Many schools are bilingual, meaning that subjects will either be taught in Spanish or English. Still, some students need or want extra help in this regard, and cannot afford to go on exchange programs or pay for extra tutoring. Luckily, there are programs which offer scholarships to students who would like to continue their English education. I found out about one of these programs and recently joined to teach in the afternoons there. The students are incredibly nice and it is a joy to get to know them and see them grow.
The community has this need because of the overall need for English speakers in Spain. English was not always a prioritized language in Spain. Initially, French was taught as the dominant secondary language here. Spain borders on France, and there was more interaction with the two countries. Yet with an increasingly global economy, Spain is making a push to introduce more English speakers in its schools.
This overall need is being met with an influx of English speakers through programs like Fulbright, BEDA, Auxiliaries and private academies. I fall into the Fulbright crowd and teach at a colegio (high school). Yet, there are many other programs that provide English speakers to Spanish schools.
