Sustainable Development Goals
The Project
The Instituto Filhas de Maria Auxiliadora (IFMA) has requested an English Teacher-Mentor to work with the students and teachers of their vocational (Tourism and Hospitality) school St Maria Mazzarello, Venilale.
An important aspect of the hospitality course (and indeed Timorese tourism) is that students gain confidence in their English communication, which is a mandatory component of their course. While education policy tends to favour the Portuguese language, there is a feeling among students and parents that learning English and Bahasa Indonesia are more practical. Speaking English will make it easier for graduates to find work in the hospitality sector, as it helps them engage with international tourism partners and visitors directly.
The mentoring and improved English skills of teachers within the vocational school will help make it less reliant on native English-speaking volunteers.
The Location
Timor-Leste is one of Australia’s nearest neighbours and the poorest country in our region but has much to offer in terms of beauty and adventure. Despite nearly 400 years of neglect during the Portuguese colonial period, Japanese invasion and Indonesia’s occupation from 1975 -2001, Timor Leste is now a new vibrant democracy enjoying its independence. Governance systems are being established and rebuilding of infrastructure destroyed by Indonesian backed militias in 1999 – 2000 is happening.
The assignment is in Venilale. Venilale Administrative Post is within the Baucau Municipality. The Venilale administrative post comprises eight sucos, or groups of villages
The Challenge
A nation rich in culture, history and natural beauty, Timor-Leste is still one of the least visited countries in the world, even in the market of adventure and eco-tourism. Though the Timorese government has allocated funds to developing the tourism sector, it is a relatively low figure considering the sector poses the second-largest non-oil opportunity. As part of this, the Ministry of Tourism is working on a professional branding and marketing strategy to raise Timor-Leste’s attractiveness among potential tourists. While still in progress, the tourism industry will be critical to Timor-Leste’s future economic stability.
Instituto Filhas De Maria Auxiliadora (IFMA) is responding to this potential and the opportunities it will provide to the youth of the mountainous Venilale district. The St Mary Mazarello Vocational School, run by the Salesian Sisters, offers technical and vocational courses for around 200 students from low-income and rural communities. Vocational training is an ideal education model, particularly in rural societies, as it provides employment opportunities and community-generated income. A highlight of the training on offer at IFMA is a course in hospitality and tourism, including English lessons. Around 85% of these students are young women.
About You
Palms participants for this placement will need to demonstrate the following qualifications, skills, and attributes:
- Formal training in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
- Native English speaker university graduate.
- Proficiency in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, other basic computer functions and ability to transfer this skill.
- Training expertise across design, delivery, implementation, and assessment.
- Demonstrated experience in English teaching strategies and lesson planning
- Experience teaching in low resource or multilingual classrooms
- Ability to design simple learning materials
- Familiarity with Timor-Leste’s education context
- Ability to work collaboratively within a team in community contexts
- A commitment to teamwork, coaching, and mentoring others
- Compassion, patience, adaptability and flexibility in responding to diverse challenges.
- Professionalism and resourcefulness
- Cultural sensitivity and openness to engaging within a different cultural context.
- The ability to cope with cultural isolation and different living standards
- Commitment to serve in Venilale for 12 months working with limited resources and facilities
- Willingness to engage their Australian community in promoting the work of the host organisation and their role.
How You Will Help
First, you must be willing to learn from the local community.
Over the first several weeks you are asked not to change anything or suggest a change to operations. During that six months you will take the time to learn language and cultural mores from a local counterpart willing to mentor you. You will also start a register of the strengths of the current personnel and the assets in the community/country that might be used to achieve the goals of the assignment.
You need to commit to clarifying why things are done the way they are rather than presuming from your own cultural lens to outline what is missing. So, you need to ask questions to enable you to learn from your hosts, rather than in ignorance make suggestions about how things can improve. Palms training will prepare you for this approach.
From then onward, your responsibilities are to:
- Teaching Strategies and Lesson Planning
- Support teachers to create simple, structured lesson plans aligned with the curriculum.
- Model effective teaching routines and low‑resource activities.
- Help teachers adapt lessons for mixed‑ability classes.
- Improving Students’ Ability
- Demonstrate strategies that build student confidence and participation.
- Promote inclusive, active learning through pair work, games, and communication tasks.
- Guide teachers to use quick checks to monitor student progress.
- Leadership
- Model professional, collaborative leadership in the school environment.
- Build teachers’ confidence to lead lessons independently through gradual handover.
- Encourage reflective practice and peer support among teachers.
- Participate in school activities.
- English Communication
- Model clear, simple English for classroom use.
- Coach teachers to use practical English phrases and routines confidently.
- Support balanced use of English with appropriate scaffolding in Tetun/Portuguese.
- Cross‑Cultural Understanding
- Promote respectful, culturally sensitive communication with teachers and students.
- Integrate English learning with local culture and school values.
- Encourage mutual learning and understanding of different teaching traditions.