Volunteer opportunities

Please Note:
As part of our transition back to in-person instruction, English At Large has adopted a Health and Vaccination Policy for all volunteers and learners.

All volunteers are to be fully vaccinated, and will be required to provide proof of vaccination to English At Large staff when accepted into training.

Interested in volunteering with English At Large? Please submit an inquiry:

 
 
Submit Volunteer Inquiry

 

Questions?  Please call our office at 781-395-2374 or email volunteer@englishatlarge.org

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

EAL partners with Tufts University student volunteers to offer Beginner English classes to learners in Medford and surrounding communities. The Beginner curriculum fills a real need for “survival English” instruction. Students learn basic English communication, including how to give personal information, navigate their communities, and talk about their daily activities. Classes are facilitated by Tufts student volunteers through the school’s community service program. These students are enthusiastic teachers who devote two evenings each week during the academic year (September to May) to the Beginner classes. EAL provides student volunteers with a full Beginner curriculum, initial training, and support and mentoring throughout the year.

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 mentoring the student volunteers with classroom observations and feedback, please contact our staff. This flexible volunteer role provides welcome support and skills 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
Summer Book Club Group Leader

English At Large Summer Book Groups provide opportunities for intermediate to advanced English learners to practice reading, speaking, and writing skills.  Groups of 8-10 learners meet weekly for 1.5 hours during the 6-week session.  Participants read the assigned text, prepare talking points in advance, and take an active role in leading the discussion. Book Group Facilitators attend a one-time, two-hour EAL training workshop, and use materials to explore story concepts, word use, composition, and cultural comparisons.

The Book Group leader’s main role is to facilitate the book or short story discussion, and assign rotating participant roles that promote discussion skills, vocabulary expansion, and expressing opinions.  Learners will be encouraged to develop the discussion topics and to participate in small and large group speaking activities. The Book Group Facilitator role requires a 3-hour weekly commitment for 6 weeks, including 1.5 hours of weekly meeting time.

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 support 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

Interpreter

Interpreters help EAL staff communicate with current and potential learners. Many of our learners are in the early stages of their English journey and need
interpretation during the application and intake process. Interpretation opportunities include conducting telephone intake calls, supporting intake and
English language assessments, and translating informational materials about our programs. If you are proficient in English and a second language and
would like to volunteer, please complete a volunteer inquiry form.

Priority languages include Arabic, Chinese, French, Haitian Creole, Korean, Portuguese, Russian,
Spanish, and Vietnamese. 

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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6 hours ago
English At Large

English learners! This beautiful weather may give you a case of spring fever, but we encourage you to spring into action and find ways to use these common spring idioms. Doing so will put a spring in your step! ... See MoreSee Less

English learners! This beautiful weather may give you a case of spring fever, but we encourage you to spring into action and find ways to use these common spring idioms. Doing so will put a spring in your step!
1 day ago
English At Large

English learners! Do you have the time? Today's lesson from Bob the Canadian will help you learn several phrases to use when talking about time! ... See MoreSee Less

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5 days ago
English At Large

Please note: our offices are closed today to allow our staff to enjoy some well-deserved PTO. We will be back in the office on Tuesday, May 30th. Have a great weekend! ... See MoreSee Less

Please note: our offices are closed today to allow our staff to enjoy some well-deserved PTO.  We will be back in the office on Tuesday, May 30th. Have a great weekend!
6 days ago
English At Large

English Learners! Why do English words have silent letters? Find out with today's lesson from MMMEnglish! ... See MoreSee Less

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6 days ago
English At Large

English Learners! We still have openings in several of our summer Conversation Groups, including those running at the Burlington Public Library and Billerica Public Library! Register today to claim your spot: www.englishatlarge.org/conversation-groups/ ... See MoreSee Less

English Learners! We still have openings in several of our summer Conversation Groups, including those running at the Burlington Public Library and Billerica Public Library! Register today to claim your spot: http://www.englishatlarge.org/conversation-groups/
1 week ago
English At Large

English Learners! A sure sign of spring is birdsong. We also have many American idioms about birds. We hope you take to today's list like a duck to water and feel as happy as a lark! ... See MoreSee Less

English Learners! A sure sign of spring is birdsong.  We also have many American idioms about birds. We hope you take to todays list like a duck to water and feel as happy as a lark!
1 week ago
English At Large

English Learners! Do you know how to use the words “thing” and “stuff” naturally in English? Today's video lesson from English with Emma can help! ... See MoreSee Less

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1 week ago
English At Large

English learners! We are back with our daily lessons on how YOU can improve your English! Today's video from Bob the Canadian gives you 5 challenges to "Spice Up" your English learning. Enjoy! www.youtube.com/watch?v=XN1CoE59Br0 ... See MoreSee Less

English learners! We are back with our daily lessons on how YOU can improve your English! Todays video from Bob the Canadian gives you 5 challenges to Spice Up your English learning.  Enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XN1CoE59Br0
2 weeks ago
English At Large

English Learners! Here is Part 2 of the video lesson that explains silent letters in English words from MMMEnglish! ... See MoreSee Less

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3 weeks ago
English At Large

Attention college students! We are still accepting applications for our Summer Internship Program! Interviews are taking place now, so apply today! www.englishatlarge.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/EAL-Summer-2023-Internship-Job-Description.pdf ... See MoreSee Less

Attention college students! We are still accepting applications for our Summer Internship Program! Interviews are taking place now, so apply today! http://www.englishatlarge.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/EAL-Summer-2023-Internship-Job-Description.pdf
4 weeks ago
English At Large

We are meeting some wonderful people at our Woburn Volunteer Fair! We are here until 7:30. Stop by and say hello! ... See MoreSee Less

We are meeting some wonderful people at our Woburn Volunteer Fair! We are here until 7:30. Stop by and say hello!Image attachment
4 weeks ago
English At Large

Join us tonight at our Volunteer Fair to learn more about how YOU can make a difference with English At Large! ... See MoreSee Less

Join us tonight at our Volunteer Fair to learn more about how YOU can make a difference with English At Large!
4 weeks ago
English At Large

We are expanding our team! Are you a highly-organized, detail-oriented professional, with strong administrative skills looking for a part-time position? Consider applying today! www.englishatlarge.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/EAL-Job-Opportunity-Program-Assistant-2023.pdf ... See MoreSee Less

We are expanding our team! Are you a highly-organized, detail-oriented professional, with strong administrative skills looking for a part-time position? Consider applying today! http://www.englishatlarge.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/EAL-Job-Opportunity-Program-Assistant-2023.pdf
1 month ago
English At Large

Have you ever thought about volunteering in your community? Stop by and see us at our Volunteer Fair on Wednesday, May 3rd! We are currently in need of volunteers in @WoWoburn, Massachusetts and surrounding communities. YOU can make a difference for a local English learner as a volunteer with English At Large! ... See MoreSee Less

Have you ever thought about volunteering in your community? Stop by and see us at our Volunteer Fair on Wednesday, May 3rd! We are currently in need of volunteers in @WoWoburn, Massachusetts and surrounding communities.  YOU can make a difference for a local English learner as a volunteer with English At Large!
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