Teach English in Bolivia with Projects Abroad

  Bolivia

Cochabamba

Durations of Program: 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks, 9-12 weeks, 3-6 months and 7-12 months
Typical Duration of Program: 9-12 weeks
Dates: Year round

Description: Bolivia is one of the poorest and least developed countries in Latin America. With English being the language of much international business and commerce, students are very eager to learn. The standards of conversational English teaching are usually not high, so students are eager to develop good spoken language skills wherever possible, which is where you can help as a volunteer English teacher.

You can work as an English teaching volunteer in Bolivia without a formal teaching qualification, and you do not need to have a TEFL certificate. Whether you want to volunteer abroad teaching during your gap year, career break or as part of an extended vacation, you will have a role to play on one of our international volunteer placements.

Volunteer Opportunities Teaching English in Schools with Projects Abroad

Our main teaching project in Bolivia is located at the University of San Simon, in the town of Cochabamba, teaching English to undergraduate university students.

As a volunteer teacher at the University in Bolivia, you can expect to teach between 18 and 20 hours a week, but remember you'll need more time to prepare a structured lesson. Teaching older students, who will often be a similar age to you, is fun and rewarding. They are serious about their goals to learn English, and just because they are not school children doesn't mean they won't enjoy playing games in your lesson creative, fun classes will certainly provide a change from their regular lectures! Your supervisor will be happy to guide you with lesson ideas if necessary.

Our second teaching option is based in the small, rural village of Puerto Villarroel, four hours from our main base in Cochabamba. Here volunteers can teach young children at the village primary school. Volunteers working in Puerto Villarroel live together in a shared house close to the main road with up to twelve volunteers.

The primary school in Puerto Villarroel is located in the village. There are approximately 300 children who attend the school from the ages of 6-10. English is not formally required by the school curriculum, but the teachers and children are eager to welcome volunteers who can teach some English and focus on extra-curricular activities like games, music, arts & crafts and sports with the children.

Volunteering on a Teaching Project in Bolivia

The level of English in Cochabamba, a vibrant university town in the central highlands, is generally low. This is because Quechua - a language indigenous to this region of the Andes - is the native tongue for most local people, with Spanish as their second language. However, English is viewed as an increasingly important language to learn.

At the University of San Simon in particular, English is seen as a gateway to learning - to more books, different professions and ultimately international jobs. Away from the tourist trail, Cochabamba doesn't generally attract a lot of native English speakers so, as a Projects Abroad volunteer, the linguistics department will welcome you with open arms!

The level of students English varies from beginner to advanced, so do let us know if you have a teaching preference. Similarly, if you are - or have been - a university student yourself, let us know the subject area you studied and we may be able to match you up with groups of students from that discipline. Then you can use your common interests for conversation and to help them build up a relevant vocabulary.

You can also assist and encourage your students to contribute to the 'Cocha-Banner', an English-language newspaper distributed within the city. For more information please follow this link to our Journalism in Bolivia project.

This is a great placement if you want to learn Spanish. All volunteers based in Cochabamba are entitled to twenty hours of free Spanish lessons. These are given on a one-on-one basis with teachers from the Universidad Mayor de San Simon. Our local staff will work out a suitable schedule with you and your teacher.

By working at the university, you'll make friends with Spanish speaking adults, with whom you may want to socialize, and you'll stay with a Spanish-speaking host family, which will also improve your Spanish language skills immeasurably.

Extracurricular Volunteer Teaching Options in Bolivia

If you choose to teach abroad in Puerto Villarroel, there are several extracurricular activities to get involved in. At the local secondary school there is a teacher who offers English lessons to interested students. She is also eager to have the help of volunteers and expand the amount of hours she can offer. The focus here will be on making English fun and interesting for the students who choose to be there, and you will be able to incorporate your own interests and ideas into your lessons. You could combine working at the primary school and the secondary school, if you so wish.

We also offer English lessons to adults in the local community in Puerto Villarroel. There is increasing interest in these lessons in particular from people who have been trained as tour guides, as they begin to see increasing numbers of English-speaking tourists coming to the area.

Volunteer teaching projects in Bolivia will also give you the chance to get involved in a variety of other community based activities like painting and restoration projects or developing theater and music in the local community.

If you decide to take part in the summer holidays when the university may also be on break we have a classroom attached to our office where students and members of the public can sign up for English lessons. These have proven to be really popular and a good chance for volunteers to include any musical and artistic skills in a relaxed learning environment.

Highlights: Due to the inter-personal nature of the work, this placement is an excellent opportunity to practice your Spanish.

For your accommodation in Cochabamba, you'll live with a Spanish speaking host-family, which is a great environment for developing and improving your language skills. All the families involved are extremely supportive of the projects carried out by Projects Abroad and are keen to experience an intercultural exchange and learn about the lives of volunteers.

In addition, this project offers the opportunity to become fully immersed in the culture in a way that even the most hardened backpackers could never hope to do.

Qualifications: No expereince or qualifications are required.

Cost in US$: From US$2,695

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: Open-minded with a desire to travel.

Age Range: 16-70

This Program is open to Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to Bolivia Independently Or in Groups

Application Process Involves:

• Letters of Reference
• Written Application

Post Services Include:

• Exit DebriefingAbroad
• Re-Entry Debriefing at Home

Projects Abroad's Mission Statement: As part of the global economy, Projects Abroad helps create local employment wherever we send volunteers. Employing local staff overseas and using their talents and knowledge is important to us. This local knowledge and support enables the organization to channel the skills of the volunteers from more affluent countries to regions around the world where they are needed. Volunteers also learn from their placements and the people they meet, and they gain experience in a chosen field. In the 21st century, we believe this mutual respect is what cultural exchange is all about.

Year Founded: 1992