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Overview of the Project
 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 English teaching volunteers are very precious and always welcome. Usually the volunteers work along side the English teachers or even lead the classes in improving the pronunciation and conversational skills of the students.
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, by acquiring knowledge needed for fulfilling managerial and administrative responsibilities in the contemporary business environment.
Role of a 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 is beneficial for 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.
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
There 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.
Skills/Qualifications Requirements
The volunteer in English teaching project in Cambodia 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 their knowledge with the Cambodian people. Teaching skills and experience are highly appreciated.
Room/Food/Supervision
During his/her stay in Cambodia , the volunteer can live with a host family. The families are very friendly and hospitable and look forward to learning more about the volunteer's culture and country. They offer clean but simple accommodation, with a separate room, shared bathroom with cold water, and a fan. While they have breakfast in small restaurants or at work, they serve Cambodian food for lunch and dinner. In the case that the volunteer has special eating requirements (e.g. as a vegetarian or vegan), we would recommend staying in a guest house, as meat is the basis of most Cambodian food.
Our cooperation partner will welcome and receive the volunteers at the airport and introduce him/her to the host family and the host organization. A welcome dinner will help the volunteer to get his/her bearings and to meet other volunteers. During the whole stay, the volunteer has a contact person and an emergency number that is available 24 hours a day. Furthermore the contact person visits the volunteer every two weeks as part of the program.
Location Descriptions
The volunteer placements are located in Phnom Penh , Pursat and some other provinces of the country.
Phnom Penh is a charming, rapidly developing city situated at the confluence of three great rivers: The Mekong, Tonle Sap and Bassac. The town offers many tourist attractions such as the Royal Palace , Wat Phnom, National Museum , and Toul Sleng Genocide Museum , and is a perfect base from which to take daily or weekend trips to the provinces and the coast. Phnom Penh has a wide range of restaurants (all nationalities), markets, internet cafés and a wealth of other interesting places away from the tourist track.
In the provinces, the volunteer will usually stay in the provincial capitals, which are mostly quiet, and medium sized cities with basic facilities such as traditional Cambodian restaurants, markets and laundries. Pursat, for example is a peaceful provincial capital of Pursat Province , which has at present 270.000 inhabitants living on the Stung Pursat River flowing through the city. The city is located on the main railway line and the main bus route from Phnom Penh to Battambang. The bus trip to Phnom Penh takes around 4 hours and 3 hours to Battambang. These cities offer a worthwhile and easy weekend-trips.
Unfortunately, communication (internet, international phone call) is limited and very expensive in the provinces. It is the pleasure of local people to show the interns around and to give him/her an idea of country life in Cambodia . At long weekends the volunteer has the opportunity to discover the country. The volunteer should take some time to visit the main attractions of Cambodia , particularly the majestic temples of Angkor Wat in Siem Reap province and the beautiful coconut beaches of Sihanoukville. For the trip, a minimum of 3 or 4 days should be planned (and it is possible to take the Friday off!).
A typical day as an English Teacher
- 7.00 am: Wake up at the house of the host family and have breakfast in a small restaurant
- 7.30 am: Transfer to the placement (school, organization, university) by motorbike taxi
- 8.00 am: The volunteer has usually 2-3 English lessons during the morning time
- 12.00 pm - 14.00 pm: Lunch break
- 14.00 pm - 17.00 pm: The volunteer has 1-2 hours English teaching plus the time for preparations for the next day. During the afternoon the students or children practice their English by visiting the market, making an excursion or visiting a local village together with the teacher
- 17.00 pm: Transfer back with a motorbike taxi to the host family. Dinner
The proposed itenerary is a sample and likely to vary from school to school Ongoing Volunteer Programs in Cambodia
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Teaching English