 
 It is probably as good an option as any for
teachers new to the profession that want to put in a few years
with a company that will give them solid training and support.
The impression I get from BLC is that they have got their noses
firmly pressed to the grindstone and their ambitions set high.
In the past few months, I have been asking around to get some
feedback from other teachers locally and more than one has recommended
BLC to me (some quite enthusiastically, I have to admit, albeit
for the DELTA course). BLC is a well-respected academy among academies
and teachers here and working there would be a good starting point
for any young teacher.
| General Information:
 Academy:
British Language Centre
Webpage:
The British Language Centre in Madrid
Date:
June 30, 2004
When did the academy
open?
1984.
Contact person and title:
Alistair Dickinson
Director of Teacher Education
Contact phone:
(00 34) 91 733 0739
E-mail:
ted@british-blc.com
Address:
British Language Centre
C/Bravo Murillo 377, 2º
28020 Madrid
Spain
Google Maps
Located in "Plaza Castilla," right in the heart of Madrid's
business district, the British Language Centre is about 2
minutes from a large bus station, serving most of the Northern
part of the Community of Madrid, and from Madrid's
longest subway (underground) line (one stop down from Chamartin
train station).
Facilities and classrooms:
There are 17 classrooms in the Plaza Castilla centre. There are a few more in their young learners' neighbourhood centre in
"Barrio del Pilar." There are also three computers for the
staff in the staffroom connected to the Internet via
a local area network (LAN) with an ADSL (high speed) connection.
Have good materials support, photocopier?
There are definitely more than enough materials to choose from. The Centre's teachers have direct access to the staffroom photocopier. Not so for the teachers doing
the course. However, the academy collects all the materials to be photocopied for every session and does it for the teachers.
Have "Director of Studies" support?
There are two Directors of Studies: one for the centre's classes and another for the company's.
There is, of course, also a Director of Studies for the training department.
VIPs on staff?
None currently. However, "Henny Burke" and "Gregory Scanlan" (the two DOSes) are currently at work with Cambridge University Press on
a course book.
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Employment Information:
Qualification requirements for employment?
The British Language Centre requires at least a CELTA. There is a
CELTA - TEFL certification
course offered by the "British Language Centre." All the trainers have DELTAs.
Experience requirements for employment?
None. Having done the CELTA at BLC seems to hold more weight. Being able to choose from among the best of 120 and 150 teachers
yearly has its advantages.
Hire at a distance?
BLC does not hire at a distance. "There are plenty of teachers off the CELTA course," says Alistair Dickinson, Director of the teacher education department.
Hire Americans and do their papers?
The British Language Centre has Americans on staff, but they have a management company that handles the paperwork and could not give me
any more details on the process.
Preference for British or Americans?
None apparently.
Estimated teachers hired yearly:
30-40.
Teachers at British Language Centre for over 4 years?
There are at least 6: two that have been there for 20 years, one for 16, one for 15, one for 12, one for 10, etc.
Number of students:
2,000 total students per year - children and adults in the centres and in companies.
Best part about working at the British Language Centre?
The atmosphere and the people are great and as the centre is smaller, it is more intimate.
Other benefits?
There is a lot of stability and a very large training department behind the teachers.
Offer teacher training or development along with job?
Yes. Other short courses include the Pre-Diploma, Teaching the Younger Learner, An Intro to ELT, Developing Phonology, Using Literature in the Classroom, Language Awareness, etc.
Of course, if you do get on at BLC, definitely consider doing the DELTA while you can.
Starters' average salary?
The British Language Centre pays 1,000 euros per month for 24 hours of class work per week.
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BLC
CELTA and DELTA courses
The BLC is one of the biggest English language training academies
in Europe and the most active in Madrid, Spain. They have been
offering the CELTAs (Certificate in English Language Teaching)
every month since 1989, as well as plenty of other training courses.
To date, they have trained over 2,300 CELTA teachers and 350 DELTA
teachers. The BLC definitely looks like the centre that is the
most interested in teacher education and training in Madrid, Spain,
and they have definitely made a big effort to be the "man-on-top"
in this sector.
http://www.british-blc.com
Calle Bravo Murillo 377, 2º
Google Maps
ted@british-blc.com
34 91 733 0739
Recognition of the Centre (and Certificate)
As far as I can see, this is one of the best-known schools for
teacher training in Madrid, and a couple of teachers, including
a TESOL convention staff member, talked them up to me at this
years' convention.
BLC runs at least ten people through its CELTA full-time intensive
courses every month as well as doing another 2 or 3 part-time extensive
CELTA courses yearly for a total of more or less 150 CELTA teachers
trained annually.
Training Staff and Course
I have a close friend who did the DELTA at the British Language
Centre who often recommended it to me while he was doing it (actually,
he just about twisted my arm to get me down there). He told me
that the teacher in charge, Alistair Dickinson, also had a webpage
at http://www.developingteachers.com,
which is quite an accomplishment for any individual professional
(it's one of three webpages I think, actually). From what I could
gather, the staff, which seems to have a reasonably-well-qualified
line-up, was quite conscientious and always pressured him (in
a good way) to be more professional.
Installations
Adequate and functional,
the installations are well located in the heart of Madrid's business district and are next to a major bus and underground (subway) station and one
subway stop from
the train station at Chamartin. It's right on Plaza Castilla, which is one of Madrid's well-recognized landmarks.
DELTA course (Diploma in English teaching)
The British Language Centre also offers both part-time and full-time DELTA courses two or three times a year.
Current courses - straight from the horse's mouth
Full-time one-month CELTA courses starting every month except December.
Part-time CELTA courses start frequently. Check the dates on their website.
Prices
CELTA - 1,300 euros.
DELTA - 2,700 euros.
Other Information
My conclusion about BLC is that there are some very talented and motivated people doing the training there. Judging from the sheer weight of the activity
the BLC is generating with regard to teacher training, I would say it might well be the best option for doing the CELTA course in Madrid, Spain. There is just no substitute
for constant practice and judging from what I observed of their Director of Studies' staffroom, they are moving at an incredible pace.
Bear in Mind: "The pass rate at the BLC is consistently
very high, well above the average. The June 2001 results were
the best at the BLC out of all centres running the course."
Ver mapa más grande
 Plaza Castilla in Google Maps Photos. Pan around and take a virtual walk.
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