Volunteer opportunities
Want to make a difference for local immigrants in your community? EAL offers a full menu of volunteer opportunities with access to a network of training and support.
In addition to the opportunities listed below, we are in particular need of:
Submit a Volunteer Inquiry Form
One-to-one Tutors
To be an English tutor, you don’t need previous teaching experience. You don’t even need to know another language.
As a volunteer one-to-one tutor with English At Large, you will be:
- Trained in a 12-hour workshop series to learn the essentials of a successful tutoring relationship.
- Matched with an adult learner in your area.
- Encouraged to work with your learner for 1½ – 2 hours per week, always in a public space—usually a library. (You and your learner will agree on the time and place.)
- Expected to make a minimum commitment of 50 contact hours with your learner.
Beginner English Teaching Support
English At Large Beginner English classes are taught on Tufts University (Medford) and Brandeis University (Waltham) campuses by student volunteers. The 90-minute Beginner English classes meet two days a week during the fall and spring academic semesters. If you have a Masters in TESOL, a CELTA or TEFL ESL teaching certificate, or have experience teaching ESL in the U.S. or abroad, and are interested in supporting the student volunteers at either university with classroom observations and feedback, please contact our staff. This flexible volunteer role provides welcome support and development for the volunteer teachers, as well as an opportunity to see Beginner Classes in action.
Conversation Group Facilitator
Conversation Groups help English learners to build fluency skills and speaking confidence. Each Conversation Group of up to 12 adult English learners from intermediate to advanced levels is led by two co-facilitators. This is a weekly, 1½-hour commitment for a minimum of three months.
As a group leader, you will receive a four-hour training to learn how to:
- Create a constructive and engaging learner-centered environment
- Encourage active conversation among participants
- Work with multi-level English learners
- Select the most beneficial conversation topics
Book Club Group Leader
The English At Large Book Group provides opportunities for intermediate to advanced English learners to practice reading, speaking, and writing skills. Groups of 10-12 learners meet with their discussion leader and group each week for 1½ hours, for a 6-week session. Learners do the assigned reading before the meeting, and might also be assigned a different discussion role to prepare for the next meeting. Learner preparation includes 1-2 hours of reading and approximately 30 minutes of discussion role preparation each week.
The Book Group Discussion Leader’s main role is to facilitate book or short story discussion for groups of 10-12 intermediate to advanced English learners. Group leaders plan activities that promote interactive speaking practice and engage learners. Learners will be encouraged to develop the discussion topics and to participate in small and large group speaking activities. This role requires a 3-hour weekly commitment for 6 weeks, including 1½ hours of weekly meeting time. Discussion leaders read the short story or book prior to the start of session, and plan group discussion activities in advance.
Intake Assessor
Interview prospective learners to determine their eligibility for the English At Large tutoring program and test their English level. This role has a flexible schedule where volunteers can conduct as few as two interviews per month, or as many as you like.
As an interviewer, you will receive a one-hour training session to learn how to:
- Determine a learner’s goals for learning English
- Gather basic demographic information
- Administer a brief reading/writing and listening/speaking test
- Evaluate all of the information you collect to fully understand the needs of our learners.
Test Administrator
This important volunteer function helps English At Large track the language progress of our learners.
As a test administrator, you will complete formal state certification training and administer standardized speaking or writing tests to our learners. Test Administrators can administer as many or as few tests as they like per month, though much of the testing must be completed in May and June.
Career Access Lab (CAL) Volunteer
Our Career Access Lab (CAL) welcomes volunteers willing to share their experience in the U.S. workforce
CAL volunteers support the Career Readiness Group, a 15-week program that covers the skills needed to start a career in the US. The topics include resumes, cover letters, networking skills, job interview skills, and information about US workforce culture.
Volunteers may choose to:
- Visit the CAL Group to co-facilitate a career lesson
- Provide Career Mentoring to a CAL participant
- Offer feedback at the Resume Review Event
- Conduct interviews at the Mock Interview Event
- Participate in the Networking Event
For more information on volunteering in CAL, please contact the program facilitator at americorps@englishatlarge.org
Changing Volunteer Opportunities
If you don’t have time for a weekly volunteer commitment, consider one of our other volunteer roles:
Event Volunteer
Event volunteers lend a hand at our volunteer, learner, community, and fundraising events. Typical activities include staffing a raffle table, food table or information booth, greeting guests, registering attendees, or being part of the set-up/clean-up team.
Fundraising & Grant-Writing Volunteer
Help us grow to serve more newcomers by conveying why English At Large is important in your community through fundraisers and grants.
English At Large
800 West Cummings Park, Suite 5550
Woburn, MA 01801
tel : 781.395.2374
email : info@englishatlarge.org
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Don't forget to make use of our museum passes this summer! And here's another resource for free summer Fridays: https://t.co/aHsxePnG4V #publiclibraries #museums #museumpasses
Do You Have a Passion for Helping Others? Volunteer with... https://t.co/BnK6y42m6d
Happy #Independence Day! The offices and programs of English At Large are closed today in observance of this national holiday. Have a safe and happy 4th of July!
