BALI ENGLISH TEACHING VOLUNTEERS
Volunteer teaching English in Bali to encourage students by developing skills and achieving their future goals. Conversing with fluent, native speakers greatly improves student’s English language skills, a tool essential for future employment. The ability to speak English has become essential as a language to learn for Balinese people to move forward in life. As a result, it enables them to have direct contact with tourists, enhancing the country’s recognition and visibility on a global stage.
Your Volunteer Role & Typical Teaching Day
Your main role as a volunteer teaching English in Bali will be sharing your time, knowledge and skills to the local communities. Moreover, by boosting their confidence in spoken and conversational English you can help to maximise their potential. The projects run from Monday-Thursday, with class times varying from 8am-4pm. Your timings will be based on your individual schedule. You may have a 5 minute walk to your teaching placement, or for further distances like the Summer Village Program, you will be transported by minivan.
When teaching English in Indonesia you may be leading the class alone, working in pairs, or part of a small group. Volunteers are usually scheduled to teach two or three classes per day. These factors depend on the current project need, availability and volunteer numbers. Timetables tend to be split between two of the placement locations for each volunteer across the week. The Akasa Foundation program tends to be the main teaching project.
The Akasa Foundation runs 3 classes: Kindergarten (3-4 years) and Beginners (5-7 years) classes are usually in the morning and Advanced (8-14 years) classes in the afternoon. Depending on the number of volunteers at one time, each volunteer in Bali may be required to teach each class.
It has been suggested that pre-school years are the most important years of a child’s life and an ideal time for learning a foreign language. This makes these Kindergarten classes invaluable, with a focus on educating the children with very basic English vocabulary, such as colours, shapes and animals. As a volunteer teaching English in Bali, you are required to be creative and very patient, although a local teacher will act as a guide. The difficulty of the content is taken up a level within the Beginner’s class, focusing on similar topics to Kindergarten, but introducing the basic concept of sentence formation.
PMGY’s advanced community classes aim to make the learning of English an enjoyable experience, especially after the children have had a long day at school already! Get creative and teach English through songs, art and sport. You will usually work with another volunteer and teach as a team.
We expect there to be at least 60-100 children across these classes at this program each day, aged from 3 to lower teens. We generally find that the more volunteers prepare for their day then the more they and the children get from the whole experience. Depending on the number of volunteers at the time, will depend on how we segment the group into smaller class sizes if applicable. We will have local coordinators/teachers at the project to assist.
In all cases, Balinese children are eager to learn, this thirst for knowledge can sometimes turn into extreme excitement so it is important to be able to control the class to maintain focus. This is an empowering and rewarding project which really makes a difference to those less fortunate in providing free English education to the children of Tabanan. Inspire through your methods and give these children the confidence to converse with tourists. This, in turn, will improve their future and that of their families.
The presence of an English speaker really benefits the children’s pronunciation and can also help empower local teachers who may be looking for additional assistance with their own education. As a volunteer teaching English in Bali, we encourage you to make lessons as engaging and interactive as possible by being creative and proactive in your preparation. Use fun educational games like interactive word searches or Hangman, or a bit of class competition in Hot Seat or team quizzes. Games, songs, art, sport and music are all great tools. The presence of volunteers gives the children an insight into different cultures; a global perspective they greatly benefit from. Use your creativity and knowledge to help these eager young minds reach their true potential.
What you teach when you volunteer in Bali is completely up to you, though there may be a topic or curriculum materials that you can follow if you need some inspiration and guidance, from a general syllabus or past volunteer examples. We have a library of resources on-site for volunteers to use and the children are provided with exercise books and learning books to help facilitate their learning. The local team also run weekly lesson planning sessions, providing volunteers with a fantastic opportunity to both share and discuss ideas, as well as plan for the upcoming week.
With the heat and high temperatures that exist during your Bali volunteer program, shorter sessions split throughout the day are seen as beneficial all round. In addition, this allows for volunteer energy levels to remain high with positive intensity in each morning and afternoon session. As a teacher in Bali, you are encouraged to use the lunch break in between to relax, refresh or plan future activities to maximise time at the project.
