When people find out how long I have been travelling, they almost always want to know how. How it is possible to travel around Europe almost constantly, seemingly without limits.
The answer for me is, in part, due to my time spent teaching English abroad with a company named Angloville.
Now when I say ‘teaching,’ I do not mean that I am a professional ESL teacher.
I have never taught grammar, prepared lesson plans or stood up in front of a classroom of students. What I have done is help people (Polish, Slovak and Czech adults in my case) improve their English skills through conversation, in an informal environment on a voluntary basis.
I absolutely love sharing my experiences if I think that they can help someone, and although there are already lots of Angloville reviews online, the vast majority of them are either on the Angloville website itself (which of course is only going to publish positive reviews), or written by people who have only ever participated in one Angloville programme, and as a result are basing their impressions of Angloville as a whole on that one experience.
Now, while bad experiences should never be totally discounted, reading a blog post about someone’s bad experience at Angloville and deciding that the company is not worth your time is, in my opinion, a huge mistake.
Angloville welcomes over 8000 participants a year, and it is never wise to trust the opinion of somebody who participated in one programme, in one location, with two coordinators.
Why am I different?
I have taken part in excess of 16 Angloville programmes, ranging from 5 to 8 days long each. I have visited 8 venues in 2 countries, and returned to several of those venues multiple times. Not only that, but I have personally worked with 11 Angloville coordinators, and ended up becoming friends with many more.
This means that I have a lot of experience volunteering with Angloville, meaning that I can tell you about the realities of volunteering with them. I am not affiliated with Angloville in any way (I have never been a paid staff member and I haven’t participated in a programme since 2018), and so my opinions are completely my own.
This post will not just be an Angloville review, but it will be a thorough breakdown of my time spent volunteering with Angloville in various venues, as well as a place where you can find answers to all of the burning questions you may have, such as, is Angloville safe? Is Angloville legit? What do I need in order to be eligible to volunteer with Angloville?
Angloville: An Honest Review From a Long Term Volunteer
What is Angloville?
Angloville is a company that provides people with the opportunity to become fully immersed in the English language for anywhere between 2 – 9 days.
Each programme takes place in a (minimum) 3-star hotel in the countryside, and Angloville offers programmes to kids (age 7 – 11), juniors (age 12 – 19) and adults.
Angloville is not a school.
There are no classrooms, textbooks or discussions about grammar. Teaching at Angloville is done by way of conversation.
This is mostly on a one-to-one basis, but can sometimes take the form of group discussions and games.
During the day, lessons, or ‘conversation sessions’ take place, with meals being eaten together and a break after lunch.
After dinner there is usually an hour of ‘entertainment,’ followed by free time in which you may go to your room or continue socialising.
In the adult programmes (I have only participated in adult programmes), there is often a lot of drinking together in the evenings!
Although Angloville is a volunteer programme, the schedule is very strict, and the days are long.
While the programmes are very rewarding, they are extremely tiring, and in terms of the work you put in, you don’t get as much back as you should (in my opinion, and more on that later).
If you go into an Angloville programme expecting a free holiday then you will be in for a real shock – volunteering with Angloville is hard.
You will be working 12 hour days, and despite the fact that you are ‘only’ having conversations, this can be incredibly draining, especially if the participant’s level of English is very low (which does happen).
What’s more, many of the participants are of the belief that you are not working on a voluntary basis, and because they are paying a lot of money (€1000 – €1500), they expect a professional service.
Angloville does not explicitly tell the participants that the teachers are paid staff, but they don’t always tell them that they are volunteers either. I am sure that it is in the small-print somewhere, but it was definitely something that irked me during my time with Angloville.
Is Angloville Safe?
In a nutshell, yes, Angloville is safe.
Every programme has two coordinators (one a native English speaker and one from the country in which you are volunteering), and their job is to look after you and make sure that you are okay.
For the entirety of the time that you are with Angloville, you will be in a hotel (and generally you will be the only guests there) which you are transported to and from.
With that said, if you’re planning a trip, then I strongly recommend buying travel insurance. I NEVER travel without insurance, and I’ve seen too many others get landed with huge medical bills as a result of not having had insurance, that it’s something I’ll never neglect to buy. My recommendation for great travel insurance is World Nomads.
I have not seen much inappropriate behaviour on Angloville programmes, and when I have, it has been dealt with swiftly (I once experienced a Polish student hitting on all of the female volunteers and asking to have conversation sessions in his bedroom – he was asked to leave the programme).
The coordinators are also there to listen if you do not wish to be partnered with a specific person, or if you have any other issues.
