Pre Interview Video (Online Extracurricular English Workshops 2025)

Summary

The video outlines the responsibilities and expectations for volunteers in the English Open Doors program in Chile. Volunteers will engage with students in dynamic, student-centered workshops, focusing on participation and enjoyment. Key duties include tracking attendance, assessing student progress, and maintaining clear communication with school counterparts, potentially in Spanish. The program emphasizes professionalism, flexibility, and enthusiasm, with a goal to immerse students in English. Volunteers are encouraged to praise effort and create an inclusive, motivating environment. The timeline spans from mid-June to November, with training and workshops starting in late September.

Takeaways

• 😀 Volunteers are expected to be professional, proactive, and flexible when managing workshops and interacting with students and school counterparts.
• 😀 The program emphasizes a student-centered approach, focusing on engaging students in a dynamic and motivating environment.
• 😀 Volunteers should prioritize participation and praise all efforts, not just correct answers, to build students' confidence and engagement.
• 😀 The program encourages using enthusiastic expressions and body language to create a fun and engaging atmosphere for students.
• 😀 Volunteers will need to track attendance and input the data into a spreadsheet for each session, marking students as present or absent.
• 😀 Communication is key—volunteers must maintain clear and proactive communication with the school counterparts and the support network (National Volunteer Center).
• 😀 Google Translate may be used to facilitate communication with Spanish-speaking school counterparts, particularly if they’re not English teachers.
• 😀 Workshops will begin at the end of September and run until early November, with a two-week buffer for make-up sessions and evaluations.
• 😀 The program encourages volunteers to not practice Spanish during the sessions to maximize the students' English immersion experience.
• 😀 Volunteers should be ready to handle surprises or unexpected situations and work with the team to resolve them promptly.
• 😀 Volunteers are encouraged to make the experience enjoyable for students by incorporating games and activities that enhance learning.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the English Open Doors program?

The main focus of the English Open Doors program is to provide an immersive English language learning experience for students in Chile's public schools, with an emphasis on creating a positive, motivating, and inclusive environment.

How are sessions delivered and evaluated in the program?

Sessions are delivered by volunteers who focus on activities and learning objectives. After each session, volunteers review recordings and use a user-friendly rubric to assess students' achievements against the learning objectives.

What are the administrative duties of the volunteers in the program?

Volunteers are responsible for tracking attendance by marking students as present or absent in a spreadsheet. They must also record final evaluation scores for each student and maintain regular communication with their school counterparts.

How do volunteers track student attendance?

Volunteers track attendance by marking each student's presence in a spreadsheet immediately after each session, using a '1' for present and '0' for absent. They also note the date of the session.

What should volunteers do if they need to communicate with non-English-speaking school staff?

Volunteers should use Spanish in their written communications if the school counterpart is not an English speaker. A simple method is to use Google Translate to translate messages from English to Spanish before sending them.

What are the key qualities that the program looks for in volunteers?

The program looks for volunteers who are professional, proactive, flexible, and enthusiastic. Volunteers should also be student-centered, focusing on creating an enjoyable and motivating learning experience for all students.

What is the importance of student participation in the program?

Participation is considered the program’s primary goal, rather than perfection. Volunteers are encouraged to praise students for their efforts, regardless of whether they provide correct answers, to help boost confidence and encourage learning.

How should volunteers handle unexpected situations during their sessions?

Volunteers should be flexible and adaptable, addressing any unexpected situations with a proactive mindset. They are encouraged to communicate with the school and program representatives to find solutions to challenges that arise.

What language should volunteers primarily use during the sessions?

Volunteers are expected to primarily use English during their sessions. While Spanish may occasionally be necessary for communication, excessive translation into Spanish could hinder students' immersion and practice in English.

What is the timeline for the program, including important dates?

The program's timeline includes applications from mid-June to mid-July, interviews from June 23rd to mid-August, workshop assignments by September, and workshops beginning on September 29th. The workshops end by November 7th, with an additional two weeks for makeup sessions and final evaluations.