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Volunteer Teaching with Monks in Sri Lanka

Destination

Sri Lanka

Age

16+ y/o

Minimum Stay

2 weeks

Start Date

Anytime

Accommodation

Homestay

What’s Included

24/7 Support

Round-the-clock support on the ground and 24/7 back up from our global teams.

Accommodation & Amenities

Clean, safe, and welcoming accommodation. A home away from home with comfortable amenities.

Activities, Training & Equipment

All programme activities and equipment, including training and workshops from experienced professionals.

Certification

Certified record of service hours, workshops, and activities for your CV.

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Starting at £1,495 for 2 weeks

Flexible 0% Interest payments

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Trip Overview

Gain practical teaching experience

Work alongside experienced teachers in schools, IT centres, or teaching temples near Colombo, supporting English classes and leading your own lessons.

Understand Sri Lankan education

Learn about the Sri Lankan education system with hands-on experience, gaining valuable insights into teaching methodologies in a new cultural setting.

Immerse in Sri Lankan culture

Live with a caring host family, enjoying delicious local cuisine and experiencing the rich culture and diverse landscapes of the beautiful island.

Contribute to English education

Help students improve their English conversational abilities, which is crucial for future opportunities in a country with a growing tourism industry.

Develop personal skills

Enhance your adaptability, cross-cultural communication, and problem-solving skills while helping educate the community, broadening your perspective.

What you need to know

Overview

Do you enjoy working with children? Planning to pursue a teaching career? Want to help make a positive impact in the lives of others? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then this is the ideal volunteer project for you. It’s especially useful for students studying education or recent graduates looking for practical classroom experience.

You can work in a government school, IT centre, or teaching temple known as a Pirivena. This is a great way to learn about traditional Sri Lankan culture while helping local people.

You don’t need previous experience or qualifications to join. To make sure you are fully prepared, you’ll receive a thorough induction upon arrival. We also run regular workshops for our teaching volunteers. This is a chance to share ideas for lesson activities and ask questions you might have about your project. Finally, you will receive materials and other resources that you can use for your lessons, such as activity books.

A Day in the Life

You’ll wake up in the home of your host family and enjoy a delicious Sri Lankan-style breakfast which will fuel you for the day ahead. In order to get to your placement you’ll travel by bus, rickshaw or your own two feet, if the school is situated nearby. A Projects Abroad staff member will accompany you on your first day to show you the way.

A typical day will start at 8am, with lessons running for around two and a half hours. Here you’ll mainly focus on conversational English lessons.

You’ll then spend roughly an hour preparing afternoon lessons, before taking a lunch break.

Afternoon lessons normally resume around 1.30pm, where you’ll teach for another two hours. The rest of the afternoon will be spent reviewing the day’s lessons and planning for the next morning!

Once you’re done for the day, you’re free to relax and explore. We run regular social events for our volunteers, which is a wonderful way to make new friends and get to know the local staff. You can find out more about the local way of life by spending the evening with your host family. Try out the nearby restaurants, spend some time on the beach, or check out the tourist sites and local landmarks.

Aims & Impact

The main aim of this Teaching Project in Sri Lanka is to improve students’ conversational English abilities.

English is spoken fluently by around 10% of the Sri Lankan population and is used widely in the business world and for official communication. Knowledge of English is a great asset and can open many doors in terms of future employment. This is particularly important for the country’s growing tourism industry.

Many children understand basic English but have issues when it comes to speaking. While local teachers can teach grammar and spelling, an English speaker is a real help when it comes to pronunciation. This is where you come in. You’ll work with students to develop their spoken English skills so that they feel more confident expressing themselves in the language.

Our long-term goals for this project include:

Improve English
Improve classroom support
Improve support for those with learning disabilities
Improve the safety and cleanliness of the learning environment

Join us in providing educational support to children that will greatly improve their future opportunities.

Activities

On this Teaching Project, you can get involved in a range of different activities. These include:

Work as a teacher or teaching assistant in a school, IT centre, or teaching temple
Help students to improve their conversational English abilities
Assist with extracurricular activities where needed.