CAMBODIA ENGLISH TEACHING VOLUNTEERS
As a volunteer teaching English in Cambodia with PMGY, you will encourage students to develop a skill that will help them achieve their future goals. Conversing with fluent, native English speakers greatly improves their language skills, essential for future employment. This project, therefore, provides the perfect opportunity for a volunteer teaching English in Cambodia to put their leadership skills into practice and make a profound impact in a teaching position.
Your Volunteer Role & Typical Teaching Day
As a teaching volunteer in Cambodia, you are required to prepare, deliver and lead lessons for students in Cambodia. The typical working hours are 1pm-7:30pm Monday to Friday. Volunteers will usually teach 1 hour lessons across this period with a 1.5 hour break in between to rest. As a volunteer teaching English in Cambodia, you will also need to dedicate time to plan your lessons in advance.
The school that our team run in Cambodia is located in two regions. The village school is based on the same grounds as the Volunteer House. International volunteers here, therefore, have a short walk to the project. The second school is located a 15 minute tuk-tuk journey from the House. Free time can be used to prepare sessions, chill in the Volunteer House or explore the nearby villages.
Volunteers teaching English in Cambodia and coordinators have also introduced a Fun Friday aspect to the program. For this, fellow volunteers can come together to organise entertaining activities for the children. Sometimes volunteers will organise and fund an afternoon trip outside of the program for the children. Volunteers usually contribute a small expense to facilitate this, but contributing and participating in Fun Fridays are by no means compulsory.
COSTA RICA ENGLISH TEACHING VOLUNTEERS
As a volunteer teaching English in Costa Rica, you will provide additional support to local teachers across the schools in Coronado. Not only this, PMGY’s Costa Rica volunteer programs provide a great foundation to improve your Spanish. Combine your Spanish learning and enthusiasm for teaching to make the most out of your teach English in Costa Rica experience!
Your Volunteer Role & Typical Teaching Day
As a volunteer teaching English in Costa Rica, you will work predominantly as a teaching assistant. Your volunteer work in Costa Rica will consist off preparing classes, working alongside the teacher during the class schedule and tutoring the children. Whether it be in a primary or secondary school, the additional support provided at the project will be appreciated. The teaching experience program generally lasts from 7:30am-1:30pm on a Monday-Friday basis.
The main teaching English volunteer in Costa Rica placement is located just a short 10 minute walk from the volunteer accommodation. Alternatively, other teaching English projects may require a 20 minute bus ride. Should this be applicable, the bus stop is located just outside the volunteer accommodation and Spanish school. Furthermore, the local team will assist you in learning the routes to your volunteer project. As a result, you will be acquainted with how to get to and from your volunteer project.
ECUADOR ENGLISH TEACHING VOLUNTEERS
As a volunteer teaching English in Ecuador, you will provide additional support to local teachers across the schools in Quito. Not only this, PMGY’s Ecuador volunteer programs provide a great foundation to improve your Spanish. Incorporate English language lessons with historic influences of indigenous culture as you teach English in Ecuador.
Your Volunteer Role & Typical Teaching Day
Your work as a volunteer teaching English in Ecuador will involve supporting the local teachers during the class schedule. This involves helping to prepare classes, tutoring students and interacting with them during class breaks. We expect volunteers to spend an hour or two each day preparing for lessons if requested by the teacher.
For volunteers teaching English in Ecuador, the projects are typically quite well resourced. If volunteers feel basic supplies are not easily available they are encouraged to speak to our local team. The team will then do their best to support where possible. If volunteers are wishing for additional resources, there are some great shops in town. The teaching experience program typically lasts from 8am-12pm on a Monday-Friday basis. However, there may also be opportunities to join in the afternoon for tutoring.
If you are up for it, take a 45 minute walk through the heart of Quito to reach your English teaching volunteer in Ecuador placement! Alternatively, you can take a 25 minute bus ride to reach your English teaching project. The bus stop is located nearby to the volunteer accommodation. Furthermore, the local team will assist you in learning the routes to your volunteer project. As a result, you will be acquainted with how to get to and from your volunteer project.
GHANA ENGLISH TEACHING VOLUNTEERS
As a volunteer teaching English in Ghana, you will provide additional support to schools in Kumasi. PMGY’s Ghana volunteer programs will see you help young children in Ghana. Play a vital role in developing the English skills that will help improve their future job prospects. Demonstrate your passion, energy and enthusiasm for learning within a new culture. Teaching other subjects such as Science, Maths and Art represent further volunteer opportunities as you teach English in Ghana.
