Teaching English in South Africa
| country: | South Africa |
| location: | KwaZulu Natal |
| departures: | Teaching placements are available throughout the year during term time. 2008 terms run 16 Jan - 20 Mar, 14 Apr - 27 Jun, 14 Jul - 26 Sep, 6 Oct - 05 Dec |
| price: | From £745 (2 weeks) - £1995 (12 weeks) excluding flights |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Live and teach in a traditional Zulu village.
This is an exciting and truly unique teaching location with an interesting content to your work. Here there is opportunity to teach a range of subjects, including music & drama, computers & IT, or sports. If you have always been intrigued by African culture, the rural life and the seemingly endless wild landscapes, this is the perfect placement for you. The project is based at the very heart of the historical Zulu Kingdom and you will be teaching children of the eMakhosini village – literally the King’s village.
Not only are the children from a very impoverished background, they are also the custodians of their Zulu heritage and the small village lies adjacent to one of the most ambitious tourism projects in the country. In order to truly realise their potential and the potential of the area, they need to learn the most basic of life skills, such as being able to converse in English, skills that most of their parents and grandparents do not have. Your contribution here will not only be a life changing experience for you and the children that you teach, it will also make a very real contribution to the preservation of the history of the Zulu Nation.
Teaching computers and IT: The schools you will be working with are also currently in the process of acquiring computers and a computer teacher. Even the most basic computer literacy skills are lacking here - anything from using Windows to the technical aspects of keeping equipment dust free. They are hungry for computer knowledge!
Teaching sports: If you'd like to teach sports, you'll be able to do so, combined with teaching the children other subjects. At this time sports is not a stand-alone project, but the schools need help with sports and physical education activities. The soccer and netball are currently already being played. The schools are very interested in starting the cricket and hockey for boys and girls alike, but don't currently have any equipment. Also, they have a field that has been donated to the school for use as a sports field, which is currently a dirt/clay track.
Teaching music & drama: If you have talents in music or drama, you can help to pass these on to the children. The classes are quite large, with an average of around 50 pupils per class, with a maximum of 63. They run with youngsters from around 5½ years (Grade R) to about 15 years old (Grade 7) and teach the usual curriculum subjects as well as human and social sciences, technology and three languages: Zulu, Afrikaans and English. In the junior schools, English is taught in Zulu and is done by translating words and phrases. This means that many of the children don't reach the standard required for the subject. Thus, when they get to high school where everything is taught in English, they find it very difficult to learn their other subjects. This is where you, the volunteer, will be able to play a big part. By exposing the children to conversational English and helping them to build up the confidence to use the language in the classroom, on the playing fields or in extracurricular activities, you'll be helping them to cope better with learning all their subjects in high school.
On your first day of teaching you will be taken to the school and introduced to the Principal, the teaching staff and pupils. You will be made very welcome by all! You'll have weekends free and this will also allow some time for travelling and sight seeing. If you would like more time to travel during, or after your teaching, this can be arranged.
This is an exciting and truly unique teaching location with an interesting content to your work. Here there is opportunity to teach a range of subjects, including music & drama, computers & IT, or sports. If you have always been intrigued by African culture, the rural life and the seemingly endless wild landscapes, this is the perfect placement for you. The project is based at the very heart of the historical Zulu Kingdom and you will be teaching children of the eMakhosini village – literally the King’s village.
Not only are the children from a very impoverished background, they are also the custodians of their Zulu heritage and the small village lies adjacent to one of the most ambitious tourism projects in the country. In order to truly realise their potential and the potential of the area, they need to learn the most basic of life skills, such as being able to converse in English, skills that most of their parents and grandparents do not have. Your contribution here will not only be a life changing experience for you and the children that you teach, it will also make a very real contribution to the preservation of the history of the Zulu Nation.
the project
Both Cultural Studies and Environmental Education are part of the South African curriculum. You will be involved with local schools and children and part of your work will be to encourage them to think about and discuss all aspects of cultural and natural heritage and the importance of preserving it. You can encourage the kids to talk and think about these issues. You will get guidance from your supervisor and access to materials he uses. This would hopefully get the children to start thinking about their family history and where they come from and get them to ask questions about legends in their family. Teaching computers and IT: The schools you will be working with are also currently in the process of acquiring computers and a computer teacher. Even the most basic computer literacy skills are lacking here - anything from using Windows to the technical aspects of keeping equipment dust free. They are hungry for computer knowledge!
Teaching sports: If you'd like to teach sports, you'll be able to do so, combined with teaching the children other subjects. At this time sports is not a stand-alone project, but the schools need help with sports and physical education activities. The soccer and netball are currently already being played. The schools are very interested in starting the cricket and hockey for boys and girls alike, but don't currently have any equipment. Also, they have a field that has been donated to the school for use as a sports field, which is currently a dirt/clay track.
Teaching music & drama: If you have talents in music or drama, you can help to pass these on to the children. The classes are quite large, with an average of around 50 pupils per class, with a maximum of 63. They run with youngsters from around 5½ years (Grade R) to about 15 years old (Grade 7) and teach the usual curriculum subjects as well as human and social sciences, technology and three languages: Zulu, Afrikaans and English. In the junior schools, English is taught in Zulu and is done by translating words and phrases. This means that many of the children don't reach the standard required for the subject. Thus, when they get to high school where everything is taught in English, they find it very difficult to learn their other subjects. This is where you, the volunteer, will be able to play a big part. By exposing the children to conversational English and helping them to build up the confidence to use the language in the classroom, on the playing fields or in extracurricular activities, you'll be helping them to cope better with learning all their subjects in high school. On your first day of teaching you will be taken to the school and introduced to the Principal, the teaching staff and pupils. You will be made very welcome by all! You'll have weekends free and this will also allow some time for travelling and sight seeing. If you would like more time to travel during, or after your teaching, this can be arranged.
volunteer travel - what's it all about?
Are you are looking for an adventurous trip with a purpose, or on a gap year or career break? If you want to make a difference in some of the world’s most important conservation areas - and in community projects - then volunteer trips are for you! Volunteers tend to have a sense of adventure, and come from a range of different backgrounds and from all over the world. Edward Abbey said 'sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul'.
how this holiday makes a difference
|
The school we work with is situated in an extremely rural, Zulu village. The school here is very poor and lacking in many facilities, so by teaching here you will really be able to make a valuable and worthwhile contribution not only to the school and children but also to the local community. You will stay in nearby accommodation and local staff are on the ground to provide support to you. By living and working locally, this enables you to really immerse yourself in the country and the culture.
The school is also within walking distance to the accommodation. You will be provided with a monthly food budget to source your own produce locally which has a positive impact on the local economy. You will be given a full induction on arrival which runs through the customs of the area including appropriate dress codes and the school rules, this ensures that you are giving out a positive influence to the students you teach. Past volunteers have been so moved by this experience that they have returned a second time and even though it was a year or so later the children didn't forget them and welcomed them with open arms! |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |