Secondary Education English Teacher
Peace Corps
En el sitio
Costa Rica
Job Description
Overview of The English Education Project:
Launched in 2010, The English Education project in Costa Rica is a collaborative initiative between the Peace Corps and the Ministry of Public Education (MEP). Volunteers play a crucial role in working with secondary school students (grades 7-12) nationwide, collaborating with local teachers, and offering support inside and outside the classroom.
Project Focus and Approach:
The English Education project centers on capacity-building through one-on-one relationships with schoolteachers in various settings. Effective communication and collaboration with English teachers, school staff, and community members are vital for impactful co-teaching and co-planning regular English classes and extracurricular activities.
Volunteer Activities:
Volunteers focus on supporting students' English language competencies and confidence through engaging activities. Additionally, they assist in designing and implementing informal English classes, participating in local and regional English festivals, coordinating English clubs, organizing summer camps, and facilitating community classes. Volunteers also play a role in supporting the use of virtual platforms for distance learning sessions.
Project Objectives:
The project aims to achieve five key objectives:
• Increase teachers’ general and English teaching skills.
• Enhance teachers’ equitable and inclusive practices in the classroom.
• Improve the English proficiency of English teachers.
• Boost students' achievement in English.
• Strengthen the ability of community members to support students' access to learning.
Expectations for Volunteers:
To achieve these objectives, volunteers are expected to:
• Work full-time under a structured schedule with teachers and secondary students aged 12-17 within a school population of 100 to 1200 students.
• Assist school counterparts in organizing teaching schedules for co-planning and co-teaching English lessons.
• Overcome challenges, including geographic, climatic, cultural, and socio-economic factors, to integrate fully into rural, under-resourced communities.
• Adapt to Peace Corps and counterparts’ norms and procedures during training, meetings, recreational activities, and teaching in formal and informal classroom settings.
Costa Rican High School Diversity:
Costa Rica boasts over 1300 high schools, offering diverse private and public sector modalities. The English Education project primarily collaborates with tuition-free public schools, categorized as day or night high schools. The public education sector includes Rural, Technical, Academic, Scientific, and Bilingual high schools.
Private School Landscape:
While some communities feature tuition-based private high schools, it's worth noting that Peace Corps Costa Rica doesn't operate within these institutions.
Educational Levels:
The Costa Rican education system has four levels: preschool, primary/elementary, secondary, and higher. Basic General Education, compulsory and free, spans six years of primary/elementary school and five or six years of secondary school.
Focus of English Education:
The English Education project primarily collaborates with Technical and Academic high schools. Technical high schools prioritize vocational education, offering diverse specialties based on community needs. These can range from accounting and graphic design to rural tourism and agriculture. In contrast, Academic high schools focus on traditional subjects such as science and math, with less emphasis on technical skills. Students in each of these schools require tailored English proficiency support aligned with their subject matter.
Required Skills
Qualified candidates will have a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any discipline and a strong desire to teach English at the secondary level.
Desired Skills
Competitive candidates will have one or more of the following:
• Experience teaching or tutoring English, a foreign language, or literacy.
• Experience conducting curricular or extracurricular activities with youths or adults.
• Experience with current fundamental computer skills.
• Experience with e-learning platform management.
• Experience with community organizing.
• Experience (professional or academic) in any of the following areas: Accounting, Finance, Education, Logistics, Electronics, Auto mechanics, Hospitality, Gastronomy, Agriculture, Drawing and Design, Secretarial Management, Customer Service, Computer Science, Environmental Science.
Living Conditions
Housing Requirements:
During the first nine months (three months of Pre-Service Training followed by six months in the community of service), all Volunteers must reside with a host family. Living with a local family offers benefits such as community integration, security, language skill improvement, friendship, and cultural exchange. However, it may pose challenges such as limited privacy, dietary restrictions, and different family dynamics. Applicants should carefully consider and be willing to adapt to maximize the rewards.
