Sunday, December 16, 2012

Be a Conversation Tutor Abroad

If you want to sample what it is like to be an ESL teacher abroad, why not start as a conversation tutor? The Website www.geovisions.com provides this option in a number of countries such as Argentina, France, China, and Russia.
It works like this: you choose a destination, and then the site finds you a family that wants to practice English conversation with you. You stay with the family, and tutor them up to 15 hours per week in English. The site provides teaching materials and suggestions, and puts you in touch with the family before you agree to the match.
I didn't check all the countries, but for the ones I did verify the minimum commitment was one month, extending up to three months if you wish. Naturally there is a charge for this service, but it is fairly reasonable. The countries I checked were in the range of $1300 per month, and extensions may be free.
This works out to close to $50 as day plus air fare, no great bargain but an interesting idea, and a good chance to see whether you might enjoy being an English teacher overseas. It could also work well for people who just want to experience living in a certain city or country for an extended period, with something specific to do at least part of the time and with local contacts.
In some cases participants can also take classes in the local language at extra cost, and Geovisions offers various other programs for medical volunteers, au pairs abroad, and foreign students who want to visit the United States..

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