this recession and how it affected their families. Many said that their parents and older siblings began looking at job opportunities outside of Spain, which made learning English so important to them. Learning about Spain’s economic difficulties and how it affected everyday life made me look at this country beyond its hot vacation spots and shopping areas, and made me feel grateful that as an English teacher I could help be a small solution to some of its problems.

2. The happiness of Spanish people.

Though they’ve been dealt with some rough cards in the last few years, Spaniards haven’t forgotten the core quality that makes them different from many other EU countries: the unapologetic enjoyment of what life has to offer. And Spain welcomed me with tapas, paella, dancing and music.

It is indicative of a country that’s always been steeped in pride and passion, and this resonates in everything they do. Things might be a bit more relaxed, but only because of the  best of intentions, which are focused mainly on the strength of relationships people have with each other.

3. The history of Spain.

One weekend, I took a trip with to Granada, in the south of Spain, just a strip of sea away from Morocco. Facing the Alhambra, Granada’s famous Islamic palace, I was reminded of the complex roots of humanity. To see and be in Spain is to to be exposed to shards of history that are still all around you – in the cobblestone streets, the famous old buildings and cathedrals, the generations of families and the stories they’ve passed down, the food, the pages in old books in old bookstores, and the appreciation of an adventurous life.

4. Becoming part of the Spanish family.

This ties very closely with the second point I mentioned, but I just wanted to draw in on a specific and important example.

On one of my last days there, I found myself alone with another teacher and Antonio, the father of the family and owner of the camp. Antonio is an older man, observant and passionate. He loves children, English, and science. He sat down with my teacher-colleague and I. We discussed, in Spanish, our general experiences, the feedback he had for us, and the difficulties we’d encountered in our short time there. And in his broken English, he turned to Jason and I and said one simple sentence: “But, you are my teachers. You are my teachers.”

This is the sense of ownership that Spaniards have of their families, friends, and relationships. When you come to Spain, you will be taken care of. Your every need will be looked after. You will be part of a country that has a fascinating history and an even more fascinating future, as its citizens gear up to revolutionize the way they do things and fix broken systems. You will do everything that makes life worth it – food, drink, song and dance –  and you’ll live as colorfully as they do in Barcelona and Seville and Valencia and Zaragoza and everywhere else.

You will become a Spaniard and a citizen of the word.

Written by: Kiran Kaur

You can also became a Spaniard with our project Teaching Spain