Teaching English in Costa Rica
Overview of the Project
Global Crossroad's volunteer opportunities to teach English in Costa Rica offer many opportunities to explore day-to-day Costa Rican life while helping young students improve their Basic English or conversational skills. Work includes teaching English (grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, speaking, writing, listening, etc.) to primary, middle and high school students 2-4 hours per day. At these projects, volunteers work with and assist the fulltime teacher. You will help teach regular English classes and also tutor the children and help them with their homework.
- Program: Volunteer in Costa Rica
- Project: Teaching English in Costa Rica
- Start dates: 1st and 3rd Mondays of each month
- Location: San Jose areas
- Departure and End Point: San Jose International Airport (Juan Santamaria)
- Language Need: Fluency in English and basic/intermediate Spanish fluency
- Accommodation and meals: Host Family and Costa Rican meals three times daily
- Activities: Teach English to elementary school children
- Working hours: 20-35 hours per week
Role of Volunteer
While teaching English in Costa Rica, you will teach from 3 to 5 hours each day, 5 days a week. Most of the students range in age from 6 to 13. In Costa Rica, each school has its own on staff English teacher who assists our volunteers with teaching methods, offers advice on solving communication barriers and provides suitable curricula for the classrooms. English teaching volunteers do not have to be native English speakers. The schools in Costa Rica are closed during the holidays and exam periods. During these times, Global Crossroad will organize alternative tasks for our volunteers, such as assisting in an orphanage.
Skills/Qualification Needed
There are no specific qualifications needed to join our volunteer English teaching in Costa Rica project beyond a fluency in English and a preferred basic/intermediate fluency in Spanish. If you cannot speak Spanish, we recommend enrolling in our Spanish Language Studies program, which can run simultaneous to your San Jose volunteer project. Volunteer teachers should have strong English fluency, both written and verbal, yet no previous teaching experience is required. Volunteers should have a love for teaching, English and conversation. Volunteers should be enthusiastic, reliable, flexible, patient and strive to be good role models for the children.
Volunteer in Costa Rica: Project Locations and Free Time Options
Global Crossroad’s volunteer in Costa Rica projects are located in and around San Jose and nearby areas. Each location offers a different vibe with San Jose full of urban experiences and other areas offering more of a village feel. Both cities in our Costa Rica program place volunteers adjacent to the activities for which Costa Rica is famous: zip lining in the rainforest, exploring the lush jungle and its biodiversity, lounging on a beach or sipping most excellent coffee.
San José is Costa Rica’s lively and animated capital city and is considered a gateway to the coasts of the Pacific and Caribbean, as well as the rainforests. San José is not a coastal town, but located in the Central Valley and has a population of 1.2 million people. The city is positioned between three volcanoes at 1,150 meters (3,773 feet). It has a very modern and urban feel. Visitors can enjoy diverse architecture including modern and colonial. San José is a cosmopolitan city and serves up an entertaining nightlife scene, theater, tourism and shopping. The city vibe maintains a remarkable balance between fast-paced and laid-back.
