IT'S ALL ABOUT SHARING
Testimonials
Date: August 2024 - 4 weeks
Teaching at English club Laos for one month has been very enjoyable and filling. The teachers were passionate, the classes were engaging and students were motivated. Not only did the teachers diligently teach the content in the books but they would also stretch the students learning by asking practical questions that were related to the topic.
Having had the opportunity to teach with all the teachers at ECL, I can say that all of them are dedicated to their job and are loved and respected by all students. In terms of scheduling, I personally prefer having at least 2 lessen with different teachers per day instead of 3 lessens with one teacher or all 4 with 1.
I am very grateful for the hospitality and kindness shown by the director and all the teachers. They have taught me a lot and made teaching fun and easy. I will miss this community a lot and I hope to teach here again one day.
Date: July 2024 - 12 Weeks
This humanitarian internship was an experience of a lifetime. I completed a 3-month internship at the school. Being in my early twenties, I was quite anxious about the idea of teaching students and finding my place among the teachers. However, very quickly, within this organization, we were able to settle in. The students were very open, attentive, and eager to learn, which is quite different from France!
Moreover, the teachers and the principal, Somsouk, who supported us, were some of the kindest and warmest people I’ve ever met. During these three months, I was able to live, share, and create unique memories. From a professional standpoint, I learned how to teach, supervise students, and improve my teaching methods. I also understood the role of a teacher, and how teaching students like those at ECL is simply wonderful. Additionally, from a personal perspective, I didn’t just meet 'colleagues' or students, but made real friends from the other side of the world, with whom every moment will remain in my memory. I would like to thank "Uncle" Somsuk, the entire team of teachers, and the students for these three months spent with you. I hope to see you again very soon. Much love to all of you! Mister Nahak
We will miss you all!
Date: Nov 2023 - 2 weeks
“My volunteering experience teaching English at the English Club Laos was truly amazing. The students were lovely to work with: enthusiastic, full of smiles, and eager to learn. Their positive attitude in the classrooms made every lesson enjoyable and fun. The local teachers were incredibly welcoming and kind. Their dedication and passion for education was inspiring.
The village of Luang Prabang itself is breathtakingly beautiful. Its rich cultural heritage added an extra layer of magic to the experience. I feel grateful for the opportunity to have volunteered here, and hope I made a positive impact, while myself learning so much from the students and teachers alike”.
Date: August 2023 - 8 Weeks
The school is really good and has everything for students. All the books are complete but sometimes I think you can change a bit, because it’s always the same thing. All teachers are really kind to their student and they are careful about the pronunciation and the vocabulary. For the small student, so nice to play game with them, there are more motivate and happy to learn English in a different way. About the teenager, they are all nice and they progress really fast!
Date: August 2023 - 8 weeks
First of all, I would like to thanks everyone for the warm welcoming and making these 2 months a incredible experience. The school, it is a very good school, we learn so much about everything. Also, teaching with different culture was great. The teachers are very good, and the students also, we could see the difference between when we get there and the end. Students improved so much. Thank you again the school for having us.
Accommodation was one of the best guesthouse I did, the owners are so nice and make us feel at home. There was everything we needed and even if there wasn't, they tried to have it for us. We felt like home for 2 months. The rooms are very comfortable and complete. Then also, the food there was so good, the breakfast was incredible. I really loved my time there. The owners became my family for 2 months. Thank you again, I hope other volunteers feel the same way.
Miss you all already !
Date: May 2023 - 4 Weeks
“The last four weeks, I have had the pleasure of working with fabulous teachers and students at English club Laos. What a fantastic experience and journey it has been from my first day until my last.
All the teachers have welcomed me like family and supported me during this time of teaching. I have learned many techniques and ways to teach and also to keep the students entertained. The teaches have allowed me to express my teaching styles and shown me effective ways to teach. The students have been amazing and always smiling and joking with me. I really feel at home here like one big family and I have great love and respect for all the teachers and students. I feel like I am one of the people here in Laos. I have made a real connection to the country, the culture and most importantly the people. I do not wish to leave so soon, but I know I will come back. Thank you, English Club Laos, for everything and the impact this has on my life.
Date: January 2023 - 3 weeks
“Age is immaterial at English Club Laos young or old you will have a fantastic time. If you help at English Club you will made many friends and experience Laos in a way that the typical tourist does not.
The students and teachers really appreciate your help. When you help at English Club Laos you help the students the school and the wider community. If you help at English Club Laos you are helping the students to make a bright future for themselves. I have returned to English Club many times because I enjoy it so much. Helping at English Club Laos has one of the most rewarding experiences of my life”.
Date: Oct 2022 - 1 Week
“Volunteering abroad has always been a dream of mine, with my passion being to work with children. I chose to go to a school in Luang Prabang, Laos to teach English.
The school was called English club Laos community classroom, and although they had very limited resources, the classrooms were comfortable, the teachers all amazing and the students were the most beautiful and respectful children I have ever had the privilege to meet. I loved every minute of my time at the school and had so much fun. I’m not a trained educator but, with the help of the school’s teachers, I hope I was able to help the students with pronunciation of sounds, reading and conversations. I only volunteered for a week but loved it so much I hope to go back soon and stay for 2-3 weeks. I cannot recommend an experience like this highly enough. A truly amazing school with beautiful staff and students "
Date: July 2019 - 4 weeks
“It took me awhile to process this amazing and massively transformative trip. I’ll also admit a part of me wanted to keep it to myself as long as I could. I walked into this quite blind, unaware of what to expect & what my daily life would be like.
