Costa Rica

Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart. ~ Elizabeth Andrew <dl class="wp-caption alignleft" id="attachment_322">EVOLC’s Alexandra Johnson, showing me the ropes during a two-day in-office orientation!</dl> As a volunteer for not-for-profit group English Volunteers for Change [EVOLC], which places aspiring ESL teachers in Costan Rican schools, I have nothing but praise. They placed me at Escuela Nueva Laboratorio in San Jose for five weeks. For one’s first assignment teaching you'd have to say I lucked...

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Niños, I teach a few, nine classes a week and 30 students per class. If they all show up that averages 270 kids a week! Add another 270 as I assist the co-teacher’s nine classes. Imagine never teaching before in your life and then facing 540 expectant faces week after week. As a volunteer for a great organisation in San Jose, English Volunteers for Change [EVOLC], I front years 10-12 in grades 4 to 6....

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I still haven’t got to the bottom of why Costa Ricans, better know as Ticos, like to adorn their beautiful homes with barbed wire. I guess the five bullet holes in the bedroom window where I sleep provide a clue. Yet, I’m living on the good side of the tracks in San Pedro, just a 15-minute mas o menos bus ride from the bright lights of San Jose, the capital. The host family I’m staying with are...

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    Another two new countries and more lessons to learn, or should I say master because communication is key, even at the local Costa Rican Chinese restaurant where everyone speaks fluent SpanChese. So to my surprise Chow Mein Hong Kong-style was a real find after being pizza’d out for the past week in Panama. It took about an hour to fly from Panama City to San Jose and the two cities couldn’t be more...

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Are you teaching English abroad? About to teach abroad? We would LOVE to hear about your TEFL experience so far! If you could fill in a VERY short survey for us we will reward you with respect, virtual hugs and 10 TEFL points! https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CWQ7NJK i-to-i  

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