Work Experience

• Volunteer Work

Spanish Study Holidays is a member of GWEA (Global Work Experience Association).  We arrange work placement as well as volunteer work in Spain and in several countries in Latin America.  Students normally attend a 4-week Spanish course at one of our schools in Spain or Latin America before starting their volunteer work or work placement, or else do the volunteer work at the same time as their Spanish course.

Internship/Work Experience

Location

Our schools in Madrid, (Spain), Buenos Aires (Argentina) and in Santiago de Chile (Chile), arrange internships in companies. The internship is preceded by a 4 or 8 week Preparation Spanish course.  Internship or 'work placement/work experience' is different from 'Volunteer Work' in that for volunteer work you require no qualifications or experience, whereas for 'internship' or 'work placement/work experience' you do normally need relevant professional qualifications or experience.  For further details on internships/work experience read on below.  For further details on volunteer work in Costa Rica, Peru, Guatemala, Bolivia, Ecuador, Argentina, Chile and The Galapagos Islands, click here.

Work Experience

To join the work experience programme, students should meet the following requirements:

• have at least an upper intermediate/advanced level of Spanish
• be at least 18 years of age
• have qualifications and/or experience which suit them to the type of internship required
• provide a CV in Spanish with details of their qualifications/work experience
• provide a letter in Spanish explaining why they wish to do the internship and what previous work experience/qualifications they have
• provide our school with sufficient time to arrange the internship, normally at least 8 weeks notice and preferably more

The preparatory Spanish course is 4 or 8  weeks in length, followed by a period of a minimum of 8 weeks internship.

Students can choose to attend one of our Standard or Intensive Spanish courses, before joining the preparatory course, in order to bring their Spanish to the required level.

Our school will arrange any type of internship for which the applicant has suitable qualifications and/or experience.

These internships are unpaid.

Our school will arrange accommodation in host families, or in self-catering accommodation, or in student residences (Madrid only), depending on the student's preference.

Alternatively, students may choose to make their own accommodation arrangements.

Visas are not always required. This will depend on the nationality of the student and the duration of the internship. In cases in which visas are required, we will provide all the necessary documentation. Please contact us if you have any questions regarding visas.

The cost of your internship programme will depend on whether you attend the programme in Spain, Argentina or Chile, and how long you will require accommodation for. The cost of the internship programme and of the accommodation is given on the 'prices' tables for Madrid, Buenos Aires and Santiago de Chile.

1. Contact us by e-mail/letter or telephone to inform us of when you would like to start your internship, whether you would prefer Spain, Argentina or Chile, how long you would like your internship to be and what sort of company you would like to be placed in. Also indicate your age, knowledge of Spanish, previous work experience and/or qualifications. Also please indicate whether you would like our school to arrange accommodation for you and whether you would prefer self-catering or host family accommodation.
2. We will inform you whether the work experience that you require can be arranged and will confirm the cost of your course and accommodation to you.
3. Once we have confirmed the availability of the work experience, preparatory course and accommodation, you should enrol in the normal way as for any of our courses, either via this website, over the telephone, or by sending in your enrolment form in the post. You will also pay the normal deposit - 230 US dollars/200 euros or 130 pounds sterling. Your enrolment should be accompanied by a CV in Spanish and accompanying letter (see above). The balance of your fees will be due 8 weeks before your arrival.

Important notes

Please do not request a type of internship for which you are not qualified or have no relevant experience.

Please do not request an internship if your Spanish is not of a level at which you are confident that you are able to function effectively in a Spanish speaking work environment, unless you also wish to attend a Spanish course to bring your Spanish up to the required level.

Volunteer Work

• Work Experience

Volunteer work provides students with the opportunity to meet locals, practise and improve their Spanish, whilst at the same time come to a deeper understanding of the indigenous culture and society.

Working on a volunteer program will help you learn Spanish but please be aware that you should also try to learn some Spanish before starting your volunteer work.

Costa Rica (Flamingo Beach, Monteverde Mountain Rain Forest, San Joaquin de Flores) and Guatemala, Peru, The Galapagos Islands, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Ecuador.

Volunteers may have either a basic knowledge of Spanish, or be of any level up to advanced. However, we would not recommend volunteer work for complete beginners or almost beginners.

This depends. Please see examples of volunteer work given below. The volunteer work may either be in the afternoon (certain types only), whilst students are attending a Spanish course at one of our schools in the morning, or else take place after a student has completed their Spanish course, depending on the student's preference.

Students must attend a Spanish course of at least two weeks.

Volunteer work is unpaid.

Students may stay in host family or self-catering accommodation arranged by our school, or else make their own accommodation arrangements.

