THE CANTERBURY CLUB: 
You are also warmly welcomed into the Canterbury Club, an association of professors and students from all over the world, which sponsors a variety of exciting cultural activities every month. A sample of some of the activities include: CULTURAL DAY TRIPS AROUND SPAIN: Wild Horse Round ‰¥ãUp in Galicia in July, La Tomatina in Bu̱ol in August, Grape Picking & Stomping Party in El Molar in October, Don Quijote Road Trip in November, Day Hike in Patones in December, Ski Trip in the Local Sierra Mountains in January, Segobriga Roman Ruins Trip in February, Las Fallas of Valencia in March, La Feria of Seville in April, The Celtic Iberian town of Numancia and on the Trail of Dinosaurs in Soria in May.

MADRID FIESTAS: 
Capea de Toros and Barbecue in May, Teachers of the Year Graduation & Pizza Party in May, Football Match (professors vs. students) & Pinic with Sangria in Retiro Park in June, Terraza Night in June, 50’s Night & 4th of July Party, Outdoor Movie Night in August, Irish Pub Nights in September & October, Real Madrid Football Night in November, Thanksgiving Potluck Holiday Bash the fourth Thursday of November, Christmas Party in December, Bowling Night in January, Flamenco Night in February, Billards Tournament Night in March, and Karaoke Night in April. These events help form a part of the cultural vision of studying, teaching and having fun, which is very important at Canterbury.

YOUR JOB TEACHING: 
Your classes will take place under the perennial blue-sky and sun of historic Madrid in businesses, schools and private homes. You will travel by metro or by bus to the client and in between classes you can enjoy the marvels of the Spanish capital, as well as reading or studying in coffee shops and internet cafes. Your students will be a mixture of children, teenagers, adults and professionals of all English levels. You will usually teach one to one as well as small groups (2-5 people), and occasionally big groups (6-20 people).

You will travel to the homes, offices or schools where your students live or work throughout Madrid to teach these classes. You will also receive the essential guidance and experienced advice from our Director of Studies, as well as other TEFL trainers, faculty, and school staff. The Canterbury TEFL offices are located in the heart of downtown Madrid, surrounded by beautiful buildings from the 18th century, very near to the famous Colon Square and metro station.

TEFL PROGRAMME AND TEACHING POSITION REQUIREMENTS: 
The requirements for the TEFL Certificate program and the teaching position (we can only guarantee jobs to students who have completed our TEFL programme) is to be a native English speaker or fluent in English. In the application process, we will take into full account your higher education and prior work experience.

CANTERBURY ENGLISH, YOUR PASSPORT TO ADVENTURE & A BRAND NEW AND EXCITING EXPERIENCE!

VARIOUS PAST TEFL GRADUATES SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS:

January 9, 2017 
To All Potential TEFL Candidates, 
I am writing this testimonial letter to share my experiences in teaching English at Canterbury in Madrid. I am from the Philippines and I have been living here for eight years. I never expected that I would become an English teacher here. 
When I researched the TEFL course offered by Canterbury, I thought that it was the best way to experience another type of job market. So I decided to take the course and finally, I passed. While I was taking the course, I was very honoured to meet the very hospitable staff, directors, co-teachers and especially our director and teacher, Mr. John Bouse. He trained us extremely well on how to teach English. He taught us different styles and strategies of teaching English. Finally, the most important experience that I have had with them is that at Canterbury, they are very warm and kind. They treated all of us as their friends and as a part of the family. They never hesitated to help us regarding any of our problems. Whatever our needs and questions are, they are always there to accommodate us.

