Importance of getting an English certificate

Certifying a good level of English is becoming more and more important nowadays. Let’s imagine you have just finished secondary school and you have thought you want to study to be a music or art teacher; the first thing you have to do is study several years at university until you have your teaching certificate. But then, before working in a school you will have to ‘compete’ and pass a selection procedure to get a position as a teacher. Do you know that in order to apply for the selection procedure you have to prove you have at least a level B1 of English (or another foreign language, such as French, German or Italian)? Yes, you are required to speak English even if you are specialized in music or arts, because the Spanish government wants to turn every school and secondary school into bilingual centres, that is to say, subjects would be explained both in English and in Spanish. This is done in order to help students to study a foreign language and to have as good level of English as the rest of European young people have. But in Spain children and teenagers will not have a good level of English if their teachers at school do not know that language. It is just for that reason why certifying a level PET or a B1 of English is compulsory to anyone who is thinking about becoming a teacher.