Is Angloville Legit?
Yes, absolutely.
Angloville are a huge company with programmes in 7 European countries. They have been featured in huge media outlets including: Lonely Planet, Forbes, Fashion Magazine, Travel Magazine and Glasgow Guardian.
While some may contend that Angloville are exploiting their volunteers (most volunteer programmes do not expect 12 hour days, and Angloville is not a charity but a for-profit business), whether you believe that is really down to personal opinion.
I do think that it is a little morally dubious, but I obviously enjoyed my time with Angloville enough to participate in over 16 programmes, so I clearly didn’t feel too strongly about it.
If you are worried about whether or not Angloville is a legitimate company that you can trust, don’t be. Angloville are not scam artists and you should feel safe volunteering for them.
Who Can Volunteer with Angloville?
You do not need to be a teacher to volunteer with Angloville, nor do you need any ESL qualifications such as TEFL, CELTA or TESOL.
You DO need to be over the age of 18, a native English speaker, have completed high school and have a clean police record.
You also need to be in good physical and mental health and be personable.
Sometimes you will do a video or phone interview so that the recruiter can establish whether or not you are suitable for the programme. I personally never had to do this.
Angloville Hidden Costs
Although Angloville is a volunteer programme, there are definitely costs involved, and doing multiple programmes can get quite expensive.
I am not saying in any way that Angloville does not cover everything that they should.
They absolutely do.
They are also very upfront on their website about all the costs that the volunteer is expected to cover.
That said, I know that many backpackers can be – how to put this? – terrible with money, and so it is best to take the time to budget properly for your Angloville programme.
Angloville – What IS Included?
The day before the programme, you and your fellow volunteers will receive a free walking tour in whichever city your Angloville programme departs from.
This could be anywhere from Krakow to Prague, Budapest and Bucharest. Following the tour, you will receive lunch at a local restaurant. This usually includes a starter and main course.
Your transport to and from the venue is also included.
While volunteering, your accommodation is covered.
You will share a room in the hotel with one other volunteer (boys share with boys and girls with girls, unless you come as part of a couple in which case you will be placed together).
The hotels are always a minimum of 3 stars and many have on-site facilities such as table football, billiards, swimming pools and saunas which are free to use.
All meals are included.
Angloville meals are typically a buffet breakfast, three-course lunch, and dinner. Angloville do account for dietary requirements, but not all hotels are great when it comes to this – for example, I have seen vegans be served plates of fries and lettuce as their main meal.
Also included are non-alcoholic drinks, both with meals and throughout the day. Coffee machines are available to use all day, and there is always a large range of herbal teas available.
Angloville – What ISN’T Included?
When you sign up to volunteer with Angloville, you pay a refundable deposit of 69 EUR.
On completion of the programme, you receive 59 EUR back (10 EUR goes towards administration fees).
This deposit was not involved when I participated in Angloville programmes, but due to people cancelling last minute, they decided to implement it. I am not sure why Angloville now charge 10 EUR for admin fees.
Your transport to the city where everybody meets to go to the Angloville venue is not included. Thus, if you are doing a programme that departs from Krakow, you must make your own way to Krakow. My go-to bus travel in Europe is always FlixBus. Flixbus is the most extensive bus network worldwide and all Flix buses have Wi-Fi, extra legroom, charging ports and the ability to modify your booking just 15 minutes before departure! Click here to book your Flixbus.
Accommodation the night before the programme begins is not included.
As the Angloville bus leaves in the morning, staying in the city the night before is often necessary, but you must pay any costs associated with that.
If you choose to drink alcohol at the venue, you must pay for it yourself.
If you are staying at a spa hotel that offers services such as massage, manicures etc. you must pay for that yourself.
If you wish to buy snacks such as crisps or soda from the hotel, you must pay for it yourself.
Health insurance is mandatory and not included.
Anglo-TEFL
One great thing about Angloville is that they offer something called the Anglo-TEFL Scholarship.
Anybody who participates in at least 3 programmes is entitled to claim this partially-funded Angloville course, which includes a TEFL certification.
The course is 120 hours and is 100% online, provided by Premier TEFL. It consists of information books, with mini exams at the end of each module, and then a larger exam at the end.
When I completed the Anglo-TEFL course, there was a partly-returnable fee involved.
I received most of it back upon completing the course, paying 15 EUR in total for the TEFL certification. I am unsure of whether the costs have changed because I was unable to find exact costs on Angloville’s website (you need to sign up and contact Angloville before the costs are made clear).
