_To Volunteer

Volunteering Information

If you are curious about volunteering, or know that you want to volunteer, just send an email to info1@spiriteduc.org and include the following information:

  1. Name.
  2. E-mail.
  3. Phone number.
  4. Skype name if you have one. Note: Skype is free to download and use.
  5. Reason for interest- ie: why do you want to volunteer?
  6. Spanish level, if any. None is OK.
  7. Do you have any teaching (volunteer) experience in language learning? None is OK.
  8. Please include info from the following:

Prospective Volunteers

Our girls are at various levels of Spanish and ability. The list below shows the various skills that they need to work on. The goal is to match your skills and interests with their needs. The skills are what you would work on during your weekly session, but do not exclude general modes of language learning. For example, you might choose the grammar emphasis, but your class will include pronunciation, vocabulary and speaking as tools to learn, practice and improve their grammar. 

Please choose two of the following 7 options, AND answer #8, 9 and 10.

  1. BASIC GRAMMAR: resources will be lesson plan topic outline order and your girl’s weekly emails specifying topics she feels she needs help on.
  2. VOCABULARY BUILDING: resources are transcripts from their Pimsleur and Tell Me More programs,  as a basic for conversational vocabulary building. 
  3. PRONUNCIATION: resources- short stories you can read together and correct as needed.
  4. SPEAKING and LISTENING SKILLS: transcripts for their current level to use as a basis for conversation.
  5. CONVERSATIONAL PRACTICE: attention to sentence structure. Guatemalan’s don’t have a good concept of what a sentence is and they have endless sentences with an overuse of AND, BUT, and any other connector that is available, appropriate or not. Stop your girl, if she needs to take a breath in the middle of a sentence, and start over).
  6. LISTENING AND WRITING JOB SKILL: dictation of any topic and use of “CHAT” on Skype. (We can help you get this working). This can/ should include MOCK CALLS of a call center nature that does not require technical knowledge training. For example: Taking down clients address and phone for company records. Not, how can I set up my TV remote?
  7. RETENTION JOB SKILL: speaking 2+ sentences on any topic and having her repeat word for word. (Perfection not necessary, but more is)
  8. DO YOU PREFER: a beginner, intermediate or advanced student?
  9. When are you available? We assign a specific hour, starting on the hour, any day of the week. The possible constraints are the monsoon storms (generally 2-5 Guatemala time) when the power may have to be turned off and their class times at 10 AM Tuesday-Friday and 11 AM on Monday. Guatemala is always on Central Standard time, so when you go to daylight time, you must change your class time accordingly.
  10. Name, Phone Number, Skype name (if you have one or will get one) and email if you haven’t already provided it.