Work as a Spanish reader after the ELE master’s degree
The reading experience in Spanish can help you to consolidate your knowledge of the master’s degree.
What does an ELE reader do? An ELE reader is not a teacher, however, they are an integral part of the teaching team of an educational center. This is one more member of the faculty, who is in charge of practical work in Spanish, always aimed at people who do not have Spanish as their first language.
Although the contract can be renewed by the host institution (since lectures are usually held abroad), it does not, however, have a true statute, since there is no procedure to work as a reader. Normally, ELE readers usually obtain a scholarship or write directly to the center where they want to work. They usually dedicate an average of 12 hours a week and are in charge of organizing workshops for students of a somewhat advanced level (secondary).
Therefore, it is not unusual that in order to work as a reader, you are asked to have completed a master’s degree and even to be able to justify a certain teaching capacity (in addition to a perfect command of Spanish), since a certain dynamism, interaction and participation of the group is required .
Readers are better paid than conversation assistants, however, it is not a very stable job and the reader is not considered a full-fledged Spanish teacher. The good thing about being a reader is freedom, since it can be exercised in any country, depending on the center.
The second advantage of working as a reader lies in the interest that your students will have in what you offer them, since this is not only about theory, but also about getting students to participate. From time to time, they intervene in the class, there are exchanges, workshops, special classes … which considerably increases their attention and, therefore, their progress!
In short, a good alternative for all those who have just completed their master’s degree and want to train in the field, and gain some professional experience. Phonetics and multilingualism await you!