Shopping for your #4thofJuly barbecue? Visit the Woburn @StopandShop for all your party needs and pick up a community bag to support English At Large! #dogood #giveback
Happy July! All month long, go to the @StopandShop located at 2 Elm Street Woburn and purchase a $2.50 reusable Community Bag to send a $1 donation to English At Large! #dogood #giveback
You Have the Power to Make a Difference with a Donation to English At Large https://t.co/HgGbKGW53f
Conversation Starters: News You Need to Hear from English At Large! https://t.co/2q4wvrFwgJ
Did you see the pictures from last week's #SustainingGrants Awards Night? Check them out on Flickr:
Free Blood Pressure Screening tonite 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the library. @bcattv @BurlLibFriends @BurlingtonCoa @Burlington_MRC @BurlingtonMAFD @burlingtonpd @BPDACO
Missed our #woburnunites supper clubs? Try the community dining event that started it all! Register here: https://t.co/15EWhrs5Vt #culturalconnections #dinner #newneighbors #welcome @socialcap @michaelmulrenan @WoburnWelcomes @WoburnSchools Pls RT, friends.
#Thankyou to our state reps who answered the call to support Amendment #1254 for EAL! Thank you @richhaggerty @mciccolo @seangarballeyMA @RepKenGordon @Rep_Robertson @RepBradJones @mikeday4rep @TamiGouveiaMA @RepStanley for your actions to protect local services!
Excited and grateful to receive a #SustainingGrant from the @cummingsdotcom Foundation! Thank you for being a partner in helping local #immigrants reach their full potential and achieve their life goals!
Help protect life-changing services for local immigrants! Call your state rep to support Amendment #1254 for English At Large! Call script and rep contact list here: https://t.co/ZWp4088cf4
EAL Conversation Group facilitators lead groups for intermediate speakers, helping them build confidence and understanding. #Thankyou for creating safe spaces for learners to practice their English, build networks, and learn more about life in the U.S. #volunteerweek
We have to #thank the hundreds of local #volunteers who serve with #community #nonprofits that provide critical funding to support our programs! #Thankyou for inspiring the #philanthropy that makes our work possible! @TheZakimFund @cccchest @abunitedway @FFMW #volunteerweek
EAL Volunteer tutors serve 150 learners each year and provide more than 4,000 hours of service. #Thankyou for empowering your learners to achieve their life goals! #volunteerweek #makeadifference #learningbuildscommunity #lifechanging
Happy National Volunteer Week! https://t.co/woCVyzaP7h
Our Career Access Lab Program supports highly-skilled immigrants in their job search. #Thankyou CAL volunteers, for helping our learners reach their career goals! #volunteerweek #makeadifference #sharingskills
Our volunteer interns help us plan and run programs and training events and work on special projects. #Thankyou for helping us promote our services and to engage others in our work! #community #interns #volunteerweek
Our volunteer board helps guide our mission and works to raise funds to support our services. #Thankyou for your leadership and service! #volunteerweek #makeadifference
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We celebrated our New American Integration Program AmeriCorps member Na'tisha Mills, and all 28 members of her cohort today as they complete their year of service. Thank you for your passion and your commitment to making a difference for local immigrants!
This bag supports life-changing services for local immigrants this month when purchased at the Woburn Stop & Shop!
Have you seen the Community Bag Program stand when shopping at your local Stop & Shop? Purchase one and designate on the tag that you want your $1 donation to benefit English At Large! Shopping at the Woburn store? Your bag purchase AUTOMATICALLY benefits EAL during the entire month of July!
Thanks to our summer interns for their work on today's lemonade social - and thanks to our learners and volunteers for joining us in testing our new instructional tools! #learningbuildscommunity
Happening now: Volunteer Learner Lemonade Social. Together we are playing games that our volunteers can borrow to help their learners practice English!
Do you have a passion for making a difference and the time the help a local immigrant? English At Large has openings in our upcoming Tutor Trainings! Learn more about this volunteer opportunity here: www.englishatlarge.org/volunteer-opportunities/
Stop & Shop Community Bag Program benefits local nonprofits! Shop the Woburn, Massachusetts store during the month of July and support English At Large!
Happy #Independence Day! The offices and programs of English At Large are closed today in observance of this national holiday. Have a safe and happy 4th of July!
Shopping for your #4thofJuly barbecue? Visit the Woburn @StopandShop for all your party needs and pick up a community bag to support English At Large! #dogood #giveback
Happy July! All month long, go to the @StopandShop located at 2 Elm Street Woburn and purchase a $2.50 reusable Community Bag to send a $1 donation to English At Large! #dogood #giveback
We are proud to partner with the En Ka Society in service to English language learners in Winchester, Massachusetts. Thank you continuing to support local programs provided by English At Large!
Day 2 of #MassMeetYourNeighbors
Spotlight on: Natalya, English At Large Volunteer
Follow us on instagram for the full interview: www.instagram.com/naip_americorps/
Find out more about NAIP at: miracoalition.org/americorps
#MAIsOurHome #NAIP #AmeriCorps #EnglishatLarge #Massachusetts
Across cultures and across generations, it's fun to share experiences! We recently introduced our summer interns to the joys of packaged snack cakes. The reviews were mixed! #twinkies #hostess
Happening now: CAL mock interview event. Learners are getting ready for their in-person interviews.
Thank you Concord-Carlisle Community Chest for investing in the potential of local immigrants. This $4,000 grant will help us continue to offer high-quality free programs to those who need them most. We are proud to partner with you in service to the community.
This video debuted at our 2019 Graduation event! Special thanks to our tutors and learners for sharing their messages with us. youtu.be/9cjJne9J-zY
Congratulations to our Tutoring Learner Graduates, with thanks for the service of their volunteer tutors.
www.englishatlarge.org/events/2019-learner-graduation-event/
This evening we will celebrate the achievements of 50 local immigrants who have advanced their knowledge of English and made progress towards their life goals as learners in our Tutoring Program. We are grateful for the commitment and community spirit of their volunteer tutors who serve as teachers, friends and mentors. Congratulations to all!
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