Like the rest of City University of Hong Kong, the English Language Centre operates on a semester system, with two 13-week semesters and a Summer Term, followed by exam periods.

Semester A normally starts on the first Monday in September. Staff are expected to be available from the previous Wednesday. Semester B starts in mid-January.

The ELC runs three teaching sessions in the summer and pre-summer period (May-July). Staff normally teach two of the three sessions. It is usually not possible for staff to take leave during the semesters, when most of the teaching is done.

Most classes and activities take place at CityU’s main campus in Kowloon Tong. Some are held at the Telford Annex campus of the Community College of City University in nearby Kowloon Bay. Getting to CityU is easy.

Classes are held from Monday to Saturday, mostly during the day. Staff preferences are accommodated wherever possible.

Full-time Staff

Full-time staff are usually required to teach one evening per week. They normally teach a maximum of four different courses. Classes with heavy marking or consultation loads are distributed fairly.

Staff who express interest in activities such as advising students and conducting informal activities will be given preference in such assignments but all staff must be prepared to take on any assigned duties.

Full-time staff are assigned an area of responsibility, such as coordinating a course or overseeing practical language activities, in addition to their teaching load. Projects such as materials development are compensated by a reduction in teaching hours.