You may find that it says that you will receive a ‘free’ 200 EUR Angloville certificate. This is not true, and you will need to read the small print to find this out.
A Typical Day at Angloville
Days at Angloville are long and extremely tiring. While I had an absolute BLAST working at Angloville, I was definitely not prepared for just how much work was involved.
Here is what a typical day at Angloville looks like:
9 – 10 AM – Breakfast
10 – 10:50 AM – Mentor Meeting – On each programme, every volunteer is a ‘mentor’ and they will be assigned a ‘mentee.’ This is one participant who the volunteer must help to prepare a 5 minute presentation, which will be performed at the end of the week in front of everyone. This can be on any topic, and the job of the mentor is to help their mentee put together their presentation and gain the confidence to perform it.
11 – 11:50 AM – One-on-One – One-on-ones are 50 minute conversation sessions between a native English speaker and a participant. You will be given a sheet of paper with some possible conversation ideas, but for the most part, the participant won’t want to use these and you are free to talk about anything.
12 – 12:50 PM – Practical/Role-Play – Practical sessions involve tasks such as using a simple map to give somebody directions, and role-play tasks involve each person assuming an identity and acting out a scene. This could include checking in to a hotel, attending a job interview etc.
13:00 – 13:50 PM – Group Activity – Everybody gets into groups of 6-8 and is given a task. An example of this is designing your own planet with its own government, laws etc. At the end of the session, the participants must stand up and present your creation to the room.
14:00 – 15:00 PM – Lunch
15:00 – 16:30 PM – Free Time – Use this time wisely. You will probably be very tired, and while it can be tempting to hang out with friends, you may want to go and take a nap or enjoy a long walk alone.
16:30 – 17:20 PM – One-on-One
17:30 – 18:20 PM – One-on-One
18:30 – 19:20 PM – One-on-One
19:30 – 20:30 PM – Dinner
20:30 – 21:30 PM – Entertainment Hour – Whether or not entertainment hour is mandatory really depends on your coordinator. Some coordinators are very relaxed and don’t mind how many people attend, while others like everyone to be there. Entertainment hour just involves playing a game as a group. My favourite entertainment hour was a pub quiz! Individual volunteers are allowed to host the entertainment hours themselves if they are wanting to gain extra teaching experience.
16 Angloville Programmes – My Experiences
My first Angloville programme took place in the Czech Republic.
After a walking tour of Prague (and a few hours drinking mulled wine in the pub with some of my fellow volunteers!), I woke up early the next day and joined the Angloville team, checking into the beautiful EA Zamecky Hotel, Hrubá Skála, which is AN ACTUAL CASTLE.
From the moment I stepped foot inside, I knew that it was going to be an incredible week.
I was sharing a room with Steph, an American girl of around my own age. Our room had two comfortable beds, a fully stocked mini-bar, fluffy white bathrobes, and even chocolates on the pillows!
Not only was our room beautiful, but the sweeping views of Hrubá Skála from the windows were breathtaking, and I could hardly believe that this would be my home for the next week for absolutely no cost!
First on the agenda was a traditional Czech lunch, served in the hotel restaurant. After steaming bowls of hot soup, we were served Vepřo knedlo zelo, or roast pork with sauerkraut and dumplings.
Following that was coffee and cake, before we had an ice-breaker session, where the native speakers got a chance to properly converse with the Czech and Slovak participants for the first time.
Sitting between a fashion designer and a doctor who specialises in Chinese medicine, I felt humbled and eager to learn more about the people that I’d be spending the next week with. There was even a movie producer in attendance, for heaven’s sake!
My first one-to-one session was with a Czech girl named Gabriela, who would later become my mentee.
With only a little guidance from me, Gabriela went on to prepare a fascinating presentation about 3D-printing, and it was incredible to see her standing in front of 40 people talking about prosthetic limbs, jet engines and the future of this cutting-edge technology with confidence in a language that wasn’t her own.
However, it wasn’t only Gabriela that left me speechless at Angloville.
Over the course of 6 days, I got a chance to speak with some of the most interesting and inspirational people that I have ever had the chance of meeting. Take Zuzana, who set up her own organisation to help the homeless, Edita, who made the brave decision to travel to Syria earlier this year to visit her family, and Petr, a farmer who won the European Yoga Championships.
For me, getting to know people like this is the real draw of programmes like Angloville.
I can’t imagine any other situation where I would be conversing with opera singers, movie producers and CEOs all at one time, and as I went on to participate in more and more Angloville programmes, my love for the people involved only grew.