At your volunteer Teaching Placement in Sri Lanka, your work will focus on the following main areas:

Work as a teacher or teaching assistant in a school, IT centre, or teaching temple

You can either take on the role of teacher or teaching assistant. You can work with young monks at a local Pirivena (teaching temple). The children range in age from 9-18, although you’ll mainly work with those aged 10 – 14.

If you’re not placed in a Pirivena, you can work in a disadvantaged government school, helping children with their English skills. Alternatively, you’ll work in an IT centre, but you will still be teaching English.

Apart from the actual teaching, you will also help with marking and preparing lessons.

Help students to improve their conversational English abilities

As a volunteer teaching English in Sri Lanka, the main focus of this project is to improve the conversational English abilities of local students. While many will have a basic understanding of the language, they have difficulties with speaking. You’ll work with them to improve their pronunciation and fluency in English so that they feel confident communicating.

Assist with extracurricular activities where needed

If you are interested, there may also be the opportunity to help out with extracurricular activities. These may include helping with music lessons or coaching football. If you have any special sport or cultural activities you’d like to focus on, let us know when you apply and we will see if this can be accommodated.

Map & Location

Ayubowan! That’s “may you live long” in Sinhala, the language of Sri Lanka, a beautiful island nation in the Indian Ocean. Experience a culture and tradition dating back thousands of years and try the exotic flavours of Sri Lankan cuisine.

Did you know Sri Lanka is thought to have world’s oldest wildlife sanctuary? While exploring, you’ll find ancient cities with distinct architectural styles, vast tea plantations in mist-covered hills, and the warm hospitality of its people.

Colombo

Colombo, the commercial capital of Sri Lanka, sits on the west coast of the island where history, culture, and modern life intertwine. This city of over 750,000 residents experiences a tropical climate with warm temperatures year-round.

With a mix of architectural styles, Buddhist temples, cultivated parks, and winding canals, the city is varied and interesting to explore. You’ll find floating markets, beautiful waterfronts, and incredible people as you do!

Kalutara

Kalutara City is over an hour south of the capital, Colombo. More than 100,000 people call it home, with more than a million in the wider Kalutara district. Its stunning coastal location makes it the perfect place to experience both city life and natural beauty.

Like much of Sri Lanka, Kalutara has a tropical climate. Nearby you’ll find waterfalls, caves, and colonial architecture. You’ll be welcomed into the community and experience some of the best traditional cuisine on the island.

Food & Accommodation

Experience the warmth of Sri Lankan hospitality and settle into your home away from home. We provide everything you need for a comfortable and enriching stay, including a cosy bed, three delicious meals a day filled with local flavors, and access to clean drinking water.

You’ll be welcomed into the home of a carefully vetted Sri Lankan family, offering a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the local culture. We’ll take care of your daily transport to and from your placement, making your experience even smoother.

Your host family home will be a safe and comfortable space, and if you share a room, it will be with someone of the same gender and similar age. This allows you to connect with fellow travellers, share your experiences, and create lasting memories.

Free Time and Leisure

Sri Lanka is well-known for its diverse landscapes. From beaches to tropical jungles, there’s something for everyone in this fascinating country.

The buzzing Pettah Market is a must-see. You can chat to friendly vendors, buy handmade products, and enjoy the electric atmosphere around you. For cultural enrichment, you can spend an afternoon in the National Museum of Colombo. The Gangaramaya Buddhist Temple is also a highlight, with its vast collection of artefacts.

The town of Galle is a sea port with a strong Dutch heritage and plenty of old colonial buildings to explore. You can also venture inland to hike in the hills, swim in the cool waterfalls, and visit traditional hill towns.

Sri Lanka’s national parks include safari parks where you can spot wildlife like leopards and elephants, or spend an early morning bird-watching in one of the wetland sanctuaries. There are also rainforest reserves crammed full of tropical biodiversity.

You’ll be sharing this unique experience with many other volunteers. This means you can travel solo or spend your free time with the friends you make during your trip.

Your Arrival Made Easy

When you arrive at your respective airport, a member of Projects Abroad staff will be there to meet you. You can find more detailed information on arrival airports, orientation, and visas on our Sri Lanka Arrival Procedures page.