Turkey

Quick Facts

Duration: 5.5 weeks
2012 Program dates: June 14 – July 19

  • Arrival in Istanbul: June 14
  • Orientation in Istanbul: Thursday, June 14th –  Saturday, June 16th
  • Arrival in Adiyaman: Sunday, June 17
  • First day of teaching: Monday, June 18
  • Last day of teaching/program close: Thursday, July 19th

 

Number of volunteers: 4
Language Requirement: None
Students’ English level: all ages, all levels
Environment: mid-sized city
Living Conditions: Hot water will be available in most places. Squat toilets are to be expected. Internet available in cafes.
Country Coordinator: Serdar Tunc is a local Turkish English teacher and has been very involved with the program from day one.

For questions not answered on this website, Contact Stefie

Program Structure

The Turkey Program aspires to create a fun, educational, and rewarding experience for both students and volunteers alike. Volunteers will be expected to arrive in Turkey with an open mind and a commitment to building relationships with host families and students. Each volunteer will be asked to serve as a teacher and leader on a daily basis: holding formal classroom sessions, conducting study groups and specialty lessons outside of scheduled classes, and taking the initiative to complete a service project with their classes. Volunteers should also remember that learning goes both ways, and make their best effort to integrate into the community as well as help their host families around the home.

The ideal candidate for the Turkey Program will:

  • Have the uncanny ability to jump into a classroom with little structure and limited supplies and sculpt lessons into coherent, fun, and creative experiences.
  • Have had previous experience with teaching.
  • Endless enthusiasm for the unknown and the desire to learn from new experiences (this is WORK, not a vacation! It will often be frustrating, but most of the time it will be fun!)
  • Understand that this is an Islamic culture, and recognize that behavior and dress should be appropriate.

Host Community

Adiyaman

A mid-sized city, but many of its inhabitants were born in surrounding villages Located in south-eastern Turkey, one of the fastest growing cities in the country The weather is very hot and very dry. 100-115F during the day, little to no rainfall Most homes will have hot water, but many will have squat toilets Some homes may have air conditioning; a few might have wireless Internet Internet cafes are available in town, though not considered convenient to American standards There is a mini-bus system that runs throughout the city

Host families

Most families will have a student that will be attending LE classes Most families have large extended families – you will attend lots of weddings and weekend picnics! The food is wonderful – lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, kebabs, rice, yogurt… and lots of tea. Turkish hospitality is famous – all host families will go far out of their way to make you feel comfortable and welcome.

Teaching

Our mission is to increase access to high-quality, free, conversational English.

Volunteers teach classes during the summer break and will end the program just as Ramadan is beginning.
Classes will run from the morning to the early afternoon, but volunteers will be expected to hold afternoon study groups/activities sessions.
Volunteers teach in local schools, which are usually within walking distance.
Each class will contain between 10-35 students and we will make an effort to organize these according to level.
Classes will be open to the entire community, but most students will be between 4th grade and 12th grade.
Having fun is what this is all about! The more creative you get, the more your students (and you!) will learn.

 Additional Information

Turkey_Addendum PY 2012, a field guide to life in-country.

Turkey Projected Expenses PY 2012. Please note that all expenses are estimates and can vary depending on personal spending habits.