James Hallworth was selected as a Student Leader for one of the two Thailand projects that VESL ran at Edgehill University this year, here he reflects on his time overseas and the challenges he faced. I was very nervous about taking this role due to having no previous management experience. Looking back, I am so […]
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Tips for Hand Washing Your Clothes
Washing your clothes while overseas can be an interesting experience. In my host family, watching me hand wash my clothes was something they found totally hilarious. No matter how many times I did it, and how many lessons I had, I never seemed to quite match up to their standards! These are some tips that […]
5 Things to See and Do in Chiang Rai, Thailand
Following on from our blog on what to see and do in Kerala – we didn’t want our Thailand volunteers to feel left out, so we got in contact with some of our past volunteers and have put together a list of top things to do in Thailand – after all you will want to […]
VESL’s visit to Sri Lanka 2012
Arriving in Sri Lanka I arrived in Sri Lanka half asleep in the afternoon, I was expecting the chaos that greeted me when I first arrived in India (hundreds of people pushing and shoving to complete forms and get through immigration) but arriving in Sri Lanka was unbelievably calm, I queued for immigration and was through […]
Help – I need some tips to control my class
For students, having volunteers in their classroom is a new and exciting novelty, and like students anywhere they will try to push the boundaries at the beginning. Below are a few tips that will help you manage the behaviour of the students, particularly in those first few weeks as you settle into the role (some of them may sound very […]
Help! It’s monsoon season!
A lot of our volunteers go out in the summer months to fit in around university and teaching holidays, unfortunately this means that it is monsoon season in Thailand, India and Sri Lanka! Locals will try and stay inside when it is monsoon rain but there are times where you get caught out in it…and […]
Pre-departure checklist…
Your overseas trip with VESL comes around surprisingly quickly, here is a quick check list for you to run through before you go so that you know you are prepared and have everything you need! Passport – your passport has at least 6 months remaining from the date that you plan to leave the country you are volunteering in […]
Help! I don’t know what to pack
It is really difficult knowing what to pack for your trip overseas, when I first packed to go travelling I had a HUGE pile of things to take and a backpack – there was no way that I was going to be able to take a quarter of the stuff I had originally planned on […]
How do I communicate with home when I am overseas?
Going overseas can be quite daunting especially if it is your first time overseas without friends or family. There are lots of different ways to stay in contact with your nearest and dearest so here are a couple of suggestions! Phone Mobile phone is obviously the easiest way to communicate whilst abroad, however not with […]
Ten Tips On Staying Safe Overseas
A lot of people worry about safety overseas, so here is a collection of advice to help you stay safe and assure you there is no need to panic! 1. Money belt 2. Large sums of money It is often easier to take large sums of money out of an ATM because a) you don’t […]
5 Things To See & Do in Kerala
After all the hard work that you put in during the week, the weekends are a great opportunity to explore the area around you. Kerala is famously known as ‘God’s own country’ because of its beauty and there are plenty of things to see and do, but here is what I consider the top five […]
Bargaining
A normal part of daily life In many places bargaining is a normal part of daily life but it can be hard for foreigners to get used to. It’s difficult to get over the feeling that you’re being rude or that you might insult someone, however, bargaining is the usual medium of exchange and people […]
Help! I Don’t Understand What People Are Saying!
Sometimes you will have trouble understanding the people around you. It might be your host family or the other teachers at the school or your students or the bus conductors or the people in the shop or just about anyone. There are things you can do to make it easier. Ask Them To Slow Down […]
Help! People Don’t Understand What I’m Saying!
Sometimes the people you are talking to when you’re overseas will have trouble understanding you. It might be your host family or the other teachers at the school or your students or the bus conductors or the people in the shop or just about anyone. There are things you can do to make life easier. […]
