Volunteer Teaching with Monks in Sri Lanka

Do you enjoy working with children? Planning to pursue a teaching career? Want to help make a positive impact in the lives of others? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then this is the ideal volunteer project for you. It’s especially useful for students studying education or recent graduates looking for practical classroom experience.

You’ll get the unique opportunity to work in a Pirivena, or teaching temple.  This is a great way to learn about traditional Sri Lankan culture, while helping local people.

You don’t need previous experience or qualifications to join. To make sure you are fully prepared, you’ll receive a thorough induction upon arrival. We also run regular workshops for our teaching volunteers. This is a chance to share ideas for lesson activities and ask questions you might have about your project. Finally, you will receive materials and other resources that you can use for your lessons, such as activity books.

This project is also perfect for qualified professionals. With your skills backing up our ongoing efforts, we can make an even bigger difference together. We’ll match you to the placement where your skills are needed most.

This means you can share your training and and knowledge with others. You can work hand-in-hand with our partner organisations and local communities to support sustainable development.

If you have relevant skills or qualifications, read more about how you can make use of them with Projects Abroad.

The main aim of this Teaching Project in Sri Lanka is to improve students’ conversational English abilities.

English is spoken fluently by around 10% of the Sri Lankan population, and is used widely in the business world and for official communication. Knowledge of English is a great asset, and can open many doors in terms of future employment. This is particularly important for the country’s growing tourism industry.

Many children understand basic English, but have issues when it comes to speaking. While local teachers can teach grammar and spelling, am English speaker is a real help when it comes to pronunciation. This is where you come in. You’ll work with students to develop their spoken English skills, so that they feel more confident expressing themselves in the language.

Our long-term goals on this project include:

• Improve English
• Improve classroom support
• Improve support for those with learning disabilities
• Improve the safety and cleanliness of the learning environment

Join us in providing educational support to children that will greatly improve their future opportunities.

You’ll wake up in the home of your host family and enjoy a delicious Sri Lankan style breakfast which will fuel you for the day ahead. In order to get to your placement you’ll travel by bus, rickshaw or your own two feet, if the school is situated nearby. A Projects Abroad staff member will accompany you on your first day to show you the way.

A typical day will start at 8am, with lessons running for around two and a half hours.  Here you’ll mainly focus on conversational English lessons.

You’ll then spend roughly an hour preparing afternoon lessons, before taking a lunch break.

Afternoon lessons normally resume around 1.30pm, where you’ll teach for another two hours.  The rest of the afternoon will be spent reviewing the day’s lessons and planning for the next morning!

Once you’re done for the day, you’re free to relax and explore. We run regular social events for our volunteers, which is a wonderful way to make new friends and get to know the local staff. You can find out more about the local way of life, spending the evening with your host family. Try out the nearby restaurants, spend some time on the beach, or check out the tourist sites and local landmarks.