Many of the schools IFRE partners with are structured to help uplift students and prepare them for a better life. Interns will work with local English teachers at the school with grades 3-9. Interns can request a specific grade level once they have arrived and spent a day or two in the project.

In the teaching English projects, interns will either lead or assist with teaching in an English classroom in primary, middle or high schools. Schools may be private, public or informal, but in all cases the teaching is focused on conversational English rather than formal grammar. Schools in South Africa support both experienced instructors and the novice teachers by providing many resources to help interns plan and carry out their school day. Textbooks, teaching guides and less planning assistance are all available to support interns while they teach in South Africa .

No specific qualifications are required to join the teaching English project in South Africa . However, interested individuals should have a mastery of conversational English and a passion/desire to teach younger children (and occasionally teenagers). Interns must be comfortable fulfilling the role of English-instructors and/or teachers' aides. All interns are encouraged to be flexible, patient and adaptive.

Interns may choose to teach any subject (Math, Science, etc) in the schools, in addition to teaching English, if there is a need for additional teachers. Teaching internship activities may include:

IFRE arranges accommodations and food (3 local meals/day) for the duration of your internship project. During orientation and training program, interns stay in our hostel in Cape Town . Our hostel is located in the heart of the city giving interns easy access to all parts of the city. Interns stay with a host family (aka “homestay”) during the internship program. Our host families are socially respected and are well versed in the art of hosting international interns. Host families offer a safe home, private rooms (occasionally rooms will be shared with other same-gender interns) and shared bathroom facilities with running water.

Interns will receive three meals of South African cuisine each day. Breakfast normally consists of cereal and toast; lunch is packed to take to your project and dinner is a nutritious home cooked local meal (meat & vegetables, rice or potatoes & salad). Host families provide typical meals that are traditional to South Africa. Throughout the internship project, our local staff stays in contact with interns either with face-to-face visits or via email/telephone. IFRE's main office is in Cape Town and our in-country coordinator serves as a point of contact for local interns. If project placement is very far from our main office, then our local staff members maintain communication by email and/or phone and the local project director will serve as a intern's contact. Upon program placement, personal placement documents provide specific details of accommodations and project.