Overview
Teaching English in Guatemala

This Guatemalan project gives volunteers the unique opportunity to live in the colonial town of Antigua and teach English in the indigenous communities of the surrounding area. Many local indigenous families in Guatemala cannot afford the fees to put their children through education so GVI, along with leaders of the indigenous communities, have developed our own schools to assist children who otherwise would not have the opportunity of any formal education.

Volunteers joining this project will take an introductory TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course in Guatemala, which will help prepare you to teach indigenous children English. During the week half your working day will be spent teaching English and the other half preparing lessons working alongside your TEFL teacher.

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English is taught in the national schools, though the teachers don’t speak English, so obviously the children fail their exams.

Local Parent, 2007

What Difference Does This Project Make?

The project in Guatemala makes a huge difference to the children as they will receive TEFL-trained English tuition. The English they learn in school is often from a Guatemalan teacher who has no grasp of the English language, and is teaching from a book. By providing the children with natural English teaching, they will have more of chance of passing the year.

Highlights

Living with a host family in Antigua; learning Spanish (optional); Receiving an Introduction to TEFL, teaching indigenous children in remote communities; going on an adventure weekends or attending various cultural workshops and/or events.

Location

Guatemala is one of the jewels of Central America, packed with ancient ruins, active volcanoes and intriguing Mayan culture. Volunteers live in the beautiful old Spanish colonial town of Antigua and project work is carried out in communities all within a one-hour journey from the town.

Field Conditions

Living with local families in comfortable but basic accommodation gives volunteers an enriching cultural experience and provides them with the valuable opportunity to practice their Spanish! All accommodation provided is private and includes three meals a day apart from Sundays; lunch is eaten in the communities with a local family during the week. Travel upgrades are available on this project see dates and costs for more information.