Job Discussion Forums

[cmilas]

What are the best TEST\TEFL cert. programs in Hong Kong that are accepted by the EDB for the NET scheme. Do HKU, CUHK, HKiEd, or the British council offer any? Which one is best? I just arrived in Hong Kong this week (my wife is a permanent resident). Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Cohen]

I'm afraid to say it's not at all easy to obtain a TEFL certificate in Hong Kong. The British Council used to offer the CELTA, but they ceased doing so and began to concentrate instead on service courses for existing teachers.

English for Asia offers the Trinity certificate at HK$25,000:

http://www.englishforasia.com/en/trinity/

They usually run three or four courses a year. Places are strictly limited though, and the application process is very competitive.

[Honky Nick]

www.teachenglish.co.uk

I used this and so did many other people I know. It's not the best quallity course, but it's relatively cheap, fast and accepted by the EdB. I did the 60-hour TEFL course, but it took a lot less than 60 hours!

[X-Bar Theory]

Although they accepted your 60-hour certificate, to be on the safe side, I would not recommend it because the EDB website actually states that it has to be at least 100 hours. Here is the quote with the URL provided for your reference:

"The duration of the TESL/TEFL course should include a minimum of 100 contact hours. The course should cover the majority of the topics under each of the headings shown below. A pass in the practice teaching component of the course is required."

http://www.edb.gov.hk/UtilityManager/circular/upload/EMBC/EMBC03012E.PDF

The circular is dated 2003 but, to the best of my knowledge, they have not changed this requirement. Please note that this requirement is for the PNET scheme only--The SNET scheme requires your TESOL/TEFL qualification to be even higher; at the diploma level, not certificate level.

[Honky Nick]

Prior to joining the scheme, I was going to err on the side of caution as well, but I know about 7 or 8 people who have done this course (which, incidentally, has NO practice teaching component) in order to qualify for the NET scheme, and nobody has had any issues with it.

It all depends on why you're doing the course. If you're doing it to actually learn something, then I do not recommend this one; however, if you're just after a bit of paper that the EDB will accept, then it might be worth it.

It's up to you. Anyway, good luck with it.

[Cohen]

Chomskyian/Generative/Government & Binding X-Bar Theory (a bit outdated now, isn't it?), you are quite right of course, the EDB does lay down that condition for TEFL certificates to be acceptable, and remember also that they state the course has to have X number (I can't rightly recall the exact figure) of observed teaching hours. But the same EDB also claim that unless a PNET without a TEFL certificate obtains one in their own time at their own expense in the first year of their two-year contract then they will not be able to commence that second year. However, I personally know of three chaps who have pretty much told their schools and the EDB to 'stuff it/get stuffed' and they will only do the one year. None of them ever heard anything about it again and all progressed to their second year.

[X-Bar Theory]

Thanks, Nick and Cohen for the information. You know what they say, "rules are made to be broken". I would have to agree with you, Cohen--the X-Bar theory is a little old, being proposed by Chomsky back in 1970, but it's still being taught in universities. I studied that stuff years ago while doing my linguistics degree. I needed a username and the ones I was going to use were already taken.

Thanks, once again...your information was very useful.

[ChrisRose]

Interesting to know they accepted the 60 hour no TP.

The dear old Teacher registration Dept. refused to recognices, my HKU Dip.Ed., myCUHK dip.TESL (278 hours face to face which excludes about 30 assignments), my LPAT-E, my cert. ELT and other certs

[TeacherTim]

I know what you mean Chris. They didn't accept my PGCE because the tp was done in a college! That means I'll have to complete the local PDGE to move up the scale. The EDB leave me speechless at times!

Good luck with you course!

[Cohen]

Chris, that is utterly ridiculous. Shame on the EDB. What if anything do the institutions in question have to say about this? Has this been brought to their attention? What if any justification for this absurd decision was given by the teacher registration department?

Tim, just out of interest, when you say 'college' do you mean a sixth form college, as in British English, or are you using US English and thus mean a university?

[TeacherTim]

Hi Cohen,

I meant a sixth form college, teaching the same stuff that is often taught in a high school. In my case, this was psychology and sociology.

I actually have the interview and 'language test' for the pgde with HKU on Saturday. I have shown them my PGCE and they agree that there is significant overlap and they will try to do what they can. But the most they can exempt me from is one sixth of the course content. Even then, they will be unable to reduce the course fees from 42,500, regardless of what I need to complete.

The EDB started to 'investigate' my problem last January, but recently it became clear (after several unanswered emails) that nothing had been done. The person who had been helping me had left without notification and I had wasted several months for nothing. He had not even contacted my university or referred my issue to anyone else who could help. When I chased matters up after the summer break, nobody at the EDB knew a thing.

I feel lucky to be on the NET Scheme, but at the same time I also feel a little let down. I just wish they were consistent.

[Cohen]

Sorry to hear that, Tim. Personally, I wouldn't do that PGDE, especially not in your situation. If you do complete one then you will just be falling into their trap. As I understand it the PGDE (it cannot be called a PGCE as 'certificate' does not sound grandiose enough, 'diploma' is so much better) in HK is not accepted outside of the territory, so it really would be an utter waste of your time and money. It's just another example of jobs for the boys.

And, in fairness, the EDB is consistent: they always screw up. But that is simply what happens when the 'education' department is run by politicians and promotion seekers rather than educators. They do not necessarily apply (or want) to work with the EDB; all they do is apply to work for the civil service. They could end up in any of the various departments: finance, health and hygiene, immigration, housing, etc., and as such they typically have a real civil service mentality. All they concentrate on is trying to look good to their superiors, and covering their own backside (which usually entails setting up some poor underling/subaltern to be a scapegoat � hence the rapid disappearance of your previous contact).

[shlinder]

Cohen, how certain are you that the HKU PGDE is not recognized outside of HK? Like TeacherTim, I have applied to HKU and already had my exam and interview.

[shlinder]

Also, I have an online, 100-hour TEFL certificate that they won't recognize. And I would like to stay in secondary! So I'm looking to get a local TEFL as well...

[amorphous154]