Our school will arrange volunteer work free of charge for students attending Spanish courses of at least two weeks in Flamingo Beach, Monteverde or San Joaquin (Costa Rica), 2-week Spanish courses in Antigua (Guatemala).  If you wish to do your volunteer work in Peru, the Galapagos Islands, Bolivia, Ecuador, Argentina or Chile, please see the prices tables for these countries on this website. 

When you enrol for your Spanish course, inform us at the same time that you are interested in doing volunteer work. If you have a preference regarding the type of work, please inform us. Please also inform us how long you would like the volunteer work to last and whether you wish to do the volunteer work at the same time as your course or after completing your course.

Examples of Volunteer Work Available in Costa Rica:

VOLUNTEER PROGRAMMES IN COSTA RICA - FLAMINGO BEACH, MONTEVERDE and SAN JOAQUIN DE FLORES

Below you will find various volunteer options at all 3 locations.

Please let us know if you need more information on any of these options.

Please also note that these are just a few examples of the Volunteer Work that can be arranged.  We also offer Volunteer Work in the Galapagos Islands, Peru, Ecuador, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Guatemala.

CENTRAL VALLEY I.Teaching a. English There is an English as a Foreign Language program in San Joaquin. Classes are held from February to November. We require a commitment of 2 months. Former teaching experience is not necessary. You may help teach English as a second language at the local primary school or high school. The school term is from February until the end of November. b. Children Pepe Grillo, San Lorenzo, is a private kindergarten where volunteers can assist the preschool teachers with various activities. The term is from February until November. La Escuela Los Estados Unidos is the public primary school, located in San Joaquin de Flores. Volunteers concentrate on tutoring students with special needs. Classes are held from February until November. II Environment/Animals a. National Parks/Environmental Organizations There are numerous possibilities in a variety of capacities at any one of the national parks or environmental organisations based throughout Costa Rica. b. National Association for the Protection of Animals This association has an animal shelter in San Rafael de Heredia, two kilometres before El Castillo Country Club. This is the only one of its kind in Costa Rica. Volunteers are needed to walk, wash and give needed attention to dogs, as well as help clean and groom cats and horses. c. Amigos de las Aves Located in Alajuela, this group breeds and releases captive macaws in the hope of replenishing the dwindling populations of wild macaws. Volunteers are needed to construct new aviaries, prepare food and help feed the baby macaws. III Socially-Oriented Organisations (Governmental) a. El Patronato The Patronato is a government organisation dedicated to the protection of women and families in general. Volunteer work consists of helping out in the Children’s Home of the Patronato where abandoned and orphaned children live. b. Oficina Municipal de la Mujer This branch of the ‘Municipalidad de Alajuela’ works with marginalised and abused women by helping them find work. Training courses are also provided and focus upon the women’s legal rights as well as violence prevention. Volunteers must be professionals in human rights, law, psychology or social work. c. Hogar para Ancianos, La Puebla This is a public institution which houses the elderly. Volunteers may help out with various activities in the afternoons. IV Clinic in heredia Nurses or doctors can assist and observe the local doctor and nurses with the patients for a limited period in the afternoons. Volunteers must be able to communicate in Spanish at the level of high beginner or more. MONTEVERDE I Teaching a. English In addition to their Spanish languages classes, our school in Monteverde also offers English classes to Costa Ricans in the afternoon or evening. In an effort not only to make the classes affordable for the community, but also to offer individual attention to every student, we use volunteers in two different areas: * Tutoring Volunteers tutor English students outside of class who are having specific grammatical problems in class, or who are for some reason having difficulty keeping up with the rest of the class. Tutors also help students who were unable to attend class for an extended period of time due to personal or work related problems. Requirements: Native English speaker, basic knowledge of English grammar, and minimum commitment of two weeks. * Substitute teacher Substitute teachers teach English classes when professors are sick or unable to work. The teacher leaves the teacher with a report. Requirements: Native English speaker, basic knowledge of English grammar, no minimum time commitment required. * You may teach English as a second language at the local primary school or high school. The school term is from February until the end of November. b. Children * The Quaker School is a bilingual school, who require English speaking teaching assistants. * The Creative Learning Centre is a bilingual elementary school that emphasized ecological awareness and creative arts. Volunteer opportunities range from teaching and working with children to helping maintain the facilities through manual labour. II Volunteering at the Local Reserves a. The Monteverde Cloud Forest The Reserve, which is a 45 minute walk from our school in Monteverde, needs volunteers to work on trail maintenance, the forest patrol, provide orientations to visiting tourists or if your profession is related with