Teaching Abroad in India

From the rather basic airport to the hectic, noisy and colourful streets where the heat hits you, your arrival in Chennai is an experience in itself. But don't worry - one of our staff will be there to meet you. Most flights arrive in the early morning, and from the airport you will be taken into the city for breakfast, then checked into a hotel room to get some rest.

" Don't expect chicken tikka masala - that is an anglicised North Indian dish. Southern food is very different. Iddli, dosai and iddiapam will become part of your vocabulary very quickly. "
Karen Slevin, Medical volunteer.

At around lunchtime you will begin the eight-hour train journey to Madurai, which is a wonderful introduction to South Indian culture. One of our UK staff recently visited India for the first time, and said of this journey, "it is long but everything is going on all around you - it's a brilliant way to learn something of the Indian way of life before you really start your visit...". The local member of staff travelling with you will tell you all about India and its people, their customs and habits. You will also have the chance to sample some Indian delicacies - usually from a box on top of the seller's head! You can open the doors and stand up to catch the breeze, and watch the incredible scenery pass by.

After arriving in Madurai you'll have dinner before being driven two hours south to Sivakasi, where you will spend the night in a hotel.

Some volunteers fly into the airport at Thiruvananthapuram (also known locally as Trivandrum) rather than Chennai. Again, our staff will meet you here. From there it is four hours drive to Sivakasi - after a chance to freshen up and have a good Indian breakfast.

After breakfast, on your first real South Indian morning in Sivakasi, you will be taken to our office to meet the staff, including Rajendran, our Director for India. You will receive a "Welcome Pack" containing a wealth of information, including a map. You will then be driven to your placement and introduced to the host family or placement supervisor. Right up until your placement host takes over, our staff will be on hand to help you and answer any questions you may have. You can call our India staff 24 hours a day if you have any questions or problems. Otherwise you can just walk into our India office during the day.

"M y host-family made the experience a lot easier to handle and were always ready to help. " Martin Clarke, Teaching in India .

In general, girls stay with local families whilst most boys stay in hostels together. This is for cultural reasons - families with daughters usually feel uneasy at the thought of contact with males outside the family. As you may imagine, accommodation in India can be quite basic. Don't expect western-style toilet facilities, and your shower will be a bucket shower - it is what it sounds like! However, you will have everything you need - your own bed, a light, and a fan.

Our Staff in India

Host familly

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