I really enjoy the experience of teaching English to Spanish students here in Madrid. As of now, I have very friendly, sweet and nice students. Their parents are very well educated and respectful to me as an English teacher, making this profession quite fun

and rewarding. 
So TEFL candidates, I recommend that you to come and experience teaching here in Madrid, Spain because there are many opportunities to teach English to Spanish people. I hope you can experience how great it is to teach English here and take this course as your first step. Let Canterbury prepare you for this wonderful opportunity. I can assure you that you will not regret this. God bless! 
Joy Samson 

January 4, 2017 
To All TEFL Candidates: 
As someone who has, ultimately, become a professional English teacher as a full time career, I know that there are unfortunately a lot of less than reputable schools and courses out there all too happy to take your money and leave you unprepared for the realities of teaching, if they ever get you a job at all. That's why I'm more than happy to write this letter recommending Canterbury TEFL in Madrid, I program I myself went through in the fall of 2012 and which I have no reservations about vouching for, hopefully providing you with some useful information and guidance in the often chaotic world of TEFL and ESL.

I moved to Madrid after finishing my Bachelor's in the US in order to pursue a Master's degree, and while that Master's in applied linguistics certainly gave me a tremendous theoretical foundation to language teaching pedagogy and language acquisition theory, it did far less to actually tell me how to teach. Even so, I came to Canterbury primarily hoping they could find me some work in Madrid and help me to extend my visa, and I can say that they are well worth your time and money. The staff at Canterbury, all of whom I found to be friendly, personable, professional and, most importantly, helpful, managed to help me extend my Spanish visa on two separate occasions, allowing me to stay in Madrid for a total of three years. The actual TEFL course I had with John Bouse was very thorough and useful, combining perfectly with my Master's coursework. It is something I genuinely believe has made me a far more effective teacher than I ever would have been just jumping into the fray straight from the university halls and certainly had me better equipped to handle teaching in Spain and in general. Canterbury was also able to fully deliver on their promise of work throughout my entire time with them. In the beginning, it may be only a few private classes here and there, but I stuck with them and before long found myself with a full slate of group and company classes that provided me with a more than comfortable living in Madrid.

Madrid itself is, in my opinion, the greatest city in the world, and I've seen a fair few of them. There are few cities that can match its underrated beauty, vivacity, liveliness (especially at night) and friendliness. There's something in Madrid for everyone and I'm a firm believer in the idea that everyone should experience this wonderful city and the inimical country of Spain at least once in their lives. As someone who fully intends to ultimately settle down in Madrid permanently, once my wandering days are over, I give my strongest possible endorsement. I would never have been able to experience Madrid for as long as I did without the Canterbury program, and for that, I will always be grateful. For that alone I was more than willing to write all the testimonial letters they could want, but that would do a disservice to the quality of their program and their staff (who continue to be of assistance even now, years after I left the program). If you have any doubts about Canterbury, rest easy. They're the best and choosing them and Madrid is something you'll not regret. 
Christopher A. Wilson

January 10, 2017 
Hello Potential TEFL Candidate: 
I graduated with a TEFL certificate from Canterbury in January, 2010. Looking back at that time I see it as one of the most pivotal points in my career and my life. 
The Canterbury program not only prepared me to teach English as a foreign language, but also worked with me one on one to improve my teaching and the lessons I delivered. The teaching requirement at the end of the course also allowed me to further build on my teaching skills and with this experience came more and more classes which allowed for me to begin a stable career in a city I loved so much. 
The time spent in the Canterbury TEFL program was not just focused on teaching, but also helped new teachers become familiar and oriented with the city of Madrid. This was great for teachers like myself who at the time, was very new to the capital city and its culture. Canterbury organized several social outings for our cohort which not only allowed me to discover some of the wonderful hidden gems of Malasana, but also provided me with opportunities to build professional relationships with my fellow colleagues.

The library at Canterbury also provided a wide array of teaching resources and the staff was always friendly and willing to assist teachers with finding an apartment or developing new methods of classroom instruction. My experience with Canterbury and in Madrid was so wonderful that I ended up staying and teaching in Madrid for almost four years.