Living Independence:
After the initial six months, Volunteers can live independently if they find a suitable living situation meeting Peace Corps criteria and approved by program staff. Some communities may not offer a live-alone option, requiring certain Volunteers to live with a host family throughout their service.
Community Location & Challenges:
English Education Volunteers work in diverse communities, including rural, semi-urban, and urban areas with limited resources. Some communities may present physical challenges, such as mountainous terrain, unpaved roads, and mud during the rainy season. Most communities are accessible within two to eight hours of the capital by public transportation. Volunteers typically reside within a 5 km radius of the school, necessitating walking, biking, or public transportation.
Communications & Telephone Access:
Trainees and Volunteers receive a local phone number and access to messaging applications. Peace Corps does not provide cell phones, encouraging Volunteers to bring their own. Volunteers can expect limitations with Internet and cellular phone service.
Annual Leave Policy:
Volunteers accrue two days of annual leave (vacation) per month. However, during the first and last 90 days of service, taking leave is not permitted, except under extraordinary circumstances with Program Team and Country Director approval. International visitors are not permitted during the first 90 days of service.
Professional Standards:
Costa Ricans value neatness and professionalism. Volunteers should mirror this in their appearance, following a business casual dress code while working in the public school system. Professional attitudes, appearance, and adherence to institutional dress codes are crucial during coordination with government agencies, schools, and other professionals. Outside of work, Volunteers should avoid certain casual clothing items, including flip-flops, shorts, tank tops, strapless or spaghetti strap dresses, sweatpants, yoga pants, or similar athleisure wear.
Language Skills Additional Information
Language Expectations:
Volunteers are expected to communicate exclusively in English within the classroom setting, supporting the language acquisition process of their students. However, tasks involving coordination and collaboration with school administrators, community contacts, and ministry officials, such as participating in meetings, writing letters to request support, and constructive conversations, will all be conducted in Spanish.
Language Preparation:
Peace Corps/Costa Rica encourages applicants to actively study Spanish before departure, preparing them for both their service and the intensive language training in Costa Rica. Trainees are expected to attain at least Intermediate-Mid language proficiency by the end of the 12-week Pre-Service Training period to qualify as Peace Corps Volunteers. Achieving this proficiency level may be challenging for Trainees with lower levels of Spanish, making pre-arrival language learning and enhancement activities highly recommended.
Couples Comments
Costa Rica is happy to receive couples and will identify sufficient work opportunities within the same community for both Volunteers. This cohort will include two programs: Elementary English education and Secondary English education. We offer couples the choice of working in the same program or one in each program. Each applicant must apply separately and qualify for their respective program.
Couples can expect similar living conditions for them as for single Volunteers. They will live with the same host family during the three months of Pre-Serving Training; however, they may have Spanish classes in different groups depending on language levels. They will then live with the same family for the first six months in their assigned community. If suitable housing is available later, they may request independent living. Many communities don’t offer independent living, so Volunteers, including couples, should prepare themselves to live with a host family throughout their service.
Please note: While couples will be working in the same community, they may be assigned to work at different institutions.
The Peace Corps works to foster safe and productive assignments for same-sex couples, and same-sex couples are not placed in countries where homosexual acts are criminalized. Because of this, same-sex couple placements are more limited than heterosexual couple placements. During the application process Recruiters and Placement Officers work closely with same-sex couple applicants to understand current placement opportunities. For more information please visit: https://www.peacecorps.gov/faqs/lgbtq/.
Language Requirements Information
Candidates must meet one or more of the language requirements below in order to be considered for this position.
A. Completed 4 years of high school Spanish coursework within the past 8 years
B. Completed minimum 2 semesters of Spanish college‐level coursework within the past 6 years
C. Native/fluent speaker of Spanish
Candidates who do not meet the language proficiency levels above can take the language placement exams to demonstrate their level of proficiency. Competitive applicants typically attain a score of 50 on the Spanish College Level Examination Program CLEP exam or a score of Novice‐High on the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL OPI).
