Most every city in the United States has a substantial community of non-native English speakers. These individuals span many ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds; they are immigrants, non-immigrants, visitors, and students, professionals and laborers, children, teenagers, and adults. The commonality is that they need assistance learning English in order to better integrate into American society. They turn to people who are teaching English as a Second Language. ESL jobs can be paid or done on a volunteer basis. The learners have many different needs: to find a job or a new place to live; understand their children's homework, report cards, and correspondence from teachers; or they simply need a guide - a personal connection in a place that is foreign to them.

Outside of the U.S., volunteer ESL jobs abound as well. In 2007, English is the second largest mother tongue language in the world, next to Chinese, which has over 1 billion native speakers. The largest numbers of English speakers are in the United States, Great Britain, the Philippines, India, Canada, Australia, and Nigeria. However, over 50 other countries, and the United Nations, have designated English as an official language. This enormous number of English speakers, in addition to the global economic impact of its widespread use as an official language, has created a worldwide demand for English instruction. From Mexico to Malaysia, from Ghana to Hungary, if you want to assist people to improve their English skills, the demand is there.

You can begin looking for a volunteer opportunity via an Internet search. For local opportunities, ProLiteracy or Volunteer Match will point you to local literacy volunteer groups and specific volunteer opportunities, respectively. Also, check out the ubiquitous Craigslist.org, under community, and then volunteers. For international volunteer opportunities, the latter sites may have some listings, but be sure to check Volunteer Abroad and the Peace Corps. While, local volunteer positions usually require a minimum commitment of 6 months, international assignments require variable amounts of time of as little as several weeks to more than a year. If you wish to volunteer abroad, the sponsoring organization may lessen your total trip cost by paying a stipend, offer free housing, or providing partial airfare refund upon completion of your contract.

Stateside volunteer ESL positions often involve private tutoring. The organization will match you with non-native English speakers who live and work in your community. Most likely, before placement, the organization has tested the learner and will let you know their proficiency level and personal goals for learning English. Often, learners are at a low to intermediate level of proficiency and have very different reasons for seeking out tutoring. One individual's goals may be to assist her daughter with homework, another may need to learn to read the classifieds to find an apartment and help filling out housing applications, yet another may want to prepare for the GED.

International volunteer positions may involve any number of responsibilities: everything from fixing the outdoor plumbing, to rebuilding homes, to teaching several classes of students. With positions in rural environments and undeveloped countries, where the number of able hands is usually short, you may be expected to pitch in wherever needed: carrying water, moving desks and equipment, babysitting, fixing computers, in addition to teaching. More urban assignments, on the other hand, will allow you to focus on your specific teaching and tutoring duties. In most settings abroad, learners will often be children, adolescents, and teenagers. As with any type of commitment, ask a lot of questions before you agree to a volunteer contract abroad. Even after asking a lot of questions, read up on the country, city, culture, and history of the people you'll be working with, and be prepared to face a variety of scenarios.

The only qualifications you must have for a volunteer ESL position, is sensitivity to the needs of your learners, a willingness to employ effective teaching methods, patience and understanding when working with individuals from a variety of socio-economic and cultural backgrounds, and flexibility.

The rewards of volunteer ESL teacher experiences are manifold. You'll be providing direct assistance to individuals with great education needs. This effort is so much more than an interesting factoid to add to your resume. You'll be touching people's lives in a personal way, empowering them, and assisting them in moving beyond real obstacles. But the ultimate reward, without question, is the knowledge and inspiration you will gain from these students - who are often more motivated, respectful, courageous, and resilient than the average student.

Beyond the volunteer level, ESL offers more opportunities and opens more doors than many realize. By obtaining a certificate or degree, you can obtain a paid position overseas. You may fall in love with a particular setting, and remain there. Or, you may return the US and find employment here as an ESL Instructor. Also in the States, you may decide to get a Master's in Teaching English as a Second Language or Applied Linguistics.