News from our grads
Mark Thomas in Cambodia and Hong Kong
From the Jungles of Angkor, Cambodia, to the tenements of Tuen Mun, Hong Kong
I arrived in Hong Kong in September 2006 to work as a NET (Native English Teacher) and found myself based out in the 'boon docks' of Tuen Mun in the far west of Hong Kong's New Territories.
Living and working in Hong Kong has been somewhat of a culture shock after two years in the 'wilds' of Cambodia teaching English to amazing, young Cambodians desperate to further their
opportunities and to master the international language because, as they so practically put it, "it is good for my job".
While the remuneration pales in comparison to that received by a NET in Hong Kong, the other rewards of teaching in Cambodia are plenty...if you're not too fussed about the evil dollar! And
truthfully, because the cost of living in Cambodia also pales in comparison, the money really ain't that bad at all.
Teaching in Cambodia is different from Hong Kong in that very few people actually teach in the government schools. English is taught in the secondary system in a fairly limited way and if
foreigners are doing so then it is most likely on a voluntary basis. Volunteer opportunities to teach English are vast - local primary schools, orphanages, small NGO operations, shelters for street children and other local enterprises - but you'll need to have some cash stashed away to ensure a roof over your head and a couple of meals a day!
Cambodia offers numerous opportunities to teach English on a salaried basis, particularly in the main urban centres of Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Sihanoukville, Battambang, Kompong Cham and others.
My two years were spent in the tourist mecca of Siem Reap (8km from the famous Angkor Wat temples) in the well-established Australian Centre for Education, an English language centre with an
excellent reputation, and at the local campus of Build Bright University.
The Australian Centre for Education (ACE) pays a minimum of US$15 an hour and a maximum of around US$30 an hour, depending on what program you are teaching. The higher-paid roles involve
teaching for specific purposes to groups attached to NGOs and UN agencies. The normal programs - English for Academic Purposes (teenagers and adults), Young Learners and Kids - are taught in 1 to 1
½ hour sessions with exams at the end of each 10-week term in speaking, reading, listening and writing. The highest levels in the general English program focus on preparation for the IELTS
exam.
The students at a school like ACE, or any school for that matter, are an absolute dream to teach. These students have chosen to learn English and as a result there are no discipline issues. You
actually spend ALL your time teaching English! Since the tragedy of the Khmer Rouge years in the 1970s and the Vietnamese occupation and civil war of the 80s and 90s, the Cambodians see English as
one of the most important tools for a better future.
Positions in universities offer opportunities to teach subjects other than ESL. In my two years at Build Bright University in Siem Reap as a sessional lecturer, I taught courses from 1st to 4th year in ESL (pre-intermediate to advanced levels), Literature Studies (including Shakespeare!), Applied Linguistics, Business English, English for Tourism and Cultural Studies. Fantastic stuff!
There are other stories to tell, too many in fact ... but here are a few wonderful memories ...
- Teaching the staff at a 5-star luxury resort in my last two months in the country was a wonderful experience—especially the free lunches and use of the pool!
- Teaching my first class at 6am in the morning and finishing the day at 9pm.
- Teaching 9 straight hours on a Saturday...until I realised the stupidity in that!
- Teaching 30 young people from all walks of Cambodian life - homeless kids, beggars, amputees, middle-class school kids, and restaurant and bar workers - in a tiny garage next door to a Vietnamese brothel!
- Finding saffron-clad monks in my uni classes who, at break time, pulled out their mobile phones and smokes just like the others!
- Teaching on Christmas night and New Year's Eve...coz it's a Buddhist country! (Wised up to this one in my second year though!)
Cambodia is well worth looking at as an English teaching destination. For qualified teachers, it can pay better than the more popular neighbouring destinations of Thailand and Vietnam. And you don't
have to limit yourself to the big cities to find good work. Rent's cheap, food is pretty cheap, and beers are only $1! What more could you ask for? In essence, Cambodia's a lifestyle choice - the
stresses of working at home and in Hong Kong just don't exist there.
If you're keen for more information check out these websites – www.idpcambodia.org/ace; www.acecambodia.org; www.bbu.edu.kh - and for general info on Cambodia and all sorts of jobs, check out www.bongthom.com
Mark Thomas - Teach International TESOL graduate, Melbourne 2004
