General Info
Your teaching placement takes place in Sabah on the Malaysian island of Borneo. You'll teach in a rural primary or secondary schools, located in a rural village environment in the northern part of the state.
This teaching placement is based in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. You will teach in a rural primary and secondary school, located in a village environment near Kota Murudu in the northern part of the state.
English is taught in all schools, but in rural areas the children have no need or opportunity to speak the language outside the classroom, so they get very little practice in pronunciation and speech. Thus having exposure to you as a native English speaker is very beneficial to them and helps them raise their grades, which is a big plus given that in the rural areas, the passing rate of English is only 60%.
The school that Travellers volunteers attend is from the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Christian group, and holds around 350 pupils. It comprises a Kindergarten, Primary and Secondary Schools and teaching can be arranged within any one of these areas. You will usually work about 10 – 15 lessons per week, and you'll be in demand wherever you go! The children at this school are not used to seeing westerners and so you may find that people stare at you at first, but they will welcome you into their school and you will soon find that Malaysia feels like a second home.
You'll be given a timetable of lessons and will have the freedom to plan and take your own classes (with assistance, if required). Your main focus is on assisting with conversational English but you may also be asked to help within other areas, such as sport, drama and music, if you have an interest in these.
Both Science and Maths are taught in English, and as such assistance with these subjects at basic level is really appreciated. Some of the classes will be conversation based and some tuition based to groups or individuals formally and informally outside the classrooms. You will be given plenty of assistance from the principal and teachers until such time as you have gained confidence in your own abilities.
Outside the classroom you can assist the pupils in language group work, debating, public and choral-speaking, pronunciation practice, reading aloud, discussions, games – e.g. board games for language practice, broadcasts on the school radio, drama productions and presentations, and quizzes and general knowledge competitions. You may also help with English ‘camps’, supervising study periods, assisting in the library and helping during tests and examinations.
If you have additional skills, such as Football and Music (or in any other subjects), these would be very much appreciated and the children would love some additional after school coaching.
This project can also be combined with any of our other projects in Malaysia, or you could even do a this Teaching Project and then follow it with another project in Kota Kinabalu. That way you’ll get both a rural and urban experience.
ACCOMMODATION
Accommodation will be with a local host family and you’ll be expected to participate in their way of life. Because you'll be in a rural village environment, you'll become involved in the local life. Very often this is one of the most attractive aspects of our placements in different cultures because you get to experience the country in a way that you would never be able to do as a tourist.
You may have your own bedroom or be required to share with another Travellers volunteer. You will have shared living accommodation and bathroom facilities.
There is a surprising amount of action in the evenings in Malaysian villages, including coffee shops, karaoke bars, and bustling open-air markets that are fascinating!
OUR PARTICIPANTS SAY
"I really had the best time out there, think I achieved all the things I wanted to, and feel a better person because of it. I would definitely do it again, despite the fact I got bitten on my legs more than any volunteer on record! So tell them to bring a mossie net if they ever want to be able to wear a skirt in public again! Thanks for all your help, I had the best time ever!"
"Borneo is fantastic, if not a little hot! We started teaching yesterday and are involved in the house football competition, but we are all in different houses so as you can imagine there's a bit of competitive tension in the air!"
WHAT YOU’LL GAIN FROM DOING THIS PROJECT
► An exciting, never-to-be-forgotten adventure!
► The rewards from helping others and Making a Difference!
► New skills, more confidence, a greater understanding of a different culture, invaluable personal and professional development.
► An entry on your CV or résumé that will put you head and shoulders above most others in the job market
► And best of all ... an unforgettable experience!
WHAT TO DO NEXT
►Talk to us - We're there to help you. Call +44 (0) 1903 502595
►Most of our team are ex Travellers volunteers and are ideally qualified to offer advice and guidance because they know what you're looking for. They'll help you find your perfect project - and then make it all happen!
►If you’d like more information about this or any of our projects, please email or call us!
►If you’d like to apply for this project, please go to our website and complete the application form. As soon as we receive it, we’ll liaise with you and then start making your travel adventure happen.
►It’s as easy as that.
