Project Summary

Our volunteers teach in a variety of schools with a variety of class sizes and pupil ages. We aim to customise every placement to the individual wishes of each volunteer. Our program schedule does vary from school to school, but generally volunteers usually teach between 14 hours and 20 hours per week. The teaching timetable is discussed personally with the school principal, and can be tailored to the preference of each volunteer. There may be some evening and weekend classes in your program.

It is generally possible to begin at any date but different schools have different procedures so we would have to check the dates you give and then find a specific placement for you. At the moment we cannot offer placements over the summer holiday - late June to early September - but some schools run between mid July and mid August. Again availability would be referred by our Chinese representatives in Yantai.

At a Glance

Minimum Program Length:	1 week
Start Date:	Up to individual applicant
Arrival Date:	1-2 days prior to your Start Date
Minimum Age:	18 years old
Volunteer Gender:	Male and Female
Accommodation:	During their stay, volunteers are housed at the school where they will teach. Accommodation includes a kitchen, and shower and most come with air conditioning. Since we started hosting volunteers, no volunteer has reported any problems with personal safety (or any other major issue). Also, our volunteer accommodation always has security at night.
Food:	They will be provided with free meals each day (though some schools do not provide food at the weekends, in this case there will be cooking facilities available). The food is local and nutritious. Vegetarians are also catered for.
Pick-up Info:	Our representative will be at the airport in Yantai to pick you up and will return you to the airport, train station etc. upon the completion of your volunteer experience.
Project Schedule:	Hours vary but volunteers normally teach around 14 - 20 hours of classes per week. During the weekends, volunteers are free to travel to explore local communities and explore the area.

Your role as a Volunteer

The type of teaching you will be expected to do will consist of helping the students practising comprehension and pronunciation. You may be needed to do a little more, but if so, you will be guided by the teachers and school principal. You are not initially the sole teacher in the classroom but as you gain experience you can take over sole control of a class and this may be expected of you by the teachers at your school. There are Chinese teachers of English in the schools that also take these students for English on other aspects of the language. If you have no experience and you are nervous at the idea of teaching, do not worry, you are not alone. Our reps in Yantai and the teachers at your school will be more than happy to help with ideas for classes and moral support! All our teachers have greatly enjoyed their experiences and we are sure you will too!

Project Location

All our placements take part in the city of Yantai, a pretty coastal town in the north-eastern province of Shandong with good transport connections and regular flights to and from both Beijing and Yantai. Bordered by the Yellow Sea and the Bohai Sea, the city faces South Korea and Japan across the water. Yantai is important as an agricultural, industrial, commercial, and scientific centre, and is also a popular tourist destination with lovely scenery and beautiful beaches. The city has two growing universities and many schools and prospering businesses and there is a great demand for English speaking teachers in almost every school in the area. The lively night-market, main street shopping and fun night life are but a few of the attractions the city has to offer!

Shandong Province itself also provides a number of interesting tourist attractions, such as Qingdao, a former German Concession port, the Penglai Pavillion (a Qing Dynasty fortress) and Qufu, the home of Confucius.

Suggested Skills and Interests

Volunteers do not need any specific qualifications but obviously a proficiency in spoken and written English is essential. Local teachers will be happy to help you plan lessons and give you ideas of topics. But your main resource will be the fact that you are a foreigner! The children will be desperate to know all about you and your life in the West and their enthusiasm will be vital in helping you to enjoy your teaching and get the most out of your time in China.

Suggested Language Level

Proficiency in spoken and written English.

Suggested Donations

Any stationary, books, sports equipment, board games and any other educational materials are welcome.We will provide a detailed list of suggested resources for donation with your program information.