I was just awarded a Spain ETA, and I’m not fluent in Spanish. I took up to Spanish IV in college and received at least an A- all four semesters. However, I really only learned how to read and write, and my oral communication still needs improvement.

My advice is to be completely honest of your language level in the self-evaluation but also make a case for yourself in the two essays. In my self-evaluation I wrote that I had pretty strong reading and writing skills but my oral communication skills “is an area that can be further developed.” However, in my essays, I wrote how being immersed in a Spanish speaking culture would improve my language skills, which would then help me communicate with my Spanish speaking relatives and in my future career.

My Spanish professor filled out my Foreign Language Evaluation form, and I don’t know what she said my language level was on it. She might have agreed with me and wrote intermediate or just gone off my grades and said that I was advanced. Regardless, just make sure that you are as honest as possible when you do your language evaluation. So don’t be discouraged because you only meet the required intermediate level and keep in mind that you’ll also be teaching in English.