Volunteering overseas in Bolivia

We have been arranging teaching placements in Bolivia since 2002. Thanks to an agreement signed between Projects Abroad and the Universidad Mayor de San Simón in Cochabamba, volunteers are able to assist students of this university in areas such as English grammar, reading, writing, listening and speaking. Located in the central Bolivian highlands away from the tourist trail, Cochabamba doesn't generally attract many native English speakers, so as a Projects Abroad volunteer, you will be warmly welcomed by the linguistics department, and anyone keen to learn or practice English.

The Universidad Mayor de San Simón is one of Bolivia's 10 public universities and offers higher education to over 43,000 students who come from Peru, Brazil, Chile and other South American countries. The opportunity to assist professors allows volunteers to learn all about the higher education system in Bolivia, as well as interact with professionals in many different areas: Grammar, Linguistics, Translation, Literature, Sociology, Philosophy of Education and Language and many more. Students of San Simón are keen to take advantage of the opportunity to learn English from native speakers, especially since English is seen as a gateway to learning - to more books, to different professors and ultimately to international jobs. There is also the possibility of teaching extra-curricula activities such as sports, drama, music, or other languages.

Why teach in Bolivia?

Teaching placements prove highly beneficial to everyone involved. Firstly, they provide our volunteers with the opportunity to work in an environment culturally different from their own. This allows volunteers to enjoy a unique experience after which they will return home with a far greater understanding of the way in which many of the world's population think and act. They will more importantly have an understanding and appreciation for Bolivian youth culture and during their teaching classes will gain an insight into the way in which their students think, live and interact. Teaching will ultimately equip them with a fuller and better cross-cultural understanding.

Secondly, our volunteers are providing an important skill for the students they teach, that of conversational English. Having a native English speaker in a classroom is a massive advantage and a real help to the schools in which they teach. Both students and staff members alike wholly appreciate the language skills and enthusiasm our teaching volunteers bring to their classes. The students also use the opportunity of having a foreign teacher to learn about the customs and practices of another country and continent. We hope our teaching programme will provide an opportunity for two different cultures to learn from each other. In the 21st Century the importance of greater cultural and linguistic exchange cannot be underestimated. We hope to provide new language skills for the students at the University in which we place volunteers and also for the volunteers themselves to learn and gain knowledge from the classes in which they teach.
If teaching is a profession you are gearing towards, what better way to prepare for your future than living the experience through intercultural exchange?