Urban English Teaching Assistant

Peru isn’t one of the most advanced of the Latin American locations regarding the education system. Much of the Peruvian curriculum focuses on tradition and history; general areas including Maths, Science and communication are not widely understood at an appropriate level. While the focus on tradition and history is widely taught and know the general areas including Maths, Science and communication aren’t. In Peru there are three languages that are spoken including Spanish, Quechue and Aymara. The English language is very important in many regions of the country due to tourism, but as many educators are poorly trained and responsible for large class sizes the quality of the education is poor.

Other contributions for lower levels of education may be the lifestyle of many families along with their economic status. In Peru, low-income families will require children to work in the evenings selling items in the markets, hosting small shops, collecting rubbish or other various jobs to provide more income. Children with higher income families will have opportunities to study further, better their levels of English and knowledge in areas such as sports, music and social activity.

In the 70’s nearly 40% of the population only spoke the indigenous Quechue language which in turn resulted in the high prejudice for anyone associated with rural work such as agriculture and maintenance. Over the decades, the importance of education has been on the rise due to the importance of social status. Slowly, the Quechue language has phased out providing an alarming reality of lost tradition and acceptance of its use within the population. Well educated people from both low and high-status families are provided with the opportunity to travel the country, work internationally with tourism and trade along with governmental positions. Many of the locals request that their children are not only taught Spanish but given the opportunity to learn English.

Aside from receiving improved levels of education with a focus in English and Peruvian history, children are also introduced to recreational activities. Many of the local schools will provide sports and hygiene assistance to ensure their young generation is fit, well-rounded and presentable when the time comes to enter their working society. Volunteers will be happy to know they can teach both in and out of the classroom in creative settings including general lessons, sports and arts.

Alongside general education there has also been an increase in assistance for those with disabilities. In many parts of Peru the conditions are far too rural to provide appropriate care for those with physical and mental disabilities. In Cusco, the local government has provided the necessary education and location to provide care for children 4-17 years old as both a school and centre to care for while parents are working. These education centres have a special interest in children with greater needs than the average child including those with severe autism, bipolar, down syndrome, ADHD, Muscular Dystrophy and missing limbs.

PMGY Peru has teamed up with local primary schools to ensure that children are given more opportunity to learn English at an early stage along with care for the local educators. We want our volunteers to apply their ability to speak English as a 1st or 2nd language for these children to have a brighter future personally and professionally. We hope that along with the English lessons volunteers will feel a need to assist in the classroom setting during nap time, meal time and any specialised activities.

In general, for whichever teaching project volunteers join us on our team do their best to ensure there is a basic set of resources for the children at the project and for volunteers to plan activities. The schools are both well resourced for whatever volunteers wish to do while participating on the project. If volunteers feel basic supplies are not easily available they are encouraged to speak to our local team who can provide the needful. If volunteers are wishing for additional resources, there is some great shops for such resources in town.

 

No teaching experience is required to join this programme although it is an advantage. Generally speaking as long as volunteers are pro-active, enthusiastic and have lots of positive energy they can make great developments during their time at the project. We expect volunteers to spend an hour or two each day preparing for the following days lessons if requested by the teacher.

We encourage volunteers to prepare as much as possible for their teaching programme overseas. You can make the most out of your time by completing our convenient, inexpensive and international accredited 60-hour Online TEFL Course for just $150.

For our programmes in Latin America, we recommend that you speak basic to intermediate Spanish. While the programmes only require you to speak a basic level of Spanish, we find that the ability to speak a good level of Spanish will greatly enhance your overall experience. English is generally not widely spoken so if you do not speak a reasonable level of Spanish then you will find it difficult to communicate and thus may have a frustrating experience.

PMGY offer Online Spanish Lessons that you can take before your trip. These are priced at $225 for 20-hours and this provides you with the opportunity to receive one-on-one classes from a trained Spanish teacher. Classes are held via Skype and can be worked around your schedule back in your home country. We also offer a Language & Immersion Programme which you can take part in prior to your volunteer placement. This provides you with 20 hours-per-week of group Spanish lessons. Both of these options can be added during our online application process and are highly recommended if you want to make the most of your volunteer placement.

Once you are in-country then you are also able to organise additional Spanish lessons directly with our local team. Volunteer feedback suggests that it can often be tiring to complete Spanish lessons at the same time as your volunteer placement so we generally recommend the Language & Immersion Programme option.

For the majority of our programmes you can apply at any time. However, we advise that you apply as soon as possible to ensure we have availability on the programme – particularly if you’re looking to travel between June and August, as spaces can fill up very quickly during this period.

It is best that you apply sooner rather than later as some of our programmes only have a limited capacity and spaces get filled very quickly. However, you should always make sure you’re 100% committed to the programme before applying.

Can I use this programme as part of a university or college placement? 

It is certainly possible to use one of PMGY’s programmes as part of your university or college placement. Project staff can sign off any paperwork required by your course tutors. PMGY regularly receives medical, childcare, psychology and nursing placement students at our projects around the world and we have ties with some of the leading universities.

If you’re a course tutor and would like further information about how one of PMGY’s programmes could meet the placement requirements for your degree course then please contact us.

Although our volunteers work in the developing world, we always ensure our host locations are safe. Each programme has been extensively researched and has passed our strict vetting process. Our UK team undergo an extensive routine when establishing our in-country infrastructures and we continue to monitor our safety procedures on a regular basis. Furthermore, we monitor the stability of our volunteer destinations on a daily basis. Through our constant contact with consulates and embassies and our reports from our overseas teams, we are able to ensure that our volunteers are never placed in unstable regions.

The PMGY team have visited and participated in every programme we offer and verified them based on our own independent criteria. We carefully inspect every little detail of our set-up. From inspecting the living conditions, checking out the neighbourhoods you’ll be staying in, to tasting the food you’ll be eating – each and every programme we establish has gone through a lengthy and rigorous vetting process. Risk assessments have been written for all areas in which PMGY operate and our experienced local coordinators are always on-hand to manage any emergencies that may occur. Our UK team are always on the road reviewing our risk management procedures in the field and monitoring local conditions. 

In emergency situations we have the necessary protocols and equipment in place and we are able to evacuate our volunteers from potential dangers. Our local coordinators are trained to deal with emergency circumstances. 

All volunteers will receive a digital PMGY Volunteer Handbook once they have paid their deposit and confirmed their place on the programme. This Handbook contains literally everything you need to know – from what to pack, to how to obtain a visa, to local language guides. It is really important that you read through the Volunteer Handbook carefully once you’ve downloaded it. If you require any further information not covered in the Volunteer Handbook then our team are always on-hand to assist you.