Over the course of several months, I met with famous actresses, brain surgeons, scientists, plastic surgeons, footballers and more. I would be talking to special-needs teacher one minute, and a politician the next. Angloville really is a one of a kind experience!
Almost every night, a group of both volunteers and participants would congregate in the hotel bar, drinking and talking until the early hours.
As I took part in more and more Angloville programmes, I came to find that this was the norm, and I certainly was not complaining!
Every day, every hour, the gap between the Czech/Slovak participants and the native English speakers would narrow as we shared stories over coffee and enjoyed long walks in the forest.
The participants not only improved their English skills but their confidence also, and after the presentations were finished on Thursday afternoon, we proceeded to have a beautiful night full of dancing, Champagne, and the cheesiest music I’ve listened to all year.
This week was the first of many Angloville experiences, and I honestly, hand on heart, cannot say that I have ever had a bad one. Not only have I made friends for life on these programmes (a group of Polish participants actually took me and 2 other volunteers on a sailing trip to Mazury!), but I have discovered places that I never knew existed prior to volunteering with Angloville.
Because all of the hotels are in the middle of nowhere, they often have beautiful surroundings which make for lovely afternoon walks – one afternoon we actually took a trip to Zakopane to drink mulled wine and eat Oscypek, a traditional Polish smoked cheese!
Another bonus of volunteering with Angloville is getting to stay at lovely hotels for free! As a backpacker, I almost always stay at hostels, and so having a beautiful hotel to roam around and enjoy is definitely a treat!
I also love making use of the on-site facilities – whether that be the sauna, the swimming pool, or maybe just the table football after a few beers!
However, for me, the best bit about Angloville by a landslide is how rewarding the experience is.
At Angloville, you are genuinely helping people, not only to increase their vocabulary, but their confidence. Angloville can lead to people getting promotions at work, being able to communicate with people when they travel abroad, and having a real sense of accomplishment.
I am not ashamed to admit that I have cried more than once while volunteering with Angloville due to the sheer emotion that I’ve felt seeing the transformations that the participants make.
The men and women that I got to know over the months that I spent with Angloville have, on a surface level, nothing in common with us, the backpackers lured in by the promise of a free hotel and some stability for a week.
However, for that one week, everybody is united by the desire to speak English.
At Angloville, the millionaire CEO is no better than the 20-something bartender.
Cultural and social divides are smashed as everybody comes together and enjoys their time in this strange and magical little place that seems so far away from reality.
So, would I recommend Angloville?
I will not sit here and tell you that Angloville is perfect.
Like any company, Angloville is not without flaws.
Of course there were hiccoughs on occasion – sometimes due to a lack of organisation or one of the volunteers not turning up last minute, meaning more work for everybody. I also took part in a ‘family’ programme once that was absolute chaos.
However, as long as you are not scared of a little hard work, I would recommend Angloville in a heartbeat. The vast majority of my time volunteering with Angloville went without a hitch, and the coordinators that I worked with were all exceptional.
Do I think that, on the whole, Angloville could give the participants a little more in exchange for their time? Yes, or they could at least incorporate more breaks to ensure that people are not as burnt out.
However, I, and almost everyone I met while volunteering with Angloville absolutely loved their time there, and wouldn’t change it for the world.
I got to gain valuable teaching experience and make some fantastic friends, all while staying in beautiful countryside hotels and sampling the best traditional cuisine.
If you are travelling around Europe and want something a bit different from the typical backpacker scene, I highly recommend looking into Angloville as an option.
With programmes running in Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, the UK, Ireland and Malta, you can cover a lot of ground, and Angloville show no signs of slowing down.
While there are a lot of volunteer programmes around that are deeply troubling in the sense that they often exploit more than they help, Angloville are a solid company and your work is guaranteed to directly benefit those you meet.
In short? YES. GO FOR IT.
And now I want to know what you think! Have you ever volunteered with Angloville? How were your experiences? Perhaps you’ve worked on similar programmes with different companies – which ones? Share your experiences with me in the comments below!
Disclaimer – I volunteered with Angloville throughout 2018. As far as I am aware, all of the information and prices here are correct, however, there may have been some changes within the company that I may not be up to date with. Please let me know if anything here is not accurate and I will change it!
If you liked this article and would like to support my work, please click the button above to donate a couple of bucks and buy me a coffee. The ad revenue that I receive on this website is minimal, so support from my readers enables me to keep creating content that you (hopefully!) love to read.
