Qualifications of Spanish tutors
If you want to become a Spanish teacher or tutor there are a couple of things you'll need to obtain before you start teaching classes to students.
Teachers usually need a college degree in education or some sort of specialization in the field. As a teacher, you'd have a career path working for a school, college, or different schools. You'd build a CV around your abilities to work with students, teach a given subject, classroom management, and so on.
If you want to be a Spanish teacher you'd also need a degree or certification of your Spanish level. If you are bilingual you'd still need a certification that proves that you speak the foreign language fluently.
On the other hand, if you want to become a Spanish tutor, there are similar qualifications you will need but not as much preparation.
You will still need total domination of the Spanish language but since you'll be working for yourself and not a school, you don't need to have a degree or a bunch of certifications, and there are fewer requirements too.
However, not because you don't have a school asking for all these requirements and qualifications, it means you shouldn't have them for yourself. Any student who is considering hiring you would like to see that you have at least a Bachelor's degree in the field you're teaching.
Any student would like to know if you've spent time and effort preparing yourself to become their tutor! If you don't have a Bachelor's degree you could always search for online teaching certification or other similar opportunities that will validate your work and in the future get you more jobs.
Keep in mind that Spanish tutors and teachers are usually bilingual or native Spanish speakers and that language lessons are not only about the language but can also be about the culture of different countries.
What are the qualifications needed to become a Spanish tutor in the US?
Learn to prepare each lesson depending on the education level
Becoming a teacher is about learning to understand your student's needs and goals. There are many different ways you can prepare a lesson, however, you should seek training on how to teach to different age groups, experience levels, and learning abilities.
Preparing Spanish lessons according to age
If you are preparing your lessons according to your student's age group there are plenty of things to consider. First, are you teaching kids? Because if you are, then the classes should be structured differently than a class for a teenager or a young adult.
Kids learn fast but get distracted easily so as a tutor it is your job to make them interested enough in your lesson before they get distracted. You can use a lot of different tools like videos, colorful reading books, fun activities like games, and so on.
If you are teaching a teenager you should know that they might be interested in anything you have to say. Chances are their parents are making them take the class and they don't wish to learn the language or hate speaking in a foreign language.
To teach teenagers, you need to be patient, find a common ground of interests, and find a way to master how to work with someone that doesn't want to be there.
Finally, if you are teaching a young adult, classes should be easier but learning could be slower. A young adult who is paying for tutoring lessons to learn Spanish is doing it because they are genuinely interested in learning the language. However, unlike kids, young adults don't learn as fast anymore so each lesson could take longer.
Preparing Spanish lessons according to experience and level
On the other hand, sometimes age doesn't matter as much as someone's level of knowledge. For instance, you can get a kid who speaks Spanish at home and wishes to learn other skills and another kid the same age who is at a beginner level.
Even though they are the same age, the classes you're teaching won't be similar because they are at different levels. People like to hire tutors who have experience working with kids at different ages and different levels.
Preparing Spanish lessons according to every person's needs
Another thing you should pay attention to is the student's abilities and needs. You might get someone who learns quickly but gets distracted easily. Preparing a class for them shouldn't be the same as teaching someone that doesn't learn quickly and gets distracted.
You should also consider that some kids have ADHD or dyslexia and you should be prepared to cater to their needs if the time ever came to become their teacher.
You should keep in mind that as a teacher you are there to help the students reach their goals and objectives, and you must find a way that works best with every single person.
How to prepare Spanish courses in the US depending on the education level?
How much do Spanish lessons cost?
The cost of a Spanish lesson can change depending on the experience level of the teachers. For instance, a teacher who has a Bachelor's degree in Spanish and a certification in teaching can charge more than someone who doesn't have degrees or certifications in their experience.
There are plenty of other factors that influence the price of a lesson and not everything is about the number of training programs the teacher has.
Other factors involve the modality of the class, whether it is online or in-person. If the class is online then it can cost a little less compared to an in-person class because the teacher has to commute somewhere and that is time and money they are spending to get to the student.
Finally, another important factor is someone's location. If you teach classes in a Spanish-speaking community, chances are there are plenty of tutors offering lessons, which means prices can be competitive. However, if you are teaching in a city or state where hardly anyone speaks the language, then it is easier to set your prices, programs, jobs, and ways.
Prices always vary depending on the city or state you live in. If you are in a big city like New York, Seattle, Los Angeles, or Chicago, chances are that people are paying more for language teachers compared to a small town. This happens because generally, the city things cost more compared with small towns.
Below you will find a list of some of the most common rates per hour or Spanish class:
- 12.00 - 15.00 USD — Tutors who are starting usually charge these amounts or something similar.
- 20.00 - 25.00 USD — Tutors who have a couple of years of experience and some sort of preparation usually charge these amounts or something similar.
- 30.00 - 40.00 USD — Tutors who have many years of experience, have a bunch of certifications and school degrees, great reviews, and more, usually charge this or more.
What to charge for Spanish lessons?
Finding students who want to learn Spanish with a private tutor
If you are starting your career as a language tutor then you should follow the following tips on how to find more students who want to hire you as their tutor.
The easiest way to find students is by searching for a Spanish program near you and offering your tutoring lessons on a bulletin board or something similar.
Students in high school are often struggling with Spanish classes, which means that you can hang up some sort of poster advertising your work at a local library that high school students frequently go to.
You should also network and find other free ways of promoting your work in your community. If you are tutoring you should consider your work as a small business and you should talk about it any chance you get. This way people will start to get to know what you're doing with your free time.
You could also go online and find communities of English native speakers wishing to learn the language. Pages like Superprof are great to find students and people searching for learning opportunities.
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Quiero información para aplicar para ser tutora de espanol
Hola Isabel! Thank you for your interest in Superprof! If you would like to become a Spanish tutor, sign up on our platform by clicking on tutoring jobs and filling out the required information. If you would like additional help, please email hey@superprof.com.