Have A Question? We’ve Got The Answer
Find quick and clear answers to the most common questions about teaching with Major Academy. Still need help? Browse our full FAQ or contact our support team for more details.
01. What kind of organization of Major Academy?
Major Academy is a leading educational institution in Vietnam, dedicated to providing high-quality and comprehensive educational services for students across various age groups. Established over 14 years ago, the academy has developed a diverse ecosystem of programs aimed at nurturing students’ academic and personal growth.
Key offerings include:
Major ESL: English language learning with native-speaking teachers, focusing on communicative skills.
Major SteamE: An interdisciplinary program integrating Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics to enhance critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
Major SEL Academy: Social-Emotional Learning programs designed to develop empathy, self-awareness, and interpersonal skills.
Major Books: An English book ecosystem for grades 1–9, supporting curriculum development and promoting lifelong learning.
Abacus Mental Math Program: A program utilizing the Soroban abacus to stimulate right-brain development and improve mathematical proficiency.
With a network of over 100 public school partnerships and a team of more than 120 native-speaking teachers, Major Academy continues to expand its impact on Vietnam’s educational landscape.
02. How many ESL teachers are now working at Major Academy?
As of 2024, Major Academy employs over 120 native-speaking ESL teachers annually. These educators are primarily recruited from English-speaking countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom. Notably, 80% of these teachers serve as full-time staff, ensuring program stability and continuity throughout the academic year.
The academy boasts a remarkable 98% annual contract renewal rate among its ESL teaching staff, reflecting a high level of job satisfaction and commitment. This dedicated team plays a pivotal role in delivering quality English language education across more than 100 partner public schools in Vietnam.
03. What is the procedure ESL teachers should follow once offer is accepted?
Upon accepting an offer from Major Academy, ESL teachers are required to complete the following steps to ensure a smooth onboarding process:
Document Submission:
Provide a copy of your university degree.
Submit a recognized teaching certification (e.g., TEFL, TESOL, CELTA).
Obtain and submit a clean criminal background check.
Undergo a health check-up upon arrival in Vietnam.
Visa and Work Permit:
Secure a business visa valid for at least three months prior to applying for a work permit.
Major Academy will assist in obtaining the necessary work permit and temporary residence card.
Orientation and Training:
Attend an orientation session to familiarize yourself with the academy’s policies, teaching methodologies, and curriculum.
Participate in any required training sessions to ensure alignment with Major Academy’s educational standards.
Classroom Preparation:
Collaborate with the academic team to prepare lesson plans and teaching materials.
Familiarize yourself with the school’s facilities and resources.
By completing these steps, ESL teachers will be well-prepared to commence their teaching duties at Major Academy.
04. What documents do ESL teachers need to work for Major Academy?
– Bachelor degree or higher
– Teaching certificate (TEFL/TESOL/CELTA)
– Clean police check/disclosure
05. What does Major Academy assist with?
– Visa application and visa extension
– Airport pickup
– Training
– Work permit and temporary residency card applications
– Insurance claims
– Continuing support
06. What is the training at Major Academy?
At Major Academy, all newly hired ESL teachers are required to undergo a comprehensive one-week unpaid training program before commencing their teaching assignments. This training is designed to equip teachers with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively teach in the Vietnamese educational context.
Key components of the training include:
Orientation Sessions: Introduction to Major Academy’s teaching philosophy, curriculum, and expectations.
Lesson Planning Workshops: Guidance on creating effective lesson plans tailored to various student levels.
Teaching Tools and Materials: Training on the utilization of available teaching aids and resources.
Demo Lessons: Opportunities to practice teaching through mock lessons for primary, secondary, and high school levels.
Classroom Observations: Observing experienced teachers to gain insights into effective teaching strategies and classroom management.
During the training week, Major Academy provides free lunch and all necessary materials to support the teachers’ learning experience.
07. How many students per class?
This again depends on where you will be teaching.
For offsite public schools (the majority of available work), the class size are usually between 35-40 students.
Classes at our international school or centre are usually around 20 students.
Business classes are usually around 15-20 students.
08. What facilities do I have to support me?
Aside from the ongoing support and assistance from your Academic Coordinator (each school/course has an Academic Coordinator assigned to it, they are the people who have been working closely with the clients from the start and know the students’ level, customer expectation and curriculum very well), you will also have other materials such as books, syllabus, teaching tools such as flash cards, CDs, laptop, games and toys to help you.
All kindergarten, primary school and low English level classes will also have a teaching assistant in the class to support you.
09. What books or materials do you use to teach?
Because we have a variety of classes with students of different levels and learning objectives, we also use a variety of sources to adapt to our customers.
Of course each course will have a set curriculum and even a syllabus for teachers to follow which can be as details as listing the content and objective of each lesson.
Our teachers would then based on these information and plan a lesson with the type of activities and methods they would use to deliver the content and help students reach the objective set out in the syllabus.
10. What should I bring to Vietnam?
Most things can be bought in Vietnam. Please bear in mind, although you can buy western size clothing, it is harder to find and will cost more. We require men to wear shirt, tie, smart trousers and closed shoes. For women teaching we require them to dress smartly, in either long trousers or a dress/skirt below the knee and blouse that covers the shoulders. Footwear for women can be smart shoes or sandals with at least a back or ankle strap (not flip flops). A laptop is useful but not essential as we have computers in the office for teachers to prepare lesson plans on.
11. How many hours I have to work per week?
Full time teachers are contracted up to 25 hours a week. In addition to teaching hours we schedule teachers for Admin hours. This is time we give to complete your lesson plans. You do not have to come into the office and if you have already completed your lesson plans you can use this time however you want. The only requirement we have is that during these hours you are on call, so you have to be contactable and available if needed to teach. Sample schedules will be emailed to all successful applicants.
12. How about payment, allowances and bonuses?
Teachers are paid on the 15th of every month for everything worked in the previous calendar month, all bonuses and allowances are also paid at this time. We are currently providing the 100-hour bonus and subbing bonus for our teachers. We also pay over-time for all teaching hours over 100 and for any subbing with less than 12 hours notice. The prices you are quoted in the offer are after tax, Major pays all tax for you.
13. What are the means of transportation in Ho Chi Minh City?
Ho Chi Minh City is a very crowded city with nearly 9 million residents and there are more than 8,5 million scooters/motorbikes (2016) in this city. However, if you do not want to ride a scooter, you can install the Grab application on your phone, it’s like Uber in other countries, Grab offers so many travel options such as Grab Bike, Grab Car and Grab Taxi.
Besides, there are hundreds of public buses throughout the city and they are very convenient and cheap. There are also other taxi companies such as Mai Linh, Vinasun, etc.