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International Volunteer Work Teaching English in India with Projects Abroad
Since its population passed the one billion landmark, India’s economy really started to boom, and its labour market has found itself much in demand from all manner of foreign companies looking to outsource work or benefit from the cheap manpower.
But despite the fact that you will find English speakers throughout the country, the standard of conversational English teaching in public schools is usually very poor. The students may know about English literature and are better at grammar than most native-speakers, but they find it hard to make themselves understood and therefore lack the confidence to speak English. Without strong English, they miss out on higher salaried jobs that will go to those who can afford a private education.
Volunteering abroad as an English teacher in India is an ideal way to help redress this balance. You can gain invaluable international development work experience without any previous skills and you are not required to have undergone TEFL training. Whether you are volunteering in India during your gap year, career break or an extended vacation, you will have a role to play on one of our Teaching projects and will be able to make a difference.
The impact you have on the lives of your students will be obvious and long lasting, but you will also be part of a much larger volunteer network, which is making a really positive contribution to the wider community.
Volunteer Opportunities Teaching English in Schools with Projects Abroad
Projects Abroad volunteers are placed in schools in Madurai and the surrounding area. Madurai is the second largest city in Tamil Nadu with a history dating back to 500BC.
The Indian way of life, to the Western eye, can appear totally relaxed at one moment and then completely frenetic the next. Deeply ingrained in the hearts of the young people in all of these areas is a desire to speak English, the language that can put them in touch with the rest of the world.
As an English teaching volunteer, you will therefore play a vital role in improving the spoken skills and future options open to the children and teachers at the schools where we work. You can teach younger children or teenagers but whatever the age, you will find that the students are eager to learn all about western culture and your life back home, and taking advantage of this enthusiasm is the first lesson you will learn in your quest to improve their spoken English and comprehension.
There are also opportunities to teach mathematics, science, physical education, and other languages, like French, in schools in and around Madurai if you would like to do something in addition to teaching English. In many cases you can specialize in teaching other subjects.
Classes can vary in size depending on the school and age of the children, but you will usually be teaching between thirty and forty students per class. You could be teaching children as young as three years old or teenagers preparing for their final exams. Each volunteer is expected to have about four hours of contact time in the classroom from Monday to Friday.
Volunteering on a Teaching Project in India
Facilities in the schools are often basic - you may find yourself with little more than a blackboard and a piece of chalk. But with one of the school's English-speaking teachers as your supervisor and the support of our Projects Abroad India staff, you may be surprised at how quickly you gain confidence and make progress! We are always happy to help you out with extra resources if you have any special requirements; just ask our staff.
Volunteers generally find that teaching practices in South India have remained the same for years - the children usually learning by rote and copying out sections of text. By singing songs, playing games and generally making the lessons more interesting, you will be able to bring the subject alive and you will witness the children growing in confidence and ability.
Whatever your skills, as a volunteer in India you will make an important contribution by improving students’ spoken English and giving them the confidence that comes from being able to communicate with a native speaker. It is likely to be an experience neither you nor they will ever forget.
This project is available for less than a month if you don't have time to join us for a month or more. This project has been selected by our local colleagues as being suitable for shorter durations for both the host community and the volunteer. Although you will gain valuable cultural insight and work intensely within the local community please be aware that you may not be able to make the same impact as someone participating for a longer period.