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g,"t"volunteer opportunities", "volunteer teach English"," volunteer in Thailand","volunteer vacation","Volunteer teach in Esan","Teaching in Thailand",stern",g |
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Therefore, part of the Isan-Survivor program involves teaching kids skills that will help them “survive”. Volunteers will be placed in local schools where they can teach English, or other languages to eager school kids. Volunteers also have the option to teach basic computer skills, music, art, dance, etc. – whatever you would like to share with the local kids!
We work with the children in the local public primary schools, the age of the children is between 7 - 12 years old, and the secondary schools, the age of the children are between 13-18 years old. The task for volunteer is teaching English and the main focus of teaching by volunteers is to encourage the children to speak English, Thais people are really shy in the beginning, so what we do is try to break the wall, let them have fun with English by singing songs or playing games with them. So we show them that it is not difficult to learn English.
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ISAN
SURVIVOR STORIES "It was a bit of a transition moving from hectic Los Angeles to a small village on the banks of the Mekong, but the months I spent in Phon Phisai was some of the most enjoyable I've experienced and educational. Participating with Isan-survivor program gave me an amazing and insightful look into rural Thailand, which I would not have gained on my own. I became part of Jack's family, participated in local activities, and also helped out at the nearby high school.
From the moment I arrived everyone was very welcoming. Jack's mom was particularly kind in helping me get settled. Over the next several days I began meeting Jack's extended family. In particular I enjoyed the dinners at Jack's grandfather's home. I joined the 10 other family members sitting cross legged on thatch mats surrounding deliciously prepared Isan food. Soon I got used to the slower pace of the Isan region and enjoyed feeling like part of an extended family.
The local activities I participated in varied from visiting temples
on holy days, sightseeing around the region, and even participating
in a Thai beauty pageant! Talk about memorable. I gained many
memories from these experience, not to mention I took home an album
full of pictures.
Isan Survivor gave me an insightful look into
local Thailand as well as giving me the opportunity to give
something back. Joining this program was one of the best decisions I
made."
----------------------------------------------------- Joe Pournovin 25 years old From England Hey!!
I'm
Joe, I'm 23 and from Manchester, England.
Last September, I stayed with Jack and his family for just
over 2 months whilst volunteering to teach English in the small town
of Phonphisai. My original thought of coming to Thailand was
forpurely teaching experience. But after completing my 2 months in
Phonphisai,
I returned to England with so much more. As soon as I arrived, I was
greeted with the love and warmth of Jack and his relatives. On most
evenings, myself, Alex, &
Phonphisai is a very small town on the banks of the Mekong river,
which separates Thailand & Laos. Staying here changed my whole
perspective on
By day, I
was an assistant teacher at the local secondary school. Here, I
would help Ajan (Teacher) Phusita in class, in a number of ways such
as pronunucation, grammar and spelling. Again my role went beyond
that, as gradually I realised that all of the above were secondary.
The students wanted to know more about myself and the culture that I
represented. Furthermore, many seemed to be very interested on my
thoughts of Thai culture. Hence, teaching in Phonphisai enabled the
opportunity for myself as a teacher, and the students, to teach
English through the means of sharing both cultures. The phrase 'time
of your life' is used too easily in this day in age. I do believe
that my stay with Jack, and his family in Phonphisai, was the best
time -----------------------------------------------------
Patricia Bras, 22 years old,
Na lang getwijfeld te hebben of vrijwilligerswerk wel een echte aanvulling op het reizen was (zou het niet te toeristisch of commercieel zijn, zouden we de kinderen in zo'n korte tijd wel iets kunnen leren, zou mijn Engels goed genoeg zijn en zouden het wel echt locale scholen zijn, of zullen de kinderen grootgebracht zijn met toeristen om zich heen etc.) hebben we besloten om het voor 2 weken uit te proberen.
