Nepal: Language Exchange

Intro.

Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world, yet one of the richest in terms of culture and heritage. With snow capped mountains, Buddhist monasteries and vibrant people it is an amazing place to spend time in and call home.

Whether you are a teacher, or just enjoy working with children, you should consider including this project in your adventure plans.

Our teaching placements are designed to give people who are interested in pursuing a career in a specific field their first taste of what it might be like. We also want them to provide professionals who’ve already chosen their career path a unique experience that will help them to develop new skills, and present new opportunities.

You don’t need to have any previous teaching experience to get involved with this project and there is a required introductory week to help you get started, see below

Intro. Week

As part of this placement, you can choose to attend our optional Introduction week. During this week, you will learn about Nepalese culture through a series of introductory culture classes which are designed to help you develop your Nepalese language skills and deepen your understanding of the Nepalese way of life complete with details on rituals and customs. You will learn about Nepal’s history and the religious influences which have shaped it. Moreover, we will pay a visit the local shops and markets that will get you learning as you go with the local culture and how to become a part of it. As part of your city tour and orientation, you will also visit some amazing sites such as the temple of Boudhanath: one of the most sacred Buddhist sites in Kathmandu whose ancient spherical stupa dominates the skyline and is one of the largest in the world.

Our transfer coordinator will meet you at the meeting point in the airport upon your arrival and arrange your transfer to the center on Sunday.

Monday

• Puja to the gods & goddess and name-giving ceremony
• Go over the week’s schedule and handling of documents
• Introduction game to get to know fellow participants
• Cultural seminar on social behavioral norms, dos & don’ts in Nepalese culture. Intercultural eating and drinking habits, bathing and clothings customs in Nepalese culture.
• A little assignment for you to explore your neighbourhood and find local civic places such as banks (ATM), temples, schools, restaurants etc.

Tuesday

• A social interactive session to know each other and an opportunity to bring out concerns about your health etc so that we will be aware.
• Nepali language training
• Shopping to the local market
• Orientation tour of the city of Nepal with an interesting game called “Scavenger Hunt”, we will tell you more about this when you are here

Wednesday

• A talk on schooling and education system in Nepal and placement sites
• A cultural as well as historical orientation tour to the famous Boudhanath temple
• Nepali cooking session

Thursday

• Yoga and meditation
• A Buddhist religious tour
• A local tour to the Hindu Temple

Friday

• It’s all about hiking today! We will go on a nature trail into the mountains to get a view of Kathmandu valley.
• Feedback sharing (evaluation)

On the following Monday you will begin your placement.

Daily Life

Throughout this project, you’ll be working with students at various schools; teaching English, or coaching them in Physical Education classes. You’ll be asked to help teach the children good social and moral skills, but there’ll also be opportunities to enjoy lighter, less serious classes on singing and dancing.

Schools accept a non-formal approach to teaching; you won’t have to conform to the local teaching methods or style, and everyone will be free to bring their own ideas into class. It is important to understand that the methods of teaching are less important to us than your attitude towards the students.

The aims of this project are to help local students improve their English skills; but also to present you with the opportunity to experience a different system of education, and build partnerships with other schools, and teachers around the world.

Some of our placements are only looking for unpaid volunteers, but the experiences that they offer are unique and invaluable to your career progression. New projects are cropping up all the time, so bookmark us to keep track of our future initiatives.

Schedule

You’ll be expected to teach each day during the week. Your timetable will be flexible, and will include plenty of time for you to plan, and prepare lessons; reflect, and evaluate your work so far; and compare your experiences with other members of staff.

Bringing gifts to share with students, and staff members is often a great way to break the ice on your first day. In our experience, students are less interested in toys, but pictures of your family, home, or pet are always well received.

Travel & Accom.

You will be met at Kathmandu International Airport by a project representative and taken to the HQ in Kathmandu for a week’s orientation, cultural immersion and basic language course. You will then be taken to your chosen project location to commence your placement.

You will be placed with a local host family. They will provide you with 2 meals a day (vegetarian options available), a shared bathroom, clothes washing facilities, and you will not be further than 30 minutes walk from your place of work.

The typical Nepalese meal is ‘daal, bhaat, tarkaari’ (lentil soup, rice and vegetables) also other food like noodles, ‘roti’ (flat round bread) and different kinds of seasonal fruits and vegetables are eaten. You will eat the same food as the family everyday.

Requirements

• Minimum age 18.
• No previous skills are necessary, however you will need to speak English at a native or near-native level.
• Minimum 2 week commitments – 30+ hours a week
• CRB Police check (or equivalent) showing that you have no previous criminal convictions
• Necessary vaccinations.
• Necessary flight & visas.
• Full travel & medical insurance. Please see our info pages for more information and to get a quote.

Costs

€350 Euros per week.

* Check the latest currency conversions with xe.com
** All payments incur a 5% bank transfer fee.
*** Placements are confirmed with a 1 week deposit, minimum 2 weeks booking

What’s Included:

Project Fee includes food, accommodation, airport pickup, orientation, in-country support and project activities.

Private rooms are available for an additional €100 per week.

What’s not included:

Flights, insurance, visas (if applicable) and vaccinations. Full assistance will be provided in getting all these arranged if you choose our Premium Support.

Premium Support Upgrade

We understand there’s a great deal to plan and organise for your trip. When booking a Placement, many of our participants choose to purchase our Premium Support Upgrade to benefit from the expertise, knowledge and experience of our Project Coordinators.

We can provide the personal advice you need to ensure your trip is organised with excellence and planned with efficiency; ensuring the very best experience possible. Read more about how we can help you.