| Volunteer Teaching |  Since India’s population passed the one billion landmark the economy of this country in fact started to boom and its labor market has found itself much in demand from all manner of foreign companies looking to outsource work or take advantage from the cheap manpower.
But despite the fact that you will find English speakers throughout the country, the standard of conversational English teaching in public schools is typically extremely poor. The students may know about English literature and are better at grammar than most native-speakers, but they find it hard to understand and consequently lack the confidence to speak English, missing out on the jobs that will go to those who can afford a private education.
Volunteer English teaching in India is a perfect way to help restore this balance. You can get priceless development work experience by teaching English in this country. The impact you have on the lives of your students will be obvious and long-lasting.
As a volunteer teacher of English you can teach in primary schools, in both government and private institutions. You may teach not only English but math, science, music, geography, art, dance and so on as well. You may be asked by school authorities to develop your own projects to help Indian students learn English. If you have other skills, such as computers or drawing, you may be asked to teach these as well.
The teaching curriculum for all major subjects is based on the students' standard book. But you are also encouraged to create your own lesson plans. Dependent on the subject, you can bring along teaching materials such as picture books, instruments, flash cards, art supplies, and songs.
Every institution has its own permanent staff member who assists volunteers with their teaching and in communicating with the children and colleagues. Classes are usually in session six days a week, with four to six class periods every day and a break for lunch.
While teaching experience is desirable for teaching English as a volunteer in India, we will the most important skill is the ability to relate to and communicate skills to children. The qualities you need to benefit from the experience and to make a useful contribution to their project are: resilience and adaptability, an open mind and an interest in other cultures, good mental and physical health, and tact and diplomacy.
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