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Volunteering in Germany

An amazing volunteer experience

At Englischhausen we create an English-speaking village in Germany where German professionals are able to live alongside diverse native English-speakers ("Anglos") to improve their English listening, understanding and conversational proficiency.

​In each of our six-day courses we sponsor a group of "Anglos" (from Australia, Canada, England, Ireland, Scotland, USA, etc) to "populate" our hotel resort and provide conversation in English, through a diverse schedule of daily activities.  The volunteers all have an amazing amount of fun, whilst also gaining a fascinating insight into German culture. 

If you love conversation and you enjoy meeting people from different cultures and walks of lives, then you are bound to be a perfect fit and have a brilliant time!  ​

Attention native English-Speakers in Germany!
Normally we have volunteers travelling from around the globe to join our programmes; but we're currently prioritising people living in Germany, who may have a bit of time on their hands for a six-day placement between November 2020 and April, 2021.

Attention native English-speakers in the UK (or EU countries)!
It remains possible to travel to Germany even if you live in a UK or EU "risk area" as per the classifications of the relevant German health authority.  In theory, you could get tested for Covid-19 upon your arrival at the airport in Germany; but for convenience it is probably better to get this done before you travel, the main caveats being that the result needs to be from a recognised testing facility and no more than 48 hours old.  Plenty of information is available online, so you can read up on the latest guidelines via the links below and contact us if you have any questions.

List of "International Risk Areas" here (follow English links!)

Info re. travelling to Germany from "risk areas" here

 
​Your contact person:​
Luke Nightingale
Telephone: +49 (0)89 23 51 58 72
lnightingale@englischhausen.de

Latest Update (21.10.2020):

• Vacancies available between November 2020 & April 2021
• Vacancies now available to UK and EU based volunteers
• Hygiene protocol successfully implemented since June

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Example daily schedule

08:00   Breakfast (social English & small-talk)

09:00   One-to-ones / conference call
10:00   One-to-one conversation
11:00   One-to-ones / presentation audience
12:00   Discussion group

13:00   Lunch (social English & small-talk)

14:30   Free time

16:00   Group activity e.g. debate or challenge
17:00   One-to-ones / phone call
18:00   One-to-ones / phone call
19:00   Entertainment & theatre

20:00   Dinner (social English & small-talk)

21:30   Free / social time

 
​Radio Report:

Our promise to our volunteers:

• a unique travel experience that represents an exciting alternative to typical formulaic holidays.
• the opportunity to meet a diverse group of individuals from around the world, from different professional backgrounds and interesting walks of life.
• a unique and fascinating insight into the lives and culture of modern German people.​
• what many people have described as a "life-changing experience".​
• the provision of high quality accommodation for the duration of the course.
• the provision of all meals including breakfast, 3-course lunches and 2-course dinners
• drinks with your meals.
• valuable experience for people interested in TEFL / TESOL, particularly with regards to  German learners of the language.
• a chance to share knowledge with others on a topic that is dear to you.  It could be anything from a presentation about sailing, branding or Tai Chi, or an account of a cool personal experience.
• the satisfaction of knowing that your contribution on the programme will have had a positive impact on the lives of many of the participants.​
• experienced and professional group co-coordinators to make sure everyone is happy, comfortable and enjoying themselves.
• ​a safe environment with good hygiene standards and safety protocol. 
• a personalised and signed certificate of participation.

 
​Your commitments to the programme:

• to only speak English for the duration of the programme and/or in the presence of German participants. 
• to be prepared to forget classroom teaching and talk, talk, talk in your own "raw", natural and authentic style of English.
• to be patient and supportive towards the German students.
• to be sensible and responsible in your free time to maximise course effectiveness and group enjoyment.   
• to arrange and finance your trip to either Berlin, Frankfurt or Munich (depending on programme-venue), and your accommodation before and after the programme.
• to be punctual from the bus-departure right through to the final day of the course.
• to be flexible and positive to help create a pleasant atmosphere and good group dynamic.
• to follow both the hotel and company hygiene measures during the programme.​

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Frequently asked questions:

What is Englischhausen?

For our volunteers, Englischhausen is an experience of a lifetime, something you have to try out once, so you can experience the magic first-hand!

But speaking more generally, Englischhausen is a six-day English course that takes place at a country hotel in Germany.  The model typically sees around 16 German adults living alongside an equal number of native English-speakers ("Anglos"), from various countries and backgrounds.  The idea is to create a 100% English-speaking environment, in which German professionals can improve their English quickly through conversation and immersion.

