English Teaching

  Cambodia

Phnom Penh

Durations of Program: 5-8 weeks, 9-12 weeks, 3-6 months and 7-12 months
Typical Duration of Program: 5-8 weeks
Dates: all over the year

Description: Role of the Volunteer:
For all organizations, especially in the countryside, it is a great honour to host a foreign volunteer. The volunteer is warmly welcome and will be included in all daily activities of the organization and the staff.

Volunteering in Cambodia benefits both the volunteer and the students, and it will be an unforgettable experience. Teaching English will not only give the Cambodian people opportunities that they may not normally have, but it will also give the volunteer a taste of Cambodian culture and Cambodian life.

The stay in Cambodia will be a great experience and challenge for the volunteer. We have contact with teaching projects all over the country, so that we can endeavor to find a suitable placement for every volunteer and almost every idea.

Depending on the volunteer's skills he/she can teach English in 4 different fields of work:
* in an orphanage teaching the kids
* at a public school teaching the children
* at a university teaching the students
* teaching and helping teachers at local schools or local organizations

Three are hundreds of NGOs (non-government organizations) working in Cambodia and almost all of them need the support of teachers in order to learn and to improve their English.

Highlights: Cambodia is a country of considerable contradictions: On the one hand it is one of the most exciting countries in Asia, surrounded by Thailand in the west, Laos in the north and Vietnam in the east. It offers some beautiful landscapes, with rice paddies, sugar palms and beautiful beaches, and a rich cultural heritage, a fact that is exemplified none more so than in the stunning temples of Angkor Wat. Furthermore, the Cambodian sense of hospitality and friendliness is marvelous. On the other hand Cambodia is one of the poorest countries in the world, affected by extreme poverty, civil war and the Khmer Rouge regime, political corruption and weak democracy, poor educational standards, and the prevalence of HIV/Aids and other serious health issues. 36% of the Cambodian population lives below the poverty line. Within just four years, the brutal Khmer Rouge regime not only destroyed Cambodian institutions such as health care and education, it also decimated the country's infrastructure, its communities, and agricultural livelihoods.

To work in the industries in the town areas, English language proficiency is now a requirement. But in Cambodia the opportunity to learn and study English is not available for everybody. So,as a result many people are jobless. As a volunteer in Cambodia, you will teach English, mostly at public schools, rural universities or local organizations, thus improving the employment prospects of these future generations.

State and community schools receive very little government funding, so volunteer English teachers are a precious resource and always welcome. Usually they work along side the staff English teachers or even lead the classes in improving the pronunciation and conversational skills.

At the university the volunteer will prepare students for leadership positions within the business community. The program at Pursat University of Management and Economics for example is designed to help students develop a wide range of skills, therefore acquiring knowledge needed for fulfilling managerial and administrative responsibilities in the contemporary business environment.

Qualifications: Skills/Qualifications/Requirements needed

The volunteer should be genuinely interested in and committed to the Cambodian country and culture. The best precondition is an enthusiastic self-starter with a willingness to work, The English teaching volunteers do not have to be natives of English-speaking countries. All volunteers are welcome who have a working knowledge of English and the desire to share that knowledge with the Cambodian people. Teaching skills and experience are highly appreciated.

The volunteer should be at least 18 years old.

Cost in US$: 200 USD per month

* Helping to find a host family or a Guesthouse
* Pick up at the airport
* Welcome dinner
* Organization of the transfer to the NGO
* a presentation about the volunteer program Introduction to the partner organization
* To provide a contact, in case of problems
* to provide the volunteer with all necessary informations

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: Former volunteers were students, taking a gap year before university, students who want to become a teacher or students studying English. But anyone who can speak English is welcome to contribute education to those who really need it like in the many orphanages throughout the country.

Age Range: 18 -70 years

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to Cambodia Independently

Typically Participants Work Independently

Application Process Involves:

• Online Application plus Application Assessment

STAR Kampuchea's Mission Statement: STAR Kampuchea is a Cambodian non-profit and non-partisan organization. It was established in August 1997 and is dedicated to building democracy by strengthening civil society. Since it was founded, STAR Kampuchea has become a well-known and respected organization with a solid reputation among civil society organizations, government bodies and donors. Thousands of people and hundreds of NGOs have benefited from its activities. STAR Kampuchea's keyword is advocacy, the organized efforts and actions that use the instruments of democracy to establish and implement laws and policies that will create a just and equitable society (Definition of the Advocacy Institute, Washington, D.C.). Advocacy activities should strengthen democracy, the respect for human rights and civil society on the basis of the rule of law. To achieve its objectives, STAR Kampuchea currently runs three programs: the Advocacy Action Program (AAP), the Advocacy Capacity Action Program (ACP) and a new program to establish the STAR Kampuchea Foundation (SKF). The VAC program is part of the third program.

Year Founded: 1997