The European Solidarity Corps (ESC) opens opportunities in a broad range of areas, such as education and youth activities. In some of these projects volunteers support English classes at the local high school, run an English cafe at the local bar and teach English classes for local college students. ESC is not a temporary or part-time job, an internship, paid work or cheap labour. ESC volunteering that involves teaching or supporting English does not require an official document such as a teaching certificate; an official document is usually asked only for very specific tasks. Youth Works Hub puts together here what real volunteers did and said about English classes. Our guide on what the European Solidarity Corps is explains the programme.
Last updated: November 2026.
Is volunteering to teach English a teaching job?
No: ESC is not a temporary or part-time job, an internship or paid work, and the aim is that the volunteer makes a concrete contribution to the community, develops personally and experiences intercultural solidarity. You are not supposed to do routine tasks that paid employees would normally do, and you should not do high-responsibility tasks alone or without supervision. Two volunteers at a school in Kraków describe the role as mostly helping kids who need a bit of extra support to understand what's going on. During a long-term project you cannot do paid work, even in your free time. Our guide on what ESC volunteering means explains the idea behind the programme.
What do volunteers do in English classes at school?
Volunteers at school assist in English classes and support the children who need more help, and some bring games into the lesson. Here is what real projects looked like:
🎲 Games in class in Kraków, Poland: Two volunteers from Italy and Germany are in English classes a lot and also run workshops about their countries. "We try to make English lessons as fun as possible by mixing in games and activities, so it’s not all just sitting and listening."
📘 Extra support in Kraków, Poland: A volunteer from Morocco takes part in English lessons and mainly helps the kids who need a bit more support in understanding the material and keeping up with the lessons.
🍝 High school for gastronomy in Poggiardo, Italy: On Monday and Wednesday from 09:00 to 13:00, volunteers at one project were supporting English classes at the local high school for gastronomy.
🏫 Three mornings a week in Italy: At another Italian project, volunteers were supporting English classes at the local high school for gastronomy on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 09:00 to 13:00.
🗣️ Language assistant in a high school: Elisa, a European Solidarity Corps volunteer near Marseille, worked as a language assistant in Italian and English classes in a high school together with a volunteer from Greece.
🎨 Primary school for highly gifted children: In one European Solidarity Corps project at a primary school for highly gifted children aged 4 to 12, volunteers assist in teaching English, art and/or culture as extra hands, with reading and activities for small groups.
✏️ Workshops the volunteers started in Poland: At a primary school near Warsaw, European Solidarity Corps volunteers started leading workshops with the goal of teaching English in a non-formal way, a task initiated by the volunteers themselves.
Our story on a day in the life of a volunteer shows what the rest of the day looks like.
Where else do volunteers teach English?
Volunteers also teach English outside school: in cafes, clubs, workshops and adult groups. Here are the settings in real project timetables and volunteer stories:
☕ English cafe at the local bar: On Friday evenings from 20:00 to 22:00, volunteers at two Italian projects held an English cafe at the local bar, a non-formal meeting with local youth who want to practise English.
🏛️ Tourist info point in a museum: On Tuesday and Friday from 09:00 to 13:00, volunteers at one Italian project gave English support at the tourist info point in the museum.
🧒 Children at risk of exclusion in Málaga, Spain: Volunteers at one project ran an English workshop for children at risk of exclusion every weekday from 16:00 to 17:00.
💼 English for a company in Málaga, Spain: The same Málaga timetable has a Wednesday workshop in the coworking space, with English for the company.
🎤 Language facilitator in Ferrol, Spain: On Tuesday and Wednesday from 10:00 to 14:00, a volunteer working as a language facilitator prepared classes (programme design, exercises, dynamics), and on Tuesday from 19:00 to 20:30 ran Speak Factor, an English public speaking workshop.
🧑🏫 Clubs in Csíkszereda, Romania: A volunteer ran 15 English clubs and writes: "In addition, we had 15 English clubs which were a bit more chaotic but they definitely had their charm."
🌈 Kindergarten in Ankara: Anna, a volunteer on a two-month European Solidarity Corps project in Ankara, arranged interactive English classes for kindergarten children, teaching numbers and colours to almost 20 kids in a fun way.
Our article on how ESC makes an impact explains what this work means for local communities.
What is hard about teaching English as a volunteer?
The hard parts volunteers name include the language barrier, the students' age group and the attempt to create a bond with them:
🔤 Students who cannot read or write: A volunteer in refugee classes in Athens, Greece, says: "At the beginning, it was difficult for me to teach because some of my students (refugees from different countries) could neither read nor write." Over time it was easier to teach and the volunteer felt more comfortable.
