Teaching English in Buddhist Temple School ( Bangkok )

Project At A Glance

Location: Bangkok , Chiang Mai Start point: Bangkok End Point: Bangkok Duration: 2-12 weeks Hours: 30-40 hours per week Food: Local food (3 times a day) Room: Host family or hostel Date: First and Third Monday of each month

Project Summary

"Wats," or Buddhist temples, are places of both religious and social activities. There are about 30,000 Buddhist temples in Thailand where monks live and participate in rigorous religious studies. In Thailand , Buddhist temples receive donations and involve themselves in social activities which benefit the local communities. Most of Buddhist temples in Thailand run schools (primary or secondary) which offer educational opportunities for local children. These schools are located in the same complex (compound) where Buddhist temples are located.

Skills/Qualifications

Though no teaching experience or skill is needed, volunteers joining Buddhist temple teaching program should have a mastery of the English language as well as speak properly. Volunteers are expected to be flexible and patient. You should have passion and love for teaching, English and conversation.

Volunteers' Responsibilities

Volunteers mostly work as English teachers in primary and secondary school run by Buddhist temples. You will teach English to the local students (not monks) of primary and lower secondary schools for five days a week, Monday to Friday. You will teach practical conversational English by telling stories, playing games, performing plays. Volunteers will also teach specific vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. A supervisor at each school will be assigned to help develop teaching lessons. Apart from this, you will also encourage the students to take part in extra curricular activities and organize sportive games. Though this is not a teaching Buddhist monks project, The volunteers working in temple schools get an opportunity to gain the experience in teaching and also understand Thai culture of Buddhist religion deeply rooted in Thai society

Room/Food

IFRE arranges room, food, and supervision for volunteer for the entire duration of the program. During the first week's program of language and cultural immersion, volunteers will stay in IFRE's hostel and/or with a host family. IFRE's hostel in Bangkok is located in the outskirts of the city, granting easy access to all parts of Bangkok . During the language program, volunteers eat out in different restaurants. Our local staff members supply volunteers a coupon or make dining arrangements directly with restaurants. IFRE does not offer expensive meals, but offer local food three (3) times a day.

During the assigned-work period, volunteers stay in a hostel or with host families. IFRE manages a separate room along with a shared bath for volunteers both in host families and hostel. In host families, volunteers' "host moms" cook food. But for volunteers living in the hostel, our local staff members arrange food in local restaurants or provide a coupon. The details pertaining to room/food will be furnished in volunteers' final placement details prior to departure to Thailand .