Description

Located between Nicaragua and Panama, Costa Rica is a relatively prosperous Central American country. The country has long been a popular location for North Americans, but with its incredibly varied eco-systems and progressive attitudes to conservation, Costa Rica is also becoming increasingly popular as a global tourist destination. Knowledge of the English language is highly sought after in order to make the most of the opportunities this presents.

Volunteering abroad as an English teacher in Costa Rica is a fantastic way to see this beautiful Central American country and learn about its people and culture. You can gain international volunteer work experience on a Projects Abroad placement with no previous experience or TEFL qualification. Whether you want to volunteer as an English teacher on your gap year, career break or during an extended vacation, you will be valued by the local community and you will be fully supported by our local staff.

The impact you have on the lives of your students will be immediately obvious, but it is important to recognize you will also be part of a larger international volunteer network, which is striving to make a really positive contribution to the wider community.

International Volunteer Work Teaching English in Schools and Universities with Projects Abroad

Our volunteer teaching projects in Costa Rica are based in primary schools and universities in the pleasant town of Liberia in the northwest of the country. Liberia is four hours away from the cosmopolitan capital of San Jose, less than two hours from the Nicaraguan border and one to two hours from an enviable choice of Pacific coast beaches.

The primary schools are in and around Liberia, often less than 20 minutes walk from your host family accommodation. Depending on the school you are placed in you could be teaching children as young as three or as old as thirteen. The size of the classes may vary from as little as ten students to as many as forty. Although you will be given your own unique schedule, work generally begins at around 8:30am - although some schools start earlier - and runs until early afternoon.

Volunteers teaching English at the universities often have lessons in the afternoons and sometimes in the early evening too. You will normally teach smaller conversation classes with students who are eager to both improve their English and find out about western culture. Your schedule will be prepared with you when you arrive and will be reviewed regularly.

Your Role as a Volunteer Teacher in Costa Rica

By volunteering abroad in Costa Rica on one of our teaching placements, you can provide effective, practical help with spoken English in a number of schools and universities. For the students, the increased exposure to conversational English will enable them to advance their language skills and brighten their futures.

You may be supporting a teacher in a full sized class, working with a small group to give students more individual attention or teaching your own class independently or with a fellow volunteer. It is always worth talking to your supervisors about any ideas you may have for the classes. If you have a passion for sports, drama or music there may also be the opportunity for you to organize some extra curricular activities.

The schools in Costa Rica have their main vacation from mid December until mid February, with a shorter vacation in July. Volunteers are able to travel or enjoy the festivities with their host family over the Christmas period, then from the second week of January we organize a variety of holiday programs. These include a Projects Abroad run language school, sports coaching, painting a care center and working with children at the care centers who still attend during the vacation period.

Before you set out to Costa Rica, we will send you a teaching guide that has plenty of suggestions for games and activities that will help to stimulate the students minds and sustain their enthusiasm. We always welcome new ideas and we hope that you will take time to prepare and structure lessons. Good preparation will help to give you confidence and ensure that you and your students get the most out of this fantastic experience.

All volunteers on Teaching, Care, Sports, Journalism or Spanish placements in Costa Rica have the opportunity to add a 7-Day Conservation Project to the end of their main placement. For more information visit our 7-Day Costa Rica Conservation Project page.

Highlights

For your accommodation, you'll live with a Spanish speaking host-family, which is a great environment for developing and improving your language skills. All the families involved are extremely supportive of the projects carried out by Projects Abroad and are eager to experience an inter-cultural exchange and learn about the lives of volunteers.

Costa Rica is Central America's jewel. It's an oasis of calm among its turbulent neighbors and an ecotourism heaven, making it one of the best places to experience the tropics with minimal impact. It's also mostly coastline, both Caribbean and Pacific, which means great surfing, beaches galore and a climate built for laziness.

This project offers you the chance to become fully immersed in the culture in a manner which even the most hardened of backpackers could never hope to do.

Qualifications

none

Languages

• English
• Spanish

Cost in US$:

Please go to our website for prices.

Cost Includes:

• Food
• Housing
• In-country orientation/Training
• In-country staff support
• Medical insurance
• Medical services
• Pre-departure orientation/Training
• Registration fees
• Travel while in host country
• Written materials abroad
• Written materials pre-departure

Program Fees Include:

The price of each placement includes all your food and accommodation, transfers to and from the airport, full travel and medical insurance plus support and 24 hour back-up from our staff based around the world.

Experience Required

no

Volunteer Types

• Education
• English Teaching
• Primary Education
• Teaching
• Youth
• Youth Development

Typical Volunteer

Open minded with a desire to travel

Age Range

16 and up

This Program is open to

Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Couples and Individuals.

Typical Living Arrangements

• Home-stays

Participants Travel

Independently or in Groups

Typically Participants Work

Independently or in Groups

Application Process Involves

• Letters of Reference
• Written Application

Typically The Application Process Time is

10 days

Post Services Include

• Exit Debriefing Abroad
• Re-Entry Debriefing at Home

Projects Abroad's Mission Statement

As part of the global economy, Projects Abroad helps create local employment wherever we send volunteers. Employing local staff overseas and using their talents and knowledge is important to us. This local knowledge and support enables the organization to channel the skills of the volunteers from more affluent countries to regions around the world where they are needed. Volunteers also learn from their placements and the people they meet, and they gain experience in a chosen field. In the 21st century, we believe this mutual respect is what cultural exchange is all about.

Year Founded

1992