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.
