Mrs Gilchrist asks: What are the opportunities for teaching English as a second language - either for money or on a voluntary basis?

I'm educated to degree level and old enough to have been taught how to spell and punctuate. I have worked with stroke victims who have lost the ability to communicate, have endless patience and probably most of the skills I would need.

Career clinic answers: One route into this careers is through the Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) qualifications. TEFL is the training specialist in qualifying candidates to teach English.

The process starts with a weekend course covering communication skills, lesson planning, how to survive in the classroom. Secondly there is an 80-hour Follow-Through Self-Study to practice lesson planning, analyse and explain grammar usage and develop lesson ideas.

Finally there is a 40-hour Teaching Practice Week to consolidate what has been learnt. This encorporates 10 hours of supervised teaching practice as well as 10 hours observation of other teachers.

A distance learning option is also available.

For more information, visit tefltraining.co.uk For volunteering opportunities, visit csv.org.uk/ services/education which features posts appealing for help in education.