Your Volunteer Role & Typical Teaching Day
As a volunteer teaching English in Ghana, you are required to assist local teachers and plan and lead your own lessons. Your role is to create a more student-orientated approach to teaching, which is more interactive and engaging. It is important to have an open mind and recognise that change is slow. However, your efforts to promote best practice at the teaching English projects will lead to improvements in the long run.
In general, you will volunteer in Ghana at the project Monday-Friday for around 3-5 hours every day. Project timings are usually from 9am-2pm with lunch taken at the project. Transport to and from the English teaching project is not included in your Program Fee. Consequently, volunteers will usually travel by public transport, but may also choose to split the cost of a taxi. Our local team will show you how to get to and from your volunteer project location during the orientation period.
Most noteworthy, heavy traffic and poor road infrastructure can be commonplace within Kumasi. Subsequently, the journey to the volunteer project can take anywhere from 45 minutes to 1 hour upwards from the Volunteer House.
INDIA ENGLISH TEACHING VOLUNTEERS
As a volunteer teaching English in India, you will encourage students to develop skills, helping to achieve future goals. Conversing with fluent, native English speakers greatly improves student’s language skills, essential for future employment. This project provides the perfect opportunity for India English teaching volunteers to put leadership skills into practice and make a profound positive impact within poor communities in India.
Your Volunteer Role & Typical Teaching Day
As a volunteer teaching English abroad in India, you will lead English and Maths lessons to one or more classes in an underprivileged school. India English teaching volunteers are also welcome to lead other subjects such as Science and Geography.
If you’ve never taught before then there is no need to worry! To be successful as a volunteer teaching English in India, you just need to be energetic, creative, patient and proactive. Should volunteers require it, our local coordinators can guide you as to how to prepare lessons and what to teach. However, volunteers are required to be proactive in establishing the levels and educational needs of the class.
The volunteer teaching English in India project runs in the mornings for between 3-4 hours, Monday to Friday. Typical hours at the volunteer program are between 9am-12:30pm. However, this may vary depending on the needs of the school at the time. We highly recommend that volunteers use time outside of the project to prepare lessons in advance. If you are new to teaching, your confidence will grow massively once you have taught a couple of classes! Additionally, the more time spent planning, the easier classes will be to run.
You will usually spend your first few days working with children alongside a local teacher or another volunteer. After this, due to staff shortages, it is appreciated if volunteers can lead their own classes. If you are uncomfortable teaching independently, we will do our best to ensure you work alongside a local teacher or peer.
PMGY’s volunteer in India program has its own private transport network that will transfer you to and from the projects every day. You will travel to and from the project by either tuk-tuk or minivan. This service is included in your Program Fee.
MOROCCO ENGLISH TEACHING VOLUNTEERS
As a volunteer teaching English in Morocco, you will provide additional support to teaching projects within the coastal city of Rabat. International volunteers on PMGY’s Morocco volunteer programs have the opportunity to teach English to children from disadvantaged backgrounds. In addition, a variety of other subjects such as Science and Maths can be instructed when you teach English in Morocco. Prepare well to ensure you make the most of your time as a volunteer teaching English in Morocco.
Your Volunteer Role & Typical Teaching Day
Volunteers in Morocco are required to plan and lead their own lessons. You need to use a lot of initiative and creativity to succeed in teaching English. You will volunteer for around 3-4 hours per day Monday-Friday. Exact times vary depending on the specific school and daily schedule. Your role will provide a platform for positive community development within our volunteer programs in Rabat.
Typically, the hours are 8am-11am in the morning and 2pm-5pm in the evening with a lunch break in between. Volunteers teaching English in Morocco will need to spend an hour or two each day planning lessons for the following day. This is extremely important and makes all the difference. The English teaching volunteer projects in Morocco are usually walking distance from the Volunteer House. Subsequently, expect around a 20 minute walk from the Riad to the project.
