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English Immersion Programmes In Europe For Volunteers
Have you been talking this week but paying for your own accommodation and meals? You fool. All around Europe there are opportunities where chatting away earns a hotel room, food and drink.
English immersion programmes need native English speakers of all ages and backgrounds to help create an English speaking environment in which to immerse their students. Some organisations will welcome non native speakers, with excellent English, to help make their foreign field temporary England.
Many of the organisations listed below hold both adult and junior or teen programmes, providing a great opportunity for younger volunteers to participate too. On the opposite end of the age scale, older travellers often wish they had discovered the concept earlier, holding these programmes as one of the best ways for travellers their age to get involved in volunteering.
No Experience needed. All you have to do is talk
This isn’t teaching. It is conversation. All you have to do is talk. Teaching experience isn’t required as participants simply have to speak English on given subjects. Volunteers talk to Poles, Czechs, Spanish, Italians, Germans, Hungarians or other nationalities. This helps them to overcome their fear of speaking a foreign language.
There is no need to speak the languages of the countries where these programmes are held. In fact, it is frowned upon and could get you kicked out.
The concept was pioneered in Spain where Pueblo Ingles has long been known to working travellers for using English speaking volunteers to help create a fully English speaking environment in Spain. Paired up with Spanish students all the volunteers have to do is wander the streets of the village, eat three course meals and enjoy a few glasses of wine, all the time creating an immersive experience for their partner by talking in English the whole time.
Poland is currently the hottest spot for the idea. JustSpeak, a regular Jobs Abroad Bulletin advertiser based in Poznan, explains the “idea is to bring participants from English speaking countries together with Polish individuals of all ages in a fun, relaxed learning environment. We want to stimulate conversation in a natural fashion on topics that are interesting for each individual. There will be several different activities every day including conversation sessions, group activities and games. These change every hour to keep things fresh.”
Anglos
The volunteer English speakers are often called Anglos and are teamed up with a local student, business person, or anyone else that wants to improve their English skills.
It’s possible to do more than one programme. Angloville says most of their volunteers and returning volunteers sign up for three to six weeks over the summer. Free transport is provided to the hotel venue but volunteers will have to pay their own way to departure cities.
For dates in 2023, visit the following immersion programme organisers:
JustSpeak
Poland
JustSpeak is an English language immersion programme based in Poznan, with the ambition to raise the level of spoken English throughout the country by way of conversational English courses. Their courses are held once or twice a month all year round. Transport to the course venue leaves from Poznan for all dates.
More information: https://justspeak.pl/just-speak-english-native-speakers-info/
Angloville
Poland, Malta, Greece, Germany, France, Hungary, UK
Angloville has grown to be the biggest provider of immersion programmes and is now active in several countries in Europe. Most of their programmes are held in Poland and Hungary but they have a selection of dates in the summer for other countries on their junior programme.
See https://angloville.com/calendar-2/ for their full event calendar up to August.
Speak
Italy
Speak is the first company in Italy to offer English language immersion summer camps. They offer both an adult and a teen programme. In previous years, Speak offered more dates previously but they seem to be still finding their feet after Covid.
More information: https://www.speakinitaly.com/anglos/teens
Englishhausen
Germany
In 2023, Englishhausen is running its programmes from February up to November 12.
More information: https://www.englischhausen.de/volunteers-english.html
Pueblo Ingles and Villaggio Inglese
Spain & Italy
Englishhausen is part of Diverbo, the same group as Pueblo Ingles, which has similar volunteer opportunities for adults and teens in Spain. Their full calendar for 2023, including for Englishhausen, can be via https://www.volunteerspuebloingles.com/calendar/
Villaggio Inglese, is the Italian arm of the business, but what we assume is their page for Anglos is, oddly, in Italian only. The only exception is the words “If you are a native English speaker and you want to volunteer with us for our Italian programs please request information here: volunteers@puebloingles.com”
EnglishStay
Czech Republic
A non profit organization in Prague, EnglishStay aims to raise the English language literacy of Czech students by enabling them to interact with native English speakers in a multicultural exchange. Information on volunteering to give one on one conversations with their students can be found on their dedicated website at www.praguevolunteer.com with programme locations and dates at https://www.praguevolunteer.com/terms-and-program-location/.
Who has done it?
There’s no shortage of travel bloggers who have written about their experiences and shared their reviews of volunteering on English language immersion programmes.
Terry Anzur volunteered recently in Spain with Diverbo’s Pueblo Ingles having learned about them from a Facebook group for expats in Slovenia. She enjoyed her time and suggests for those that take part this ‘free vacation’ could turn out to be a valuable life experience too.
Brittany spent her week with Pueblo Ingles in 2015, while The Professional Hobo, Nora Dunn, volunteered there in 2010. Brooke volunteered with Pueblo Ingles after a couple of weeks in Poland with Angloville.
Dani Leigh is another traveller that has tried more than one programme. Beginning with JustSpeak in Poland, she went on to take part in 16 Angloville programmes in eight venues in Poland and the Czech Republic.
Dani first heard of Angloville when she met Sherrill Madden on her first JustSpeak programme in Kwiejce. Since starting travelling in her sixties, Sherrill has participated in more than a dozen English immersion programmes in Spain, Poland – with both JustSpeak and Angloville – England, and the Czech Republic.
Bri hooked up with Englishhausen in Germany. Silvana Clark and her husband, Alan, also volunteered with Englshhausen and in Spain with Pueblo Ingles.
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