Achteraf is dit echt de mooiste ervaring van heel Thailand geweest! We werden direct met open armen ontvangen. Jack en zijn familie zijn ontzettend aardig geweest. Je voelt je er echt welkom! Vanaf het moment dat je het dorp inrijdt, ben je in een ander deel van Thailand. Het echte Thailand.
Zoals je het verwacht als je de reisgidsen leest. Het lesgeven als erg leuk en leerzaam. De kinderen zijn zo leergierig! Het geeft je ontzettend veel voldoening als je na een paar dagen merkt dat kinderen proberen Engels tegen je proberen te spreken.
Maar het leukste is misschien nog wel dat er zo veel omheen georganiseerd wordt. Het lesgeven is een onderdeel van het programma. Vrijwel iedere dag is er naast het lesgeven een andere activiteit gepland om zo de echte Thaise cultuur te leren kennen.
Voor mij is het een echte aanvulling geweest!
Email: pappa_pizza@hotmail.com -----------------------------------------------------
Wendy van Berkel
from The Netherlands
Tijdens dit avontuur heb ik Thailand écht leren kennen. Je leert het land, de cultuur en de mensen vanuit de ogen van een vrijwilliger / bewoner van een Thais gezin op een totaal andere manier kennen dan vanuit de ogen van een toerist. Ik heb in mijn reis van 2 maanden veel mooie dingen meegemaakt, veel gezien, veel (bijzondere, gekke, mooie,leuke) dingen gedaan, maar het beste van mijn reis was het lesgeven. De waardering voor het werk wat je doet, zowel van de leraren als de leerlingen geeft zoveel voldoening! Ik was de eerste volunteer en daardoor was het denk ik voor mij en voor hen zo bijzonder. Ik werd dagelijks zwaaiend verwelkomt. De leerlingen hebben veel respect voor de leraren; bij binnenkomst en weggaan staan ze allemaal op en begroeten je beleefd / zeggen je gedag, helpen je zonder het te vragen, luisteren goed, etc. Ik ben geen leraar en geen held in de Engelse taal, maar ik was helemaal in mijn element door de waardering en de voldoening die ik kreeg van het lesgeven. Vanuit mijn school keek ik op de Maekong rivier en zag ik Laos liggen, bijzonder mooi.
Ik heb mij zowel binnen de familie als op school snel thuis gevoeld! Ik ben 2 Thaise namen rijker geworden: op school was mijn naam Kruu Wan (juf Wen) en in de familie werd ik Nuu Wan (letterlijk vertaald: kleine Wen) genoemd. Daarnaast heb ik veel aan de andere vrijwilliger, Barbara uit Amerika, gehad om ervaringen en nieuwe indrukken mee te delen. In mijn ‘vrije tijd’ heb ik de Thaise cultuur op een leuke manier leren kennen. We hebben veel uiteen lopende activiteiten gedaan: o.a. Thaise taalles, (bijzondere) markten bezoeken, pottenbakkerij, monniken bezoeken in de jungle, apen woonachtig bij een tempel bezocht, relaxen in een stoomcabine (bij de tempel, waar je zelf hout moet verzamelen), eten met de hele familie, sterren kijken, mediteren en nog zoveel meer. En dit allemaal met onze coördinator Jack, hij is een echte Thaise jongen: onverwacht en verrassend.
Mijn motto in Thailand was: ‘expect nothing’, want iedere dag heeft zijn eigen wending. Verwacht niets, dan kan het ook niet tegen vallen. Daarnaast heb ik geleerd om meer bewust te zijn van wat er in mijn leventje gebeurt. Bewuster leven is nog meer genieten! Ik heb in een korte tijd een band opgebouwd, met iedere persoon op zijn eigen manier. Afscheid nemen vind ik nooit leuk, het was een moeilijk maar mooi afscheid van alle lieve mensen daar!Email: wvb1982@gmail.com ----------------------------------------------------- Patricia Boogaard 24 years old from Holland In October 2009 I left Holland to travel trough South East Asia for a few months. Little did I know that 5 weeks later I would end up staying at Jacks house for 3 months. In Nong Khai I met some other volunteers and decided to take a look. I came exactly on the right day, rat bbq! After walking around in the rice fields with a whiskey in my hands, I knew this would be an interesting experience. Jacks house is surrounded by rice fields in a very peace and lovely part of Thailand. I was traveling through Thailand for 6 weeks but this is the most magical place where I’ve been.
