TEFL in the Canary Islands: Lucia’s story

I have a parent from London and another from the Canary Islands in Spain and so I’m bilingual in Spanish and English. During the pandemic I realised I could teach Spanish and English, and my language lessons became a great success.

In no time, I set up my own language school. I have always had a great passion for languages and lived between two different cultures. There’s liberating, modern London where people have little time and high ambitions, and the Canary Islands where life is simple and slow paced, where people are friendly, and with the sun shining all year.

I wanted to share all this greatness and skill with the world and reach an international level, which I eventually achieved! I started with just three students a week in the United Kingdom. This rapidly turned into twenty-five students a week in London, Ireland, Scotland, Germany Spain, The Canary Islands, North America, one student from the San Juan Islands, New Zealand, Japan and Eastern Europe. 

I became a marketer, businesswoman, PA, secretary, social media manager, accountant, English and Spanish teacher and negotiator all in one! If you someone has a real passion for something, just go for it! You don’t lose anything by trying - you lose more by being scared.

Developing a career

I teach both online and in person and I am always looking for more students. I just want to keep growing and growing. I am so passionate about what I do! I welcome everyone to my lessons, all ages, all levels, all abilities. I am very flexible and can fit around anyone’s busy lifestyle, and always make my students very comfortable and make them believe they can do it, especially speaking in this foreign language! If I can do it, so can they!

I spotted an advert on social media regarding the TEFL qualification. Immediately I knew it was a fantastic opportunity and needed to grab it! I felt having a well-recognised, international English teaching qualification would be so useful and allow me to keep growing in my profession and learn new teaching techniques. I investigated, found the programme and signed up.

The experience doing the TEFL Course

Overall, I found the TEFL course incredibly helpful. I had the most amazing experience, finding some things challenging but at the same time motivating. Difficult hurdles tend to be great motivators. On the course, there was so much content to get through, including videos you had to watch, things to read, questions, quizzes and quite a few 600-word essays to write. 

The teaching plans were a real help and gave me so many more ideas and taught me how to structure and really plan an individual lesson, as well as a large group lesson.

My online tutor

My tutor was excellent, his name was Arthu r . He was always there for me. Most of the time you do find yourself just getting on and getting through all the work without your tutor. However, when it came to the assignments, I found myself truly valuing him. His feedback stuck strictly to exactly what I had to do to make my essay or answer better. Thank you so much Arthur, you really pushed me to achieve my potential.

I did find myself rushing through the last part of the course, as I was constantly teaching and working alongside all this interesting study. When I submitted my last assignment, I felt a huge relief of pressure, and had completed everything I was over the moon! I passed! Let’s celebrate!

Life in the Canary Islands

The Canary Islands are very special for their sub-tropical climate, the best climate in Europe, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean. Sunshine is not a problem here and the northern European winter is non-existent. Lanzarote and Fuerteventura are drier islands, closest to the north coast of Africa. Lanzarote being the nearest is only 100 kilometres (62 miles) from the northern coast.

It gets very hot in summer, however there is always a cool breeze that the Mediterranean and mainland Spain lack. Fuerteventura is the Hawaii of Europe, with the longest beach on the continent called Sotavento, where kitesurf and windsurf international championships take place. I would describe it as Europe’s Caribbean, with its white beaches and turquoise waters.

Lanzarote has a fascinating volcanic scenery and an amazing variety of Cacti! There is no other place in Europe with such scenery.

Digital nomads have become popular in the Canary Islands as they can earn a good northern European wage and live in a paradise, in the sun, eating fantastic Spanish/Canarian food, going for ocean swims and doing ocean activities. It is an incredible place to do outdoor sports e.g., cycling, hiking, gymnastics, swimming, surfing, kitesurfing, windsurfing, water sports etc. 

What to see and do in the Canary Islands

My mother Miri Power has run professional swimming schools in the Canary Islands between Fuerteventura and Lanzarote for thirty years. You can find Power Swimming Schoo l in Lanzarote at the hotel Relaxia Olivina in Puerto del Carmen. She teaches from beginners to advanced and competition level. She also does rehabilitation in water for stress, a sport injury or other injury. 

I bodyboard a lot in the Ocean in Famara, Lanzarote, and all over Fuerteventura. From September until December, you get the best waves! I also managed to save up and buy a 2.5-meter zodiac boat with an engine to cruise around the Canarian coastlines and snorkel, swim and fish. Getting your own fish directly from the ocean and cooking it on the beach is the best feeling!

Wild camping is incredible here. The stars are amazing, some of the best stars I have seen have been in Sotavento. There are millions of them! Barbecuing and cooking paella on the beach is fantastic. There is no lifestyle like this in northern Europe. I love cooking and I am truly ocean bound. The beach and ocean are my favourite places in the world!

My TEFL qualification has opened doors!

I am thrilled to be TEFL qualified. Now I am advertising and marketing my Spanish and English lessons with my TEFL qualification. I have just got the certificate and have lots of customers.

I look forward to hearing from you all soon. If you have any questions just follow me on Instagram !

I would love to answer any of your questions regarding TEFL and living in the Canary Islands and of course I would love to teach you English or Spanish or both!

For Spanish and English lessons with Lucia, you can contact her via Instagram or Facebook .

Are you feeling inspired by Lucia’s story, and want to navigate the TEFL world for yourself? Start a course with the most accredited TEFL course providers today! Or, if you’re already a teacher and want to tell your story, get in touch! Email euan@tefl.org to reach out.