The USA and Spain have a memorandum of understanding to study each other’s languages and culture which was renewed this week, reports The Local.
The memorandum allows for conversation assistants and students to travel to, and live and work, in each other’s country. The purpose is to build on student and teacher exchange programmes and promote bilingual teaching.
It’s estimated that between 2,000 and 2,500 language assistants from North America, including Canada, have been heading to Spain each year, but according to the Spanish government that number will roughly double from 2023. These assistants typically help out in early years, primary and high schools, as well as university level for up to 16 hours per week. Their responsibilities are assisting class teachers in almost any subject, from science and technology to art, but always teaching in English. For this they receive between €700 and €1,000 per month.
Those wishing to apply for the programme must do so through the North American Language and Culture Assistants Program and there are a number of criteria which must be met, including being a US citizen.