I agree with all that you have said. I participated in 13 Angloville programs and received my TEFL certification, BUT .. when I was told by M@Poznan that Angloville sent a cease and desist letter to her and told her they would “bury” her program I pulled the plug on Angloville. I no longer suggest Angloville as an opportunity in the classes I teach and will share what I have experienced with anyone who asks. Sherrill Madden, TravelsWithTheRedSuitcase, WordPress blog
Thanks for your comment. I actually first heard of Angloville when I met you at my first JS programme in Kwiejce after you recommended them to me, along with Diverbo in Spain.
I don’t want to comment on legal disputes between companies. I don’t have to agree with everything a company does in order to enjoy my experiences with them, and I am not informed about said issues enough to even weigh in on them. Instead, I choose to remain impartial and to use my platform to recommend ways for my readers to travel cheaply and gain valuable teaching experiences, both of which they can do with Angloville.
Hello, my name its ioan rostas, I will like to hear more about your experience and as I plan to join angloville. Thank verry much
Great article. Thank you. Reading your article has convinced me to sign up for at least three weeks of volunteering this coming summer. I’ve already had my interview with Angloview and just need to choose my sessions. Thanks!
Ooh, I’m so glad! I’m sure you’ll have a ball 🙂
The deposit is now 89 euros, with 69 euros refunded at the end of the program.
Thanks for the update!
I’ve now seen a programme offered with 129EUR deposit, of which 99EUR will be refunded.
That’s way better IMO!
Where and what is the program?
Hi! Great article, extremely helpful!
I was wondering, what age were you when you first participated in one of the programs? Do you think it’s safe for people on their 20s to take part? Would you say it’s wiser to wait until you’re a little bit older? Thanks!
Hi, I was 24! And it’s absolutely safe, I’ve seen people as young as 18 on the programmes, it’s pretty common for people in their early twenties to do!
I was just contacted by Angloville to do their summer program. I was curious do they also includes flights or have discounts for you when you flew over? Right now they are looking for volunteers in the EU or that are fully COVID vaacinated. Do you know if Angloville provides visa for Americans or South Africans? My boyfriend and I are considering it. Also is the shortest program one week? So after a week you do another loction?
As far as I know, they do not pay for your flights or transport into the country, and they also don’t provide visas. You have to sort that out yourself. When I was a volunteer the shortest programmes were actually 3 days, Sat-Mon, but those were not very common. The standard Angloville programme is 5 days, Mon-Fri. Most people do a few programmes back to back, but you have to arrange your own accommodation for the days in between.
Hi,
Thank you for your experience. I’m planning to go for one but my family is a bit nervous on me going by myself, and also do you need any health insurance?
Thank you.
Annie
You will be absolutely fine, Angloville is a totally legit company and there is always a Native English-speaking coordinator on hand to help you out and make sure everything is running smoothly.
You don’t NEED health insurance to be accepted onto a programme but I always recommend buying it and I never travel without. My go-to company is World Nomads, and I wrote a review of them here if you’d like to know more – https://travellingjezebel.com/world-nomads-travel-insurance/
Good luck, and safe travels!
Hi! I came across Angloville on a sponsored ad on Facebook, which I’m always wary of (especially when things seem too good to be true). Your blog really helped me understand it and the fact that they work you hard, hence the not so much being too good to be true! I just have one question, the last time I did something like this I was 21 and I am now nearly 30. Are there people in their late twenties/thirties who volunteer or does it tend to be a younger crowd?
Hi, oh I’m so glad I could help! Yes there are absolutely older people that take part. There are actually a lot of retired people who do Angloville programmes as they want something to fill up their days with that will also allow them to travel and meet new people! The age range is honestly 18-80.
Hi Jezebel, this article has been really helpful. Personally I have travelled solo a lot doing the hostel thing, worked abroad and am usually pretty confident and personable. I am now in my late 20s and working a ‘steady job’ (I know 🙁 ). I have not done the solo travel thing much in a couple of years due to Covid. I am thinking about doing an Angloville course using leave from my job. Do you think there is enough free time to make it feel like I am back in the international travel community, see the place a bit and have a bit of a rest? Any changes you are aware of from when you did it in 2018 and now post Covid would also be really helpful. I know it will be tiring and stressful at times but don’t want to go back to work totally wiped. Any advice or thoughts would great, from one Mancunian to another. Thanks 🙂
As much as I recommend Angloville and similar companies, it certainly isn’t relaxing! The hotels are in the middle of nowhere, so while you have 90 minutes of free time after lunch, you won’t really be able to do much more than take a walk around the grounds. You WILL feel as though you are back in the international travel community though!
