Teach English in Yangshi Zhen - Chongqing

Volunteer TeachingAs I am finishing up the final unit of this course, I have begun to research various job opportunities for teaching abroad. In browsing the listings online, I have noticed that many employers look for teachers with bachelor's and master's degrees. Regardless of degree requirements, it seems that most employers are looking for teachers with several years of experience in addition to the basic TESL/tefl certification. I do not have any teaching experience, so I think it might be worthwhile to explore volunteer teaching opportunities. A quick search online turns up numerous volunteer opportunities. Some offer to provide for costs such as living accommodations and travel, while others include a modest stipend. Some programs even expect the volunteer teacher to pay for the experience! I suppose that, if someone had the means and the desire to do that, they could, but I am not in that position. I am going to need to have my basic needs met if I am to work for free. Still, there are a number of possibilities that I could see being almost fulfilling enough to pay for. For instance, there is an ad seeking volunteers to teach English to Tibetan refugees in Dharamsala, India. And the ad mentions that volunteers would get to hear the Dalai Lama speak. That sounds like fun. In any case, there are numerous volunteer opportunities advertised online in countries such as Ecuador, Ghana, and Nepal. Here is the situation in which I find myself: I have a bachelor's degree in Middle Eastern studies, and I am proficient in Modern Standard Arabic. It would seem appropriate for me to seek employment as an English teacher in the Middle East. I would like to experience teaching in other parts of the world such as Southeast Asia and latin america, but my primary focus is on the Middle East. Obtaining experience in countries such as thailand or vietnam might be a good idea, since ads for jobs in these countries seem to require less experience. The majority of ads for jobs in the Middle East that I have read require TESL/tefl certification, a bachelor's or master's degree, and several years of experience. For example, "Teach Away" is advertising jobs in egypt. Specifically, they are seeking "licensed teachers with at least 2 years of experience" (http://www.teachaway.com/teach-in-egypt/). The same company advertises jobs in Saudi Arabia saying "To qualify for ESL instructor positions in Saudi Arabia, candidates must have TESL or tefl certification (120 hours with a practicum component), along with at least 2 years of experience teaching ESL to adult learners. Candidates with computer and IT skills are strongly preferred" (http://www.teachaway.com/teaching-english-saudi-arabia/). We can see that the requirements here are quite specific. So what kind of volunteer teaching opportunities are there in the Middle East? There is a program called Middle East Fellowship that "helps match volunteers with NGOs, nonprofits and churches throughout the Middle East" (http://www.middleeastfellowship.org/serve/volunteer). A company called United Planet advertises a 1-12 week opportunity to volunteer teaching English to Bedouin children in Jordan, but this an another program you must pay for (http://www.unitedplanet.org/volunteer-in-middle-east). I have not found the perfect volunteer opportunity in the Middle East, but I take some consolation from these ads that the possibilities do exist. What about volunteering in the united states? I live here, and I have a few things to take care of before I go leaving the country, so this option would make a lot of sense. A search of volunteer prospects in the city of Charlotte, North Carolina yields a few good possibilities. There are several schools where volunteer tutors are sought, and there are even paid positions advertised. The job that jumped out at me was as a tutor at the International House where native speakers can volunteer to teach and tutor immigrants in English. The International House is a "grassroots non-profit organization with a mission to promote international understanding and to serve immigrants in need" (http://www.ihclt.org/who-we-are.php?cat=52). This would probably be a good thing to do while I conduct my job searches and make preparations to go abroad. To summarize, it seems that volunteer teaching might be a worthwhile way to obtain the teaching experience that many employers require. This is especially true for work in the Middle East where requirements seem to be a bit higher than other places. There are numerous volunteer programs abroad, and there are prospects in the United States as well. I suspect this is true for any English-speaking nation with a significant immigrant population. So, regardless of whether a person volunteers at home or abroad, it seems like it may be a necessary step in beginning an English-teaching career.