Teaching English in Phnom Penh

[Vagrance]

no pasta

[blondy269]

I'm going to Phnom Penh for a few weeks in November, I might see you there! Unfortunately, I don't think I can answer any of your questions.

[Soulless]

Come on, nobody's been to Cambodia? I mainly want to know how difficult it is to get a job teaching English without any experience or credentials. Would it be a better idea to take a TEFL course like the one they offer here (http://www.cambodiatefl.com/)? Or is it still just as easy to get a job without it?
I've been to Cambodia for all of half a day, while on a visa run during my stay in Thailand. I don't know how hard it is getting a job without a TEFL in Cambodia, but in Thailand it's quite hard.

I did meet a guy who had just gotten a job teaching English in Cambodia. He was denied several jobs before finding this one, because he had a dark tan and wasn't "white" enough to teach English. Mind you, he was a school teacher from England. But they want "white-white" people to teach their students, lol.

Checkout this site bro, they have lots of good info and a Cambodia specific forum - www.eslcafe.com

EDIT: Whoops, I didn't see that this topic is over a month old. :/

[Fza]

How the fuck are you going to teach someone english without speaking their mother language?

[Soulless]

Thanks for the reply. I was considering going to Thailand but then I heard about the Visa changes and didn't want to go on a Visa run every 2 weeks. Hey, do you know of any other jobs in Southeast Asia that don't require a degree? I'm sure maybe a hostel or a bar would hire me, but I'd like to have some idea of what to look for before I head over there.
Most locals won't give a job to a foreigner. You'll need to look for businesses run by foreigners. Most of these are bars, which already have a full staff, so you'd be outta luck there.

While I was in Thailand, I got lucky and landed a job doing real estate. I had absolutely no experience in the field, just experience in retail and automotive sales. I found an ad on bangkok.craigslist.co.th and replyed via email. Bought a nice suit for $30, showed up at the interview, presented myself professionaly and landed the job.

From what I've heard about Cambodia though, there's only two jobs for foreigners. Teaching English and becoming a "financial adviser". The second one is a bitch. It's basically a job where you have to go out, find people who have tons of money and convince them to invest it through your company. Those jobs are commission only and suck.

So anyways, I'd recommend you try and stick with teaching English. You can do online courses for TEFL certification for around $200. I've heard quite a bit of good reviews about www.teflcourse.net. You can also get a professional looking forged TEFL from Khao San Rd in Bangkok for about $50. It's really up to you.

Finally, I'd recommend you take a glance at Stickman's article (http://www.stickmanbangkok.com/teaching.html) on teaching English in Thailand. It's a great eye opener and most of it can be applied to Cambodia as well.

How the fuck are you going to teach someone english without speaking their mother language?
You're not teaching people with no knowledge of the English language. Most of them can already speak it, but in a "raping the English language" kinda way.

Example: hallo! me name anna. you big sexy man, i liek. we go to disco, ok?

[Fza]

Aaah. But still, highly ineffective I'd imagine.

[AtrainV]

I have a number of friends working in Phnom Penh. They're all working for NGOs or writing for local expat papers. I don't know anybody who's teaching english. However, I imagine that it's pretty easy to find work if you advertise yourself, and it would be a HUGE help to have gone through a TEFL or TESOL course. If you're accredited, you'll be able to work with programs that will set you up with clients.

The main thing you should do is make some contacts before you go there. I would be wary of just showing up and expecting work. Either have somebody you can stay with, or organize employment before you arrive.

There's a pretty thriving expat community in PP, and it can be a very cheap place to live. However, it's not the prettiest place, nor should you be expecting all the modern amenities you're used to (unless you have a job that sets you up with a place in the 'burbs).

[Ed Lister]

The least thing you should worry about over there is fucking licenses. These places are the new free world man, just find a vehicle you want, pay the man and drive off.

[AtrainV]

Yeah, that's not how it works unless you want to organize all your clients yourself. If you just advertise yourself as an english teacher, that's fine--but you have to compete with all the other people who are doing the same thing. If you're certified, you can teach with TEFL or TESOL programs who will organize your clients for you.

[ImAGangsterBelieveitOrNot]

craigslist ad for teaching in SE Asia....
http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/edu/1330105407.html

[whocares123]

what is this about visa runs in thailand? what does that mean?