How many hours a week do you teach? Teachers teach three to four hours each day, depending on the school, the number of classes/children, and the children's normal school schedule.
Do the students pay tuition? Yes. The parents of our students pay a small tuition in order to keep the cost lower for you as a volunteer. ILP also provides assistance for families with financial need and accepts donations for this purpose.
Are the students rich? There is a pretty big economic range among the students. Some will be quite wealthy, others will be struggling financially.
Do the kids see their parents? In Russia all of our kids live at home. In China the kids board at the school starting at age three, and see their parents two 3-day weekends per month.
How do you teach English when you don't speak Russian or Mandarin? ILP teachers teach English IN English through organized play. A former professor at BYU named Dr. Trevor McKee created the method that ILP uses. Dr. McKee recently passed away, leaving this wonderful legacy of an effective method for children everywhere to acquire a second language.
What is teaching like? Teaching is the most rewarding, and often the most challenging, aspect of the whole experience. The teaching method has a similar learning curve as a foreign language--it is not difficult, but teachers can feel when they become "fluent" using it. The method is extremely effective, with most children becoming functionally fluent after ~500 hrs (about one year) of classes.
What is required of the volunteer? The volunteer should be prepared to work hard, contribute well to his/her group chemistry, and be obedient to ILP's Code of Conduct and safety rules.
How old are the kids you teach? Kids can begin as young as age four. The kindergarten goes from 4-6, and then upper levels go from age 7 & up. In China, there will be a small need for ESL teachers to teach High School-aged students.
What is the difference between the 4-6 and 7 & up age groups? Children ages 4-6 are in our kindergarten program, where they become functionally fluent English speakers. They learn 3 hours per day, 5 days per week through organized play. When children are age seven, they enter our basic reading program where they learn to read English. At age eight, they begin our Follow-Up program, which is more of a traditional classroom setting, with students sitting at desks, with assignments and homework. The levels in Follow-Up are designated by numbers--Level One, Level Two, etc., up to Level Six.
What kind of things do you teach? In Kindergarten, there are six different teaching areas (ex. kitchen, arts/crafts, games, etc). We call the lessons "play episodes", because they more closely resemble a party than a lesson. To say you teach English is almost a lie! What you do is create an atmosphere where the children acquire English, through natural, organized play.
What time of day do you teach? Teaching times vary, depending on the scheduling needs of your school. Some teaching blocks are in the morning, some in the afternoon, and still others are in the early evening. Once the semester teaching begins, however, the schedule rarely changes.
Do you teach alone? Usually you will teach alone, but in rare cases you will team-teach. However, many teachers find it helpful to prepare together, to brainstorm and share ideas.
How many kids are in your class? In the kindergarten there are usually six per class, in Basic Reading 10-12, and in Follow-up a maximum of 15.
Do we teach out of textbooks? Textbooks are used for teaching only in our "Follow-up" levels.
In what areas does ILP have kindergarten programs? ILP has a kindergarten program in each of the ILP countries and cities.
In what areas does ILP have Follow-Up programs? The Follow-up program is in every city where the Kindergarten program has existed for more than two years.
How does the method work? To say that we teach children English is almost a lie! The method works by creating an environment that children ACQUIRE the language without it being taught. As a teacher, you will plan "play episodes" with the children, where the children will be engrossed in a fun activity that is conducted entirely in English. We focus on 23 Basic Mobilizing Concepts (BMCs) like "I like" or "I can", which, once mastered, enable the child to be "mobile" in English. It is awe-inspiring to see how quickly they learn!
Is it a traditional classroom setting? The setting is very much NON-traditional. Instead of desks or textbooks, there are games, gym, kitchen, and other fun activities. Makes you wish you were 5 again so you could take part? But wait! You CAN take part as a teacher, and then just act like a kid!
How did this program start? This program started as a Brigham Young University (BYU) Study Abroad/Internship program in January of 1992. When BYU's Study Abroad evaluated the program, it came back with dazzling reviews, but because its main purpose was teaching and not studying it didn't really have a place in the Study Abroad program. When the first group of teachers learned that the program would be discontinued, they wanted to do something about it! So five friends from the first group got together with Dr. McKee in the Fall of '92 and organized ILP as an independent, non-profit organization. Somehow, now several years later, it is still going and growing thanks to great volunteers like you!
How long does it take to plan lessons? It's good to plan on 2 hours per day for prep time. This includes set-up and clean-up times. You may need a little more time than this in the beginning of the semester while you are getting used to the children, a little less at the end. With prep and teaching time combined it's good to plan on about half a day at the school.
How far in advance do you plan your lessons? You'll plan your lessons at least a week in advance.
Is it hard to teach? Yes, it is often very challenging, but even more rewarding. Many teachers say that the teaching method has a similar learning curve of a foreign language. It is not difficult, but it often takes 1 to 1 1/2 months before it "clicks" and you feel "fluent" in using it effectively. The results are almost unbelievable.
What are the kids like? The kids are great. You will be surprised how close you get to them during your time of service. Many past ILP teachers feel as close to their ILP kids as they do their own family! That is the miracle of service, that the server and the servee grow close together--the difficult part is deciding who is who!