Mostly I taught at Pak Suay school where I helped out Aiw, the Thai English teacher. The children were so cute and adorable! Although I have absolutely no experience with teaching or with working with children, but no experience is required, it’s about improvising. I learned so much over these 3 months, about teaching, Thailand, Buddhism and myself.
A week in Phon Phisai is never boring, after 1,5 month of teaching children, we went to the Royal Thai Air Force to teach the pilots. For 1 week we taught them English and Western etiquettes but above all, we had a lot of fun with them. I wanted to volunteer for 4 weeks and ended up staying for 3,5 month because I liked it so much. Living with an amazing Thai family, teaching, cleaning a temple, visiting a temple in the mountains for a weekend or dressing up as a Thai lady, it was one fantastic experience! I tried to describe my experiences but actually, not a single word starts to describe how special this really was. I can honestly say that coming to Jacks house and being involved in local Thai life was a life changing experience and a decision I haven’t regretted for a single moment!
Like a few other volunteers, I came back to visit (Songkran festival) and I think that it wasn’t the last time I came back...... Email : patriciab_@hotmail.com ----------------------------------------------------- Lisa Hoffmann From America Like many travelers, I found myself spanning the globe looking for something. What that something was had yet to be discovered on my journey in Thailand. Traveling “off the beaten path” was a bit of a challenge for me, until, I arrived at Isan Survivor. Jack and his contagious smile were there waiting for me at the bus station (even though the bus was late). There was a comforting feeling as I entered Jack’s home and conversed with the other volunteers. The energy there was nothing short of pure optimism. At that moment I knew I had found that ever elusive “something” that I had been searching for.
The next morning we all had a delicious breakfast prepared by Jack’s mother, which was served up family style. Such a wonderful way to start the day! Then off to two different schools to teach. The children were so open to receiving knowledge, quite impressive. In just a few short days Jack had taken the time to show us local schools, restaurants, and Isan culture. Everything from diving of a Thai houseboat to pottery classes. If I wanted to “chill out” that was also available. Nothing like lounging and reading a book on upstairs patio It is apparent that Jack and Isan Survivor have become an intricate part of the community. Everyone in the area seems to know Jack, and they are proud of his accomplishments towards improving and continuing education in the community.
If you are searching for a meaningful and cultural travel experience, you will find it at Isan Survivor. Thank you Jack, for helping me to find that special “something” in Thailand! Email
:awanderingyogini@hotmail.com
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They rarely speak to foreigners, so to learn from a foreigner will help them to see the importance of English, and hopefully they would love to study by themselves more and more. Our volunteers work along with the local Thai English teachers to help the students in pronunciation, general conversation, and basic writing. Also, volunteers can organize informal English classes in local villages after school for interested kids and villagers. Volunteers are invited to join with all school activities such as English camps, sport days, school parties, ect.
Volunteers DO NOT have to be native English speakers or have previous teaching experience. We will teach you the basics and provide a teaching guide book.The students, who rarely see non-Thais in their village, are always amazed and excited that international volunteers take time to teach them. Teaching English to the students is a positive experience for all those involved. l We also have the teaching guide book. In the book you will find guidelines in teaching English to Thai children. We work on Monday to Friday, start at 9.00 till 12.00 am. If you'd like to work more, the schools can always use some extra help in the afternoon. In the morning it will be 2 or 3 hours of teaching, depending on the school. llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
Eddie Drury 25 years old from Australia My time living Jack and his wonderful family in Phon Pisai was, quite simply, magical. The house is very nice and in a beautiful area. One of my favourite things to do was jogging around the local rice paddy fields and farms, exploring new pathways everyday.