NEPAL ENGLISH TEACHING TO MONKS VOLUNTEERS
Would you like to immerse yourself in a completely new culture, whilst teaching others your skills? As a volunteer teaching English to monks in Nepal, you will experience a fascinating culture. Live within a Nepalese Buddhist monastery and learn about a whole new way of life in this unique experience. You’ll be joining the monks’ daily routines and practising meditation before the sun rises, ready for a day of sharing knowledge and helping these communities to learn English.
Your Volunteer Role & Typical Teaching Day
For every volunteer teaching English abroad to monks in Nepal, expect to be woken early each morning as the gong is sounded and morning prayers commence. What a unique opportunity to learn and get immersed in the Buddhist way of life!
You will generally be given a timetable for your classes for 3-5 hours a day, from Monday-Friday. Above all, English teaching is the main way you will help whilst you volunteer in Nepal, but there may also be the chance to teach other subjects like Maths and Science.
As a volunteer in Nepal you will follow a flexible curriculum syllabus when conducting your lessons, whereby most of the time you will plan your own lessons and activities, working independently or alongside a fellow volunteer. There is usually a government course guide book available according to class standards that focuses on English, Maths, and Science.
In Kathmandu expect there to be around 40-150 young monks, depending on your monastery. If your volunteer work in Nepal is based in Chitwan, then there are around 100 monks. The ages range from around seven years old to lower teen and average class sizes tend to be around 10-15 per class.
The level of English will vary depending on which class you’re assigned. Therefore, you should be prepared to spend time planning for each lesson. Anything that you can teach about your own culture will also be gratefully received. In the evening times, volunteers in Nepal are encouraged to help the monks with their homework and any one-to-one learning experiences formally or informally.
You will have a lot of free time on your Nepal volunteer program, which you can spend travelling, relaxing or learning about the Buddhist way of life. Meanwhile, this may be your opportunity to explore the local market or learn about the local community. Alternatively, you could spend the evenings playing sports, games or extracurricular activities with the young monks.
Depending on your Nepal volunteer program, you may be able to provide extra help like preparing meals or collecting firewood and wild mushrooms from the jungle. You will find the monks to be accepting and genuinely grateful for your help. As a result, they will be interested to teach you about their unique culture. As a volunteer in Nepal, this will give you an insight into the Buddhist religion not granted to tourists.
On arrival, young monks will be keen and excited to meet you. However, some will also be shy of you in your first few days at the monastery. You will get the chance to eat with the monks and have the opportunity to take part in some meditation rituals if you are up early enough to learn this practice too!
NEPAL ENGLISH TEACHING VOLUNTEERS
As a volunteer teaching English in Nepal, you will make a positive impact at a community level. In addition, you will immerse yourself in a fascinating local culture. From kindergartens to primary schools, you can lead classes and assist lessons to educate and inspire the next generation, preparing them for a better future.
Your Volunteer Role & Typical Teaching Day
You’ll be up early with your host family to get ready for the day ahead. Make sure you wake up with plenty of energy! Depending on your location, it will probably be a short walk from your homestay to your teaching placement, Otherwise, transport will be provided.
Your main role as a volunteer in Nepal is to teach English, although, there is also the chance to teach other subjects such as Maths and Arts when required. The schools have local staff who will assist volunteers, but most of the time international volunteers lead their own lessons. In addition, the lessons are largely informal and volunteers have the freedom to be creative with their lesson plans.
During your lessons, we encourage volunteers teaching English in Nepal to use engaging educational activities to hold the student’s attention, as well as inspire their learning. Be creative, use exciting ways to learn new vocabulary and introduce interesting topics in a fun way. Use educational games like interactive word searches or Hangman to test the students. Or try a bit of class competition in Hot Seat or team quizzes. Games, songs, art, sport and music can all be great tools.
The schools usually have basic resources available. Some of the teaching project sites do have outdoor space and playground facilities as well as a range of toys and books to engage with the children. However, these can be limited at times so you may wish to bring some extra educational books or games to assist with your teaching whilst you volunteer in Nepal.
Flashcards and stickers are a good idea as well. Plus you’ll find it much cheaper to buy resources during your Nepal volunteer program, which puts money into the local economy too. Additionally, souvenirs from your home country can also be a great resource, especially for introducing yourself to the children and helping them learn about you and your culture.