In 2014, I made the decision to leave Madrid to go back to get my master’s degree. Although I received a graduate assistantship for my program of study back home, I was still able to teach English over Skype to some of my former students in Madrid. This allowed me to earn extra money and helped finance my way through graduate school. During the summer of 2015, I spent time in Ecuador completing some of my last coursework. After my courses ended, I was able to teach in Quito thanks to the TEFL I received from Canterbury. This money allowed me to travel all around Ecuador and Colombia before going back to the states to graduate with my master’s degree. 
I now currently work as a health communications specialist at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, GA.

I believe that my worldly experience and my ability to speak Spanish which all started with my enrollment in the TEFL program at Canterbury Madrid, are to credit for where I have landed at the present moment. Having a TEFL also allowed me to live and travel in South America, and gain more international experience. A Canterbury TEFL is not just beneficial for those who aspire to be teachers, but extremely favorable for those who are looking to gain international work experience. My experience with Canterbury was beyond amazing and I recommend the program to anyone who is looking to explore teaching or international work, travel, living abroad, or just looking to escape their comfort zone. You won’t be disappointed, and the future will reward you. 
Erin Rock

December 17, 2015
Dear Potential Teachers, 
Teaching may seem like a mundane 9 -5 job, but with all the opportunities being given to teachers these days, it doesn’t have to be. Teaching in another country is exciting and refreshing. For me, it was always just a passing thought, but once I found the Canterbury Academy online and found out that it was located in the heart of truly one of the most beautiful and eventful cities in the world, Madrid, I could not resist. Like many of you, I had my doubts and fears and found myself drastically researching and reading anything I could get my hands on about the academy. It wasn’t until I found the testimonial page that my fears were put to rest. The testimonials posted online are all true! That is also why I wanted to write one as well. Moving to another country, especially alone, can be extremely frightening and overwhelming. It can be difficult to gauge what you are doing right or wrong and what is safe and what isn’t. 
During my first week in Madrid, the Academy offered an orientation in order to meet the staff and any students you may be taking the TEFL course with.

The city alone makes you feel at home instantly and along with that, in just that one meeting, our Professor John Bouse immediately made me feel safe in the city by giving me a quick rundown of the do’s and don’t’s and offered to help in any way he could.

I am an Ontario Teachers College graduate from Canada as well as a Biology undergraduate student, and I can easily say that this one month course pushed me more than any of my previous courses have. It pushed me academically, but most importantly when it comes to going on an adventure it pushed me beyond my comfort zone and I am thankful for it. Teaching English always sounded like a walk in the park, but from day one I realized that this course and this whole experience overall is going to make me tap into new abilities that I have not used yet in my life or that I was not aware I ever had.

This experience was nothing but rewarding. As a biology teacher, teaching English did not seem like it was going to be too interesting for me but I ended up loving it. Teaching English is definitely challenging but the staff makes it extremely enjoyable. Once you are done the course you are sent out to teach private lessons. I was given 4 different families and I can tell you that each family made my experience that much more enjoyable. The people in Spain are so welcoming and pleasant and welcome you as one of their own. I was treated with so much love from each family and it broke my heart to leave when I did. Until this day I wish I could still be there teaching the children I had. I definitely plan on making my way back because the Academy and the city have definitely left a long-lasting impression and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. It has definitely helped me to become closer to realizing who I am as a teacher and especially as a person. This experience will be multi-dimensional for you, I promise! 
Vanessa Wiazowski 

December 15, 2015
Dear Future Canterbury TEFL Students, 
Having lived and worked as a secretary in Madrid for more than thirty years, the company I was working for relocated to The Netherlands and I was made redundant. I decided to use the opportunity to take the Canterbury TEFL course with the idea of maybe giving a few English classes here and there until I could find another full-time job. With my school studies many years behind me and grammar rules long forgotten, I was quite nervous when the course started in January, but these feelings soon disappeared once we started --- the Canterbury staff make you feel welcome and there is little time for contemplations with dynamic, participative classes and homework, but still time for those new to this wonderful city to sightsee, enjoy the Spanish culture and have a beer!

