If you’re interested in completing a TEFL course to be able to travel abroad to teach English as a second language, you might be wondering ‘Who takes a TEFL course?‘

All kinds of people, is the short answer.

We’ve seen a huge range of people walk in through our doors. This includes people anywhere from 18 to 72 years old, English speaking natives and non-natives from all over the world, and with a variety of professional backgrounds. They usually have the same kinds of things in common like the desire to make a career change, to live an adventure, or to have the freedom to travel with a flexible schedule.

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We asked three of our TEFL graduates to give us a bit of information about themselves and the reasons why they wanted to move to Madrid and teach English:

Looking for a career change: Paul Nightingale

What’s your background?

I was born in Bristol, England, but I fell in love with a Spanish woman and first moved to Madrid in 2006. We had a son together and in 2010 we separated. I moved back to England to develop my business and would fly back to Madrid on the weekends to visit my son.

The company I worked with was in California, so I would first work during the English work schedule, and then have to start all over again with the California time zone. From the outside, I was very successful. I had a big house, a nice car, all the material things people think will make them happy; but I wasn’t happy. I had worked hard to get where I was and had achieved what I always thought I wanted.

One day I had an epiphany: I wanted a job I was in control of, not a job that was in control of me. I was fed up of the non-stop work lifestyle I was living, so I quit my job and moved to Madrid to be close to my son with zero plan of what to do for work.

How did you end up in the TEFL course?

I thought ‘What’s my biggest asset here in Spain?’. The answer was clear; my English skills. This, paired with my business background, makes me an ideal candidate to teach business students. I decided to enroll in the course to help me make the career transition.

What’s the best part of teaching English?

I get to design my timetable, choosing which classes to take that fit well with my needs. This allows me to pick up my son at school which is priceless.

Non-native English speakers: Marina Solana

What’s your background?

I’m originally from Madrid, I studied business management and then lived for ten years in England with my husband and two kids where I worked in photography. We decided to move back to Madrid but found that the type of photography that I could work with here, isn’t the same as in the UK. I decided to do a course similar to the TEFL one but to teach Spanish to foreigners. However, there were not very good opportunities for a job at the end of the course for my classmates and I. This was a good experience to dip my toe into teaching, something that I found out I really enjoy. It gave me the confidence to decide to do the TEFL course as a non-native.

What do you like most about the TEFL course?

In comparison to the Spanish course I took, I feel that the TEFL course is much more thorough, well-structured and intuitive. And, with the help of the staff, I’ve got a guaranteed job when I complete it.

New college graduates: Mary Wesley

What’s your background?

I just graduated from Baylor University in Sociology. I studied sociology because I find people fascinating but I also wanted to have the travel-abroad experience.

How did you find out about the TEFL course?

I knew about the TEFL course because my brother had done it and I visited him here in Madrid. I really liked it, so I convinced my friend to take the leap and move here with me to take the course together.

What do you like about the TEFL course experience?

My favorite part about the course is the TtMadrid trainers because they are so friendly and supportive, and are always ready to help with a smile on their faces.

These are only three out of 100 students that have been trained at TtMadrid to become ESL teachers with our TEFL course. Are you interetsed in learning more about what the TEFL course is all about? Check out more info about our courses HERE and follow us on Facebook and Instagram to be up to date with everything that is going on.