5 things you should know if you want to be a translator

Do you want to be a freelance translator or work for a translation and interpreting agency? Here are 5 things you should know if you want to become a translator.

Teachers have it so good! What holidays! And a great salary at the end of the month with 14 payments a year! Yes, yes, exactly. How many times have we heard or even said those famous phrases about Primary teachers or Secondary teachers? Being a teacher has many advantages, but hey, not just anyone can be a teacher, right? And if you don’t believe me, listen up, because in this post I’m going to summarise the requirements to be a Primary Education teacher, but not only the technical requirements, but also the personal and professional qualities that will make you a first-class Primary teacher.

Requirements to be a Primary Education teacher

What to study to become a Primary teacher

Okay. Let’s start with the simplest thing. To be a teacher and work in a Primary Education school, the first thing we must do is study for a Bachelor’s Degree in Primary Education. This degree, with a study load of 240 credits, has a duration of 4 years, provided we pass each year. In addition, you should know that part of the 240 credits correspond to unpaid internships in a Primary Education school, and that the optional and free-choice credits will give you the possibility of specialising in one of the mentions, such as the English mention, one of the most requested today due to the rise of bilingual centres.

Other necessary certificates

For some years now, in Spain, a special certificate has been required among the requirements to be a Primary Education teacher. Well, in reality, it is required in practically all non-language-specific university degrees. This certificate is the famous B1. As you probably already know, B1 itself is not a certificate, but a level of linguistic competence. Therefore, when you want to certify that you really have a B1 level of English or another language, you must go to your university, which will probably offer a free certification exam, as is the case of the University of Granada, or to an external body such as Cambridge Assessment English, Oxford University, LanguageCert, Trinity College or the Escuela Oficial de Idiomas. These types of entities, each in their own style, offer certification exams with which you can close your academic record while also expanding your curriculum vitae.

Working in a semi-private or private school

Once you have obtained your Bachelor’s Degree in Primary Education, with your B1 certificate in English or another language, it is time to consider the possible job opportunities. On the one hand, you can choose to look for work in semi-private or private schools. In this case, I advise you to strive to expand your curriculum as much as you can. Only then will you stand out above the rest of the candidates in your same position. Furthermore, in Spain, many semi-private or private schools are religious, so you must consider whether the denominational nature of the educational centre is truly in line with your beliefs.

Primary Education teaching examinations

On the other hand, if semi-private or private education is not for you, you will have to opt for competitive examinations. The examinations are very, very tough, but the reward is worth it. If your goal is to work in a public school and be a public servant, you will have to jump through hoops and study for the examinations. In fact, the next examinations for the teaching body will take place in 2018, so if you are already a graduate, I recommend you start studying now, if you haven’t already. And if so, the best thing you can do is contact an online or in-person examination preparation centre. They are the ones who can best guide you through the hard road that public examinations entail.

Personal and professional qualities

If Primary Education teachers stand out for anything, it is for their personal and professional qualities, rather than for the technical requirements they must meet. To be a Primary teacher you need to be a patient and understanding person. Children, who are children and do childlike things, exasperate anyone. Therefore, a good teacher must have the patience with their students that they probably wouldn’t even have with their own children. In addition, if you are going to work in a classroom with twenty-something kids, you must know how to keep calm and be very organised. You must plan your lessons so that there are no unforeseen events. And that is practically impossible with such a large teacher-student ratio. And finally, I must emphasise that to be a quality teacher, you will have to sacrifice a large part of your free time. Because yes, it’s true, teachers «have free afternoons», but just because they don’t have to go to school doesn’t mean they go shopping and have coffee every afternoon. Most of them, at least the good and dedicated ones, stay at home marking and planning among many other things. So if your vocation is to be a teacher, be prepared for hard work both at school and at home. Homework is not a thing of the past when you are a teacher!

What does it take to be a Primary Education teacher?

1. Study for a Bachelor’s Degree in Primary Education.
2. Obtain a B1 certificate in a foreign language.
3. Expand your curriculum.
4. Study for competitive examinations or look for work in semi-private or private schools.
5. Arm yourself with patience and a desire to work.

Now that you have read the basic requirements to be a Primary Education teacher, do you still want to be one? I recommend it to you; it can be a beautiful profession, but I warn you that not everyone is cut out for it. So think about it and pursue your dreams, whatever they may be.

I hope this post has been useful to you. If so, why not share it with your friends, colleagues, and other students and teachers? And don’t forget to follow KSE Academy on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.