how do you acquire private students who wish to learn English?

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  1. #1

    Join Date
    Oct 2008
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    how do you acquire private students who wish to learn English?

    Just wondering what the best method is, assuming that you have very little contacts/relatives in HK. Are there specific sites where you can post your contact and have students contact you, or are there events where you can meet prospective students directly?

    Any help would be appreciated.


  2. #2

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    Post of classified here, post in Wellcome and Park and Shop's, word of mouth, post in Hong Kong Dollar Saver, post at universities, coffee shops and any place with a bulletin board.


  3. #3

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    Tutorkingdom

    Try Tutor Kingdom. I am not sure if you want to be involved with Private Tutorial Centers, they will find students for you, pays better to have 4 students in a class then only 1 student.

  4. #4

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    I've found word of mouth to be the best way to get your name out there. My students (and their parents) are always recommending me to their friends.


  5. #5

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    Nice Jay, my wife had the same luck as you before, now she is teaching in a Government school (of course she was accepting students while studying her degree and post-grad, just in case anyone got the idea you could go from tutoring to government schools). However I as a Native Speaker have not had quite the same luck and found tutoring centers my best option.

    zhieeep, are you looking for just cash from tutoring, or something quite specific with who you want to tutor? What is your preference? I have found 8 hours on a Saturday through (would you believe) the Facebook Marketplace, quite cool what you can find online.

    You asked for websites, so earlier I recommended Tutor Kingdom, I also have had luck on Facebook Marketplace (as afore mentioned, providing you use Facebook). Also if you use Facebook there is a nice group for NET Teachers in Hong Kong with some good resource links.


  6. #6

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    Oct 2008
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    Thank you all for your advice. The reason I was asking for private tutoring is because I am interested in coming over to HK under a student visa to study Mandarin, and I know its not possible to get a legitimate job under that status.

    I thought it would be possible to help defray the costs of living through private tutoring where payments were made in cash. I do have a uni degree and experience teaching, its just the visa status that would get in the way. I think if I do make the move I will be more familiar with popular bulletins and post ads there.

    Again, thanks for all the leads, I never would have imagined facebook. HK craigslist seems defunct as well.

    I imagine I would be able to tutor English, Japanese and SAT prep. Is there a demand for the latter two categories?

    Also, when you say "tutoring center," can you please describe what type of work environment it is? Are you surrounded by a number of students in front of a chalkboard, or is it 1on1? I'm assuming you would need a visa for such establishments and apologize for not having stated earlier my visa status (if I were to go to HK).


  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by zhieeep:
    Thank you all for your advice. The reason I was asking for private tutoring is because I am interested in coming over to HK under a student visa to study Mandarin, and I know its not possible to get a legitimate job under that status.

    I thought it would be possible to help defray the costs of living through private tutoring where payments were made in cash. I do have a uni degree and experience teaching, its just the visa status that would get in the way. I think if I do make the move I will be more familiar with popular bulletins and post ads there.

    Again, thanks for all the leads, I never would have imagined facebook. HK craigslist seems defunct as well.

    I imagine I would be able to tutor English, Japanese and SAT prep. Is there a demand for the latter two categories?

    Also, when you say "tutoring center," can you please describe what type of work environment it is? Are you surrounded by a number of students in front of a chalkboard, or is it 1on1? I'm assuming you would need a visa for such establishments and apologize for not having stated earlier my visa status (if I were to go to HK).
    have a look here:
    The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region - Immigration Department

    it says that "Non-local students of full-time, locally accredited programmes at degree level or above whose study period is not less than one academic year" can take up part-time jobs on campus if thats a possibility for you.

  8. #8

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    Oct 2008
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    thanks for the that last one. It seems as if the gov is becoming more lax towards working students but there are still heavy restrictions on the type of work.


  9. #9

    well yeah, but its much better from this year on. you can work in the summer UNRESTRICTED.

    friend of mine gets his students through the university, teaches mostly professors' kids.


  10. #10

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    PT on-campus work is exactly what the US government lets foreign students do. HK has been changing some of their policies to mirror those in the UK and the US recently.

    Unrestricted work in the summer though? That's very generous of them!