As a volunteer teaching English in Nepal, you will typically be teaching around 3-5 hours a day from Monday-Friday, depending on which placement you have joined. School often starts around 9-10am, after a busy morning of cooking Dal Bhat to fuel your day! You’ll have a break for lunch and most projects will be finished between 2-4pm. Use your free time after your Nepal volunteer program to meet the local community in your neighbourhood, explore the local market or join in cultural activities.
PERU ENGLISH TEACHING VOLUNTEERS
As a volunteer teaching English in Peru, you will provide additional support to local teachers across the city of Cusco. Not only this, PMGY’s Peru volunteer programs provide a great foundation to improve your Spanish. The basic education and English learning focus provided in the Peruvian school system are not enough. Hence, volunteer support can make a big difference when participants decide to teach English in Peru.
Your Volunteer Role & Typical Teaching Day
Work as a volunteer in Peru involves supporting the local teachers during the class schedule. This involves helping to prepare classes, tutoring students and interacting with them during class breaks. Volunteers will generally work as teacher assistants, but there may be times where volunteers lead classroom activities.
The teaching experience program can be both morning and afternoon based. The local team will email you your specific project information, volunteer tasks and working hours in advance of your arrival into Cusco. You will be volunteering at the project Monday-Friday. Please use your free time to plan for at least 3-5 hours on the project.
If you are up for it, take a 45 minute walk through the heart of Cusco to reach your English teaching volunteer placement! Alternatively, volunteers teaching English in Peru can take a 20-45 minute bus ride to reach their English teaching project. The bus stop is located either just outside the volunteer accommodation or the Spanish school. Furthermore, the local team will assist you in learning the routes to your volunteer project. As a result, you will be acquainted with how to get to and from your volunteer project.
SOUTH AFRICA ENGLISH TEACHING VOLUNTEERS
As a volunteer teaching English in South Africa, you will play a vital role in developing local children’s English skills. Consequently, as the students English levels improve, so will their future prospects. PMGY’s South Africa volunteer programs will see you help young children in Cape Town. Teach English in South Africa and a range of other subjects to underprivileged children from government schools. All within the stunning setting of cosmopolitan Cape Town.
Your Volunteer Role & Typical Teaching Day
As a volunteer teaching English in South Africa, you provide an important pair of extra hands. Subsequently, you play a vital role as a volunteer in South Africa in reducing burdens placed on local staff. In addition, extra support and teacher presence help improve discipline and overall class productivity. Troubled students and those with learning difficulties greatly benefit from the individual attention provided by international volunteers.
Volunteers in South Africa will usually work as a teaching assistant. However, please note there may be times where you are required to lead a class yourself. It is not uncommon for this to happen when participants complete volunteer work in South Africa. Therefore, volunteers encouraged to prepare lessons accordingly in advance if so. Ultimately, it is essential volunteers spend time planning and preparing for each day. Consequently, this will allow you to get the most out of your project time.
The typical working hours are 7:45am-2:30pm Monday-Friday with a lunch break in between. Upon request, additional working hours/duties can be assigned. We expect volunteers to spend at least 1 hour each day planning activities and lessons for the following day. Weekends are your own free time.
Volunteers will need to make their own way to the English teaching project each day. Moreover, this usually involves taking public transport but sometimes projects can be walking distance from the Volunteer House. On average, it takes around 30 minutes to get to the English teaching project. Our local team will instruct you as to how to get to and from the project each day. Alternatively, you will be paired with a volunteer who has already been working at the placement you have been assigned to.
SRI LANKA ENGLISH TEACHING VOLUNTEERS
You can volunteer teaching English in Sri Lanka to dramatically boost future opportunities available for young people. Having the ability to speak English is a valuable tool, especially for career prospects and achieving future goals. Above all, conversing with fluent English speakers can encourage students to develop this essential language skill. If you are enthusiastic and have lots of positive energy then this is the project for you!
Your Volunteer Role & Typical Teaching Day
Your main role as a volunteer teaching English in Sri Lanka is to share your time, knowledge and skills to teach English to the local communities in Ambalangoda, boosting their confidence in conversational English and helping to maximise their potential.
The after-school education Sri Lanka volunteer program is available from 3pm-6pm each afternoon from Monday-Friday. Usually, you’ll get there by tuk-tuk or minibus, which takes around 10 minutes.
