TEACHING

• Teaching EFL to children in rural schools
• Assisting EFL teachers in rural high schools
• Teaching adult members of Ecotourism cooperatives
• Combination of Volunteering, Teaching and conservation

• lack of local English teachers in rural areas
• According to recent statistics 71% of English teachers are not fluent in the English Language
• English enhances job opportunities for Costa Rican rural youth.
  

Details

Rural schools are very small. They have from 80 to 100 children. Ages of the children are from 7 years old to 12 years old. Some children are Nicaraguans refugees. Volunteers will teach from 4 to 5 hours a day. There is an EFL National Curriculum to follow. Most of the schools they never have had an English teacher although EFL is a subject taught in most of the schools in the country. Facilities are good but the schools lack English teaching resources. VolunteeringCostaRica started a charity program that is helping to provide English teaching materials to schools where VolunteeringCostaRica volunteers are working.

The process of teaching English to children in the I and II Cycles in our educational system is based primarily on the fact that childhood is the best time to acquire a foreign language. The teaching of English in these cycles thus responds to the following basic needs:

• Sensitiveness to other cultures and broader knowledge of the world.
• Discovery of new ways of communicating with others (through linguistic, social and cultural options);
• Providing children with tools to cope with the challenges of this century;
• Development of critical thinking skills

The study of English as a foreign language at the elementary level will expose learners to new educational experiences. The purpose is that learning English should become a motivating, simple, interesting and creative process.

Furthermore, it is expected that in the context of elementary institutions where language learning takes place, using English for communicative purposes will increase self-confidence and personal development, as well as students' self esteem. This involves cognitive, socio-affective and, linguistic skills to make the teaching and learning process more effective.

Main Activities for Volunteers

• Assist EFL teacher
• Plan and teach EFL following National EFL curriculum
• Organize art activities along with teaching EFL
• Organize games and EFL teaching
• Teaching from 4 to 5 hours a day

Skills

• To be a native speaker of English (or command of the English language as a native speaker)
• To enjoy working with children
• To be able to work side by side with a teacher
• To adjust to another culture

Location

These rural schools are located on the Central Pacific coast near Jaco. This areas economic livelihood is undergoing a change from agriculture into tourism and as such English is essential for employability.

Food and Accommodation

Volunteers live with a local family. Family will provide three meals a day.

Dates:

From mid February to June and from August to mid December.

Other

State schools have a dress code. Male Teacher are not allow to wear shorts, very low cut shirts, see through trousers or blouses or. Mini skirts. Male teachers must wear long trousers.
Tattoos have to be covered.

 More information contact VolunteeringCostaRica

Details

VolunteeringCostaRica offers two teaching projects at high schools. These state high schools are very small with between 60 and 90 students and only count on basic resources and facilities. Students' ages are from 12 to 17 years old and most come from very poor agricultural families. Some of the students have to walk long distances in order to attend school and work during the week ends.

There is a National Curriculum to follow. But the English teachers have organized an extra curriculum activity –English conversation course for the work force. VolunteeringCostarica is providing teaching materials for this course.

Volunteers are needed

• because of lack of local English teachers in rural areas
• in order to share the load of work with the class teacher and give individual attention to the students who have difficulties learning English
• According to recent statistics 71% of English teachers are not fluent in the English Language
• Knowledge of English enhances job opportunities for Costa Rican rural youth.

Your Role as a volunteer

The volunteer role is very important because there is only one English teacher for the entire school. You will help to give these young students a skill that will make a difference in their lives. The reality is that these students will not get a job unless they speak English. The only jobs available are mainly in the tourist industry in the nearby Jaco beach resort.

• Assist EFL teacher
• Plan and teach EFL following National EFL curriculum
• Plan and teach conversation classes.
• Organize games and EFL teaching
• Teaching from 5 to 6 hours a day

• To be a native speaker of English (or command of the English language as a native speaker)
• To enjoy working with young people
• To be able to work side by side with a teacher
• To adjust to another culture

Location :

The high schools are located on Central Pacific Coast near Jaco beach. Both are villages with very good means of transportation. There are no internet cafes but you will find all kind of amenities in Jaco.

Food and Accommodation

Volunteers will live with a local family. Family will provide three meals a day.

Dates:

From mid February to June and from August to mid December.

Other

State schools have a dress code. Male Teacher are not allow to wear shorts, very low cut shirts, see through trousers or blouses or. Mini skirts. Male teachers must wear long trousers.
Tattoos have to be covered.

More information contact VolunteeringCostaRica

This project is a combination of ecofarming and teaching. The volunteer will have the opportunity to work in the morning in an organic farm helping women to grow an herbal garden, organic bananas and organic pigs (for more details see Conservation-Eco-tourism cooperatives). The volunteer will teach English in the afternoons to members of the Eco-cooperative but also to members of the community. There is a textbook and cassettes for the course.