American teaching English in Spain: Help!

Hola everyone!!
I've keep hearing that teaching english is the easiest way to get a job fast in spain. I'm going on a tourist visa for 3 months (to barcelona)and am taking a TEFL course to get a certificate. Everyone tells me that I can start teaching anyway being as I am mexican-american (speak spanish fluently) but i'm not quite sure that's an advantage. So my question is...how do poeple do this without a working visa??? Who do they talk to? Has anyone experienced this? Would appreciate help..THANKS!!!!

Hi Mar! Welcome to our message board!

You wrote: Answer: ILLEGALLY. Don't do it.

A minute few are able to secure a legal English teaching job with reputable academies. I recommend exploring those possibilites. That, and visit http://www.ExpatriateCafe.com - a site dedicated to the "American" teaching English in Spain. Great site and very very informative.

Good luck!

Saludos, MadridMan

I am currently working illegally in Valencia. The pay isn´t much, but if you hustle you can make enough to get by. I was lucky enough to find an academy who would hire me illegally, but it may be running out soon. It is difficult for small academies to hide large sums of illegal payments to illegal workers.

I just became illegal two days ago after my tourist visa ran out.

Mar, I taught English in Spain over 20 years ago without a working visa and had no trouble crossing the border and coming back to renew my "tourist" status. However, times have changed quite a bit and I agree 100% with MadridMan on this one - get legal status to avoid all sorts of problems.

Acshinn,

Are you still teaching in Valencia?
I just got back from Barcelona after three months and although my TEFL course was cancelled 4 times I ended up getting a job through an ad I put in loquo.com--great site if you are looking to live or living in spain. Well that job got me about 3 other jobs and i was teaching conversational english to 8 children. And the working under-the-table bit was easy..at least in Barcelona it was and although the pay wasn't spectacular..it wasn't entirely bad. I'm not sure if you get down to Barcelona at all but if you do you should pick up a great english newspaper called THE CATALONIAN TODAY...its a great paper (its daily and free and very popular among the barcelonins) that on a regular basis informs on immigration laws, teaching in english, etc. Last I heard Zapatero was proposing a law that would allow illegals to get a working permit if they can prove they have a working contract for 6 months and the same address for 6 months. You should really look into this as it could benefit a person like you.

Regards from Chicago,
Mar