The first two hours are spent teaching English and the last hour is allocated for games and activities. We encourage volunteers to make lessons as engaging and interactive as possible by being creative and proactive when preparing lessons. Use fun educational games like interactive word searches or Hangman, or a bit of class competition in Hot Seat or team quizzes. Games, songs, art, sport and music are all great tools.
The presence of international volunteers on the volunteer teaching English abroad program gives the children an insight into different cultures; a global perspective they greatly benefit from. Use your creativity and knowledge to help these eager young minds reach their true potential.
Each volunteer in Sri Lanka will lead their own classes and have the freedom to create a lesson plan of their choice. There may be a topic or curriculum materials that you can follow if you need some inspiration. Your volunteer work in Sri Lanka may be in pairs or small groups per class, however, this is dependent on the current need and the number of volunteers at the time. We usually run three to six classes in each community, but again this will be dependent on the number of volunteers.
There will be a local coordinator at the project each day who is on hand to support volunteers with their efforts and can help with overcoming the language barrier. Please note the local staff will not be leading the class. It is also important not to constantly rely on the coordinators for translation when you are teaching English in Sri Lanka.
At the temple schools the classes run in the morning, usually at 8:30am-10am from Monday-Friday. The tuk-tuk journey takes about 5 minutes. The topics and activities here can be very similar to the after-school education program, with a focus on learning in a calm environment (minus any shouting or active games). In return for your contribution to the temple, you will find the monks are often keen to invite you to learn more about their religion and way of life.
TANZANIA ENGLISH TEACHING VOLUNTEERS
As a volunteer teaching English in Tanzania, you will work to encourage students to develop a skill that will help them to achieve their future goals. Conversing with fluent, native English speakers greatly improves their language skills, essential for future employment. This project, therefore, provides the perfect opportunity for international volunteers to teach English in Tanzania. Develop your leadership skills and make a profound impact on the lives of disadvantaged children in Arusha.
Your Volunteer Role & Typical Teaching Day
As a volunteer teaching English in Tanzania, you are expected to plan and lead your own lessons. Volunteers sometimes work as assistants to the local staff and English teachers. However, there is usually an expectation from the staff for international volunteers to lead the majority of lessons. To teach English in Tanzania, you must use a lot of initiative and creativity to succeed in your role. There may also be times across the project where volunteers work as assistants to the local teachers in Tanzania.
All lessons are taught in English apart from Swahili language lessons. The schools have a basic curriculum, which is followed, however, volunteers have the freedom to introduce new ideas/topics. It is important that volunteers spend an hour or two each day preparing for the following day’s lessons
Whilst each volunteer in Tanzania program is different, the typical working hours are 8:30am-1pm Monday to Friday. Around 3-4 hours a day are spent teaching basic English, with the remainder spent assisting with mealtimes and/or arranging activities. As a volunteer teaching English in Tanzania, you are usually welcome to stay at the project longer if you wish to.
Staff shortages can be a regular occurrence in the under-resourced schools that we work with and volunteers are encouraged to adapt and be flexible with this.If you are new to teaching, your confidence will grow massively once you have taught a couple of classes! Additionally, the more time spent planning, the easier classes will be to run.
Transport to the childcare volunteer in Tanzania project is not included in the Program Fee. Some each English in Tanzania projects are within walking distance from the Volunteer House, but many are further afield. In these latter cases, you will be required to take a Dala Dala (local bus) to placement. It can take up to 45 minutes to travel to your volunteer work in Tanzania. Our local team will guide you through the local transport methods during your in-country orientation. You can also always ask them if you are unsure of how much you should be paying for a journey.
THAILAND ENGLISH TEACHING VOLUNTEERS
As a volunteer teaching English in Thailand with PMGY, you will work with students to develop a skill that will help them to achieve their future goals. Conversing with fluent, native English speakers greatly improves their language skills, essential for future employment. Teachers in Thailand have the opportunity to put their leadership skills into practice, making a profound impact across schools in Thailand.
