Papua New Guinea
4 English Teaching Assistant Award
Accepted Degree Levels
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Grant PeriodFebruary StartGrant Length10 Months |
Award Type
Award Profile
Teaching Assistantships are for 10 months (including a two-week orientation in Port Moresby).
All placements will be made by the U.S. Embassy in Port Moresby. Approximately 16-18 hours per week of classroom teaching, plus class preparation time and school-related activities are required. A combination of co-teaching and independent teaching will vary from school to school and will depend on the school's situation as well as the ETAs backgrounds and qualifications. ETA will be supervised by teachers at the host schools.
In order to help the ETAs better prepare for assignment in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, selected candidates who do not have TEFL/TESOL certificates may be required to take online course(s) for TESOL prior coming to Papua New Guinea and The Solomon Islands to take up the grant. More details will be provided in the grant documents.
Grant Length
Grant Period
All English Teaching Assistants (ETAs) are required to begin their grants in February 2026 in order to attend the in-country orientation in Port Moresby. Grantees start from the first semester in Papua New Guinea and proceed to the first semester of the subsequent academic year. During Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands winter school vacation, grantees are assigned to internships and may be engaged in English camps, outreach, or other related community activities.
Renewal for one additional year is available and is awarded based upon satisfactory cultural adjustment and teaching performance.
Orientation
The two-week orientation will be held right after arrival in Port Moresby. The orientation programs cover intensive basic Tok Pisin and Pidgin language study, ESL teaching techniques, PNG and SI cultural issues, and practical teaching.
Candidate Profile
Candidates must be articulate, fluent English-speakers. Candidates are expected to demonstrate the necessary initiative to teach conversational English at middle-high school, and teacher training college for an average class size of up to 35-45 students with a tradition of rote learning. Moreover, candidates must be able to adapt and thrive within a variety of intensive cultural environments including the challenges of living in a less comfortable setting. Candidates must be willing and able to physically and mentally adjust to work in the Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands cultural context and the PNG And SI educational system.
Candidates need to be self-motivated, adventurous, flexible, and independent. Candidates from all majors are welcomed but those with Education/English majors who possess prior teaching experience are preferred. As cultural ambassadors, ETAs are expected to exhibit a high level of professionalism and share aspects of American culture with their schools.
ETAs cannot be accompanied by dependents.
What is life like for Fulbrighters in the host country?
Grantees for the Fulbright ETA Award for Papua New Guinea will be part of a small cohort of Fulbrighters in the country. As such, prospective grantees will need to be independent-minded and proactive about researching their intended host country and community.
Availability of medical services in Papua New Guinea is also limited compared to the United States. In some cases, grantees may need to travel outside of their host country to access necessary medical services.
As a starting point for learning more about the Papua New Guinea, please review the information on the United States Department of State website:
Eligibility
10 Months
Degree Level of Applicant
- Bachelor's
- Master's
Foreign Language Proficiency
Tok Pisin and Pidgin language proficiency is not required, but some self-study of Tok Pisin and Pidgin prior to arrival is recommended in order to promote deeper engagement with the host community. ETAs will be provided basic Tok Pisin and Pidgin language as part of the in-country orientation.
Placement Type
- Secondary School
- Teacher Training
Grantees will teach at either the middle/high school and teacher training depending on the placement. ETAs will be assigned to public schools and teacher training colleges in cities and towns in the provinces of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands. ETAs are not assigned to schools in Port Moresby and Honiara.
Placement Locations
- Regional City
Supplementary Project
English Teaching Assistantship grants are not study/research awards and teaching takes up most of the grantee's time. In applying, the Statement of Grant Purpose should focus on the reasons why the applicant seeks the cultural experience of teaching English in Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands and what candidate will bring to the classrooms, activity to support the ETA's teaching responsibilities, club activity to further focus on using English in the school and/or the community, etc.
Award Benefits
- A stipend broadly based on the cost of living in the host country. These funds may be used by the grantee to support housing, meals, and incidental costs during the grant period.
- International travel benefits
- Accident & sickness health benefits
- 24/7 mental health support line for urgent and non-urgent situations
- 12 months of non-competitive eligibility (NCE) hiring status within the federal government
- English language teaching preparatory course
Stipend Amount
This is an estimated amount and is subject to change. The financial terms of the grant will be confirmed in the grant document issued after selection.
Estimated Cost of Living
Consider using cost of living comparison websites to gain a better understanding of the potential costs in your host country.
Many imported products in Papua New Guinea can be more expensive than their equivalent in the United States. As such, interested applicants are encouraged to research the cost of living for their intended host country. One available website for reviewing cost of living estimates is: https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/
Dependents
Housing Arrangements
Housing arrangements are made by the host schools and with approval by the U.S. Embassy in Port Moresby. Housing situations vary from site to site, and this requires a high degree of flexibility and adaptation on the part of the ETAs.