Teach English in Jamaica
| country: | Jamaica |
| departures: | Departures can be arranged at anytime to suit you |
| price: | From £1395 - £2195 (4 - 12 weeks) excluding flights. Price depends on length of project. £495 for each additional month. Price includes all accommodation & meals, transfers, insurance and support from project staff |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Jamaica is today a country of extremes, with wealthy Jamaicans enjoying a modern, western lifestyle, frequenting shopping malls and exclusive golf clubs, whilst the poorest people in society, some 16% of Jamaicans, remain living below the poverty line. The wealth distribution reflects Jamaica's slave-plantation heritage and the descendants of black slaves tend to be among the poorest classes in Jamaica. Yet it was the end of slavery that heralded the start of education for all and the government is currently investing in improving and modernising the education system throughout the country.
As a volunteer, teaching in Jamaica will give you an amazing new perspective on this incredible country. You can gain invaluable development work experience without any previous qualifications, and you are not required to have undergone TEFL training. Whether you are coming to volunteering during your gap year, career break or an extended holiday, you will have a role to play in one of the schools that we work with, and you will be able to make a real difference.
In most schools you will begin as a classroom assistant, supporting the teacher in their lessons. However, as you get to know the children better and start to grow in confidence you may want to take on more responsibility. If you have any other interests or subjects you would like to teach - such as maths, art, music, drama or sport there will be opportunities to incorporate these into your classes too.
Whatever your skills, as a volunteer in Jamaica you will make an important contribution by improving students' spoken English and giving them the confidence that comes from being able to communicate more easily. You will also help to increase cultural awareness, which is one of the main aims of the government's current educational campaign. The impact you have on the lives of your students will be obvious and long-lasting, but you will also be part of a much larger volunteer network, which is making a really positive contribution to the wider community. It will be an experience you never forget!
As a volunteer, teaching in Jamaica will give you an amazing new perspective on this incredible country. You can gain invaluable development work experience without any previous qualifications, and you are not required to have undergone TEFL training. Whether you are coming to volunteering during your gap year, career break or an extended holiday, you will have a role to play in one of the schools that we work with, and you will be able to make a real difference.
the project
This project is based in the University town of Mandeville. Although Jamaica's official language is English, many children grow up speaking Jamaican Creole at home. Jamaican Standard English (a mix of American and British English) is taught in schools and speaking Standard English well is key to getting a sought after job in business or within the tourist industry. Volunteer teachers work alongside the Jamaican staff to help improve the pronunciation of Standard English. By running lessons in Standard English and making them fun and inclusive you can really help to develop the pupils' confidence. They are sure to be interested in you and your life, and you can take advantage of this to get them talking to yourself and each other. In most schools you will begin as a classroom assistant, supporting the teacher in their lessons. However, as you get to know the children better and start to grow in confidence you may want to take on more responsibility. If you have any other interests or subjects you would like to teach - such as maths, art, music, drama or sport there will be opportunities to incorporate these into your classes too.
Whatever your skills, as a volunteer in Jamaica you will make an important contribution by improving students' spoken English and giving them the confidence that comes from being able to communicate more easily. You will also help to increase cultural awareness, which is one of the main aims of the government's current educational campaign. The impact you have on the lives of your students will be obvious and long-lasting, but you will also be part of a much larger volunteer network, which is making a really positive contribution to the wider community. It will be an experience you never forget!
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
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You will join the local staff to help improve the conversational English of the students you are working with. Many speak a local patois but need good English skills to improve their job prospects after school. Your teaching job will not be taking away the job of a local teacher. You will be able to help the school in all sorts of additional ways whether it is helping the cricket team or working with the music department. Our contributions in local schools have led to other schools approaching us asking for volunteers. We make sure that you are working close to other volunteers at the same time taking care not to have too many volunteers impacting on the local community.
We take seriously our responsibilities towards the communities we work with in Jamaica. We have full time local staff on the ground that will meet you from the airport, give you an induction on arrival and support you from our local office throughout your stay. They are local people who we pay a good local wage and can give you all the information and support you will need during your stay. They have been trained by us to work with visiting volunteers. In Jamaica you will be staying with a local family. We pay the family where you will be staying. This means that the money goes directly into the local economy. The food you eat, the chairs you sit on have all probably been made in Mandeville where you will be staying. Living in Jamaica will give you an opportunity to be a real part of the local community. Most of the money that you spend during your time at the placement will be at grassroots level going into local Jamaican businesses. Our organisation is environmentally responsible. We recycle at our offices and offset our carbon emissions from staff flying to our destinations around the world. We believe that actions like this can be the first step towards preserving the planet for future generations. |
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. |