Becoming a TEFL teacher and volunteering can help you make a real impact on the lives of your students. English is a global language that is used in many countries all over the world. It is a language used for business, for travel and for studies. This is why millions of students learn English and this number isn’t decreasing anytime soon, even with the increasing importance of other global languages. 

When you teach someone English, you can help them get onto a university course they’ve been dreaming of, or obtain a promotion they’ve worked hard to get. You can enable them to travel to countries. They will comfortably communicate and make friends with people from all over the world. You can help them integrate into a new city after being displaced from their own home or country. A TEFL career can be highly rewarding for these reasons.

One option for TEFL teachers is volunteering their time to teach others English. This can be a very fulfilling use of your time and TEFL skills. It can benefit both teachers and students and make a real long-term impact. We’ll take a look at some of them below!

1. Providing Opportunities and Education 

There are unfortunately many parts of the world that simply do not have access to English language education or TEFL-qualified teachers. This might be due to a lack of funds or resources. Volunteering your time can open up this access and provide everyone with the opportunity to learn English. They can then have more opportunities to use their language skills in professional and educational settings, which they might not have had before.

2. Professional Development through Volunteering

Volunteering can bring many benefits to your students but it can also bring teachers benefits too. Volunteering is a great way to further your career by working in new contexts, often more challenging ones. You can also use the opportunity to try out new techniques and teaching approaches in the classroom. It’s a great way for teachers to explore their skills further and learn new things about their teaching style.

Volunteering is a good way also to build up your TEFL hours if you are new to the profession. Gaining full-time employment can be challenging without previous experience, so adding numerous hours of TEFL experience to your CV is a great way to get noticed. It also looks great to future employers that you have given up your time to help others learn English.

3. Cultural and Global Understanding 

Volunteering in different ESL contexts will also open your eyes to what is happening in the world and the challenges that people face. It will increase your awareness of global situations and humanise what people go through on a daily basis. You will learn more about the culture of your students and what experiences they have had. It’s an opportunity for you to learn more about the world, one which will stay with you for a lifetime. 

We may feel we are well informed about a situation when we read the news but this often does not portray the more personal side of conflict. By volunteering, we can learn more about global issues and the effect they have on migrants and refugees all over the world.

4. Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

Volunteering as a TEFL teacher, whether in-person or online, is a professional and personal challenge. It will push you to think of solutions and approach things differently. You will also gain a lot of confidence in your teaching. Your ability to teach English using different techniques and strategies will also improve. You will be able to thin outside the box. You will be encouraged to reflect on your own teaching practices and how you can improve, something which is rewarding. Contributing to a good cause is also very professionally and individually fulfilling. 

5. Travel Opportunities while Volunteering

Volunteering opportunities often involve travelling to places you might not have considered before. You will have the opportunity to get involved in local life and learn local customs. As these posts typically offer room and board, you will have little costs to cover if you have the time to dedicate. You will get to know new places on a deeper level, more than on a tourist level.

6. Pursue a Passion 

The amount of time volunteers commit to can vary greatly. Some teachers might only teach for a short course and some will volunteer on a regular basis for many years. For many TEFL teachers, it sparks a passion to get involved and continue supporting a cause they are dedicated to. You can do this by mentoring other TEFL teachers or working for an organisation on an administrative level. Teachers might work with the same project for many years.

How you can make a difference using your TEFL skills 

1. Volunteering Programmes

Some organisations offer intensive TEFL programmes to areas in need, where teachers travel to that country for a short period of time. These programmes might involve teaching in refugee camps, local schools and even helping train local English teachers to improve their knowledge. Typically, these positions include accommodations and food, but there might not be a stipend, so you need to ensure you have money for anything else you need, including flights.

This is a good way to devote a specific amount of time if you know you have the availability and get to know students in their own environment. You can also get to know the local area and directly see how your teaching will help make a difference to your students’ lives.

2. Volunteer in your local area 

If you live in an English-speaking country with a higher number of migrants and refugees, then running a weekly TEFL course will be highly useful to them. You can research if such courses are already taking place or whether you can set up your own classes. This involves a smaller weekly commitment over a longer period of time. 

These classes help students integrate into local areas, communicate with people and can even help them obtain employment in the future. It’s a great idea to also teach about local culture in these types of lessons. Your students can understand their new host country even better and feel more integrated. Functional language is also important – your students need to know how to complete daily tasks such as going to the bank or doctor’s in English.

3. Volunteer online 

Many organisations deliver online sessions to English language learners who might not have the opportunity to learn English otherwise. These students might include migrants and refugees living in other countries or people living in conflict areas. You are typically matched with a student and expected to meet with them once a week online. The sessions will be tailored to their needs.

Volunteering online is a great way to get involved with an organisation. You can use your TEFL skills via a channel that is more convenient for you  – you don’t need to travel anywhere! However, it is important to note that many students who partake in these types of programmes live in areas with unreliable internet and may not have access to laptops. This means that you might face technical difficulties on a regular basis in your lessons. Patience and troubleshooting are key!

4. Summer Camps for Volunteers

Another option if you have time over the summer term is to volunteer at a summer camp. These camps usually involve teaching ESL to children and helping run other activities such as sports, music and arts and crafts. It’s an amazing way to be involved and keep busy over the summer months! For example, you might work at a camp in Poland that runs activities for Ukrainian children. 

These roles include accommodation and board, and often some sort of cultural experience that teachers can participate in, e.g., a trip to a local monument. The days can be full on, keeping you very active but also highly rewarding as you watch children enjoy their summer whilst learning English at the same time!

Volunteering can be a short-term or long-term commitment and can vary from just one hour a week to several. However, it’s important for TEFL teachers to know exactly what is expected of them. They also need to remain dedicated to working during the agreed amount of time. Many students face unstable situations and having consistency. Even an hour a week is good for their lives and their studies. Before you sign up, be sure that you can commit the time.

Having the English language skills and the ability to teach those skills is a unique expertise that can truly make a difference in someone’s life. Enabling them with the competencies to speak one of the current global languages can open up new professional and educational opportunities that they might not have had before. You can make a difference in local communities, including your own, by delivering classes to those who aim to integrate.

TEFL is a rewarding career, volunteering can be an enriching chance to give back and pass on your knowledge and skills, all while helping others achieve their goals. Whether you want to gain extra professional experience or work in a specific context, opportunities are available for everyone to get involved.