Teaching English in Hong Kong

The following comments are from teachers who have taught, or are currently teaching, in Hong Kong. If you are a teacher and have some advice to share, please add it here.

Ethan on 27 January 2008

quote Working in Hong Kong is an enjoyable experience overall. The students are pleasant and better behaved than in western Europe. They are eager to learn and have a great sense of humour. Many youngsters have a basic grasp of English. There are many expats in Hong Kong and British/Irish pubs and bars. The food is great but if you go to a nice restaurant expect to pay western prices. They have a great underground rail system the MTR which is cheap, punctual and popular. Taxis are also very cheap for short hops. Rent can be high though due to the lack of flat land. Expect to be in a 30 storey apartment building unless you've got money. Crime is very low. Best places for entertainment are Wanchai and Causeway Bay and Kowloon. Be careful of street merchants "copy rolex" and "cheap suits sir" A great place overall, Better than South Korea that's for sure!

Sarah Smith, author of Two Kiwis in Hong Kong on 18 March 2010

quote Learn some basic commands in Cantonese such as, sit down and be quiet if you are teaching children. This is very useful for controling large classes of children. Another word of advice is that private teaching can be very lucrative during the school terms but in the holidays you will find this dwindles as students go on holiday. Therefore it is good to have a main job and suppliment that income with private tuition. Also some of the schools don't have air conditioning so think about this when you apply for jobs as it can get mighty hot in summer. Finally the Chinese mantra is hot and loud so if you follow these suggestions you will be on your way to a great experience.