Teaching English in Barcelona during the summer

In the summer in Barcelona most language schools take a break and things generally slow down. It might seem like there isn’t a lot of work in Barcelona for English teachers through the summer, but it is out there – you just have to know where to look!

While demand for evening classes and long courses really drops off, kids summer camps are looking for English teachers. The usual format is English lessons in the mornings and then sports, games and arts and crafts in the afternoons, so there’s less focus on results. 

If you’re creative and energetic then this could be your perfect summer job! The company English Summer is very popular and hires teachers for camps all over Catalunya. And if you fancy a change of scene for the summer, Todos Monitores advertises jobs in summer camps all over Spain. They’re hiring English teachers but also people to teach sports, arts, etc, so if your Spanish is up to scratch you could branch out into a new subject for a few weeks this summer!

Summer intensives are another possible option for work through July and August. Lots of language schools in Barcelona offer summer intensive courses in business English or exam preparation – usually two hours a day, Monday to Friday. If you manage to get a couple of those you’ll be sorted for summer, with plenty of time for the beach between classes! Just google ‘curso de inglés verano intensivo barcelona’ and you’ll get a list of schools in Barcelona offering these courses.

You could also get creative and offer your own summer intensive course. Similar to offering a private class, you could put together a curriculum for an intensive summer course and put adverts out on Milanuncios, Tusclasesparticulares and Superprof. You could even specialise in interview preparation, or giving presentations in English. If you decide to go down this route, have a look at our blogpost guide to teaching private classes for tips.

If you fancy a break from teaching and want to improve your Spanish, you could always relive your student years and get a summer job in a bar or restaurant – with the influx of tourists in the summer months there are lots of places in Barcelona looking for English-speaking staff. But be warned – the pay is drastically lower than what you’ll be making through the year as an English teacher.

And if your contract ends and you’ve been paying into the system, you can always go on ‘el paro’ for the summer. Spanish unemployment benefits are quite generous, so it could be enough to tide you over till September when language academies open back up. Angloinfo has this useful blogpost which explains the system and points you in the right direction.

However you spend your summer, we hope you have a good one!

Contact us for more information on teaching English in Barcelona.