Teaching English in Cusco - Peru

Product Details

Introduction
We arrange opportunities to teach English in the city of Cusco and in surrounding villages. You can teach children in schools and orphanages, or work with women’s craft groups in villages which gives a real insight in to the traditional life of the Andes.

About the schools and teaching locations
As Cusco is one of the tourist capitals of South America, the majority of income for the city comes from tourism. This means that those with the best English stand the best chance of earning a living. Here's where you come in.

English is not a part of the government curriculum but many schools include it. Our local staff work with the Peruvian teachers to arrange a timetable that gives you the opportunity to teach English and other subjects (sports, art, music), as well as providing clubs of your choice. There is a great sense of satisfaction in seeing the enthusiasm of the children and the improvement in their language skills and ability.

We also arrange placements with women's craft groups in villages outside of Cusco. Here you can live with a family and learn craft skills from the women's group while you teach them English to help them sell their products in the tourist markets.

A typical week
A normal week will have around 10 hours of English or other lessons. When you include planning and preparation time as well, this is plenty. During lessons you may work with a Peruvian teacher, or you may have a class all to yourself. Your role is to focus on improving speaking and listening skills and building the children's confidence to communicate with foreigners. This means lots of fun and interaction, including games, songs, art, sports and any other creative activities that get the kids using English.

The school day starts around 8am and finishes around 2 or 3 pm. You are not expected to be in school when they are not teaching lessons but you are expected to ensure that you plan and deliver good quality lessons. In your spare time you can go to a language school, get to know Cusco better, relax or study the history of Peru.

If you worked with a women's group teaching them English, your working day would be very much up to you to structure but in general terms you would spend time learning weaving and other crafts from the local women while you taught them some English. During the week you would get to know the people of the village and have a rare insight into Peruvian culture and mountain village life. At weekends, it would only take an hour or so to travel back to Cusco to catch up with emails, restaurants and nightlife.

The specifics of your day will depend on where you work as different institutions have different daily routines, but whichever one is chosen, there will be lots to do and plenty of opportunities to work closely with Peruvian children and adults and get to know them very well over the time they are there.

Location of accommodation and workplace
Whilst based in Cusco, Gap and Summer Mini-Gap volunteers will live in our historic Spanish colonial apartment on San Blas square. The apartment is over 200 years old and built using ancient Inca stone. It is less then 10 minutes safe walk from the Plaza de Armas (the main square) on a a very cool little square in San Blas with bars and restaurants around it. It was a hotel before we took it over so has plenty of rooms, showers and toilets.

Many of our independent volunteers also stay in the apartment or you may be in a nearby hotel or rented apartment.

You will be able to get to know the local people, shop in local markets and experience the routine of life in a Peruvian city. It will be up to you how much or little you want to come into contact with the more western and tourist element of Cusco.

Your workplace may be walking distance or a short bus or taxi ride from your accommodation.

What’s included

• A information pack and support prior to departure
• We put you in touch with the other volunteers on the placement
• Travel advice and assistance
• Pick up from Cusco airport
• A training course that introduces volunteers to Cusco and their project
• A 5 day (20 hour) intensive Spanish course at a language school in Cusco
• Accommodation in our apartment in San Blas
• Adventure activities - a visit to Machu Picchu, a tour of the Sacred Valley of the Incas. white water rafting
• Ongoing support, help and advice from our local team

Optional extras

• 2 week adventure package
• 5 day alternative Inca Trail trek
• 5 day jungle expedition
• Further weeks of Spanish Lessons

Dates, duration and prices
The placement is for 6-12 weeks, but can easily be extended.

Gap groups start in Jan, Apr, Jul, Sep and independent placements can start at any time throughout the year.

6 weeks - £1050, 12 weeks - £1450

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Our users say:

"My two months volunteering and living in Cusco organised by PoD were truly fantastic. The volunteer placements were unforgettable and I made so many friends and had massive amounts of fun on the trek to Macchu Picchu and the rafting. The co-ordinator Daisy was a constant source of support and friendship which really made our time out there the best it could possibly be. PoD in Peru was good value for money as well as offering me the trip to Cusco that every traveller wants combined with useful and rewarding volunteer placements to give something back to an amazing country that gives many people such a great experience." - Sophie

"My time at the placement was great in both the personal development sense and also in the way it was just great fun, I meet some great people and did some amazing things. The only thing I would change is maybe packing a razor (!), but apart from that very little was less than perfect in the three and a half months I spent away." - John