Source: Journal of Education for Teaching, Volume 35, Issue 2, pages 145 - 159 (May 2009).
In this article, the authors report on an inquiry exploring the experiences of 10 mainland Chinese student teachers of English so as to understand why they came to Hong Kong for a teacher education program.
The study revealed that these students were largely attracted to teaching in Hong Kong because of its extrinsic benefits such as professional stability, the prestige associated with the English language teaching profession and the opportunities to acquire valued skills transferable to other professions including English competence. Facing challenges as non-local students, they were also uncertain of becoming teachers in the new context.
As 'elite' Chinese students were often unwilling to become teachers, the authors found it strategic to attract a large number of talented non-local students to the teaching profession and retain them.
The authors conclude the article with recommendations for various stakeholders to support these non-local students' adaptation and development as committed and competent teachers in local schools.