Job Discussion Forums

Noelle · Joined: 26 Mar 2005 Posts: 361 Location: USA

Hi again

I am interested in pursuing a position in a high school in H.K. ... public or private.

I will be awarded my Masters in TESOL this year. I have some experience treaching high school students in China but most of my EFL/ESL experience has been with young kids ( in Korea), primary school kids )in Australia) and now with university students and adults in my current job here in California.

I'm wondering what high school kids are like in Hong Kong... and how are the benefits of working in such a place for a foreign teacher with some higher qualifications?

I do not have a state teaching credential... yet. For this reason I wonder if it's even possible for me to find such a job in Hong Kong working with high school students in a public or private school environment...

any experienced teachers out there... I'd appreciate your feedback!

Horizontal Hero · Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 1:03 pm Post subject:

Without the Dip ed. you won't get a full-time position in the NET scheme (as far as I'm aware). But high schools do hire "native English teachers", even those without the Dip ed. Check out the South China Morning Post classifieds every Saturday (but distinguish carefully NET scheme from non-NET jobs) The non_NET jobs usually pay by the hour. My school interviewed a few people last year for just such a post, but could not get anyone to come - it was too far (I'm out in the boonies). And they were offering 350-500 an hour for the job!

But maybe they hire native speakers full-time???? But if it's not the NET scheme, you don't get the living allowance (13 000 a month), and I think you will stay at the bottom of the pay scale (about 17 000/month). Again, I am open to corrections.

Noelle · Joined: 26 Mar 2005 Posts: 361 Location: USA

Thanks for the feedback!

misutabiru · Joined: 04 Sep 2004 Posts: 112 Location: Daegu

Perhaps policies have changed this year. I know somebody with an M.A. in TESL and no Dip.Ed who was accepted into the SNET Scheme provisionally and is now waiting for an offer.

anninhk · Joined: 08 Oct 2005 Posts: 284

You need to read the requirements on the EMB website but I think that SNETs don't need a teaching qualification, just a first degree in English. For primary I think you do need a teaching qualification but it still isn't essential, you can still be accepted.

Noelle · Joined: 26 Mar 2005 Posts: 361 Location: USA

I don't have a B.A. in English either. My degree is in music.

I'm getting the impression that I'm not really that qualified to teach in Hong Kong... not in a good school anyway...

I'd hoped to work for a reputable private school this fall but they turned down my application due to my lack of experience teaching 7 to 12 yr olds. In any case, I should just finish my M.A. in TESOL and get some more experience teaching abroad and in my own country.

I've only really had about a 18 months of real TEFL experience overseas and nearly 1 year of English teaching experience here in the states. Even with my newly acquired masters (which I won't recieve until this December), I don't really meet the proper criteria for NET contracts or other such programs in Hong Kong, do I?