Teaching English in Australia: What is it Like?
By Sothearak Norng
I am an English teacher in Melbourne, Australia. I was born in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. I worked for the Australian Centre for Education (ACE) for four years before I moved to Melbourne to undertake a Master's degree at Monash University. I started my career as an ESL teacher in Melbourne in 2017. I am teaching in the ELICOS program at the Australian Technical and Management College (ATMC), which is affiliated with Federation University Australia, Ballarat, Victoria, and the University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. ATMC has an excellent reputation and several campuses in Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
Reaching this stage of my career has not been easy. I never thought that I would be qualified enough to teach English in Australia. Nonetheless, I applied for a teaching position at ATMC and received an email from the college asking for evidence of my teaching experience. I then emailed my former Campus Manager at ACE to request a reference. The following week, I taught my first class in Australia.
My professional experience at ACE was taken into account in Australia because ACE is a NEAS-endorsed teaching centre. Moreover, I am TESOL qualified and have a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, which is equivalent to a CELTA qualification. Most importantly, my friendly personality and passion for teaching helped me to stand out as an applicant.
I am teaching English to adults who have come to Australia to improve their English or continue their higher education. My students are from South America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
You might be wondering what teaching in Australia is like. Australia is a highly multicultural country, and its diversity makes the classroom dynamic more engaging. My students come to class with cultural experience and knowledge, and therefore, they do more than merely learn English. Teaching students from different parts of the world opens doors to new and exciting experiences for me.
In addition to our time in the classroom, my students and I take regular excursions to museums, beaches and traditional landmarks in and around Melbourne. These excursions give the students fun and practical language experience.
Each teaching session runs for up to eight hours per day, four or five days per week. This is a full on experience that requires a lot of preparation and energy. What continues to motivate me is my students’ enthusiasm for learning.
Not surprisingly, teaching English in Australia is different from teaching English in Cambodia. The curriculum in English-speaking countries tends to focus more on fluency at an early stage of learning, whereas accuracy is usually the main focus in non-English speaking countries.
I am proud of myself because although I was not raised in an English-speaking environment, I have demonstrated to myself and other teachers whose first language is not English that teaching English in an English-speaking country is possible.
To those of you who are interested in teaching English in Australia, here is some advice:
- Know the application requirements for the positions in which you are interested
- Have excellent English language proficiency and interpersonal communication skills
- Try to connect with friends or friends of friends who live in Australia
- Contact Cambodian ESL teachers and AusELT once you arrive in Australia
- Be prepared and open-minded, and believe in yourself
My contact information is as follows:
Email: Sothearaktknorng@gmail.com
LinkedIn: Tikay Norng