Education is a powerful tool in the fight against poverty. By choosing to volunteer as an English teacher, you would be providing people in developing countries with English language skills, giving disadvantaged groups improved access to further education and better employment opportunities. You could be working in Eritrea, Ethiopia, Rwanda or Namibia.
Right now we’re urgently looking for English Teachers to volunteer in Africa
Skills needed to volunteer in ELT
You’ll need a degree and a teaching qualification (PGCE or equivalent) with at least 3 years’ teaching experience before you apply. Occasionally we may be able to consider applicants with 2 years’ experience, please call us on 020 8780 7500 to check.
Types of volunteer work available
You could be working in secondary school classrooms, teaching English to students and supporting your colleagues in introducing child-centred teaching methodologies. Or you might work in teacher training colleges, improving the English language skills of trainee teachers. Opportunities are varied, please see the jobs below for more examples of what you could be doing.
Heard about our new pension offer? Thanks to a new Government initiative you can now get your public sector pension reimbursed for the duration of your overseas placement - there really has never been a better time to apply. Find out more
English Teacher – Ethiopia As an English Language Improvement Programme Co-ordinator you'll be based at Madawalabu University. Working alongside a local counterpart, you'll design and implement language training for university academics, support staff, students and local schoolteachers.
Read the full volunteer job description:
ELT Teacher - China As an English Teacher Trainer at Qinzhou University, you’ll develop the English Language skills of teaching staff and pupils within the faculty of education through participatory workshops. You’ll also improve the quality of teaching by introducing student centred teaching methodology through mentoring and team teaching. Read the full volunteer job description:
ELT Teacher - Rwanda Working at the Ngara lower secondary school, you’ll work with local colleagues to improve teaching methods and improve the English Language skills of pupils, Sharing teaching resources and methodologies with local English teachers and helping them to strengthen the school’s English department. Read the full volunteer job description:
English Adviser - Tanzania Working with the Muleba District Council, you’ll devise and implement a strategy to improve English teaching skills in district primary schools and support the professional development of local colleagues. Read the full volunteer job description:
Primary methodology trainer - Eritrea As a Primary English Methodology Trainer, you’ll make a direct contribution to improving the quality of English Language training in the Keren district. Based in the Ministry of Education Offices, you’ll work to ensure that more children can achieve the level of English needed to access tertiary education. Read the full volunteer job description:
Whether you are ready to apply now, would like an information pack or would like to be kept informed about our work, please register your interest now.
Any Questions?
If you have any outstanding questions about voluntary work abroad with VSO, take a look at The VSO Experience.
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If you haven’t found what you’re looking for, use the search box below to search again or call us on 020 8780 7500.
The volunteer jobs displayed on this page are examples of our current opportunities for voluntary work abroad and all last for 24 months. For information on volunteer jobs lasting one to six months please visit our Specialist Assignments pages.