ecology or biology you may work in the area of environmental education. The position is full-time, Monday through Friday, from 7.00 am to 4.00 pm and Saturday from 7.00 am to 12.00 pm. Volunteers pay $10 per night for room and board in the Reserve with the other volunteers. In general, it is necessary to apply at least one month in advance; however, with some projects you may join when you arrive. They require a minimum commitment of two weeks. b. The Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve This reserve was created in 1989. Volunteers are needed for project design, translation of documents and brochures, administrative support, writing, computer work, organisation and management, biological research trail maintenance, and manual labour. Telephone: (506) 645-5390 Fax: (506) 645-5014. c. The Butterfly Garden The primary positions are maintenance and care of the butterflies and tour guide. Room and board are offered to full time volunteers; the minimum time commitment is one month. d. Ecological Farm Volunteers are needed for trail maintenance and reforestation projects. e. Recycling Center This is part of the recycling program of the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve. Volunteers are needed for the sorting, counting and crushing of recyclables. Volunteer hours are flexible. f. Hidden Valley Trail Volunteers are needed for trail maintenance, construction and gardening. g. Monteverde Orchid Garden Investigation Project Biologist Gabriel Barboza has over 400 species of orchids in his garden. His project is to protect and investigate the orchids of Monteverde. Volunteers are needed for the collection of orchids, gardening and trail maintenance, working as a tour guide is also a possibility. III. The Monteverde Institute The MIV designs and administers programs in Tropical ecology, environmental education, and agro-ecology in collaboration with foreign and Costa Rican institutions and groups. As a local institution deeply rooted in and committed to the Monteverde community and area, the Institute also provides local educational, cultural, and social programs. The Institute has a Volunteer Centre and they help prospective volunteers find local organisations that need assistance in a variety of areas. Volunteer opportunities vary depending on the interest and length of stay of the volunteer. Recent volunteers have: planted trees in a reforestation program, helped to maintain the park trails in the Santa Elena Reserve and the Monteverde Cloud Forest, taught English as a second language in local public and private schools and worked with the women’s group, Vida Familiar, in issues of domestic violence, empowerment and income generation. Please note that the Institute requires at least a four week commitment, and moderate fluency in Spanish. FLAMINGO I. Teaching a. English Our school at Flamingo Beach also has an English as a Foreign language program. Classes are held from February to November. We require a minimum commitment of 3 months. Former teaching experience is not required. b. Children * La Escuela Mariposa La Mariposa is a bilingual kindergarten, located in the town of Potrero (about a 25 minute walk from the school), that teaches children from 3 to 6 years old. La Mariposa accepts volunteers to assist (Monday through Friday from 8.00 am to 1.00 pm) in the school activities and providing individualised attention to the students. Students at our school may take the school’s morning transportation from Potrero which will let them off about 100 metres from the kindergarten. * Brasilito Elementary School Located in Brasilito, about 4.5 kilometres south of Flamingo, this public school needs assistance with the English program (no teaching experience is necessary). English classes are held in the mornings. Students attending Spanish courses at our school may take the Brasilito bus from the centre of Potrero or Flamingo at 8.00 am. * Potrero Elementary school The Potrero Elementary school accepts volunteers to assist in a variety of subjects. Help is especially needed in the area of arts and crafts. * Country Day School The Country Day School provides education from kindergarten to 12th grade. All classes are in English with the exception of one hour of Spanish per day. Volunteers are needed in various areas, especially in Spanish and Math. Classes are held from 8.00 am – 3.00 pm. II Non-Profit Associations a. Habitat for Humanity Habitat for Humanity is an international non-profit organisation which helps to build houses for those in need in low income areas. There is a project site in Nicoya, about 2 hours from Flamingo. Nicoya can be reached by first taking a public bus to Liberia (5.30 am, 1.15 pm and 2.00 pm) and then taking a second bus from Liberia to Nicoya from in front of the central market (buses leave every 45 minutes starting at 5.00 am). Habitat offers homestays for $10 per day. There is no minimum time commitment. b. National Parks (This is full time work and can not be done while studying at our school.) Working in Santa Rosa, Guanacaste or Rincon de La Vieja National Parks. Helping with translation for park guards. Minimum commitment of 1 week. Living with a guard’s family or in the guard house. Must pay for food. This is just a sample of the volunteer work programs available. If you are interested in working in some other capacity which has not been mentioned here, please contact us and we can research the possibilities of finding a volunteer position that meets your interests. Also, contact us for further details regarding specific volunteer programs in : - The Galapagos Islands - Peru - Ecuador - Bolivia - Chile - Argentina

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