Lol .. I did my first Angloville volunteering in 2021just before my 63rd birthday. Yes, I was the oldest mentor and older than all the mentees. Going again this year….wish I’d come across it years ago!
It’s so rewarding isn’t it! Maybe we’ll meet on a programme sometime 🙂
Hello Dani! Thank you so much for such a detailed and enlightening review of the program. I have a weirdly specific question- were you able to do laundry during the program? I know that if I end up doing the program, I’ll be anxious about what to pack. I’m thinking of bringing my violin to play around on in spare time, but if I won’t get the chance to play, it isn’t worth taking it.
If you are doing the program for 4 weeks, for example, do you jump around to different 1/1.5-week programs in different areas?
Thank you again, your blog has been so. helpful to me. Wishing you all the best, Nicky
Hi! Yes, all of the hotels had a laundry service but you had to pay extra for it.
If you brought your violin, you would definitely get a chance to play – each night there are games that can be organised by the volunteers, and if you have any idea for a game/you have a special talent, you can volunteer to show it off! I’ve been on programmes where people had guitars and played a few songs for everyone 🙂
Lastly, yes, for the most part you hop around to different hotels. When one programme finishes on a Friday, you will take the free coach back to the city that you departed from, spend 1 or 2 nights in that city at your own expense, and then get your free transport to the next hotel.
Hope that helps! 🙂
Hi! Thank you so much for writing such a detailed explanation of Angloville and of how the programs work. I am thinking of doing 1-2 weeks this summer with Angloville, however I am an 18 year old female. Do you think it’s safe for me, and would you say in your experience there have been other female participants in the range of 18-21 years?
I am just a bit weary of doing this as it will be my first time travelling somewhere completely alone!
Thanks for your comment! Yes, there are absolutely younger female participants on the programme 🙂
Thankyou for your candid and honest article as a woman in her 50’s i have decided life is too short and want to travel i am nervous of travelling alone and thought something like angloville would be perfect as i can talk for england and am very sociable your article has convinced me to give it a go do you think i would be too old.
Amazing, go for it! You absolutely wouldn’t be too old, there are people in their sixties, seventies and even eighties who participate! It is very popular with retirees who still want to travel and keep their minds busy!
Thankyou for replying i have just had my phone interview with them and am doing 2-3 programmes this september excited and terrified happy travels.
Hi Filomena! I wanted to connect with you because I am also a woman in her 50’s and I feel EXACTLY the same way you do about life!! I want to try this programme but was too nervous about my age and not being accepted to volunteer! You are going in September?
Hi.
I’m looking for English native speakers to work in our cultural language camp called ******
We don’t require any previous teaching experience. We will teach you everything you need for the camp.
The main responsibility of the teachers is to lead the activities, not to guard students, since they come with their own school teachers.
We are looking for teachers to take part in the project from 4th to 10th September 2022.
You’ll be paid decent money for the job plus we will cover your board and lodging during the camp.
If you:
– like travelling, meeting new people and discovering new cultures
– feel better among teenagers than adults and can actually talk to teenagers
– have ants in your pants …
– want to change the life of some teenagers and be a role model for them
– are a charismatic person and have interesting personality
– want to spend some time with people who are like minded and open
– want to have a break from your routine and spend a week in Slovakia
– you think the glass is always half full
…. then you are the perfect person for the position of Super Teacher
The main idea of the project is:
Students from different countries (Poland, Latvia, Czech and Moldova) aged 14-17 meet in a hotel located in Slovakia and stay there for 5 full days. During that time they have different activities like language workshops, art, music and sports activities with native speakers. The official language of the project is English.
The project started in 2011. So far we’ve hosted more than 6000 students from 27 countries.
Hi Roman!
If you would like to advertise on my page then please send me an email at danielleroseleigh@gmail.com and we can discuss the cost.
For now, I will allow your comment to remain on my page but I have deleted any information that refers to your company name or contact information.
Have a great day!
Thanks for you post. I think it is quite realistic. I’m an ESL Teacher and I have recently received an invitation from Angloville to take part in their future programmes. I normally do four teaching hours a day which, in my opinion, is more than enough, and frankly I end up fairly tired. As far as I know, regular shifts at Angloville spans over 12 hours a day. Now, how on earth you don’t go mental at the end of the day?. I mean, don’t you think they should really pay for this type of job. I know you get free accomodation but why would anyone want to have free anything if you cannot enjoy it?. And you may say, ‘well you get enjoyment from the teaching’, but who can enjoy teaching after the 6th hour without going mental?
