|  Overview
Cambodia is an amazing country with a tragic history. After
the fall of the government in 1975 to the Khmer Rouge, the
government set upon a policy of genocide in which almost
two million Khmer people were killed, especially teachers,
intellectuals, and professionals in all walks of life. City
dwellers were forced into the
countryside to become agricultural workers, and the world
was turned upside down.
In 1978 the Vietnamese ended the reign of the Khmer Rouge,
but the country spent the next twenty years in various states
of civil war, and the infrastructure of society was lost.
Since 1998, Cambodia has began a new period of re-growth
that is beginning to rebuild the country. There is a critical
need of professionals in all area, and especially teachers.
The new Cambodia is seeing English as a way to help raise
itself out of poverty, and so English language training
at all levels is supported here, probably more that anywhere
else in Southeast Asia.
Salary and hours
Jobs for qualified English teachers are readily available.
Salaries for native speakers start in the $10 to $12 dollars
per hour range, with lots of hours (more than you want)
generally available. While there are certainly more classes
in evening and on weekends, there are lots of weekday day
classes as well. Cost of living is low, and so the salary
provides a good standard of living, but money is not the
main motivator here. More than almost anyplace in the world,
Cambodia is a place where you can make a serious contribution
to better the lives of people that have had a horrific history
of torture and genocide and who are serious about making
a better life.
Type of teaching
Most jobs are in private language schools. There
are hundreds, with huge enrollments. Learning to speak English
seems to be the favorite national pastime. All phases of
English are in demand, from general conversation to specific
vocational languages to English for Academic purposes for
students wanting to go abroad. The major University that
teaches all classes in English and requires its students
to pass an English entrance exam has over 3,000 people in
the University program and over 7,000 more in English programs
trying to prepare for university classes.
Accommodation
Most good sized schools will help teachers find
accommodation.
Start of school year/ best time to look for work
The academic year can vary from school to school, with some
running year round and opening new classes every one or
two weeks, and others working around semesters (i.e institutes
of higher education).
Red Tape
Welcome to Cambodia, the land of very little red
tape. As part of its plan to encourage professionals to
come and work in Cambodia, you can get the appropriate business
visa on arrival in Cambodia with no required special documentation
other than your passport. The business visa costs $5 more
than a regular tourist visa and can be renewed without having
to leave the country or supply any special documentation.
Cambodia wants your help and they want you to be here.
Miscellaneous advice
Remember, this is a country that has suffered for
years and in some areas conditions are fairly primitive.
Rapid new development leaves a strange combination of poverty
and success. Don’t look for McDonalds, but the food
supply is good and inexpensive. Western products are more
and more common, but be prepared for some sensory shocks.
If you want to teach in Kansas, this is not it. If you want
to make a seriously meaning contribution to people desperately
in need of your help, welcome aboard.
FCO
Lonely
Planet Guide - Cambodia
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