🤝 Building trust with students: A volunteer teaching English in Miercurea Ciuc, Romania, says it wasn't easy, but little by little a relationship of trust was built, with creative ways to engage the students.
🧩 Children with little English: In Miercurea Ciuc, Romania, Hungarian is the primary language and most children don't speak much English, which one volunteer calls a rewarding opportunity to find creative ways to connect.
😐 Showing up on bad days: On some days a volunteer named Elisa woke up moody but still had to show up smiling and bright because Elisa was responsible for the kids, which was really challenging.
🪑 Nobody at the club: Volunteers in Beja, Portugal, sometimes go to English lessons or English clubs; one day some of the volunteers went to an English speaking club for children, but nobody was at the speaking club, so they came back.
Our article on what makes an ideal volunteer covers the attitude that helps on days like these.
How do volunteers without teaching training prepare?
Volunteers can prepare by teaching together with experienced volunteers and by using lesson plans or language books. A volunteer in Athens, Greece, taught together with experienced volunteers to learn how to prepare and teach a language, and after one week got their own German and English class. To prepare, that volunteer used the lesson plans the previous volunteers shared or one of the language books in the hostel. You should be encouraged to use your own ideas, creativity and experience to take an active role in setting up your European Solidarity Corps activity together with the organisations involved. Anna, a volunteer in Ankara, Turkey, taught about eight intermediate students in a two-hour lesson and gained skills in time management, flexibility and teaching a foreign language. Our guide on writing an ESC motivation letter shows how to talk about your own ideas when you apply.
Do you need a teaching certificate?
No: ESC volunteering that involves teaching or supporting English does not require an official document such as a teaching certificate; an official document is usually asked only for very specific tasks. Your level of education is not a barrier: someone who has only finished middle school can also take part in the projects. One project listing at a primary school looks for independent, professional, open-minded, social, energetic and creative young people who have an affinity with children and like to organise and plan events and teach children. Our guide on who can apply explains the conditions to join.
How much English and local language do you need?
In the European Solidarity Corps, most projects accept participants with basic English, and language support is provided during the project. There are few problems with language itself, but it pays to learn at least enough of the local language to manage at the local market or greengrocer. Some projects include the local language: one Italian timetable has Italian lessons from 17:00 to 18:30, and one project listing offers Dutch lessons. Our guide on Online Language Support explains the online courses for volunteers, and our article on learning a language through volunteering covers daily practice.
How do you choose an English teaching project?
Choose a project on a topic you are really interested in, because you will volunteer for quite a long time in an organisation dealing with that topic. Tanya, a European Solidarity Corps volunteer from Ukraine, says that if you do not feel like teaching kids, do not go teaching kids, because it would not be fair and the organisation would see you are not really motivated. Many applicants look only at the country of the project and apply because the location appeals to them, without looking at the topic and the other details. Most applications are rejected at the first screening because the applicant did not read the details of the call (the project listing). Our guide on how to choose a project goes through the details to check.
Frequently asked questions
Is volunteering to teach English paid?
No: ESC is not a temporary or part-time job, an internship or paid work. One listing for English support at a primary school offers accommodation, pocket money, a food allowance, Dutch lessons, access to a bike and on-arrival and mid-term training. Our guide on whether ESC is fully funded explains what is covered.
Can you teach English to adults?
Yes: a volunteer from Austria at a youth centre in Lithuania taught English to Lithuanian adults in the form of regular lessons together with other volunteers, and calls it an unexpected challenge. A volunteer from Spain in Kraków, Poland, teaches beginner English to seniors and says: "These classes are more challenging because we don’t share a common language so sometimes, we struggle to communicate. However, I try to make the lessons interactive using as many images as possible, so they feel comfortable and engaged."
Can you teach English on a short project?
Yes: Anna, 19, from Russia was accepted to a two-month European Solidarity Corps project in Ankara, Turkey, and taught English classes there. Our guide on Volunteering Teams explains another short option.
Will you learn the local language?
Often yes: volunteers in an ESC project gain some of the host country's language. Volunteers also gain a foreign language used as a tool in daily life, not as a lesson. Our article on learning a language through volunteering has more on daily practice.
How do you find an English teaching project?
You find these projects in the ESC projects category of Youth Works Hub or on the Match page. Match asks 8 questions, shows the results as a swipeable deck of cards and keeps saved projects on your profile page. Using Match requires creating an account on the site; signing up with Google is available but not required.
Related pages: what ESC volunteering means · how to choose a project · learning a language through volunteering · a day in the life of a volunteer · what makes an ideal volunteer
👉 ESC projects: youthworkshub.org/?tab=esc-projects
