Costa Rica: Volunteer English Teaching in Latin America

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Costa Rica: Volunteer English Teaching and Work-Experience

 
Teaching in Costa Rica
  • Placement locations: Liberia and surrounding small towns
  • Types of schools: Primary and Projects Abroad Language School. Secondary or University can be requested
  • Age of students: 6 - adult
  • Class sizes: 10 - 40
  • Role: English Teaching Assistant/Teacher (French Teaching Assistant - Secondary only)
  • Extra-curricular roles: Dance, Drama, IT, Music, Sports
  • Accommodation: Host families
  • Price: From £1395
  • What’s included? Food, accommodation, transfers, insurance, personal webpage, induction and orientation, 24/7 support, social activities
  • What’s not included? Flights, visa costs, spending money
  • Length of placement: From one month
  • Start dates: Flexible
 

Located between Nicaragua and Panama, Costa Rica is a relatively prosperous Central American country. The country has long been a popular destination 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.

Volunteer English Teaching in Costa Rica is a fantastic way to see this beautiful Central American country and learn about its people and culture. You can gain 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 extended holiday, 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 recognise you will also be part of an on-going process, which is striving to make a really positive contribution to the wider community.

Teach English Language in schools and universities with Projects Abroad

Students in Costa Rica

Most of our volunteer Teaching projects in Costa Rica are based in primary schools in and around the pleasant town of Liberia in the north-west of the country and in the smaller town of La Cruz, about one to two hours drive from Liberia. We also have a small number of options for English Teaching in secondary schools in if requested.

Liberia and the surrounding area is an excellent base for exploring Costa Rica. It is only a four hour bus ride from the capital of San José, one to two hours from a variety of stunning Pacific beaches, and within easy reach of several national parks, volcanoes and hot springs.

The primary and secondary schools are in Liberia and some of the smaller surrounding towns. If you are working in La Cruz, you will also live with a host family in that area. Many of the placements are less than 20 minutes’ walk from host family accommodation, although some can be a 45 minute bus ride away. Depending on the school you are placed in you could be teaching children as young as 5 or as old as 18. 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 timetable, work generally begins early from about 7am and runs until early or mid-afternoon.

It is also possible to arrange teaching English at the University on request; here you will often have lessons in the afternoons and sometimes in the evenings too. You will normally teach smaller conversation classes with students keen to both improve their English and find out about western culture, as well as assisting the local teacher. Your time-table will be prepared with you when you arrive and will be reviewed regularly.

Projects Abroad also run our own language school in Liberia, which we encourage all Teaching volunteers in Liberia to take part in. Lessons take place at a local school from 6pm to 7:30 or 8pm. The language school is open to adults from 18 upwards and there are also some classes arranged for 12 to 17 year olds. As well as English, volunteers can teach German in the evenings. It is sometimes possible to arrange evening classes in other languages (for example French) once the volunteer has arrived. Many volunteers combine work at our language school with work in the primary schools in the daytime.

We can also offer French teaching in a local secondary school for volunteers who are fluent in French. Please let us know if you have any preferences when you apply.

Volunteering on a Teaching Project in Costa Rica

Costa Rica

As a volunteer in Costa Rica on one of our Teaching placements, you can provide effective, practical help with spoken and written English. For the students the increased exposure to conversational English will enable them to advance their language skills and brighten their futures.

Your main role will be that of a classroom assistant during English lessons. Normally you will be supporting a teacher in a full-sized class, assisting with all aspects of the lesson: pronunciation, conversation, and helping with written tasks. At other times, you may take small groups of students apart to give them more individual attention or to practice oral skills. If you demonstrate initiative and enthusiasm, in some cases you may have the opportunity to teach part or all of the lesson in the presence of the teacher. It is always worth talking to your supervisor about any ideas you may have for the students. If you have a passion for sports, drama or music there may well be the opportunity for you to organise some extracurricular activities.

Placements for Maths and Science teaching assistants in a primary school can also be arranged. Although you do not need a university qualification in these subjects, you must speak advanced Spanish and have a good level of knowledge in the relevant subject.

When you arrive in Liberia a member of Projects Abroad staff will take you to your school on your first working day and introduce you to the local staff and your placement supervisor (normally the Head Teacher or one of the English teachers). The local teachers always welcome new ideas and will really appreciate you taking time to prepare and structure your lessons and activities. Good preparation will help to give you confidence and ensure that you and your students get the most out of this fantastic experience.

Projects Abroad staff will also give you full support and advice for your Teaching project and will monitor your progress closely throughout your stay. We run regular workshops which you can attend to get help with ideas for useful classroom games or activities, or just to share your experiences and successes with others.

Male volunteer teaching english

The schools in Costa Rica have their main holidays from mid-December to mid-February, with a shorter holiday in July. Volunteers are able to travel or enjoy the festivities with their host family over the Christmas period, then from the first week of January we organise a variety of holiday programmes. These may include extra work at the Projects Abroad run language school, sports coaching, painting a care centre and working with children at the care centres which are still open during the holiday period.

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.