Jack's father is so friendly, really a lot of fun. Jack's mother is so kind and caring, she really made me feel like I was her new son. Not to mention that she is, I'm convinced, the best cook in all of Thailand. And the all the locals were, without exception, very friendly; all smiles and curious to meet this new 'Farang' who had come to town.
I had no previous teaching experience, so teaching with Ajan Yupaporn was at times very challenging, but I learned a lot from it. She offered a lot of support and advice on teaching, but also gave me a lot of freedom to try out ideas and different things. If you put the time into making a good lesson, the teaching could be a real hoot. The students were all lovely and fun - if not always hardworking - and (like everyone else) just so curious about this new Farang who'd come to town.
And the Isan Survivor activities were very fun and a real invaluable window into the lives of average Isan people. We walked through farms, discussed the uses of different plants, talked with locals and went down the Mekong River on a local fishing boat. Jack has a real passion for the land and people, and he really managed to get his enthusiasm across. I really enjoyed my time in Phon Pisai. I'll always look back on the
town and the friends I made fondly, and I'll be coming back to visit as
soon as I can.
----------------------------------------------Broniya
Rogoz 22
years old
From Holland
Met open armen ben ik hier
ontvangen en ik heb heel veel moois mogen zien en leren in deze
prachtige omgeving. Altijd liefdevolle en behulpzame mensen om me heen,
dat is toch het beste wat een mens kan hebben. Net zoals de vele
schattige kinderen die ik om mee heen heb gehad, op de WatLuang school.
Ze wilden alles van me weten, me aldoor aanraken en altijd maar zwaaien
en roepen naar me. De kinderen en mensen vinden het prachtig en vooral
interessant dat er een buitenlander in hun dorp is en dat is hier zeker
te merken. Deze ervaring met spannende, unieke en leerzame momenten had
ik voor geen goud willen missen!
Read more about Broniya's experience with Isan Survivor.
http://broniya.reismee.nl/reisverhaal/618/isan-survivor/ ------------------------------------------------ Jeroen fierens 19 years old from Netherlands
My second home Teaching there wasn't always easy, especially in the lower classes, because their English is mainly limited to "Good moooorning teeeaaacher, how aaaare you?", but I've absolutely had a great time at that school! The kids are really eager to learn everything you tell them, so if you prepare some good lessons, you can really expand their vocab and understanding by a thousand per cent.
After
school, Jack took us to see many things: We went to see the sunset on
the Mekong in the boat of a fisherman, we saw an Isan pottery maker (and
they let us make one ourselves, no great success!), we saw the market of
Lao coming over the river to sell their goods at the side of the Mekong,
we went to a village celebration (one of the funniest things I've ever
done!) , Jack took us to his master, a monk in the mountains of Loei,
for two days... and many many more things. If you want to really get to
know Isan and its people, Isan Survivor is the best place to stay!
Leaving Isan Survivor was really
hard for me, having to leave Jack and his lovely family behind, leaving
Chumphol and my friends behind, it made me realize I was actually
leaving home. I'm going back there in a month to celebrate Songkran and,
although I just left this morning, I just can't wait until April...
http://jeroenfierens.reismee.nl/reisverhaal/14744/isan-survivor/
------------------------------------------------ Diana Van Dertuuk from The Netherlands
I stayed with Jack and his family for 1 month at the end of 2009. Having been 4 times to Thailand before I wanted to do something else than just being another tourist again so I looked into volunteering and ended up signing up with Isan Survivor. Nothing and nobody could have prepared me for what I experienced and the feeling that I had when I left.
