Teaching - MONGOLIA Project Information for Teaching in Mongolia

Voluntary Teaching in Mongolia

Visiting Mongolia as a volunteer presents various opportunities. Firstly you will help the local children by teaching them, but equally, you will learn from them, learn about Mongolia and learn about yourself. Mongolia has a long history linked to Russian and Chinese history that you will discover from your pupils whilst also improving your knowledge of Mongolian culture and traditions.

The number of children wanting and needing to get a good education has grown quickly over the last few years. Learning English is key to getting a good job after finishing formal education. English is the global language of the world and all children in Mongolia now study English as a second language through to the end of secondary school. With a new generation of educated people with a high level of international awareness Mongolia can continue to develop and prosper.

The Role of the Volunteer

Your experience as a volunteer will depend on you as an individual. If you really get involved with your teaching role and make the most of the opportunity, you will find it can be extremely rewarding. As long as you are motivated, try your best and are willing to invest time and energy in the teaching, everything will work out fine and run smoothly.

Most of the teaching you will be doing will be conversational English so interactive activities are essential. It is a good idea to bring some specific resources from home such as postcards of where you live, photos of your family and some songs to sing with and teach the children. The children will be as interested to learn about your culture and way of life as you are keen to find out about theirs and this exchange is both fascinating and rewarding.

Volunteers who have placements in secondary schools teach children between the ages of roughly 12 and 17. Those who work in language centres could be teaching groups including young teenagers and adults. The average class size is 30 and volunteers are expected to work for about 4 hours per day.

If you want to get further involved with the extra-curricular activities at your school this is often possible and much appreciated and you should speak to your school's supervisor when you arrive to arrange the details.

You will be amazed by how keen these children are to improve both their English and their general knowledge and it is extremely satisfying when you personally help them to achieve this and to learn new things.