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TEFL Teachers Are Playing Major Roles In NGOs Of Cambodia

8th June 2022

The demand for English teachers in Cambodia is high due to an acceleration in the hunger for education. The economic condition of Cambodia is growing with passing days and thus hiring English teaches is a common phenomenon now. The economic status of Cambodia has been growing recently and as a result of which the demand for English teachers is also increasing to a great extent.

Having a TEFL certification, a Bachelor's degree, and good command of the English language are sufficient to get a job in ESL teaching in Cambodia. There are multiple TEFL teachers who have been teaching English as a foreign language in private schools, international schools, and public schools of Cambodia. To teach English in Cambodia, a Type E( business or ordinary) visa is required and this visa can be extended for 6-12 months at a cost of $100-300 USD.

The cost of living in Cambodia is quite moderate but one can spend a comfortable life within $500-1000 USD. $2000-4000 USD is needed for the basic setup like rent fee, transportation cost, groceries, etc. $700-1000 USD is the average monthly salary of a TEFL teacher where initially break-even can be achieved. With proper evaluation, money can be saved and many people go for teaching English online as an extra source of income.

But it has been observed numerous times that English teachers are going beyond teaching in schools are other academic institutions. ESL teachers are often opting for teaching in NGOs of Cambodia. Therefore, online TEFL course is not just providing jobs but also helping teachers to change the lives of unprivileged and deprived people.

Some NGOs of Cambodia where English teaching practice plays a great role are:

PEPY: It trains rural youth who are in high school in Cambodia and TEFL teachers play a great role over here. The motto is to elevate the personal and professional skills of those youths. Over 1000 remote students are given opportunities to higher education scholarships and mentors, city field trips, with weekly elective classes for goal setting/preparation.

PEPY has a higher education scholarship covering all basic costs in the city. Besides, a Learning Center with hard and soft skills courses is also there that enables youth to develop projects, find skilled employment, & be leaders in their community.

The AIDS Patient Family Support Program (FSP): This program provides accommodation, food, and actively mentoring and social support to homeless mothers suffering from AIDS so that they can properly care for their children. FSP makes sure that children of these families are receiving proper schooling and there is no lagging behind.

An ESL teacher's job does not end with checking the progress rate or academic performance of a student but also acting as a mentor. In this case, mothers suffering from AIDS are adult learners who are being mentored by TEFL teachers. They play an integral role in preventing child trafficking and breaking the cycle of inheriting family property. Several ESL teachers work there who groom those children as well and make them self-dependent.

Women's Resource Center: It provides emotional support, referral services, and informal education to women and girls in Siem Reap province, Cambodia. These services are absolutely free of cost and women get a lot of benefits from these projects. A survey conducted by Cambodia Demographic and Health Survey in the year 2014 stated that 40% of women were deprived of basic education.

There are workshops on topics such as women's health, women's rights, domestic violence, positive parenting, and financial literacy to help women gain the skills and confidence they need to let a new phase of life evolve. WRC educates women on how to look after their children's health and their own contraception options, learning financial management for economic empowerment, etc.

Group parenting classes are conducted by TEFL teachers to inform women on how best to care for their children's nutritional, emotional and developmental needs. Besides, they are also taught by the ESL teachers that withstanding domestic violence is a major crime and how they can combat or launch a complaint against the person triggering such an issue.

Thus, TEFL certification is not only restricted to teaching English in schools and academic institutions but also imparting knowledge in various NGOs. TEFL is a life-saving agenda and has helped underprivileged people to a great extent.