Teach English in Cambodia

Quick Facts

Eligibility Requirements

You don’t need to have any teaching experience to teach English in Cambodia. You do need:

Required

• A passport from the UK, USA, Canada, Ireland, Australia or New Zealand
• No teaching experience required
• A Native English Speaker

Preferred on case-by-case basis

• Between 20 and 40 years of age
• No major medical or mental health diagnosis or medication in the past 5 years
• No communicable diseases
• No criminal conviction whatsoever (even misdemeanors)
• No visible tattoos, such as on the face, neck and hands

Get Started

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We’ll send you more info, explain the program and answer all your questions.

Program Options

What’s included for each Program Option

Full Program Highlights

• Comprehensive pre-departure support and guidance

  • Getting the necessary documentation prepared prior to departure.
  • Assisting you with all planning, packing, visas, costs, budgets and booking flights.
  • Answering your questions to help ease any anxieties you may have regarding your trip.

• Logistics and safety when arriving

  • Airport pickup and transfer to accommodation (provided you opt to stay in one of the recommended accommodation options).
  • We’ll provide guidance on obtaining a sim card upon your arrival.

• A toolkit for navigating Cambodian culture

  • Cultural Orientation.
  • Social events and meet and greets.

• Practical Teacher Training

  • To hone your craft and ensure confidence before you begin teaching professionally.

• Guaranteed Job Placement

  • At carefully vetted schools.

• An Internationally Accredited TEFL/TESOL certification

  • The knowledge required to teach english successfully.

• A support network of fellow teachers

  • Lifelong friendships and travel opportunities.

• 24/7 In-country support

  • Ex-foreign teachers and local, on-the-ground support staff provide you with personal assistance throughout the duration of your teaching experience.
  • You can rest assured knowing that any queries will be answered such as translation help, legalities, emergencies, travel options or school queries. Someone is on hand.
  • Teacher meet-ups.
  • We check in with you regularly and keep up to date with your teach abroad experience.

• Lifetime Placement Assistance Guarantee

  • Teach placement assistance on any qualifying program on Program Line A.

• Self-development and advantageous future employability

  • Add teaching abroad to your CV to stand out from the crowd.

• Teaching philosophy and environment
• Teaching materials
• School code of conduct
• Local staff support and English proficiency
• After school activities and requirements
• Disciplinary processes
• And many more considerations!

So you might find a job but you’ll be unprepared from a teaching, cultural, financial and emotional perspective.

You might think you’re taking a step back by taking a year off but nothing could be further from the truth!

Although you may think it’s a halt in your education journey, you’re actually fast tracking yourself through:

• Learning independence.
• Learning how you react to different situations.
• Learning how to master and grow your confidence in public speaking.
• Learning how to overcome obstacles.
• Learning about yourself through your own personal self discovery.
• Learning how to step out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself.

These would normally take much longer in a normal, sheltered environment and wouldn’t be nearly as much fun!

When you do head back home, you’re not just another resume in a pile of resumes – you are someone different who’s done something interesting and rewarding.

Teaching Placement Overview

Teaching Placements

English Teachers in Cambodia teach mainly in private schools.

Most people in Cambodia send their children to private schools as the quality of public-school education is very low.

There may also be limited language school classes.

Teaching Hours

Teaching hours differ between the two.

Language schools are busiest Saturday and Sunday so teachers work many classes on the weekends and then have time off during the week.

Private and international schools usually run Monday to Friday and so teachers work during the week and have the weekends off.

Note that for language schools teaching days vary from 5 to 6 days of teaching per week. If teaching 6 days per week, the teacher is given multiple paid vacation days to offset.

Teaching hours per week range from 22 to 30 or 4.5 to 6 hours of teaching per day.

Most positions are teaching young learners but there are also some high school positions.

It is important to note that teachers in Cambodia will be expected to teach other subjects through English, such as math, science, health, gym, art, etc. If asked to teach other subjects, these subjects would all be taught in English. If the school requires the teacher to teach another subject, this will be made known to the teacher when the interview opportunity is presented.

Schools provide an English teaching curriculum for teachers to follow.

Class sizes range from 15 to 25 students.

Salaries

You’ll earn within the range of $700 – $1,500 USD * for non degree holders
and $900 – $1,600 USD * for degree holders per month depending on your qualifications, experience and placement location.

This will comfortably cover your living expenses and weekend adventures due to the low cost of living.

General salary range:

• Non degree holders: $700 – $1500 *
• Degree holders: $900 – $1,600 *

* USD amounts may fluctuate due to exchange rate volatility.

Taxes

All participants will pay taxes in Cambodia of 10-15%.

Saving Potential

Saving potential depends strongly on your lifestyle and placement location, but on average the living expenses generally range from $100 – $200 USD.