Overview of The English Education Project:
Launched in 2010, The English Education project in Costa Rica is a collaborative initiative between the Peace Corps and the Ministry of Public Education (MEP). Volunteers play a crucial role in working with secondary school students (grades 7-12) nationwide, collaborating with local teachers, and offering support inside and outside the classroom.
Project Focus and Approach:
The English Education project centers on capacity-building through one-on-one relationships with schoolteachers in various settings. Effective communication and collaboration with English teachers, school staff, and community members are vital for impactful co-teaching and co-planning regular English classes and extracurricular activities.
Volunteer Activities:
Volunteers focus on supporting students' English language competencies and confidence through engaging activities. Additionally, they assist in designing and implementing informal English classes, participating in local and regional English festivals, coordinating English clubs, organizing summer camps, and facilitating community classes. Volunteers also play a role in supporting the use of virtual platforms for distance learning sessions.
Project Objectives:
The project aims to achieve five key objectives:
• Increase teachers’ general and English teaching skills.
• Enhance teachers’ equitable and inclusive practices in the classroom.
• Improve the English proficiency of English teachers.
• Boost students' achievement in English.
• Strengthen the ability of community members to support students' access to learning.
Expectations for Volunteers:
To achieve these objectives, volunteers are expected to:
• Work full-time under a structured schedule with teachers and secondary students aged 12-17 within a school population of 100 to 1200 students.
• Assist school counterparts in organizing teaching schedules for co-planning and co-teaching English lessons.
• Overcome challenges, including geographic, climatic, cultural, and socio-economic factors, to integrate fully into rural, under-resourced communities.
• Adapt to Peace Corps and counterparts’ norms and procedures during training, meetings, recreational activities, and teaching in formal and informal classroom settings.
Costa Rican High School Diversity:
Costa Rica boasts over 1300 high schools, offering diverse private and public sector modalities. The English Education project primarily collaborates with tuition-free public schools, categorized as day or night high schools. The public education sector includes Rural, Technical, Academic, Scientific, and Bilingual high schools.
Private School Landscape:
While some communities feature tuition-based private high schools, it's worth noting that Peace Corps Costa Rica doesn't operate within these institutions.
Educational Levels:
The Costa Rican education system has four levels: preschool, primary/elementary, secondary, and higher. Basic General Education, compulsory and free, spans six years of primary/elementary school and five or six years of secondary school.
Focus of English Education:
The English Education project primarily collaborates with Technical and Academic high schools. Technical high schools prioritize vocational education, offering diverse specialties based on community needs. These can range from accounting and graphic design to rural tourism and agriculture. In contrast, Academic high schools focus on traditional subjects such as science and math, with less emphasis on technical skills. Students in each of these schools require tailored English proficiency support aligned with their subject matter.
Required Skills
Qualified candidates will have a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any discipline and a strong desire to teach English at the secondary level.
Desired Skills
Competitive candidates will have one or more of the following:
• Experience teaching or tutoring English, a foreign language, or literacy.
• Experience conducting curricular or extracurricular activities with youths or adults.
• Experience with current fundamental computer skills.
• Experience with e-learning platform management.
• Experience with community organizing.
• Experience (professional or academic) in any of the following areas: Accounting, Finance, Education, Logistics, Electronics, Auto mechanics, Hospitality, Gastronomy, Agriculture, Drawing and Design, Secretarial Management, Customer Service, Computer Science, Environmental Science.
Living Conditions
Housing Requirements:
During the first nine months (three months of Pre-Service Training followed by six months in the community of service), all Volunteers must reside with a host family. Living with a local family offers benefits such as community integration, security, language skill improvement, friendship, and cultural exchange. However, it may pose challenges such as limited privacy, dietary restrictions, and different family dynamics. Applicants should carefully consider and be willing to adapt to maximize the rewards.
