Question 1

Is ENGin really free?

Accepted Answer

Yes, ENGin is a nonprofit organization. We work with volunteers who are fluent in English and conduct free speaking sessions. There are no costs to participate in ENGin.

Question 2

How long does the program last?

Accepted Answer

You can practice English with us as long as you want! At a minimum, it takes about 3 months for students to see improvement, so we hope you can commit to at least that period of time.

Question 3

When do sessions usually happen?

Accepted Answer

Our sessions usually happen in the evening Ukrainian time to accommodate for time zone differences. Many sessions happen on weekends because volunteers are busy with school during the week. We try to match you with volunteers who are available at the same times you indicate on your application form. Exact session times are determined directly with your volunteer.

Question 4

What happens during the speaking sessions?

Accepted Answer

We ask our volunteers to prepare speaking topics or activities for each week’s sessions. Depending on your and your volunteer’s preferences, you might just talk - about music, politics, fitness, school, or anything else on your mind. Or, your volunteer might introduce different activities and language games - role plays, watching and discussing videos, etc.  Your volunteer is responsible for determining what to do in sessions - but you can always make suggestions and requests for what to focus on!

Question 5

Are all of your volunteers from the United States? Can I request a volunteer from the US?

Accepted Answer

While many of our volunteers live in America, we have volunteers from 70+ different countries. A few of our volunteers are fluent English speakers living in Ukraine.    If you are a beginner student, we will match you to Ukrainian volunteer for the first few months to help you get comfortable speaking in English. Otherwise, you will be matched to a volunteer living outside Ukraine. You cannot request a volunteer from a specific country.

Question 6

I am younger than 13. Can I sign up for your program?

Accepted Answer

Unfortunately, no. We are a peer-to-peer program. This means that we match students and volunteers by age. We do not have volunteers for students younger than 13 years old.

Question 7

I am older than 22. Can I sign up for your program?

Accepted Answer

Unfortunately, no. We are a peer-to-peer program. This means that we match students and volunteers by age. We do not have volunteers for students older than 22 years old.

Question 8

Do I need to use videochat? Can we just speak by phone?

Accepted Answer

Yes - to make sure sessions are effective and safe, we ask participants to have their video on.

Question 9

Can you add Spanish to the ENGin program? (Or French or German or Japanese or…?)

Accepted Answer

ENGin’s mission is to facilitate English fluency among Ukrainian youth in order to transform Ukraine’s economy. English fluency unlocks the largest knowledge base and the most opportunities - online courses, top universities, useful books, good jobs. Though other languages are also valuable, English is the most universal language - the language that will connect you to a global conversation in any field.  We’re dreaming of an entire generation of young Ukrainians who are fluent in English. For this reason, we are currently focusing our program on free English practice. If you are interested in creating your own program focusing on a different language, we are happy to share what we’ve learned about building a successful peer-to-peer speaking practice program. Email us info@enginprogram.org for a guide.

Question 10

Will my volunteer be a native speaker?

Accepted Answer

We have a diverse group of volunteers and we don't know who is a native speaker and who isn't. Some volunteers immigrated to the US as children, but speak flawless English. Others were born in the US but have regional accents. We even have volunteers who live outside the US but are native English speakers.   We do interview every volunteer to make sure they are completely fluent in English, so you can be confident you will not be practicing with another English learner :)

Question 11

Accepted Answer

Enter your answer here

Question 12

I’m trying to schedule an interview but don’t see any timeslots that work for me. What can I do?

Accepted Answer

We are really sorry about the inconvenience! We try to have many options in our calendar each week, but sometimes many people sign up and we run out. Just email us at info@enginprogram.org and we will add more timeslots to accommodate you.

Question 13

I can’t make it to my scheduled interview. Can I reschedule or cancel?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can reschedule or cancel your interview. Please click the “Reschedule” or “Cancel” buttons in the interview confirmation email. They are on the bottom of the email. Please be sure to cancel ahead of time so we can use the interview timeslot for someone else!