Our Program Includes:

Logistics and Safety when arriving

• Airport pickup in Thailand and Cambodia (provided participants land within two days of start date, and are going to the designated hotel. Note that airport pickup in Phnom Penh will be using a TukTuk.).
• We’ll introduce you to your 24/7 support team on the ground.
• Transfer from the airport to your accommodation. Read more about accommodation during the TEFL course in Thailand here. Cambodia accommodation options are outlined below.
• We provide guidance on SIM cards (SIM cards, airtime and data for your own account) so that you can contact your loved ones back home and your new friends you’re about to make on your epic orientation!
• We provide guidance setting up a local bank account so you can save money on international withdrawal fees. Your salary is paid into your local bank account.
• You’ll get to meet and greet fellow teacher travellers.

A toolkit for navigating Thailand – In-Class TEFL Participants only

Our 1 week cultural orientation on Thai culture and language gives you the perfect foundation for adjusting to life in Thailand as well as an opportunity to bond with your fellow teachers-in-training and in-country staff members.

Learn foundational Thai language

We help you with foundational language to help you navigate:

• The bustling markets.
• Grabbing a taxi.
• Ordering a delicious mea.
• Garnering respect from locals.

(plus it’s pretty cool to impress your mates at home or add it to your resume!)

Cultural and History lessons

• Learn from local Thai staff and ex-foreign teachers who have made their home in Thailand.
• You’ll understand the cultural dynamics so that you don’t feel like a fish out of water.
• You won’t be making any faux pas or disrespecting the locals.
• How to address locals and your fellow teachers.
• You will know what you can and can’t do in Thai classrooms.

Relevant Cultural Excursions

Excursions include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Visit Buddhist temples and learn about Buddhist philosophy.
• Visit local Thai markets and learn how to barter and purchase fresh local produce.
• Take part in a Thai cooking course.
• Volunteer in a stray animal rescue organization.
• Self-empowerment workshops.

Have some fun and embrace your new adventure!

A quality TEFL/TESOL course helps teachers avoid the frustration and pitfalls of being unprepared in the classroom and provides all the necessary knowledge and tools to effectively teach English.

Course Components

• Information and discussion about Thai/Cambodian culture, history, politics, and society to provide exposure and help students navigate their new environment.
• Significant instruction in Thai/Khmer language (6 Hours).
• Strong grounding in the history and theory of teaching English as a foreign/second language. This is taught in a way that emphasizes application of theory to enhance success in the classroom.
• Significant practical training in teaching listening, reading, speaking and writing in the classroom, including extensive lesson planning, presentation, and feedback from peers and instructors.
• Tons of tips, tricks and examples of how to teach English to every age group.
• Advice and guidance for effective classroom management.
• Practical training and assessment through participation in a non-profit English camp for disadvantaged kids.

Detailed TEFL/TESOL Course Overview

Week One – Orientation

The first week of the course is an amazing, interactive orientation on Thai culture and language, as well as an opportunity to bond with other teachers-in-training and staff members.

The program is held in Hua Hin and encompasses Thai language, culture, and society. The course is taught by area experts and includes several exciting and informative cultural excursions.

Week Two

The second week of the course is a deeper exploration of theory in the discipline of English as a second language and how to teach grammar. Students learn about the structure and key elements of a lesson plan. Every lesson requires a detailed lesson plan that lays out the procedures of the class, and encourages teachers to consider the challenges, technology resources, and other factors that can impact a successful lesson in the classroom.

During week two, students will also learn how to teach speaking and grammar. Grammar can be challenging to teach. One of the reasons for this is that it has been a long time since native English speakers have reviewed grammar rules, so we provides students with a bit of a refresher. The major assignments for week two are to create a lesson plan for teaching grammar and to present a full lesson just as a teacher would in a classroom.

Week Three

The third week of the course focuses on how to teach reading and listening. The major assignments for this week are to create lesson plans for teaching reading and present full lessons just as a teacher would in the classroom. During this week participants will learn more about teaching young learners and practice planning lessons for kindergarten students. Additionally, our participants will learn about curriculum development for long term learning goals for their students.

Week Four

The final week of the course is dedicated to classroom management and preparing for and conducting the English camp.

While classroom management may be the final topic covered, it is in fact extremely important, especially in cross-cultural contexts.

Classroom management is about setting ground rules, apply them consistently, getting to know your students, and earning and maintaining their respect and commitment.

Students spend several days preparing their lessons for the English camp. The camp typically lasts 2-3 days.

During the final week there will also be an in-class final exam.

International Accreditation

Our internationally accredited TEFL/TESOL course is accepted by employers around the world and is accredited by Accreditat. Accreditat is registered under the UKRLP (UK Register of Learning Providers), Number 10065351. Registration on the UKRLP means they have been verified against a recognised legal source.

Graduates of our internationally accredited 120-hour TEFL/TESOL course have used their TEFL/TESOL certificate to successfully find employment in ESL teaching and education fields in nearly every Western, native-English speaking country, as well as across Europe, Asia, South America, and beyond.