The four weeks flew past and before we knew it we were up and running and confidently giving classes ourselves‰The Canterbury TEFL course is not only informative and well organized but also practical, so as well as learning from our knowledgeable teachers with their wide experience in TEFL and their ability to make learning fun transmitting enthusiasm, we also learned from our own classmates as we gained confidence and put into practice all the aspects of teaching English as a foreign language plus more specifically Business English and Children’s classes firstly amongst ourselves and then very quickly with Canterbury clients. Almost a year later I am so glad to have taken up this new work opportunity. I love what I am doing, at the moment giving evening classes which suits my present situation perfectly, but with an option to extend to more hours. Canterbury has an excellent reputation and therefore an endless supply of clients in different areas of Madrid providing a good opportunity to move around the city --- what a super way to mix business and pleasure! 
Sarah Ballard

December 4, 2015
To Whom It May Concern, 
I must admit that the way I got to Canterbury’s TEFL course was not orthodox. I am Spanish so, technically speaking, I could work in Madrid in a job related to my profession (Project Management in Financial Services). Unfortunately, the labour market in Spain is rather inflexible and I did not want to be absent from my home 12 hours a day having just moved my children from London to Madrid. 
When I came across TEFL, I just thought, why not? This could work for me. I was unsure at the start as I am not a linguist and had zero teaching experience but I can speak English like a native so I gave it a go.

John Bouse’s TEFL course was absolutely amazing and fun. It covers all aspects of teaching English as a foreign language in a very hands-on manner. You get to practice as you learn which I believe is the best teaching approach. John makes you feel welcome, capable and valuable from the start. He illustrates his teaching with myriad examples and anecdotes. He also likes to put you on the spot and gets you out of your comfort zone so that you experience how it feels to learn and teach a new language. For example, a friend of his gave us two lessons in a foreign language that none of us spoke. What an eye-opener!

Although I knew from the start that I wanted to use my professional background to focus on teaching professionals to improve their ability to speak in meetings, conference calls, whilst travelling, etc., I enjoyed all aspects of the course. 
I do not teach grammar but concentrate on speaking and listening skills which are really sought after. Many adult Spaniards have a good command of grammar and a sizeable vocabulary but they will really struggle to communicate in English. I am honoured to be able to help them communicate in a foreign language which, after all, is what a language is for. Best of all, I have managed to reinvent myself whilst keeping a healthy work-life balance and, most importantly, whilst meeting very interesting people and enjoying myself. I truly recommend it. 
Why don’t you give it a go like I did? 
Maria Luisa Fernandez-Llanio 

10 October, 2014
Dear Potential TEFL Teachers, 
There are not many things in life that are more stressful than moving to a new country and looking for a way to make a living when you get there. I had searched for months for work and a legitimate way to live in Spain, but I kept running into dead ends. Then, I happened upon Canterbury’s website. I was sceptical at first; it seemed too good to be true. I was pleasantly surprised at the outcome though. Everything that was stated on their website is true. The people at Canterbury made this process very easy for me. After being denied so many times and jumping through some hoops, it was nice to find a group of people that followed through on what they said they were going to do. They were quick when responding to my emails and sending me all of the information that I requested to complete my visa process. The professionalism did not stop there though. When I arrived in Madrid for my orientation they had information on apartments, banks, cell phones, and other things that anyone moving would need help with.

The TEFL course is well taught and gives you the exact skills you need to successfully teach English. I am not a teacher by profession so I was very unsure how all this was going to play out. Canterbury has followed through on providing teaching hours, materials, and a good working environment. Now I am now making enough money to truly enjoy my time here in Spain. You have the flexibility to decide what classes you want to teach or not teach, which allows you to customize your schedule and how you spend your time abroad. I highly recommend Canterbury Spain to anyone interested in a very straightforward way to travel and work abroad. Teaching is something that I never knew I would enjoy, but thanks to Canterbury I do, and now I am certified to teach TEFL almost anywhere I want. 
Sincerely, 
Jason Shelley