I essentially moved to another country for a month to do a job. Teaching multiple classes, a day a long side the wonderful teachers at English club Laos. I worked with small classes every moment of it, the culture shock was not nearly as ground shaking as missing home was, in fact adapting was the easiest part (minus the humid heat!) for once in my life, it truly is hard to find words for this experience as well as all the ones that have followed since I’ve been home all I can say it that these kids and teachers took a piece of my heart and are keeping it safe. I will be back this time even more prepared and still ever ever grateful.
If you are interested in volunteering with the kids of English club Laos, feel free massage me and I can give you all the details you need, not only are the kids wonderful but so is the country itself, the culture, the food, & the people are rich with vibrancy and a pure kind of energetic warmth you can’t find elsewhere. I miss this place every day ever since I have been home."
Date: August 2019 - 5 weeks
July 2018 - 3 weeks
“Thank you to everybody at English Club Laos for making this such an unforgettable experience! You all have made Luang Prabang feel like home for the last month and I am so happy I got to meet every one of you!”
I wanted to experience a rich culture far from my own and make a difference there. I got all of that and more out of my experience and impact while volunteering. Did I mention that this was my 1st time teaching and my 1st time volunteering? I have to say that it couldn’t have been a better 1st-time experience! The smiles on the students faces when they learned new words, meanings, and pronunciations from our classes were amazing. The energy they displayed and the connection I was able to make with them touched my heart and confirmed that I had chosen the right volunteer program. I felt like part of the ECL’s family immediately. Somsouk and everyone at ECL was so incredibly supportive, great partners in the classroom, and helped me obtain some teaching skills to take back home! When my time was up in Luang Prabang, the hardest thing was saying goodbye to all of my students...and I quickly started thinking of when I would be able to come back and see them! I also was sad to leave the delicious Laotian food, beautiful scenery and people...I never passed a frowning face on the street during my time there. Shortly after returning home in Chicago, IL, I was hired as an educator at The Ogden International School of Chicago and I think my time teaching with ECL had a hand in that achievement. I can not wait to go back to Luang Prabang and work with them again”
Date: December 2018
12 Weeks
“The 3 month I spent volunteering with English Club Laos were some of the best months of my life.
The students were eager and so wonderful to talk with, especially during conversation classes because I got to learn about their lives and hopes for the future. Living in Luang Prabang and working with the students and Laos teachers was such a great way to get to know the culture more in depth, while also helping the students meet their language goals. The school owner, volunteer coordinator and Laos teachers were extremely welcoming and helpful. They made sure I was comfortable and had everything I needed during my stay. The passion they all have for teaching was infectious and was clearly making a big difference in the students lives. Overall, it was a fantastic experience that I cant recommend enough. I was very happy and lucky to have been part of this school."
Date: July 2017
4 Weeks
“What a great program! It is quite impactful to the kids & communities of Luang Prabang. I chose to volunteer with English club Laos teaching English in Luang Prabang, Laos for a few reasons. I wanted to meet the children of Laos and help them obtain a universal tool that could help them reach further in their lives. I also felt that it would be a great fit for me because I am currently studying in the field of Education.
Date: July 2017 - 1 week
“I absolutely loved my time volunteering in Laung Prabang at English Club Laos.
This experience was honestly one of the best in my life; the landscape is breathtaking and the people are so kind. I taught in a magnificent temple were I used to ride to on my bicycle. Somsouk and his team were very welcoming during my entire stay. They showed me around and included me in events such as a wedding and Alms giving ceremony. I really felt apart of the community whilst I was there because of the way they treated me. It was a great way to integrate with Laos society and really understand the culture. The students are amazing and so eager to learn. If you want to get involved in Laos society I would really recommend English Club Laos to anyone young or old. I have left Laos gaining a family. I hope to visit them again in the future."
Date: July 2017 - 4 weeks
“Volunteering in Laos with English Club Laos was a truly incredible experience. I spent four weeks (July 2017) teaching English to the intermediate class in the Community Classrooms that ECL has set up right in the centre of the town.
My classes averaged around 35-40 students in size, and the students ranged between 12 and 25 years of age; despite the age differences, however, they were united in their true desire to improve their English. I taught for four hours a day from Monday to Friday and had the weekends off. I was also teaching alone, a daunting prospect for someone with only a little prior teaching experience, but I soon realised that this gave me the independence and flexibility to tailor my lessons to fit the specific needs of the students. I learnt so much about engaging a class, figuring out how different students learn best, and how much the promise of a game of pictionary at the end of class can do to improve concentration!
All my students were so interested and interesting, and were always keen to hang behind after class to practice conversation skills or just to learn more about my life back home in the UK. I felt particularly lucky to have a number of novices and monks in my classes, who taught me so much about Buddhism and the role that religion plays in Lao culture. Somsouk, the director of English Club Laos, and his assistant, Kui, also played a huge role in helping the other volunteers and me immerse ourselves in Lao culture; from going to a Lao wedding to giving alms in the mornings, thanks to the English Club Laos team I received a valuable insight into Lao life.
Because I was one of the first teachers at the new community classrooms, I was able to play a more involved role in their organisation and set up. It was particularly insightful having to brainstorm ways to increase publicity and funding for the classrooms, and it meant that I felt I made a small impact both on my students and the organisation itself.
Finally, Luang Prabang is an incredibly beautiful city, and there is always more to be discovered. The Kuang Si waterfalls are a must-see, as are the National Museum and Mount Phousi. Days can also easily be spent exploring the numerous wats around the town. Lao food is delicious too- Papaya salad and Laab were particular favourites! The guesthouse is in a great location (about 10 minutes walk from the centre of town) and the owners are very hospitable.
I absolutely loved volunteering in Luang Prabang, and it was the perfect way to finish my gap year before going to university. I hope to go back soon!."