Job Discussion Forums

[KarenMarie]

Has anyone looked into the prospect of taking a volunteer EFL position?

I'm considering taking a short-term volunteer position anywhere for the purpose of being able to add experience and relevant references to my resume. I think this would be preferable to spending a year earning money working for a school with horrible working conditions.

I like the idea of volunteering. I can tolerate living in substandard conditions with no money for a good cause, no problem. I just want to make sure that I find a company that takes its teaching mission seriously.

If you have any links, ideas, or can point me in the right direction, I'd appreciate it. Thanks.

[Laura C]

Hi,

Apart from local agencies 'back home', the only one I can think of is VSO (Voluntary Services Overseas). But they do require a 2 year commitment in most cases, and like teachers to be qualified (you may be, of course, I don't know).

I looked into volunteering with them a couple of years ago, and they were offering a scheme then where they paid for a TEFL qualification then you went to China for one year. Maybe this would suit?

Good luck with your search -- let us know how you get on.

L

[naturegirl321]

Peace Corps might be an option. Also the UN needs volunteers, but you need to have a lot of experience.
Depends on where you want to go. Try posting on the specific country where you want to go.
Teachabroad.com has some volunteer positions.
So does volunteerabroad.com

[grahamb]

The wages B*rl*tz pay make you feel like a volunteer!
A useful starting point is oneworld.net, an umbrella group of NGOs worldwide. The problem from your point of view is that NGOs invariably look for people who already have qualifications and experience.
Beware of other organisations that offer "placements" in their "programs." You'll find yourself paying anything from $1500 upwards to "participate" as a volunteer. Beware of any organisation that uses this terminology!