From 2026, Lithuanian students will be able to choose Spanish as their first foreign language. However, the country’s schools face major obstacles in finding qualified teachers, which is limiting their teaching.
An example is the Maironis University Gymnasium in Kaunas, which has had to resort to unconventional methods to attract a suitable teacher. Jesús Manuel Barragán Ferrer, a Mexican teacher who arrived a few years ago, is one of the few who teach Spanish in the country. Despite the multiple offers he receives from other schools, he is forced to reject many of them due to his workload.
The popularity of Spanish has grown since 2022, especially after increased tension with Russia. While Russian as a second foreign language has fallen from 75% to 40%, Spanish has begun to gain ground, being chosen by 10% of sixth grade students in the current school year.
Currently, the Spanish It is taught as a second foreign language in eight Lithuanian municipalities, with 29 teachers teaching about 1,500 students. However, the real challenge lies in the lack of teachers prepared to meet the growing demand, which is why the Ministry of Education has declared that training and retraining programs for Spanish teachers are now a priority.
Lithuanian universities, such as Vilnius and Vytautas Magnus University, have begun to offer specialized programs, but resources are limited. Despite efforts to train new teachers, The lack of funding and the high number of applicants complicate the process.
The Ministry of Education, aware of the situation, is evaluating new financing strategies and plans to prepare future teachers and meet the growing demand for Spanish in Lithuanian schools.
