Program Profile
The China Hunan program was started in 2003 when WorldTeach was approached by the Hunan Department of Education. The Department of Education wanted to give its students the opportunity to learn English from native speakers. In 2004, our first volunteers taught in public schools throughout Hunan province. In the past seven program years, WorldTeach's reputation has grown and our volunteers are now among the most sought-after English teachers in the province.
Volunteer Role
WorldTeach volunteers work as English teachers in Chinese middle schools throughout Hunan province. In China, middle schools include grades 7 through 12. On rare occasions, volunteers may be assigned to elementary classes. Volunteers usually cover around 16 classes and see each class once a week for 55 minutes. Chinese classes are quite large, averaging around 60 students. Managing such a large class can be difficult and is something we address directly in volunteer training.
Volunteers also engage in extracurricular activities. Most lead an English club or other optional classes where they have more freedom to teach about subjects they or their students find interesting, such as English songs and dances. Many volunteers often start a drama club, coach a casual football group, start an English library, or run some other activity to engage their students.
The first semester runs from early September to late January or early February. Volunteers then get a break for Chinese New Year, usually 5 or 6 weeks. Volunteers often take this time to travel South East Asia, visit the jaw dropping ice festival in Harbin, or just relax. The second semester starts right after and continues on until early June.
Volunteers in the China Year program will be eligible for WorldTeach TEFL certification. Please note that for all departures leaving on or after July 1, 2012, an additional $50 is required by volunteers to participate in the TEFL Certification program.
placements & housing
Placements will generally be in pairs. Occasionally a volunteer is placed alone or a school gets more than two volunteers, but pairs are the norm. Since all volunteers are placed within Hunan province, they are relatively close to each other. It is certainly possible to visit with other volunteers with some simple planning. WorldTeach is not alone in teaching English in Hunan, so some placements may have a non-WorldTeach English teacher as well, though this is not common.
Volunteers will be provided with teacher housing on the grounds of their school. Most schools have apartments set aside for foreign teachers. They are furnished and often quite large. The space you have to yourself would normally house a family of three. They come with kitchens, internet and warm showers. They do not have heat though, so the winter months can be chilly.
Financial information
The cost of the program is a $1,000 volunteer commitment plus a $1,000 fully refundable deposit. This covers pre-departure information and preparation, round-trip international airfare from a departure city to Changsha, Hunan, overseas medical and emergency insurance, 3 weeks of in-country training, periodic group conferences, 24-hour field staff support, room and board, and alumni support. Volunteers will also receive a monthly stipend of approximately $300 to over additional expenses and light travel.
Many volunteers are able to successfully fundraise all or a significant portion of their volunteer commitment. Please refer to our fundraising webpage for more information about fundraising possibilities.
Read more about our costs and services.
Requirements
Volunteers in the China Year program must be:
- native-level English speakers
- holders of a bachelor's degree by the program departure date
- between 21 and 65
- highly flexible, mature, and have a genuine interest in teaching English