Volunteering to Teach English in Poland

Thousands of travelers see free room and board opportunities as the ultimate summer getaway decision. This is especially true, when it comes to traveling to new countries and meeting new people. Angloville was a linguistic and cultural experience I will not forget -- including the soggy camp pierogis that are singed into my memory.

What is Angloville?

Angloville is a genius project really, it connects native English speakers to language students (either youth or adult) to help learners improve their conversational skills through camp activities. "Volunteer" native English speakers get to choose venues scattered across Europe; including Poland, Hungary, Romania, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ireland, England or Malta for 1-8 weeks depending on their availability. Each program includes full board such as a place to sleep, transportation to and from the venue, food, a field trip, and daily cultural exchange!

Which European venue did you choose?

Obviously, Malta was my first choice. HELLO!? Malta! When would I ever get to travel there with room and board COVERED? The Angloville website boasted an obscenely beautiful location at Malta University and a dazzling swimming pool that I pictured myself in for all of eternity.

I had heard about Angloville a few months before my summer began. If I had known sooner about the organization, I would have applied MUCH earlier (maybe January or February) to secure my ideal spot. Unfortunately for myself and my epic pool dreams, Malta was filled and so I selected a different country. To be honest, I was nervous about the others. I hadn't heard much about them being "top touristy destinations" for solo female travelers, so I was hesitant at first.

There were A LOT of available positions in Poland. So, I picked one that had nice pictures of the mountainside and a pool. I imagined myself hiking everyday and being the most outdoorsy adorable traveler, eating pierogis and teaching cherub children the secrets of the English language. An agent guided me through the online selection process, as I changed my mind a million times. "Should I wait and see if Malta opens up? Should I choose a different country? Will I be stuck in a sweltering pit of humidity? Where is Poland on a map?" My mind became bombarded by my ignorance.

How do you apply for Angloville?

Once you go onto the Angloville website and fill out a form, the selection process is fairly simple. An agent contacts you over the phone for an interview and you share your experience of teaching/tutoring with them. It is very casual and so easy to feel comfortable talking about who you are and why you love teaching children.

You DO NOT need to be a teacher or holder of TEFL/TESOL/TESL/ESL/ -- or any other obsurd Acronym for that matter! You really just need to a native English speaker without a sketchy background, have a police background check, strong references and voila! You're HIRED (without pay, of course).

Angloville also offers the Anglo-TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) Scholarship with an accredited 120-hour TEFL certificate and 3-week real life teaching experience. If volunteers sign up for 3 camps. It is accredited by TQUK, Ofqual, ACDL and provided online by Premier TEFL.

There is a strange money transfer process that happens where you will pay a deposit to Angloville. This is to ensure you don't peace out on the position while gallivanting Europe, because let's be real, that probably happens a lot. This is returned to you after you complete your program and doesn't hit the wallet too hard.

What is Krakow, Poland like?

Before the English camps began, I went to the main city where I would meet with the other volunteers and then head to the rural area where the venue was. I headed to Krakow with a backpack full of nostalgia for the countries I had left behind on my Eurotrip (Croatia and Bosnia Herzegovina). So, I was a bit down in the dumps. I spent the first night by myself; semi-sulking over what was behind me, the uncertainty of the future and how incredible warm pierogis tasted. These sweet, succulent morsels of potato flesh were so much better than the Costco imposters I had eaten growing up. I highly recommend ordering the savory fillings of mushrooms, potato, spinach or "Russian." Side note, emotional eating should be on my resume.

As I wallowed about in Krakow's Rynek Glowny (Central Square) alone, I looked up and finally realized how incredibly beautiful the nerve centre of the medieval Old Town was. The lights of the city twinkled upon the historic 700-year old Florianska Street (ulice), a hive of activity, and led me down multiple cobble paths that showcased the middle age architecture of cafe's, museums, pubs, souvenir shops, historical landmarks, and hotels. The aromas of baked goodness and hanging flower baskets was dizzying. Within the city centre, I saw the patios of restaurants that Vladimir Lenin would take his wife and mistress to for afternoon tea. Those Communists really do share everything!

What is the history of Krakow during the Second World War?

Discovering the Old Town of Poland makes one curious. How did this pristine slice of Europe preserve itself from Nazi occupation during WWII? Although Krakow's beauty appears to be untouched by the Second World War, it did in fact struggle under the surface. The Nazis invaded Poland in 1939 and set up a puppet government in Krakow to be their headquarters. They took up residence in Wawel Castle and constructed forced-labor camps and a Jewish ghetto, from where Jews would be sent to Auschwitz concentration camp. Side note, I never went to Auschwitz during my time in Poland, but I really wish I had. I was told by many that it is deeply sad, but necessary.

In 1944, the Nazis began retreating and started destroying evidence of their horrific crimes. They did this by detonating crematoriums and camp buildings, but didn't have enough time to destroy the gas chambers. They intended to raze Krakow, but a sudden Soviet Red Army advance enabled the city to narrowly escape and remain unscathed before the 1945 liberation.

What did you like about volunteering with Angloville?

The next morning, I set out of my hostel. You know, the 8-bed hostel rooms with a lot of drunken 19-year old Aussies, who come wobbling in at 3 AM. Am I too old for this yet? It's just so affordable. My destination was to meet the other volunteers at Wawel Castle for a "walking tour." Now, I didn't know this then, but that "walking tour" is absolutely ESSENTIAL for getting to know the other staff. Immediately, I bonded with two others who seemed like the right amount of teacher-business and good times galore. Had I not gone to that walking tour, I would have missed out on essential bonding and had to play catch up at camp. If I can recommend anything. DO THE TOUR. Make ONE friend. BE friendly. Ask questions! Don't brag about your travels, please. Someone else will do that for you, trust.

