ABCi will provide exposure to English project teaching and the administration of a nonprofit organization, feedback from a senior teacher or manager, full room and board with internet access, evenings and weekends free, and possibly an offer for full-time future work should you prove a good fit.

Last Updated: Jan 09, 2019

Last Reviewed: Sep 29, 2016

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About Program

The ABCi initiative was absorbed by the English Teacher Training College in 2015. At that time, the existing ABCi volunteer programs were discontinued and the college began offering incoming students internationally recognized TEFL certifications in conjunction with Trinity College London and Cambridge University.

This program is no longer offered. View more programs from ABCi.

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Program Reviews

4.12 Rating

based on 34 reviews

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Rating Spread Volunteer

5 rating 50%
4 rating 32.35%
3 rating 2.94%
2 rating 8.82%
1 rating 5.88%

Impact 4.2
Support 4
Fun 4.15
Value 4.25
Safety 4.35

Showing 33 - 34 of 34 reviews

The thing I liked most about my time here was that I could combine holidaying in Austria while still being able to develop my career as a teacher. It was great to be able to see so many beautiful parts of Austria and to meet so many students and teachers. I found the feedback I received was very useful to develop personally as a teacher.

What would you improve about this program?

The early starts were difficult. Sometimes we worked an hour away from the office and school usually started before 8. But this is the nature of the work.

During my weeks of volunteering I taught at different schools across Austria. The days started early (leaving anywhere from 6:20 to 7:00 to get to the schools), and ended somewhere between 3 and 5, depending on when the bosses had time to have feedback time and when we got back from the schools. The main office is in Gmunden, which is on a big tourist lake and seems to be a smaller town, but is good for short times. The program in the schools is all planned out, including extra activities each day if you get through the main lessons quickly, which I found nice because I didn't have to plan anything. If you went to summer camp you'll know a lot of the songs. Basically you are with a group of kids for a week (ages anywhere from 10 to 16?) and on Friday they give a performance of a play they wrote and the songs they learned.

What would you improve about this program?

When I was there, the bosses were still ironing out kinks, like what days did we get food delivered, and what day were we to forage through the VAST amounts food they had at the headquarters.

Questions & Answers

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Why did you decide to volunteer abroad with ABCi in Austria?

Before the English project week began, the teaching team met to plan for the week. We discussed the background of the school we would be at and any special activities planned for the week, and, if new teachers were present, we would spend some time getting to know each other. School days would begin with a group ride to the school, meeting the headmaster/mistress, getting our classrooms ready, and greeting the students. Frank and Ben always made sure we had enough materials and were ready for the day. Their enthusiastic smiles made the other teachers and students smile as well. In our individual classrooms, we would warm up with a few fun/easy activities in English, then “sneak” in some educational activities. The students usually had so much fun that they didn’t realize they were learning!

The days were always full of songs and silly dancing. At the end of the day, we recapped the lessons and songs, and asked for feedback from the students as to what they liked and didn’t like. ABCi has a great program, but they’re always looking to make it better. I found this feedback session helped me as an individual teacher too, because then I knew what to do differently the next day. After school, the teachers would meet for dinner and discuss the next day’s plans. Frank and Ben always made sure we were comfortable and prepared. The rest of the evening would be free time.

Has your worldview changed as a result of your trip?

I had previously lived and worked in Austria for two years, so working with ABCi was a “homecoming” of sorts for me. I LOVE Austria and its people. Meeting the students and a few parents through ABCi’s program reminded me again of why I love the culture. The people are so welcoming and appreciative. One student even gave me a jar of homemade strawberry jam as a thank you gift! Traveling abroad is a wonderful life experience. Working or volunteering abroad and genuinely interacting with locals magnifies the experience beyond unforgettable to life-changing.

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Was it difficult to navigate around language barriers?

In a way, if a teacher doesn’t speak German, he/she has an advantage! Since ABCi’s goal is to provide students with a native English immersion week, teachers are supposed to speak only English in the classroom. I speak German, but I found it best to hide this from the students. I didn’t want them to take the easy route of speaking German to me since my value to them was as a native English speaker.

It’s more difficult to pretend one doesn’t speak a language than one might think! I had to constantly monitor my reaction to the times when students accidentally spoke German, making sure I didn’t answer their question or otherwise indicate I knew what they had said. Outside of the classroom, it is helpful to know German, especially in some of the smaller towns, but not essential. Austrians are friendly and glad to help, especially if you show interest in their culture. Many Austrians know basic English, if not more, so volunteers could get around on their own just fine.Frank and Ben at ABCi are considerate of the situations of all their volunteers and will also help with the language barrier whenever necessary!

What do you the miss the most about Austria or your experience?

In short, I miss the people and the beautiful scenery. I have some wonderful friends in Austria that I wish I could see more often. I also miss the general hospitality of the Austrian culture and people. Austria is gorgeous, no matter which part of the country you’re in and no matter the season. I miss the snow-covered mountains just as much as the glimmering lakes surrounded by beautiful wildflowers!

For people looking to travel throughout Europe, Austria is an ideal choice because of its location. From Austria, one can easily reach the traditional countries of Western Europe, but one can also quickly and easily reach Italy and Eastern Europe.

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Angelika Kochem

Program

ABCi Volunteer Program

Job Title

Administrative Assistant

Angelika is one of the Austrian members of staff at ABCi, and graduated from Handelsakademie in Gmunden. Alongside her work at ABCi, she works as a body painter and as a semi-professional photographer. In her spare time she likes to walk her dog, ride her horse and spend time with her two children. I work in the Reception office as Administrative Assistant, that means to care of everything and everybody at the campus.

What is your favorite travel memory?

Once I joined a PD at a school, to get a clear idea of our work. The children really enjoyed the education. We all had lots of fun with the humorous and inspiring form of teaching. I great experience.

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

My work is very challenging. I started with work order to care for the Campus and the People. I was told to do a great job and could expand my work order to Accountant, Information and Help desk for everybody, especially with legal issues.

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What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

They all enjoy the time working here. It's challenging and a great experience. They're confident that they'll be able to teach anywhere at the world, because of the enormous amount of teaching hours. They wanted to teach and at ABCi they've the chance to do so.

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

I would love to teach the way they teach at ABCi. My children told me, they would enjoy always to be taught this way. I would enjoy to increase English knowledge at Austria.

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

We've a very familiar system. All colleagues help together. Somebody isn't available. No Problem. Another colleague is here and helps you.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

A good idea and a wonderful colleagues like mine.

Frank Carle

Program Manager

Location

Location:

London

Currency:

English Pound

Weather:

Jan-Mar

52 F / 36 F

Apr-Jun

70 F / 43 F

Jul-Sep

73 F / 52 F

Oct-Dec

61 F / 37 F

Airports:

London-Heathrow

( LHR )

Gatwick

( LGQ )

London Stansted

( STN )

London, although typically regarded for its architecture and city lifestyle, is made up of 40% public green space in the form of incredibly lush parks. London has created an environment where you can spend the day enjoying city life and then escape to Primrose hill, the Thames, or a walk by the canals.