Key to the concept is the "experience" of the course and emotive aspects that reinforce the learning: the people, the laughter, the family-feel that develops in the group. But the fun, supportive and happy atmosphere doesn't only lend itself well to effective and sustainable learning; it also makes for a unique and special experience for everyone involved!

**Currently we have a maximum group size of 20 persons, in order to guarantee social distancing in all activities and/or areas of the hotel**

What will I be doing at Englischhausen?

You will be spending a week (Sunday to Friday) in a group, speaking English in a beautiful setting - and having lots of fun! You will not be teaching, but rather creating an English-speaking atmosphere through our brilliant programme that guarantees a fun and positive experience for every single participant.

Your schedule will be made up of conversation-based activities, with changes of partners every hour to keep things fresh and interesting. You will probably spend a lot of time around the lovely grounds of the hotel or exploring the local countryside, whilst conversing with diverse, German professionals. You will be talking about countless different topics. You will briefly correct the Germans when they make a mistake, but you won't explain the reasoning or the grammar; the idea is for them to immerse themselves in the language so they learn in a natural way. So brief corrections are all that's really required, to allow the conversations to keep flowing in a natural and comfortable manner.  You may want to provide assistance in a particular area that a German participant needs help in, for example in our telephone practice scenarios, or by lending a student a hand as they prepare a short English presentation.

You will have your own personalised schedule every day that provides the framework that you need to participate.  You will have everything explained to you by our staff at the beginning of the week, so there is nothing you need to prepare in advance.  You will have a chance to participate in numerous fun activities like discussion groups, team challenges and light-hearted evening entertainment.

You will be learning a lot - about people, the world and even about yourself. If you are at Englischhausen for the first time, you will probably be having more fun than you ever would have imagined! And you may just be having one of the best weeks of your life!  Big words, we know; but this programme has been consistently enriching peoples' lives for over a decade.

Who is eligible to be a volunteer?

To be a volunteer at Englischhausen (an "Anglo") you should be a native English-speaker, and you should be a person who enjoys conversation and learning about different cultures. Occasionally fluent non-native speakers are also able to attend as Anglos, as long as their English is close to or equivalent to native proficiency. The minimum age requirement is 22, although exceptions are sometimes made for outstanding applicants between the ages 18 and 22. 

**Currently we are prioritising "Anglos" who live in Germany due to the travel restrictions affecting visitors from around the globe.  Volunteers who would like to travel from the UK, Ireland and other nearby countries will also be considered depending on the current situation.**

If you are interested, or would like to discuss the idea of volunteering with us, then please do get in touch. We'd be delighted to hear from you!  

What qualities do you look for in an "Anglo"?

We are looking for interesting, friendly, reliable, patient and flexible people. All of our volunteers must also be organised and proactive enough to plan their trip and itinerary to and from Germany. Positive conversationalists with excellent listening skills and an outgoing nature is the order of the day here!

What is the cost of participating?

If you live in Germany, then there are hardly any costs at all. If you are coming from abroad, then you will need to plan and finance your trip to Germany.  During the actual programme dates you won't really have any costs at all, apart from maybe additional drinks/snacks between meals. From the Sunday morning that your program begins to the following Friday evening, you will be provided with accommodation and all of your food, including some beverages with every meal.

Contact Form:

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Current Volunteer Vacancies:

Currently we have volunteer vacancies for the following programmes:

Laubach (Hesse): Nov. 01–06

Laubach (Hesse): Nov. 29 – Dec. 04

Laubach (Hesse): Dec. 13–18

Laubach (Hesse): Jan. 10–15 (2021)

Laubach (Hesse): Feb. 07–12 (2021)

Laubach (Hesse): Mar. 07–12 (2021)

Altmühltal (Bavaria): Mar. 14–19 (2021)

Laubach (Hesse): Mar. 28 – Apr. 04 (2021)

Laubach (Hesse): Apr. 11–16 (2021)

Altmühltal (Bavaria): Apr. 18–23 (2021)

Ways to get in touch:

By phone:

+49 (0) 89 23 51 58 72

Via email:

anglos(at)englischhausen.com

By post:

Englischhausen GmbH
Plinganserstr. 6
81369 Munich
Germany

Via Skype:

Username: "Englischhausen"