I'm Diana, 34 years old, from Amsterdam in The Netherlands and being here opened my heart. I taught mainly at Pak Suay (Beautiful Mouth) primary school but also helped out on other schools, primary and secondary. I've loved every minute being here and teaching the children. They are the sweetest and cutest you will ever meet and they have the capacity to give you so much affection and love, it made me feel extremely special. My farewell, after only a month, was probably the best thing I ever experienced in my life so far. I sang and danced with over 100 kids and they covered me with hugs, smiles and gifts. And teaching is sometimes about improvising but mostly about giving the kids confidence to speak as they hardly speak to foreigners. I played a lot of games, danced and sang with them, but also practiced conversations. I have seen what a difference you can make in such a short time and you will get so much more back from them than you're able to give them.
Because of Jack, his family, his friends and the other volunteers, I had an unforgettable time full with interesting an fun experiences. Had so much fun on the rat hunt and bbq, had a spiritual encounter with a forest monk, laughed so hard during karaoke and learned more about Thai and Isan culture and language.
I'm deeply grateful that I was able to spend time here and hope to come back to see 'my' kids again, and to meet Jack again of course. Email: dvdtuuk@hotmail.com
----------------------------------------------- Gretha 22 jaar, Nederland Suzan werkt in Nederland met kinderen. Zo is zij op het idée gekomen om ook hier iets goeds voor de kinderen te doen. Ik zou samen met haar gaan reizen, dus vond ik het oke om dit te gaan doen. Ik wist eigenlijk niet zo goed wat ik ervan moest verwachten, van het schooltje, de kinderen, en het lesgeven.
Mijn ervaring was geweldig. We warden bij Jack thuis super gastvrij ontvangen, dat je je gelijk thuis voelt hier. De kinderen waren ook super lief, en leergierig! Dat de laatste dag om weg te gaan wel een beetje moeilijk was om afscheid te nemen. Ik bene rg blij dat ik dit gedaan heb, Ik zou heel graag trugkomen hier en dan voor een langere tijd. Ook Jack bedankt! Voor deze zeer leuke tijd en dat je ons overal mee naar toe nam. Geweldig. XXX Gretha Email : xgrethax16@hotmail.com
Suzan Ik heb super genoten hier bij Jack,het was werkelijk super mooi om met deze geweldige kinderen te mogen werken.Ze zijn zo vrolijk en het was een ervaring om nooit meer te vergeten.Het lesgeven naar het weeshuis en naar twee schooltjes die heel erg arm waren.Namens de kinderen van mijn werk de vrienden en bedrijven uit mijn woonplaats Beers en nog veel andere lieve mensen die me financieel gesteund hebben heb ik er mooie en bruikbare dingen voor kunnen kopen ,deze mooie kinderen die het zo hard kunnen gebruiken.Bij Jack zijn we super welkom ontvangen hij heeft ons heel veel mooie dingen laten zien na het lesgeven.
We voelden on ser helemaal thuis en hebben een schitterende tijd bij deze lieve familie gehad,ik had zoveel langer willen blijven en nog zoveel meer willen doen voor de arme kinderen. Bedankt Jack voor deze mooie tijd en geweldige ervaring Liefs van Suzan uit Beers xxx Email: Suzan.Jans@home.nl ------------------------------------------------ Karolina Malmek, 19 Sweden
I came to be a part of the Isan Survivor project by a mere coincidence, I just happened to run in to two other Isan volunteers on the bus to Lao. So, instead of crossing the border I spent a week in the rural parts of northern Thailand. I had no previous experience of volunteer work or any expectations what so ever, but my stay here has been nothing but wonderful if only far to short. Jack is indeed the perfect host and he makes sure that you get an opportunity both to understand and to help his people. The area is full of interesting meetings with local history, foods and traditions. I especially enjoyed our visits to the temples and meeting the Buddhist monks.
In one weeks time I haven’t encountered single unfriendly face and yet I have met so many people! The teachers, Jacks friends and family, the students, other volunteers and villagers were all so welcoming. I am very glad that I ended up here and I’d love to go back to stay for a longer period of time. |
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