Teachers at LELI typically teach 20-24 hours per week in addition to completing basic administrative tasks with lessons being delivered Monday - Friday between 8 am - 8 pm, and on (very) occasional Saturday mornings between 8 am - 2 pm. Teachers normally teach 4 evenings per week (Mon-Thu). Most lessons are delivered at our training centre, but some classes take place offsite. Dili is a small city, so all off-site classes are within a 10-minute motorbike/scooter ride.

The majority of our students are adults and have a moderate level of English (CEF A1 - B1) so a lot of the teaching involves General English, although successful candidates will be expected to adapt their courses to suit specific client needs and/or be capable of teaching across a range of courses including English for the Workplace, IELTS Exam Preparation, ESP and on occasion provide one-to-one tuition.

Our clients include government ministries and national institutions, international and local humanitarian and development organisations, and foreign diplomatic missions including the Australian, New Zealand and American Embassies. In addition to the specific organisations we provide training for, we also teach approximately 500 students per term on our afternoon and evening public courses, of which a growing number (approximately 30%) of students are teenagers.

The standard of education in Timor is generally poor, and a significant number of our students have had their education disrupted due to Timor-Leste's years of struggling for independence. Additionally, and while our students come from a variety of backgrounds, there is a low level of IT literacy and the pedagogical approach most are familiar with means that the majority of our students have difficulty with abstract thinking and/or autonomous learning. Therefore, in conjunction with building students English language proficiency, teachers at LELI are expected to help develop students analytical and critical thinking skills through a range of different teaching strategies.

It's also important to note that daily life in Timor-Leste can be quite demanding and is filled with challenges associated with a post-conflict, developing country. Dili is a small, quiet, unpretentious city and is a very different environment to most South-East Asian cities. The heat and humidity is not to be underestimated, nor is its remote and isolated location, so it's certainly not a place that suits everyone.

However, for those with a sense of adventure willing to invest their time and energy, not only is it a beautiful island with stunning landscapes, but it's undoubtedly a land of opportunity and reward, and successful candidates would be helping to make a genuine difference in the development of a nation that is rich in culture and history.

*Please note. If you are interested in the position, please ensure an up-to-date contact telephone/WhatsApp number is included in your TEFL application/CV, so that we can contact you directly and quickly. We have had issues with emails being delivered to spam folders. Thank you.