Teach English and immerse yourself in the local culture of Yopal, Colombia

Details

• 

  Description

  Hi there! We run a small, family-oriented language institute here in Yopal, Casanare. If you are looking for a place, where things are simple, and where you can experience the "real" Colombia far away from the typical tourist crowds, you'll feel right at home with us.
  
  We work mainly with children and teenagers who are super excited to practice their English with people from all over the world. Honestly, we aren't looking for professional teachers with perfect resumes. What we truly need are big hearts, lots of patience, a positive attitude, and someone who just loves chatting and connecting with kids.
  
  Your role as a volunteer
  
  We split our days into two different environments, which makes the experience quite dynamic:
  
  In the mornings: Our language institute is actually closed, but we partner closely with a local private school in town. You’ll come with us to support their local English classes, helping kids with pronunciation and basic skills in a traditional school setting.
  
  In the afternoons/evenings: You’ll be hanging out at our institute. Your main job here is simply to support basic conversational activities. Don't worry about planning complicated lessons or getting stressed out—we prepare the curriculum and will guide you every step of the way. Once a week, we'll just ask you to lead a short, fun activity for our conversation club.
  
  The ultimate goal is just to help our students gain confidence and lose their fear of speaking!
  
  What we offer & Life in Yopal
  
  Volunteering here is a beautiful exchange. Since you'll be helping our community, we want to make sure you enjoy your time in Yopal too.
  
  First of all, Yopal is a very safe, welcoming, and authentic city. It’s not a massive tourist hub, but that’s exactly why our volunteers love it—you get to live like a true local. Everything is close by, and we will provide a bicycle so you can get around town easily. You are going to fall in love with the Llanero culture, the food, the Joropo music, and our incredible sunsets.
  
  To help you blend in, we offer high-quality Spanish lessons at a very affordable price for our volunteers. Plus, there’s always someone around ready to chat over a good tinto (coffee).
  
  Also, if you need it for your career or studies, we will gladly provide an official certificate at the end of your stay, documenting your volunteering hours and tasks to add to your portfolio.
  
  If you want to teach, learn, and become part of a real Colombian family, we’d love to have you here.

• 

  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Language practice

  Teaching
• 

  Interests

  

  Culture

  

  Languages

  

  Water sports

  

  Outdoor activities

  

  Nature

  

  Mountain

  

  Hiking

  

  Dancing

  

  Cycling

  

  Camping
• 

  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Staying with us means you won't just be a tourist looking at a city from the outside; you will genuinely become part of our local community.
  
  Since Yopal doesn't get crowds of foreign visitors, you will find yourself surrounded by real, everyday Spanish. It is the perfect environment to practice your language skills naturally while interacting with our students, teachers, and neighbors.
  
  Beyond the language, you will get a firsthand look at the Llanero lifestyle. We love introducing our volunteers to the local culture, from the traditional Joropo music and dances to our regional food—you absolutely have to try the mamona (our local barbecue) while you are here. By spending time with our students, you’ll also get to see how curious, welcoming, and hardworking young Colombians are. They are always eager to show volunteers their favorite spots around town and share stories you won't find in any travel guide.

• 

  Projects involving children

  This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.

• 

  Help

  Your main role is simply to bring your native English into our space and help our students practice in a natural way. We want you to focus on building their confidence through everyday conversations, games, and fun interactions rather than strict grammar. In exchange, we want to share our daily life, local food, and music with you.
  
  As for the schedule, you will have a three-day weekend every week (Saturday afternoon, Sunday, and Monday). This gives you a massive window of free time to disconnect, explore the incredible nature and wildlife around Casanare, or just relax and do your own thing.

• 

  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Spanish: Beginner

  This host offers a language exchange
  A True Cultural & Language Exchange We love hosting volunteers who are eager to improve their Spanish while helping our students master English. Here, the exchange happens naturally—there is always someone ready for a friendly conversation! • Improve your Spanish: Beyond daily practice, we offer structured Spanish lessons with local teachers. • Social Impact: We provide these classes at a very low cost, and 100% of those funds are reinvested into our community educational projects and activities. • The Experience: This is a real exchange. You share your English and culture, and in return, you gain Spanish skills and a deep, authentic understanding of daily life in Colombia.
• 

  Accommodation

  We want you to feel completely comfortable during your stay. Depending on our availability when you arrive, you will be hosted in one of these two settings:
  
  At the Institute: You will stay in a private bedroom with a private bathroom located on the second floor of our language center, right in town. You'll also have access to a shared kitchen with the host to cook your meals.
  
  With a Local Family: Alternatively, you might stay in a private room with a welcoming local family, sharing the common areas of the house with them.
  
  Both options provide a private, comfortable space and are located in central areas with easy access to shops and local transport.

• 

  What else ...

  Since you will have a three-day weekend, there are plenty of amazing things to do right here in Casanare.
  
  If you like nature, you can easily visit local nature reserves for a "Llanero Safari" where it's common to spot hundreds of chigüiros (capybaras), deer, caimans, and incredible birds. For a chill afternoon, you can head out to La Aguatoca river to cool off in the natural pools, or hike up to the Virgen de la Manare viewpoint, which gives you an amazing view of the entire valley and our famous plains sunsets. Horseback riding is also huge here, and it's one of the best ways to experience the landscape like a local.
  
  As for getting around, the city is flat and very easy to navigate. We’ll be happy to give you all the insider tips on how to arrange transport, which local spots to visit, or how to plan your weekend trips so you can get the most out of your time off.

• 

  A little more information

  • 

    Internet access

  • 

    Limited internet access

  • 

    We have pets

  • 

    We are smokers

  • 

    Can host families

• 

  How many Workawayers can stay?

  One

• 

  My animals / pets

Website Safety

Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host

+1

Feedback (7)