Living Independence:
After the initial six months, Volunteers can live independently if they find a suitable living situation meeting Peace Corps criteria and approved by program staff. Some communities may not offer a live-alone option, requiring certain Volunteers to live with a host family throughout their service.
Community Location & Challenges:
English Education Volunteers work in diverse communities, including rural, semi-urban, and urban areas with limited resources. Some communities may present physical challenges, such as mountainous terrain, unpaved roads, and mud during the rainy season. Most communities are accessible within two to eight hours of the capital by public transportation. Volunteers typically reside within a 5 km radius of the school, necessitating walking, biking, or public transportation.
Communications & Telephone Access:
Trainees and Volunteers receive a local phone number and access to messaging applications. Peace Corps does not provide cell phones, encouraging Volunteers to bring their own. Volunteers can expect limitations with Internet and cellular phone service.
Annual Leave Policy:
Volunteers accrue two days of annual leave (vacation) per month. However, during the first and last 90 days of service, taking leave is not permitted, except under extraordinary circumstances with Program Team and Country Director approval. International visitors are not permitted during the first 90 days of service.
Professional Standards:
Costa Ricans value neatness and professionalism. Volunteers should mirror this in their appearance, following a business casual dress code while working in the public school system. Professional attitudes, appearance, and adherence to institutional dress codes are crucial during coordination with government agencies, schools, and other professionals. Outside of work, Volunteers should avoid certain casual clothing items, including flip-flops, shorts, tank tops, strapless or spaghetti strap dresses, sweatpants, yoga pants, or similar athleisure wear.
Language Skills Additional Information
Language Expectations:
Volunteers are expected to communicate exclusively in English within the classroom setting, supporting the language acquisition process of their students. However, tasks involving coordination and collaboration with school administrators, community contacts, and ministry officials, such as participating in meetings, writing letters to request support, and constructive conversations, will all be conducted in Spanish.
Language Preparation:
Peace Corps/Costa Rica encourages applicants to actively study Spanish before departure, preparing them for both their service and the intensive language training in Costa Rica. Trainees are expected to attain at least Intermediate-Mid language proficiency by the end of the 12-week Pre-Service Training period to qualify as Peace Corps Volunteers. Achieving this proficiency level may be challenging for Trainees with lower levels of Spanish, making pre-arrival language learning and enhancement activities highly recommended.
Couples Comments
Costa Rica is happy to receive couples and will identify sufficient work opportunities within the same community for both Volunteers. This cohort will include two programs: Elementary English education and Secondary English education. We offer couples the choice of working in the same program or one in each program. Each applicant must apply separately and qualify for their respective program.
Couples can expect similar living conditions for them as for single Volunteers. They will live with the same host family during the three months of Pre-Serving Training; however, they may have Spanish classes in different groups depending on language levels. They will then live with the same family for the first six months in their assigned community. If suitable housing is available later, they may request independent living. Many communities don’t offer independent living, so Volunteers, including couples, should prepare themselves to live with a host family throughout their service.
Please note: While couples will be working in the same community, they may be assigned to work at different institutions.
The Peace Corps works to foster safe and productive assignments for same-sex couples, and same-sex couples are not placed in countries where homosexual acts are criminalized. Because of this, same-sex couple placements are more limited than heterosexual couple placements. During the application process Recruiters and Placement Officers work closely with same-sex couple applicants to understand current placement opportunities. For more information please visit: https://www.peacecorps.gov/faqs/lgbtq/.
Language Requirements Information
Candidates must meet one or more of the language requirements below in order to be considered for this position.
A. Completed 4 years of high school Spanish coursework within the past 8 years
B. Completed minimum 2 semesters of Spanish college‐level coursework within the past 6 years
C. Native/fluent speaker of Spanish
Candidates who do not meet the language proficiency levels above can take the language placement exams to demonstrate their level of proficiency. Competitive applicants typically attain a score of 50 on the Spanish College Level Examination Program CLEP exam or a score of Novice‐High on the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL OPI).