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Serve where you’re needed mostMiddle and High School English Teacher
Education
Job highlights
- Build practical skills in teaching, facilitation, and classroom management that will strengthen your effectiveness in any educational or training environment.
- Learn Tetum from skilled Language and Cross-Cultural Facilitators.
- Make a lasting impact by helping to strengthen English instruction and contribute to a more effective national curriculum.
Timor-Leste • Asia
In partnership with: Middle schools and high schools
Get answers live — every weekday at .
Apply by
November 15, 2026Know by
January 1, 2027Depart on
June 22, 2027Duration
2 years, plus 3 months trainingAbout the project
Schools in Timor-Leste are seeking aspiring and experienced educators alike to enhance English instruction.
Timor-Leste faces significant challenges in improving the quality of education and student learning, especially in rural and remote communities. Many Timorese English teachers have limited access to ongoing professional development, training resources, and practical classroom support. At the same time, the Ministry of Education is rolling out newly revised curricula for grades 8–10, creating a growing need for mentoring, teacher support, and interactive learning approaches. English proficiency is an important national priority as Timor-Leste increases regional engagement through Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and seeks to expand educational and employment opportunities for young people. Geographic isolation, limited infrastructure, and resource constraints make it difficult for many schools to fully implement reforms without additional support.
As a Middle and High School English Teacher, you will collaboratively facilitate trainings, assist with teacher workshops, support English clubs and extracurricular activities, and help educators practice new methodologies in real classroom settings. In the short term, students benefit from more engaging learning environments and more opportunities to practice English develop critical thinking skills. With your support, teachers will gain confidence in implementing the curriculum reforms for consistent, higher-quality instruction across municipalities, ultimately expanding students’ academic and professional opportunities.
Learn more about what Volunteers do in country by visiting our Timor-Leste project page.
Required skills
Qualified candidates will have one or more of the following criteria:
Bachelor's degree in any discipline.
Language: There are no pre-requisite language requirements for this position.
Required behavioral competencies
These competencies are essential for all service assignments and are assessed in the application and interview process:
Motivation for and commitment to service
Adaptability and open-mindedness
Problem solving and resourcefulness
Behavioral maturity and professionalism
Photos from Timor-Leste
How you and the community will make an impact together:
Plan and teach English lessons at middle and high schools.
Provide formal or informal English language training to teachers.
Organize and facilitate after-school activities, such as English clubs or computer classes.
Pilot new English teaching materials to support the national curriculum.
Conduct municipality-level trainings for English teachers on the new curriculum.
Engage in community-based activities that develop English language skills.
You may also work on additional projects that meet the community’s interests and priorities, such as refurbishing a school library or starting a smallholder garden.
Living with a Timorese host family is central to Peace Corps service in Timor‑Leste, helping Volunteers build trust, strengthen language skills, and deeply engage in community life. Volunteers are placed throughout the country—from the coast to the mountains—and live within a 15‑minute walk of their worksites. Cross-country travel is available via small buses or open‑backed trucks along winding, dusty roads. While water and electricity are usually available, blackouts and brownouts are common, and some households must purchase water in the dry season.
Learn more about the living conditions, including detailed information on culture, communications, housing, and health/crime statistics on our Timor-Leste country page. You can also delve into stories about local communities by reading our blog or Volunteer stories.
Meet a Volunteer in Timor-Leste
Jade J.
English Teacher
"Throughout this past year I have built relationships with my students and grown to love them. Seeing them return that love and enthusiasm to learn has been the most enjoyable aspect of serving my community."
See full Volunteer profile
As a Middle and High School English Teacher, you will be trained on the national English curriculum, student-centered teaching methods, lesson planning strategies, and classroom management practices. Peace Corps/Timor-Leste will teach you Tetum to help you comfortably live in and connect with the community.
After 11 weeks of training, you will move to a rural community where you will collaborate with the staff at middle and high school to assess learning needs and develop solutions.
Only heterosexual couples can be accepted for this program. Each person must apply separately and must qualify for a position in either the same or a different sector than their partner. Couples will live together during training but may separate occasionally for field-based activities. Couples who are selected for the same sector will live together but work with different local partners which may be in the same community or in neighboring communities (not more than 30 minutes apart). Cohabitating couples are highly encouraged to present themselves as married throughout service due to cultural expectations.
To learn more about serving as a couple in Timor-Leste, visit the country page.
Application process
From application to departure takes around nine months. Learn about the application process for Volunteer opportunities.
Medical/legal clearance
You will need to be cleared medically and legally in order to serve in Timor-Leste. Review information on medical clearance and legal clearance to learn about the process.
