Gap Year in Hong Kong, China
With English as one of its official languages, Hong Kong is a natural choice for people who want to take a gap year abroad. No need to be worried about gaining employment, or even volunteering alongside locals as you can speak the language easily. With a diverse range of attractions and numerous organizations to meet people from all over the world, it’s no wonder so many people make Hong Kong a must-stop on their itinerary.
Adventure and Cultural Travel
You might be surprised to learn that Hong Kong has less than 25% of developed land. There are numerous national parks, so you can explore to your heart’s content. Numerous outfitters can help you arrange tours or itineraries, such as backpacking, camping on the beach, kayaking and rock climbing.
Hong Kong also has a lot of historical significance. There are numerous walking tours of Hong Kong (some of them free) and places of interest. And if you want to explore other parts of China in addition to Hong Kong, there are programs such as the that provide you with the opportunity to get to really get to know Hong Kong and beyond.
Teaching English
Although English is widely spoken in Hong Kong, there are still plenty of opportunities to teach English here. Hong Kong has a NET (Native English Teacher) program that places teachers in Hong Kong public schools. They typically award a year contract and applications are due a few months before the school year starts (September), so start getting your paper early!
Training centers are a great alternative to public schools. Job boards such as Monster and Classified Post have jobs posted almost daily, so there are no shortages to jobs. There tends to be more jobs teaching younger children than adults. Most jobs require a university degree and a TEFL (or equivalent) certificate, so check requirements carefully.
Volunteering
Many volunteering opportunities are through church organizations. Many of them involve working with young children in classrooms improve their English. Other types of volunteer opportunities include interacting with handicapped children and adults by way of playing games, making crafts, and going for walks. Some of these organizations simply ask that you email them for more information and commit to a certain time frame. Ask around to see what type of volunteering and time frame suits you best.