The walking tour was comprised of important information, I think. Walking tours totally make me zone out, I just nod my head and take pictures. Then, I'll go back and google the pictures for information. If the tour guide speaks softly and isn't animated, it is game over for me. GIVE ME A MAP with keywords and pictures! I am a child! This would enhance my walking tour interest level by 1,000. Luckily, the tour was followed by a delicious lunch provided by Angloville. This lunch consisted of plenty of girl gab (since we didn't have any male volunteers with us during that time) involving, "Do you think Polish guys are hot? Do you want to get pierogis? Are we going out tonight?" Upon which the answers were always "YES."

Our last night before camp started, all of us girls headed into the Jewish quarter of Kazimierz for added eating and drinking. This place had great street food and lively pubs a-plenty. This bonding time was also essential in just letting loose and getting to know my future co-workers. Fast forward to 8am the next morning. It was brutal for some. Some almost didn't make it. Hydration and bedtime before 1am was key for me. We began our ascent into the woods on comfy charter buses. Here, we sat next to a Angloville student and began our conversing.

My seat mate was probably the most bubbly, adorable girl in Poland (Europe, even!). I greeted her with a smile and she immediately asked to sit next to me. This showed me the importance of always looking friendly, putting that RBF on pause for the camp experience. She spoke Polish, English and even knew some Spanish. I would soon learn that ALL OF THE KIDS were incredibly intelligent, well-mannered and had extremely strong mathematics skills.

The venue was spectacular. A wooden hotel in the trees on a country road, 1.5 hours outside of Krakow. Nothing around. I would never discover what was down the road because this venue would be my home for the week. Camp was filled with breakout sessions where volunteers would work one-on-one or in small groups with students learning English either inside or outside the building. Angloville really harnessed the essence of cultural exchange, as we practiced with different kids each day - asking the same questions and trying to be creative coming up with games. By the end of the week, the progress for some was incredible, as they had achieved fluency of their specific questions and gave a presentation in front of the entire camp.

The director did a good job organizing fun group games for all to participate in. There was even the most adorable dance for the kids with a DJ. The volunteers even got to be goofy and dress up for a talent show. In the evenings, the girls would hang out in one room and talk about the day. This was the best part of the week. Just letting loose, telling ghost stories and being silly. The inner camper came out in this environment.

During the week we took the charter buses to a site filled with ancient rocks and got to learn about them from a local guide. However, most impressive was getting some time to explore a nearby town and purchase all of the junk food possible.

Overall, just good wholesome camp vibes. By the end of the week, the relationships had grown strong and the students/volunteers could write notes to one another saying goodbye. Those were beautiful to read on the bus ride back and made the experience extra meaningful.

Now get real, what didn't you like about volunteering with Angloville?

First off, like all workplaces, drama ensues. Some volunteers will get egotistical when it comes to teaching because they are teachers. There will be some uptight personalities on staff that find it NECESSARY to let everyone know that and take over activities like the tyrants they are when their Euro vacation ends. Brace yourself, take it all lightly and smile! It's camp for christ's sake!

Romance will abound. Be careful not to get involved with any of the volunteers, unless you are ready for them to get involved with someone else. Also avoid having an opinion about someone else's romantic involvement. Rumors travel very fast when you're trapped in a Polish hotel in the middle of the woods. It is best to just treat the experience with a vacation mindset of un-involvement.

Second, make friends at every opportunity. Even if you met one nice person on staff, branch out. Try to be as friendly and helpful as possible. When things start to get clique-y, feelings tend to get hurt and people feel left out. I know it sounds like I am writing this for campers, but it applies to the volunteers. Be everyone's friend, this isn't the time to form alliances and alienate anyone. I mean, when is it ever truly time to do that?

Third, the food was horrible. Straight up. Not even lying. I joked to some of the other volunteers that we were being punished by eating this nonsense. We even snuck downstairs at night from our rooms to take pieces of lunch meat that were left on the table for the next day's breakfast. I had wished I packed protein bars or dried nuts from the markets in Old Town. There is no access to nearby stores in the area, so you get what you get until it's gone. The food is very heavy and carb-filled (potatoes, meat surprises, etc.) Even the students commented, "This is not how my mother cooks." If you don't eat meat, are lactose intolerant or gluten-free, GOD SPEED. Be sure you tell the chefs before EVERY meal that you need something special because many volunteers ate potatoes like it was their day job.

Fourth, you are stuck in the hotel. The outdoor pool that was advertised on the website was out of commission and some parts of the hotel were not operable. This is not the Ritz. Luckily, the people and the experience overrode the amenities promised, but be prepared to be inside a hotel in the middle of nowhere for a week. There was nowhere else to go, so that limited the ability to leave and take a true break away from everything. My shared room became my safe haven and luckily I had an awesome roommate to giggle with.

Would you recommend volunteering with Angloville?

Plain and simple, a hundred times "YES!" The experience was fantastic and I made two forever friends from it all. The students were wonderful and I can't wait to see what incredible adults they all become. Sign up for a camp, no matter where it is! Discover a new place in Europe. Rich history, beautiful sights and other explorers to engage with. Be brave and bold in putting yourself out there to ask and answer questions with strangers. Maintain a Vacation mindset and some snacks in your suitcase and you will have an epic summer.

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