Job Description

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Volunteers will participate in Peace Corps’ newly-developed Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) training program which allows them to earn a Peace Corps TEFL Certificate upon successful completion of program requirements. This program provides 120 hours of standardized training and practice teaching along with two years of supervised teaching experience framed through quarterly online learning events facilitated by post staff. This training is designed to respond to the goals of TEFL Volunteers. The Certificate program is validated by the Center for Applied Linguistics in Washington, DC. The US State Department and the English language learning sector worldwide have touted Peace Corps’ TEFL Certificate program as a high-quality, game-changing credential. Peace Corps Madagascar is the first post in the world to issue a certification following service.

Madagascar’s Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) project aims to promote interest and skills in the English language among middle and high school students. As an English teacher, your primary assignment will be to teach English at a lycée (high school) and/or a middle school for a maximum of sixteen (16) hours each week. The Ministry of Education recognizes the importance of English in developing an international workforce in the areas of education, medicine, technology, and tourism.

As an English teacher you will also work with local English teachers to improve their English skills, to share different teaching techniques, and to jointly develop new pedagogical materials for use in the classroom. In addition you will help to build teachers’ capacity through communities of practice.

Furthermore, you may involve the broader school community in your work by organizing evening English classes for adults, broadcasting English shows on local radio stations, or creating extracurricular clubs for students. Please note that TEFL Volunteers are expected to continue their community-based work during Malagasy school breaks.

Another component of your responsibilities will be to get involved in your community during school breaks. It’s a great opportunity to develop more hands-on activities like organizing field trips with counterparts or secondary projects such as malaria awareness campaigns, gender equality workshops and or starting an environment club.

Madagascar is one of the Peace Corps countries participating in Let Girls Learn, an important initiative promoting gender awareness and girls’ education and empowerment. You will receive in-depth training on incorporating methods of gender analysis into community assessment and development efforts. During your service you will find culturally appropriate ways to incorporate gender awareness and the promotion of youth- especially girls- into your work. As part of the initiative, you will also report on these efforts and their impact.

REQUIRED SKILLS

• Competitive candidates will have a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any discipline and a strong desire to teach English

DESIRED SKILLS

•Experience Teaching English as a Second language (TESOL) or Teaching English as a Foreign Language ( TEFL)

•Experience working in schools, after school programs, and or with young adults

•Strong desire to teach English and adapt teaching methodologies to Madagascar’s educational system

REQUIRED LANGUAGE SKILLS

There are no pre-requisite language requirements for this position. Please take a moment to explore the Language Comments section below to find out more on how local language(s) will be utilized during service.

ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE INFORMATION

Post prefers applicants with French skills.

We recommend that invitees take an intensive French course before departing USA for Madagascar. They may not use in much of their daily work, but many partner organizations, technical reports, newspapers, and tourist activities are in French.

LIVING CONDITIONS

Volunteers are strongly encouraged to bring a laptop which not only in increases options for internet access, but also enables Volunteers to complete required assignments off-line and upload them at a later date. While Volunteers may also complete the assignments through local internet cafes or other access points, having a laptop will facilitate successful participation in training. Please note that tablets and smart phones are not an effective alternative

During service, housing consist of a private room and individual outdoor bath and latrine with no running water or electricity. Vendors may provide electricity/battery recharges by using generators. Cell phones operate but with routine outages. Peace Corps provides a bike to assist daily routines, biking to nearby markets, or visiting sites around your village. Malaria is highly endemic and PCVs must be prepared to take chemoprophylaxis *consistently.* It is possible but difficult to maintain a vegetarian diet.

MEDICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN MADAGASCAR

Madagascar may not be able to support Volunteers  with the following medical conditions: asthma, including mild or childhood; gastroenterology; some types of gynecologic support; insulin-dependent diabetes; ongoing behavioral health support; seizure disorder.

The following medication(s) are not permitted for legal or cultural reasons: Adderall, Ritalin and Vyvanse.

Volunteers who should avoid the following food(s) may not be able to serve: eggs.

After arrival in Madagascar, Peace Corps provides and applicants are required to have an annual flu shot, to take daily or weekly medication to prevent malaria, and to receive mandatory immunizations.