Regards
I get what you mean, and there are certainly times that I’ve thought that they should pay their volunteers. It is definitely exhausting, and mentally draining. With that said, I do want to point out that it isn’t traditional classroom teaching, it is just casual conversation where you might helping them with their business English or playing a roleplay exercise.
Thank you so much for your informative post about Angloville. I just wanted to ask you a couple of things. If I did volunteer, I would only by able to do it like a week at a time then I would need to head back home to the US. I could do that a few times a year. Would that be feasible? And I have an almost 10 year old son. Would I ever be able to bring him along with me? Thank you again for the helpful post.
Hi! Doing it one week at a time would be fine. Unfortunately I’m not sure whether your son would be able to come with you – he would be on his own all day as you would be in 1/1 sessions with the participants, and Angloville would probably not provide free accommodation for him either (you would be sharing a twin room with one of the other teachers).
You can ask them, but I doubt it.
Thanks. Great summary. I stumbled upon your blog after this company “recruited” me. Sounds like a good program but concerned that a) sharing room – I think most people over 30 or so expect private room to unwind and b) unwillingness of Angloville to pay a stipend – seems exploitative to me and I really don’t want to undermine the hard-working ESL teachers who need a living wage.
I agree. I had great experiences there but sharing a room isn’t ideal, especially when you’re donating so much of your time.
Thank you for the great review Jezebel! Your information was very accurate though a few things have changed. I did 3 weeks last August and September in Poland and Hungary. I spaced mine 1 week apart so I could explore Poland and Hungary on my own. I am 70 years old and intend to do it again this year. The people I met were amazing and I am still in contact with some of them. I am also an online ESL teacher and they were cool with me skipping a few sessions to go back to my room and teach my paid classes. Just don’t abuse it, a few hours during the week is ok, just tell your coordinator before the trip.
The programs now have 4 classes in the morning and 4 in the afternoon/early evening so that helps with allowing some rest time. An afternoon nap was a necessity for me!
My biggest gripe with Angloville was they didn’t make sure that all of the venues had reliable internet. I often use my phone to go on the internet for helpful materials to share with the mentees. Also, the mentees were having a tough time getting materials for their presentations when they couldn’t access the internet. Cell service was spotty due to the remote locations.
For the most part, everyone was polite and respectful of each other and the rules. Sadly, at one venue, a mentor decided to hit the bar at 5pm. He tried to tell the coordinator he was drinking apple juice but we could all smell it on him and by 6pm he was quite intoxicated. The next morning he was kicked out. They literally put him in the street and he had to find a cab and a way back to Warsaw. There is no drinking allowed at all in the junior and family programs. For the adult programs, you must wait until 7:30 when dinner is served and it’s OK during the evening social events.
I haven’t shared a room since my college days. It turned out just fine. You are always paired with someone of similar age and habits. They ask you questions about what you like and don’t like before matching you, so don’t let that be a deterrent.
It was a rewarding experience and highly recommended.
Thanks for the updates! I’m sure they will be useful to people reading this who are planning to try out an Angloville programme or two!
I agree about the internet, it was mostly fine but there was definitely one hotel that had really bad signal and WiFi.
Hi there,
Thanks for sharing your experiences online. I knew I wanted to travel overseas for a while now but was scared if the programs would be more slave labor. I just wanted to hear that someone else enjoyed it and you’ve done that so thanks again.
(I only read the beginning paragraphs of this article and read the whole thing only AFTER I booked my flights haha)
One thing I am a little worried about is that I have a medical condition at the moment which means I get sleepy some times and can’t do anything unless I take like a 15-30min nap. I’m not technically disabled but if the workload is intense like you say it is, then it will show and I’m not too sure how that’s going to be dealt with when it does. What happens if you cant do like a 1-on-1 or a group program? Do you get reprimanded or sent home or something serious? I passed the interviews and everything but when l dealing with hard working people and you cant keep up, THEY WILL LET YOU KNOW.
But yeah other than that I am quite excited to go to Poland and get far away from home to meet people in an adventurous state of mind.
Cheers from Australia,
Josh
I would let Angloville know before you begin the programme! If they’re aware of your needs, then they will likely try to book a couple of extra volunteers onto the programme to ensure that each participant always has somebody to pair up with – they might do this now anyway, but they never used to back when I was doing programmes, so I’d give them a heads up anyway!
Have fun, I’m sure you will!
I’ve just finished three weeks with Angloville in Poland and I’d certainly agree with the “It’s great but…”. I’m 59, love travel and talking to people. The best bits of Angloville were without a doubt the wonderful Polish people I met and many of the English speaking volunteers. On that basis I’d do it again but the weeks varied enormously based on a combination of the English speaking coordinator, the hotel (food, staff, location, rooms), Polish speakers and Native speakers. It is hard work and even more so on very little sleep (see below), but when it works well it’s brilliant.
