Teaching English as a Foreign Language in Hong Kong
- Vicki Maher
- Aug 12, 2021
- 2 min read
Updated: Sep 15, 2021
During my final year of University, I had secured myself a job on an International Graduate Programme with Chatteris Educational Foundation, a Hong Kong based NGO, which seeks to provide authentic English experiences and extra-curricular opportunities to struggling local schools.
I had got lots of previous experience as a private tuition consultant and had previously given informal English conversation classes out in Russia and worked as an English Language Assistant in a French Lycée. I could never have anticipated what waited for me in Hong Kong.
My year working out in Hong Kong was a massive learning curve, both professionally and personally. Overall, I couldn't have had a more challenging, yet rewarding experience.
One of my most notable achievements was co-leading the development and implementation of a tailored phonics and oral curriculum for Secondary years 1-3. These resources were widely shared and adapted amongst the entire English department and will now form the basis for the school’s Junior forms’ Oral English curriculum moving forwards. So, if you're looking for an English Tutor specialising in pronunciation, phonics and oral training then look no further!
Alongside my colleague, I also led a series of extra-curricular Schools Based Assessment (SBA) Workshops. The SBA is currently Hong Kong's Covid provoked replacement for the formal spoken exam of the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE). This was a really fun program on which to work. We had a lot of fun preparing different activities based on a variety of analytical and linguistical devices across a range of literature and cinematic pieces.
All in all, my take away was as follows. When it comes to grades not all students will get the top marks, but in the grand scheme of things that is irrelevant. The role of a good educator is to encourage the students to find joy in learning, planting a see of enthusiasm to drive them forwards in finding their true passion.
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