Question 14

I accidentally missed my interview. What can I do?

Accepted Answer

You can reschedule your interview here: https://calendly.com/enginprogram/interview.   Please note, if you keep signing up for interviews and then missing them, you may be prohibited from participating in the program.

Question 15

My interviewer canceled or didn’t show up to our interview. What should I do?

Accepted Answer

Our interviewers try their best to attend every interview, but sometimes they need to cancel due to a last-minute emergency. You can schedule a new interview here: https://calendly.com/enginprogram/interview.   You can also email us to let us know so we can check with your interviewer and try to make sure this doesn’t happen again!

Question 16

I completed an interview with an ENGin team member, but I did not get a decision. What should I do?"

Accepted Answer

Decision letters should arrive within 2 days of your interview. If you do not receive one, check your spam folder. If you still don’t see it, please email us and let us know.

Question 17

When will I be matched to my volunteer?

Accepted Answer

To be matched to a volunteer, you need to complete an interview with us, receive an acceptance email, and sign our program agreement. Once you finish these steps, we try to match you with a volunteer within 2 weeks.    Unfortunately, we are not always able to find a volunteer who is a good match right away, especially if you have very specific preferences OR if you are age 19 or older. Right now, most of our volunteers are younger than 18 and prefer to volunteer with younger students. We are doing our best to find more older volunteers to work with you very soon!

Question 18

I am not sure of the status of my application. What should I do?

Accepted Answer

You can email us at info@enginprogram.org to check. If it has been less than 2 weeks since you signed the agreement, we are probably still looking for a match for you.

Question 19

I just received my match email. What do I do next?

Accepted Answer

Your speaking buddy should contact you by email to find a date for your first session. Please check your email regularly and respond right away.  If your buddy doesn’t email you, you can also email them.

Question 20

I don’t check my email a lot. Can you message me on Telegram or Facebook?

Accepted Answer

ENGin communicates with students by email, so you should check your email regularly for messages from us.    You and your buddy can decide on a different way to communicate. For example - Instagram messages, Skype, Google chat, WhatsApp, or whatever you both prefer.

Question 21

Can I ask to be rematched to another volunteer?

Accepted Answer

It depends on why you are asking and how long you've been matched.   You cannot request a rematch because you don't like your buddy's nationality or accent. This is discrimination, and it is illegal in the US.   We guarantee that your volunteer will be fully fluent in English, but we cannot guarantee what they will look or sound like.    Most of our volunteers live in the US, but we also have volunteers from 70+ other countries. Some volunteers were born in America and now live in another country. Some were born in another country but now live in America. Many of our volunteers are Asian-American, Hispanic, Black, or multiracial. Many grow up speaking 2 or 3 languages themselves. Also, there is not one "correct" accent. Even in America, a volunteer from Texas or Louisiana will sound different than a volunteer from New Jersey or California. 
Meeting and learning from different people is an important part of this program. 
 If your volunteer breaks program rules more than once, you may ask for a rematch. For example: repeated cancellations (without offering to reschedule), repeated no-shows, ignoring messages for weeks, not preparing for sessions, or inappropriate behavior. 
 When you report a problem with a volunteer, we will investigate with the volunteer and try to fix it. 
* If the volunteer has disappeared or cannot fix the problem, we will rematch immediately. 
* If the volunteer promises to improve their behavior, we will keep the match. If the problem continues, you can write to us again and we will rematch.

If you are paired with a Ukrainian volunteer, you may ask for a rematch to a volunteer outside Ukraine after 3 months. 
After 6 months together, either buddy may ask for a rematch without any problem, just to try talking to someone new.

Question 22

My volunteer isn’t responding to my messages. What can I do?

Accepted Answer

Text/email your volunteer again and wait for a few days. If your volunteer doesn’t respond, email us at info@enginprogram.org.

Question 23

My volunteer and I can’t find a time that works for our sessions. What should we do?

