English Language Educator - Bolivia

Job Description:

Location:

• La Paz, Bolivia

Assignment Includes:

• Facilitate the processes of teaching English in the four main skills: listening, reading, speaking and writing, responding to the Iglesia Evangélica Luterana Boliviana (IELB) need to incorporate the training of English as a foreign language in schools.
• Interact in an elementary school (boys and girls 6 to 12 years old), and in a secondary school (adolescents 13-18 years old)
• Plan, prepare and deliver lessons to a variety of classes and age groups. Prepare and establish tests, exams, and exercises
• Provide appropriate comments on oral expression, language, spelling, and writing, and writing work, produce new materials, including audio and visual resources.
• Organize and participate in social and cultural activities (sociocultural community organizing), such as sports competitions, school parties, musical activities, dinners and excursions to facilitate interaction with the English language, with a perspective of sociocultural community organizing seeking community development and cultural promotion.
• Attend and contribute to the training sessions.
• Participate in marketing and promotion events for the English programs
• Prepare information for inspection visits and other quality control exercises.
• To carry out administrative tasks, such as maintaining student records and attendance records.
• Interact and collaborate with Bolivian teachers at school and with the management.
• It is beneficial to play a musical instrument or have an affinity for music, including sensitivity to the music of Bolivian culture.
• This position is not part of the formal corpus of school teachers, because certified Bolivian studies are required in Bolivia to be a formal teacher in schools. Although it could be that the Bolivarian government recognizes the certifications of the educator achieved in the USA
• Generate exchange of students in the future with educational institutions in Latin America.
• Interpret the mission and ministry of our companions back to the ELCA through newsletters, blogs, and visits to ELCA congregations and members.

Site Information: 

IELB is the largest Spanish speaking church in the world, and the only one that is Aymara and Quechua speaking, with more than 100 self-sustainable congregations, and almost 200 hundred pastors who are enlarging the presence of the Lutheran church in Bolivian geography. In the last years, IELB is opening new missions and congregations, and the changes in the country require institutional strengthening and all levels.

Experience and Skills:

• Bachelor´s degree minimum required
• Proficiency in Spanish required
• Cultural sensitivity, tolerance, intercultural patience are required, particularly in relation to the strong Aymara and Quechua culture.
• Classroom experience helpful
• ESL/TEFL/TESL certification helpful
• Excellent planning and organization skills in educational activities
• Creative skills and ideas for the preparation of practical and theoretical lessons
• Excellent human relations skills, friendly and reliable
• A flexible approach to work
• Ability to establish empathic links and community participation
• The capacity of active and didactic listening in teaching processes
• The capacity of respect and understanding for others
• Ability to use Accompaniment Praxis as the hermeneutical key for work

Terms and Conditions

This position is supported under the terms of a Global Mission Two-year (GM2) contract. Those provisions include: international transportation, transportation related to work assignment, pensions and major medical coverage, housing and cash salary which is adjusted according to the goods and services differential for Bolivia. This position does not include provisions for dependent spouse nor children.

General Qualifications for ELCA Global Personnel

• Christian faith and a commitment to the mission of the church
• Openness to various expressions of Christian faith and respect for people of other faiths
• Respect for beliefs, values and customs of church and culture where assigned
• Well-developed inter-personal skills demonstrating understanding and compassion
• Demonstrated ability to carry out the responsibilities and the ability to adapt to different standards and practices
• Ability to work within the framework of a local administration
• Adaptable and flexible - sense of humor - good physical and emotional health
• Live and serve in a way which reflects the vision and expectations of the ELCA