My Culture Connect is a non-profit which offers several volunteer opportunities that can assist those seeking ESL certifications not only gain practicum hours, but also form new relationships and build a community of educators around the world. Student teachers studying to obtain their TEFL, TESOL, or other English as a second language (ESL) certifications play an important role in helping MCC ach
ieve this goal. MCC currently offers several volunteer opportunities that can assist those seeking ESL certifications not only gain practicum hours, but also form new relationships and build a community of educators around the world. Check out our current opportunities below. Classroom Observations
Classroom observations are one of the foundations of any new teacher training program because it allows the student teacher to see the information they’ve learned in the textbook put to practical use. Depending on the time of year, MCC offers a variety of observation opportunities from observing actual English classes taking place at schools throughout rural Taiwan during the regular school year, to special English education programs led by certified ESL teachers during winter and summer breaks. Classes vary in length: 40 minutes for elementary schools, 50 minutes for junior high schools, and up to a full hour for our special programs during school breaks. All observations are conveniently held over Skype or Google Meet, so the only requirement is ensuring that you have set up a free account on these platforms. Tutoring Opportunities
One of the biggest educational challenges rural areas face when learning English is a lack of exposure to native English speakers. Having the chance to speak with and learn from a native English speaker is a valuable experience for students in these areas. As most ESL certification programs require student teachers to have actual tutoring or teaching experience as a part of their practicum, this is a great way for student teachers to volunteer their time and obtain practicum hours. MCC has a wide range of students seeking native English speaking tutors: different ages, language levels, adult learners, and even some Taiwanese English teachers wanting to freshen up their English language skills. Tutoring is often the most flexible volunteer opportunity as you are able to work directly with the student you will be tutoring on times that work best for both of you. While this is true, keep in mind that school age students are in school during the day in Taiwan, which is 12 hours ahead of eastern standard time in the US, so this can limit their availability during the school year to the evenings (early morning in North America). Co-Teaching Opportunities
Co-teaching is the most advanced form of volunteering that student teachers have the opportunity to complete with MCC. Co-teaching involves working with a Taiwanese English teacher at an elementary or junior high school. Co-teachers are typically provided with the curriculum currently being covered in the class, and build a lesson plan based on the topic being covered. When co-teaching, the emphasis should be on getting the students to practice their listening and speaking skills, since this is often what they lack without having much exposure to native English speakers. The co-teacher is encouraged to plan lessons with fun activities and utilize different forms of media (e.g., presentations, YouTube videos, audio files, etc.) to enhance their students’ classroom experience. Similar to observations, classes are held on Skype or Google Meet, so you will be required to have accounts on these platforms. Webinars and Workshops
MCC hosts webinar presentations/discussions about a variety of topics that you care about as an ESL educator. As teachers, we should always seek to increase our knowledge, learn new teaching skills and techniques, and share our own ideas and experiences. Additionally, since we know many of our volunteers are new ESL teachers who will be seeking employment, we also offer webinar series geared towards providing knowledge and best practices for entering the ESL market as a new teacher.
