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Studies & Degrees in Teaching of Spanish as a Second Language

Teaching Spanish as a second or foreign language, known in Spanish as ELE (español como lengua extranjera), is the training of teachers who teach Spanish to people who did not grow up speaking it. Demand comes from a large language community: according to the Instituto Cervantes yearbook for 2025, potential speakers of Spanish exceed 630 million worldwide and native speakers passed 500 million for the first time in 2025. The number of learners grew 1.5% between 2024 and 2025, and the largest groups of learners are in the United States, Brazil and several European Union countries.

Students learn how languages are acquired, how to describe Spanish grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation for learners, how to plan courses and lessons, how to assess levels against the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), and how to use digital tools. Most programmes include supervised teaching practice. Being a native speaker is not a teaching qualification, and non-native speakers with a high level of Spanish also train as ELE teachers.

Qualifications and levels

  • Official master's degrees in Spain. This is the main specialised qualification. Official master's degrees have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits, and those in ELE usually have 60. The Universidad de Alcalá teaches the Máster Universitario en Formación de Profesores de Español como Lengua Extranjera: 60 ECTS credits, one academic year full time, face to face and in Spanish. As a guide, its page gives first-enrolment fees of €2,736 for Spanish nationals and residents and €5,079 for non-resident students from outside the EU (page checked in October 2026). At Fundación Comillas, in Cantabria, the CIESE centre, attached to the Universidad de Cantabria, has offered the official Máster Universitario en Enseñanza de Español como Lengua Extranjera since 2010-11, in blended format, with 60 ECTS credits of which 20 are practical.
  • Master's degrees with the Instituto Cervantes. The Instituto Cervantes works with two public universities on official master's degrees. One, with the Universidad Internacional Menéndez Pelayo, is taught face to face over two consecutive summers in Santander. The other, taught online by the Faculty of Philology of the UNED, has 60 credits.
  • Online master's programmes. FUNIBER offers a Máster en Formación de Profesores de Español como Lengua Extranjera on a virtual campus. Applicants need a university degree, and the title is issued by the university where the student enrols. Ask which university that is and what recognition the qualification has in your country.
  • Short courses. The Instituto Cervantes runs face-to-face and online courses for teachers along three stages: autonomous teacher, expert teacher, and teacher trainer. The first route is for people with less than 200 hours of training and less than 1,500 hours of teaching experience. Language schools and universities also run introductory courses; ask what certificate they give.
  • DADIC diplomas. The Instituto Cervantes accredits teaching competence through exams. The DADIC Autónomo certifies the basic competences needed to teach general Spanish, and the DADIC Experto a higher level; a third diploma for teacher trainers is in development. The diplomas do not expire.

Where to study it

SpainExchange lists 32 active schools for this subject. Twenty are in Spain, three in Mexico, two in Ecuador and two in the United States; Canada, Chile, Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua have one each.

In Spain the list includes universities such as the Universidad de Alcalá, the Universidad Antonio de Nebrija and the Universidad de Navarra, the Instituto Cervantes teacher training department in Alcalá de Henares, Fundación Comillas and FUNIBER in Barcelona. Many other entries are Spanish language schools, for example Tenidiomas in Jerez de la Frontera, Instituto Mediterráneo Sol in Granada and El Aula Azul in San Sebastián. In Latin America the list includes the Universidad Internacional de Cuernavaca and IDEAL Escuela de Español in Mexico, and Galapagos Spanish School in Quito.

Teaching is in Spanish. A master's degree normally requires a previous university degree, and applicants whose first language is not Spanish should ask what level of Spanish each programme requires.

Careers

ELE teachers work in private language schools, university language centres, schools, companies and online, in Spanish-speaking countries and abroad. Fundación Comillas names three routes for its graduates: teacher of Spanish as a foreign language, Spanish lecturer (lector) at a university abroad, and work in companies in the ELE sector, such as publishers. Others move into materials design, examining and teacher training.

According to the Instituto Cervantes, the DADIC diplomas are supported by Spain's Ministry of Education for its language assistant, bilingual section and visiting teacher programmes, and by the cooperation agency AECID in its call for lectureships. Teaching Spanish in a state school system usually requires that country's own teaching qualification as well.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a degree to teach Spanish as a foreign language?

For an official master's degree in ELE, yes: admission requires a university degree. Private language schools set their own requirements, and many ask for specific ELE training.

How long does a master's degree in ELE take?

Usually one academic year. The master's degrees of the Universidad de Alcalá and Fundación Comillas both have 60 ECTS credits.

Can I train online?

Yes. The UNED master's degree with the Instituto Cervantes is taught online, FUNIBER uses a virtual campus, and the Instituto Cervantes offers online courses for teachers. The Comillas master's degree is blended.

What is the DADIC?

It is the Instituto Cervantes system of teaching accreditation diplomas, obtained by exam. The diplomas have indefinite validity.