English Literacy Project

English is one of the most important skills that Cambodian children can learn, opening up opportunities for work in tourism, and laying the groundwork for future study at the university where English proficiency is a must.  Children coming from poor rural areas almost never learn enough English to have a chance to succeed in college, even if they can raise the money to pay for schooling, which is rarely possible due to the high costs.

Currently, SSF has a great need for a long term volunteer to teach English at the compound.  Although short term volunteers come every now and then to provide a week or more of class, sporadic learning is not enough to develop the language skills they need, as students need constant guidance in order to learn effectively. 

It is hard to motivate the children to study hard for one week, when they know they may not be able to learn again for another month, but a long-term volunteer would be best equipped to tailor the curriculum to the needs of the students.  Despite the best efforts of casual volunteers, they are rarely trained in proper teaching methods, and it is impossible to know what the children have already learned.  Furthermore, different teachers employ different teaching strategies.  In our experience this usually confuses the children, making it harder for them to consolidate their knowledge and progress.