Also I went on two of the city tours Angloville organised which were good, but no meal is provided these days – just a cheap soup or a coffee.
My first coordinator was a joy. She was upbeat, interested, organised, sorted issues and threw herself into her job. That week was fab as a result. The next two coordinators I worked with really shouldn’t be doing the job as they were disorganised, lacked enthusiasm, and didn’t follow up on issues and as a result their weeks felt flat and disorganised.
I don’t know if the cost of living or something has impacted the hotel deals Angloville have negotiated, but none of the hotels’ food was great. It was filling and stodgy, but no puddings at all in 2 of the three hotels. Coffee was on tap but in 2 of the three was vile (instant or very weak).
Lipowy Most staff seemed resentful we were there, and the hotel really needs a refurbishment. I shared a room with 1 other in my first two weeks which was fine. In my final hotel in Palac Pakoslaw, whilst the hotel was in a nice place and well run, there was some sort of admin mess up and 4 of us had to share what was a normal double room. It was cramped and that would have been OK but the 4th person snored, was a heavy drinker and would come in late and blunder about and was generally oblivious to the chaos she caused. Yes I did tell her about it and she was apologetic but it changed nothing! The coordinator didn’t care, and said there was nothing he could do, and I ended up sleeping in the conference hall on the floor instead taking my quilt with me. So that week I was very tired.
The Polish speakers were great and I learnt so much from them and will be keeping in touch with a few I made good friends with. Many of them though thought that Angloville was disorganised and could do better regarding coordinators, food, quality of the native speakers.
The vast majority of the native speakers were great. I tended to be at the older end of the crowd at 59, but never felt that was an issue. However there was a small group of people who seemed to be freeloading – staying up late (3 a.m., 6 a.m. one night) drinking, one woman was dipping out of sessions claiming illness but appearing for meals looking chirpy, one chap insisted on playing cards in his conversation sessions even when the Polish people objected. The “weak” coordinators did nothing about these people and were even great mates with some of them.
So, yes I’d do it again if I wanted to travel to where Angloville works if I want to see that part of the world, but I’d probably limit it to just a week’s volunteering. I have no idea why people would sign up for this without tourist / travel time as part of their experience. I’d love to know the economics of Angloville as they could do more for their volunteers, e.g. single rooms, help with accommodation costs between back to back week’s work, transport between cities if you’re volunteering in both etc. I assume Brexit / tax makes an actual stipend far too complicated. I’ve written to Angloville with constructive comments saying they need to quality control native speakers , coordinators and sort out the hotel packages.
Angloville is the first company I’ve done volunteering with but have now googled and plan on signing up with one in Spain that looks to have cracked the quality issues.
I remember Lipowy Most well – the miserable staff and the tired decor (and the wifi used to be terrible as well). 4 people to a double room is atrocious, and I would really kick up a stink about that. I loved my time with Angloville but even back when I took part, I thought that the volunteers should have been treated better. Hearing that they no longer provide a lunch on the first day and that the sleeping arrangements weren’t great. I also agree that some of the coordinators shouldn’t be in the positions that they’re in.
I also want to see what the Spanish companies are like!
Hi, great article. Just came across a Facebook ad for AngloVille and was intrigued! Do you get the chance to explore the country a bit through AngloVille/ does the company plan any excursions for the volunteers? Thanks
Hi! Not really, they usually do a walking tour in the city that you initially meet up in, but not ‘excursions’ as such. The hotels are often in the countryside and very far away from everything so you can take walks around the hotel but that’s about it.
I have only done one (so far) with Angloville. And I must say that it was fantastic! We were in an old palace in Poland. All the volunteers and participants were great. I’ve just submitted to go again this coming Fall/Winter. I’m still in contact with quite a few people from the first program and look forward to meeting more! And my Texas accent was understood by all (most of the time)!
Glad you loved it! About your accent, I always found that the Polish participants preferred Americans because you speak louder and more clearly than us Brits!
Hi! I have applied to angloville and plan on teaching in their programs this summer. Where did you stay in between programs and what did you do? Some of my programs have 4-7 days in between them, and I’m not sure what I would do or where I would stay by myself.
Hi Abbey, I usually stayed in hostels or hotels in the cities where the Angloville buses depart from! I’m used to travelling alone so taking a short break alone didn’t really bother me 🙂