Teaching Placements

Global Volunteer Projects

Vacancy: Teaching Placements
Company: Global Volunteer Projects
Category: Gap year projects (Teaching English, Teaching, Childcare)
Dates: Ongoing
Cost: £795 to £1,295
Support In Place: Local overseas managers in all locations
Age limit: 17-70

Education is prized highly in the destinations we work in. In most cases the ability to speak just a little English means access to better jobs and better opportunities. Often, local teachers are excellent at teaching grammar and literature, probably better than most 'native' English speakers. However, many of these teachers have asked us to send people to help teach the spoken word. For those whom English is not their first language, getting the hang of the phonetics, how you pronounce the letters and words, is not something they can teach easily and so this is something they need some help with. Therefore, you don't have to be a qualified teacher to help. A good command of spoken English is all you need.

Project locations:

Ghana

In Ghana we work in schools and orphanages around Cape Coast. Ghana is already an English speaking country and all lessons are taught in English. However, the Ghanaian dialect is often difficult to understand so here our teachers work on helping teach spoken English, pronunciation, silent letters etc.

Cambodia

We work with small rural schools around Takeo. English is already taught in most Cambodian schools and you will be surprised at what the children already know. Pick up some of the work that the children have written and you will wonder why you are there, their written work is immaculate. However, ask the children to read out what they have written and you will quickly see where they need help. Most of the children have been taught English by people who's first language is not English. Often that means that they have been taught to speak English through the phonics of their own language. Y's, R's, L's, Th's, Ph's are pronounced differently in the Cambodian language so your role is not to teach the children grammar, but to teach them the phonetics of the language - how to pronounce the letters that form the building blocks of the English language.

India

We work with schools in Trivandrum, Kerala. In Kerala, most of the lessons are conducted in Malayalam and English. Historically, Keralans have begrudged speaking the Indian national language, Hindi, and so English is an important language to learn if the children want good jobs. Like Cambodia above, much of your work will involve teaching phonics.

Mexico

We work in both Primary and Secondary schools in Mexico, if you prefer working with either age group then do let us know. Both age groups have formal English lessons as part of their curriculum but most of the English they know will have been from American TV programmes. Therefore, some of their English vocabulary may be surprising! However, with this in mind most of the children's English will be basic, certainly the younger children. Our projects in Mexico are based in Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta.

China

Our teaching placements in China are in primary schools and middle schools in Beijing funded by local business CHC High-Tech .

The ability to speak English in China really does improve the employment prospects of the children you will be teaching. As China’s economic boom continues to grow, more and more jobs are being created in the export sector, most notably in the technology sector and business that funds the schools we work in.