Learn vocabulary from the lesson!

volunteer teacher

I went to Michigan and worked as a volunteer teacher.

A ‘volunteer teacher’ teaches lessons, but does not get paid to teach.  People volunteer to do many things to help people and to gain experience.  Notice the following:

1. She worked as a volunteer teacher in the Peace Corps for two years.
2. The clinic is looking for volunteer nurses.

public school

I worked in a public school.

A ‘public school’ gets money from the government for teachers and supplies. Notice the following:

1. The public school system in this area is really good.
2. You get paid more if you teach in a public school.

great country

I think America is a great country.

A ‘great country’ is a country that is very good in at least one area.  We can put ‘great’ in front of any noun to show that it is good or remarkable. Notice the following:

1. They make great pizza here.
2. The Beatles made a lot of great songs.

special skills

I did not have special skills to teach, but they let me work as a volunteer.

‘Special skills’ are unique abilities that you need to perform a task.  Anything that you know how to do that is not something everyone knows is a special skill.  Notice the following:

1. What kind of special skills do you have?
2. He learned a lot of special skills while he was a volunteer.

by myself

I visited lots of places by myself.

When you do something ‘by yourself’ it means that you do it alone or without someone that you know.  Notice the following:

1. I would never go to a party by myself.
2. I prefer to go for walks by myself or with my dog.