English, ESL, and ESP teachers still in demand
06 April 2011
An earlier news article (see here) highlighted the ongoing
need amongst employers of Australian volunteers for teachers of
English, or English as a Second Language (ESL) or for Special
Purposes (ESP).
Image: AVI volunteer Ian Parry on assignment in Guangxi
Province, China.
The good news is that this demand continues to grow unabated
with an exciting array of new roles currently being advertised on
AVI's website.
The even better news is that these roles are popping up in
locations where the need is greatest and the impact maximised.
For example, in this current round of advertising (April 2011)
no fewer than six roles are being advertised in Gansu Province of
Western China along the famous Old Silk Road route.
These University-based roles vary from having a focus
specifically on teaching ESL methodology to teachers in training to
English for a Special Purpose roles to students undertaking courses
with a Life Sciences major (in Economics; Tourism, Hospitality and
Marketing or Community Health / Psychology).
Furthermore, the highly successful project aimed at upgrading
English language teaching skills on Sumatra in Indonesia continues
to blossom with new volunteers selected and new volunteers
requested for regions outside of Padang.
In the Middle East, a new English Language Adviser role has been
developed with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency in
Lebanon. The focus of this position is also to work alongside
local counterparts with a view to developing more modern teaching
methodologies and resources.
Meanwhile, in the Pacific, opportunities abound in Kiribati for
teachers of English to share their skills with students and
colleagues alike. There are positions that cover boarding
school / day school or inner island /outer island and those that
are suited to teachers with either decades of experience or very
little post-graduation experience.
Back in Viet Nam, there are two university based positions for
experienced English teachers - one in Nha Trang with a focus on
Tourism related courses and the other in Hanoi at the Electric
Power University.
One of the great advantages of being an English teacher as a
volunteer is that everyone around you wants to learn English and
many volunteers find they can use this to their advantage by
offering English language tuition in exchange for tuition in the
language of their hosts.
As one returned volunteer put it so succinctly;
"I would not have believed the
doors that being a plain English teacher could have opened. I was
invited into people's homes, got to learn about their culture and
their language and made some amazing lifelong friendships along the
way."
Find out more
If you want to know more about teaching opportunities with an
ESL focus in AVI's Volunteer Program please contact Ian McDonald
on 03 9279 1781 or write to imcdonald@australianvolunteers.com