Your Volunteer Role & Typical Teaching Day
Volunteers teaching English in Thailand are required to lead classes to classes of up to 40 children. Whilst completing volunteer work in Thailand, you will be supported by both PMGY coordinators and local English teachers. Volunteers who teach English in Thailand not only improve the children’s English but provide meaningful insight into global cultures. Our local team will help guide you to be able to make the biggest impact as possible.
In addition to your role as a teacher in Thailand, you may get the unique experience to become involved in assemblies. This extends from abiding the national anthem to getting involved with chanting and meditation exercises. This is a really cool experience – you may even be invited to introduce yourself in front of the whole assembly.
During the course of the day, volunteers in Thailand are likely to become involved with more than one class. It is usually the case that such learning on one subject is introduced as part of a weekly syllabus and then embedded across the week, with activities and resources to match before moving onto any further topics. Subjects generally covered include Maths, English, Geography, Science or learning about important Thai festivals and holidays. You will be guided by PMGY local staff with regards to the topics to be taught to the students.
Working hours on this volunteer project will depend on the specific project assigned to a PMGY volunteer teaching in Thailand. However, typical working hours are 9:30-11:30am and then 12:30pm-2/3pm, totally an average of 3-5 hours of volunteering per day, Monday to Friday. During the interval, the children usually finish lunch. This is an opportunity for a volunteer teaching English in Thailand to visit the town for lunch, return to the Volunteer House or stay at the school.
The distance to the project is dependent on the specific project you are allocated during your time. Projects close to the Volunteer House will usually be up to a 20 minute walk away. For projects further afield, the local team will arrange any necessary transport. This cost is included in your Program Fee.
We highly recommend that as a volunteer in Thailand, you use time outside of the project to prepare lessons in advance. As you teach English in Thailand, this will help make your classes as fun, engaging and relevant as possible. If you are new to teaching, there is no need to worry! You’ll find that your confidence grows massively once you have taught a couple of lessons. Additionally, the more time spent planning, the easier classes will be to run. Late afternoons can be used to prepare lessons or take the time to explore Pathum Thani, Bangkok and surrounding areas.
VIETNAM ENGLISH TEACHING VOLUNTEERS
As a volunteer teaching English in Vietnam with PMGY, you will work to encourage students to develop skills that will help them to achieve their future goals. Conversing with fluent, native English speakers greatly improves their language skills, essential for future employment. This project provides the perfect opportunity for international volunteers to teach English in Vietnam, putting their leadership skills into practice across schools and communities in Hanoi.
Your Volunteer Role & Typical Teaching Day
As a volunteer teaching English in Vietnam, you will be responsible for preparing and leading your own activities within the lessons. Depending on the volunteer project location you may be required to follow a curriculum. Communication with the local teachers and staff is therefore key, ensuring they can support with the lessons and activities you prepare.
As an English teacher on this Vietnam volunteer program, you must be proactive in taking lead around the topic. Our local team will be on hand to guide you as you plan your lessons. They will give you an idea of what former volunteers have taught and what students wish to learn. We will also give you ideas on what activities you can implement when teaching. To teach English in Vietnam, there is no requirement to have taught before. Where possible our local team aim to segment the group the students relative to their ability and level of English. This helps to improve the structure and productivity of the classes.
Whilst each project is different, the typical working hours as a volunteer in Vietnam, are 8am to 6pm Monday to Thursday. In school settings, volunteers will be expected to teach up to four classes per day. Typically, two classes will be taught in the morning and the same in the afternoon. Each class lasts approximately 45 minutes, with a 10 minute break between two consecutive classes. Lunch is taken between the morning and afternoon sessions. With up to 50 children in one class, experience and confidence are great skills to have and develop. Volunteers must also be flexible, creative and having determination to succeed!
The university and community classes both follow a similar structure. Volunteers who teach English in Vietnam will lead two classes per day – one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Each class will last 2 hours (4 hours total per day). In general, volunteers will be at the project from 9am-4pm each day, with an extended lunch break. Volunteers will teach 4 different classes each week. For all teaching projects, Fridays are not spent at the project and are instead used to prepare lessons for the following week.
Local transport to and from the project each day is included in your Program Fee. Most teaching placements are located within a 1 hour commute of the Volunteer House. Volunteers will either be provided with a bus pass in-country or be reimbursed their travel fares on a weekly basis. The bus station is around a 10 minute walk from the Volunteer House.