Teaching English in India

Bars, restaurants and a buzzing nightlife will lure you to downtown Bangalore as much as the more familiar landmarks of Hindu holy men and tuk-tuks. It’s a city able to satisfy your every need; especially if you love a good curry! You’ll be working in either primary, secondary, boarding or nursery schools, and be in charge of small classes of students aged between 6 and 16. As well as English you’ll get the chance to teach IT and maths and to set you on your way, we'll even throw in our internationally recognised TEFL training certificate which you can complete before you start your adventure.

If you want to see the world, experience new cultures and give something back as you go, then volunteer travel is for you. Whatever your age, whatever your background, if you have a ‘can-do’ attitude and a desire to make a difference, there are a wealth of worthwhile projects that could do with your help, from conservation to community development, from teaching to tourism.

Volunteers should have a genuine love for children, be self-motivated, flexible, adaptable and have plenty of patience. Volunteers are not required to be fluent in any of the Indian languages as English is widely spoken and understood by most Indians. Volunteers on the teaching programme will be trained before they go on their project through a 40-hour on-line TEFL programme (Teaching English as a Foreign Language). This course is included in the cost of the venture.

You will be expected to contribute in any way possible to the education and happiness of the children. Most of the schools welcome volunteers who want to get involved in other aspects of school life, or run extra-curricular activities such as sport, art and crafts, drama etc.. As the standard of English is quite poor it is recommended that you come with ideas such as games and fun activities for the classroom. Creativity is important. The more you get involved in all aspects of school life the better your experience will be. In Bangalore the teaching projects exist in local primary, secondary, boarding and nursery schools. The majority of these schools are local schools which are not-for-profit schools, some of which are funded by local donations and fundraising. Some of the schools are Christian schools and are quite religious, but do not expect volunteers to get involved with prayer or religious services. The majority of the children who attend the schools come from disadvantaged backgrounds. The school pupils are aged between five and 18 and the average classes have between 15-20 pupils. Private schools are often well equipped and students have an advanced level of English, making teaching easier. Facilities in the poorer schools however are often basic - so you may find yourself with little more than a blackboard and piece of chalk. In the holidays, April and May, there is work with street children.