Tis’ the Season of Giving!
The Christmas and New Year season gets everyone thinking about giving and volunteering. Whilst it can be a sticky subject, done correctly and ethically it can be one of the best experiences of your life!
You can volunteer for TEFL teaching opportunities all over the world, and even lots at home. They can vary from a few weeks to a whole year, making it super flexible for you. Whether you’re looking for an opportunity during your holidays or a long-term contract, there will be something for you.
So, why is having a TEFL certificate beneficial to you? A TEFL course will give you the skills, knowledge and confidence to plan, prepare and conduct your first lesson. Volunteering opportunities can range from just engaging in casual conversation with those wanting to improve their English to more structured lessons for a range of different levels and ages. Taking a TEFL Course will help prepare you to enter the world of volunteering and make an impact on your students!
Here are 5 volunteer opportunities to get you started with your search:
1. UN Volunteers
UN Youth Volunteers help the United Nations to work on the frontlines of political, developmental and humanitarian field operations. UN Youth Volunteers are young people aged 18 to 29 years who want to engage in development and peace initiatives worldwide.
2. British Council
British Council’s English Language Assistants (ELA) programme is a major UK mobility initiative that offers paid teaching placements abroad, providing the perfect opportunity to travel, teach and gain invaluable experiences along the way. Every year they send around 2,500 English Language Assistants from the UK to support the teaching of English in 14 destinations around the world. Gain classroom experience, improve your language skills, develop your cultural awareness and professional skills.
3. Global Volunteers
Global Volunteers is an internationally recognised and respected non-profit leader. They provide genuine human and economic development to hundreds of communities, short-term assignments on long-term community-defined projects, and sustained community-based partnerships.
Global Volunteers encourages and enables volunteers to spend short periods of time working with and learning from and about local people in communities throughout the world.
4. Projects Abroad
With Projects Abroad, you can teach abroad and help children access the education they need for a brighter future.
Education is essential for breaking down the barriers of poverty and inequality. Through their teach abroad programmes, you can make this change happen yourself. It’s also a great way to develop the skills you need for a teaching career, or discover if becoming a teacher is the right move for you.
5. RefuAid
RefuAid helps those people who are building a new life in a new country. They are bringing together qualified English language teachers looking to volunteer in their local community and help those in need of English language support.
Keep a lookout for our upcoming post about how to find more opportunities and how to find the ‘right’ TEFL opportunity for you, including how to keep safe and make the most of your volunteering experience! Find more jobs and opportunities here.
Not TEFL certified yet? Kickstart your TEFL adventure with a UK-TEFL course.