Accepted Answer

Please try to be flexible with your schedule. Remember, your volunteer is donating their time to help you learn! Most of our volunteers are available only in the evenings Ukrainian time, and many are only available on weekends. If you can’t resolve your scheduling difficulties, please email us at info@enginprogram.org.

Question 24

My volunteer doesn’t seem to enjoy speaking with me. Can you help?

Accepted Answer

It usually takes some time for students and volunteers to become comfortable with each other. Also, cultural differences are real - you might be misinterpreting your volunteer’s comments or body language. Please, wait a few sessions. Try different activities and speaking topics, and get to know each other. If things haven’t improved after 4-5 sessions, email us at info@enginprogram.org and we can help.

Question 25

What can I do if my volunteer is too busy to have sessions every week?

Accepted Answer

Message your volunteer and remind them that you would like to have an hour of practice each week. If they need to cancel a session, you can ask them to reschedule (for example, miss a session one week and have two sessions the next week). If your volunteer is still not able to provide you the required 1 hour of practice each week,  email us at info@enginprogram.org and we can help.

Question 26

I want more practice. Can I have a second volunteer?

Accepted Answer

Unfortunately, no. At this time we are only assigning one volunteer to each student to be fair to all students.

Question 27

Can I change my volunteer?

Accepted Answer

We will rematch students and volunteers for legitimate reasons. For example, the volunteer is too busy to meet each week and has been skipping many sessions. Or, the volunteer and the student’s schedules changed and they can’t find a mutual time despite both trying their best.

Question 28

How can I leave the program?

Accepted Answer

Please email us at info@enginprogram.org at least two weeks before you’d like to leave. This gives us enough time to find your volunteer another student.

Question 29

How can I join the program again after leaving?

Accepted Answer

Email us and we’ll get you started again. You may not be able to work with the same volunteer as you had before.

Question 30

What are ENGin group sessions? How do they work?

Accepted Answer

Our group sessions are open to any ENGin student who wants extra English practice. Group sessions are 1 hour long. Each includes three 20-minute activities completed in a small group of students (usually 4-7 people) with one ENGin volunteer.  Each week, we plan a new session and repeat it 4-6 times to give everyone a chance to join.

Question 31

How do I sign up for group sessions? Do I need to prepare for the session ahead of time?

Accepted Answer

All signups for group sessions are done via Calendly (click here). You can sign up anytime. You must attend the session if you sign up. You should check the instructions in this document for any pre-session preparation.   If you click on the link and don’t see any available dates, it means all sessions are full. We add new dates and times every week. If you want us to email you when new dates are added to the calendar, please leave your email here.

Question 32

What if I sign up for a session, but can’t attend?"

Accepted Answer

We have limited spots for sessions, so it is very important to attend every session you sign up for. It is not fair to other students to skip a session you signed up for. Any student who misses more than 3 sessions will not be allowed to participate in any more group sessions.

Question 33

Do I have to use my webcam?

Accepted Answer

Group sessions are designed for active participation. We ask all students to have their webcams on and be ready to speak and listen. If you have your webcam off or remain muted and don’t participate, your volunteer may ask you to leave the session.

Question 34

Can I attend more than one session per week?

Accepted Answer

Because all sessions scheduled in the same week will be identical, we encourage you to attend just one session per week.

Question 35

Can ENGin organize group sessions by age, English level, interests, etc?"

Accepted Answer

Right now, any student can sign up for any group session, so you will have a mix of ages and English levels in your group. We have tried organizing different sessions for different types of students, but it was too complex logistically. We hope to do this in the future.

Question 36

Can volunteers choose their own topics or activities for group sessions?

Accepted Answer

We used to give volunteers this option, but almost all volunteers asked ENGin to provide activities. So now, we have a standard set of activities each week that all volunteers will use. This makes sure all students get the same experience and volunteers don’t struggle to come up with new activities.

FAQs