INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING TO HELP SOMEBODY IMPROVE THEIR ENGLISH SKILLS LOCALLY?
Angus Council Place team have opportunities for volunteers of all ages and walks of life to help students attending their English evening classes to improve their English skills.
The ESOL Buddy Project is designed to give volunteers from the local community the opportunity to meet a student from another country and learn more about their life and culture. The student gains the opportunity to improve their spoken English skills and better integrate in the community, progress at work or to further education.
Typically the volunteer and the student meet once a week for about two hours in a public place – a café or library – at a time that suits them both for a chat about their lives and families – a ‘blether’ as we would say! There is no need to know another language or be a grammar expert. The project is run to improve informal English and strengthen contacts in the community.
The project has been running for over three years and many volunteers have enjoyed the experience and made good friends. Students have made great progress by engaging with community groups and leisure activities that they did not have the confidence to embark on, as well as making progress at work or study.
We have opportunities in Forfar, Arbroath, Brechin and Montrose.
Opportunities also exist to volunteer in the classroom as a teaching assistant. This has helped many volunteers gain the experience they need to follow on from a TEFL qualification or similar.
If you are interested or would like to find out more about this project please get in touch with Neil Paterson Communities Officer at: