NALCAP Auxiliares de Conversación Review

On my recent overnight trip to Alicante, where I climbed the castle.

Moving to Spain to Teach English

I moved to Spain to teach English with the North American Language and Culture Assistant Program (NALCAP). NALCAP is a government run program that places native English speakers in public schools throughout Spain to be teaching assistants in classes so Spanish children can learn English from a native speaker. In this post, I will go over my personal review of the program (and what I have heard generally from other participants), and discuss whether or not it is a good fit for you

NALCAP Review

Before I get into the details of the program and if its right for you, I will say that I have generally had a good experience with the program so far, with some major caveats for you to consider.

I live in Valencia City and teach in a town about an hour commute from where I live in the city. The commute isn’t great, but its also not uncommon to have an even longer commute. I work from 9am-1pm Monday-Thursday, which is an ideal schedule. My school is a primary school, so I work with kids aged 5-12, who speak very little English.

Also in Alicante, during a walk along the boardwalk on a beautiful January day.

Working as an Auxiliar de Conversación

As for the actual job at my school, I don’t really do much, while some of my auxiliar friends plan lessons and lead class somewhat often, I mostly will have conversations with the kids, two at a time in the back of the class. This can get quite repetitive and boring as some kids speak next to no English. And while I speak Spanish, we are not supposed to use it with the kids. There have been some days where I am ‘working’ for 20 minutes, and the rest I spend sitting at the back of the class reading a book. This a common experience for auxiliares and can be looked at as a good thing, because it’s an easy job, or as a bad thing, because it’s a waste of your time. It depends the day for me on how I feel. Overall, I know that I am an auxiliar not for the job, but for the opportunity to live in Spain with a monthly stipend and plenty of free time.

Life as an Aux

This is where the review gets good. The number one perk of NALCAP is the life you get to live because of the program. You can live in Spain, be paid for not much work, make friends with people from all over the world, have three-day weekends, and just generally enjoy life. As an American, this program is one of the only way to get a visa to live in Spain that doesn’t involve going to school or having specific enough skills to get a work-visa (which are incredibly difficult to come by in a country with a not so good economy).

Schedule with NALCAP

On weekdays I get home around 2pm, make lunch, maybe take a siesta or watch some TV, then spend two hours or so doing some side-gig work, then I have the night free to either see friends, do errands, or just chill at home.

On weekends, from Thursday afternoon to Sunday, I get to do whatever I want. Most weekends that means I stay in Valencia and spend it exploring the city or the region, spending time with friends, going out at night, and doing some side-gig work as well. Some weekends I go on a trip to another part of Spain or Europe. I have two trips planned now to Paris and Vienna, and last year I went to San Sebastian and Bari, Italy. You really can spend your time how you want because you only work 12-16 hours a week.

Enjoying a glass of wine in San Sebastian with my friend Anna on a long weekend.

Is NALCAP for me?

The first thing you need to know about NALCAP is that you have to be a go-getter to do it, because there is absolutely no hand holding. Because it is run by the government, and not a private organization, they will not help you get anything done like visa, housing, setting up a bank account, etc. The most you get from them is an occasional email with vague instructions. You have to be willing to figure things out to do this program. You have to be prepared for frustration with your visa paperwork, frustration with finding a bank, frustration with finding a room...you get it. Just in general, if you are someone who can overcome an issue, you can do this program. If you need someone to hold your hand to overcome bureaucratic issues, then you should reconsider, because you won’t last a second.

As I mentioned before, when it comes to the actual job, I would not expect to be fulfilled by it. While some auxiliares I know really loves their school and work situations, more often then not, they either don’t love it or are neutral. So, if you are someone who wants fulfillment, challenges, and learning from a job, I would not do NALCAP. For me, I find fulfillment in my side-gigs, this blog, other creative things, and in my life outside of work.

Should I Move to Spain with NALCAP?

That answer is entirely up to you and what you want in your experience abroad. If you are looking for a way to move to Spain, have an income, and learn how to live abroad with all of its challenges and beauty, then I think it is for you. NALCAP is a great program for lots of people, but not for everyone given some of the challenges I mentioned. If above all, you just want to move to Spain for a year or two, it’s is a great option and I think you should try it. One great thing about the program is you can alway quit and there aren’t really any repercussions. Take a chance and move to Spain!

If you have any more questions about NALCAP or moving to Spain, comment them below!