It amazing how many people have a problem with teaching in Thailand. The students can be very wearing at times that is true. Not having a place to cool down both mentally and phsyically with A/C doesnt help either.
yes it is true the upmarket students and their schools can be very soul destroying as can the government school. But, if you are going to teach in Thailand you have to roll with the flow! when its going wrong, don’t fly off the handle, speak as if you are in control of the dog and not being dragged by the animal! Like in any job you have to wheel and deal. the poor teacher will always have something to say, such as, It’s not in my contract, I don’t work weekends. I don’t want to teach that class anymore they don’t listen! The students keep jumping my class! I wish I had started this teaching in Thailand a long time ago…I have so much free time and freedom plus I have got some lovely private work. It’s true that some teachers without the paperwork are very good teachers. and its also true that some teachers with full paperwork are .... well you understand! I have met both and sometimes they have made me feel I am hopeless and othertimes that I am greatest thing since sliced bread. I think schools should start looking carefully at the staff they employ,because I think things will stay the same except for the moves by the TCT which are starting to effect some areas of teaching hopefully for the better…It will be much better when they drag in the private sectors too.
Hi Phil. Thanks for weighing in here. I half expected a bit of a spanking. Your point is duly noted. However, I wasn`t suggesting that you edit everything or even discard everything that doesn`t meet a standard befitting the profession of teaching the English language. And I am sure there are plenty of people who visit this site who could pick apart many of the comments here - but choose not to. Yet, I did - not for the glory, but in the hope of prompting people to at least use a grammar and spell checker before submitting comments, even if they are posted anonymously. My point is - why bother making comments and claims about teaching English if you don’t have the time, inclination or ability to submit something that, at minimum, you would be willing to attach your name to. Who will promote clear and accurate use of language if not those who claim to be its teachers?
Gavin, I think you are being a tad pedantic there. I’m sure there are many of us who could pick apart these blog comments for their lack of grammar structure and careless spelling etc - but we choose not to. I don’t because I’ve simply got better things to do. I look at some of the comments and wonder where the hell I would start if I was in the mood to edit them. So I either post the comments as they are or delete them wholesale.
I wouldn’t question someone’s teaching ability just because they have a rather casual attitude to posting comments on a website and mistakes have crept in. I’m sure those same people take a lot more care in a classroom.
Let’s keep the comments on the topic of the blog.
The issue of teacher qualifications seems to have piqued the interest of a few more readers recently, or at least a few more people have chosen to comment on the topic as it relates to Thailand. However, quality should always be preferred to quantity – when it comes to language use. While it’s nice to see broad participation on ELT discussion boards, it’s really annoying when the standards normally associated with the field are spurned – either through laziness or ignorance. Why not dignify forums like this by actually contributing texts that can be models of good form and style? Is this too much to ask? As it stands, some of the comments here would not seem out of place in a seventh grade English class back home or a lower-intermediate class here in Thailand. Here are some examples of what we should be trying to avoid:
“Despite the fact he’s slandering a lot of people.“
(a) This is not a complete sentence (b) libel is the correct word for defamation in written texts [slander refers to spoken defamation].
“One day, I told me director I have 2 semi retired qualified teachers from Canada, and they are interested in the position.“
(a) Awkward construct with grammar, spelling and punctuation errors.
(b) Revised: I once told this school’s director that two semi-retired certified teachers from Canada were interested in a position.
“Unfortunately, still those who have access to a better standard of education are the wealthy and privileged. The poor don’t have those golden educational opportunities.“
(a) Just plain awkward and inefficient language use.
(b) Revised: Unfortunately, the poor still don’t have the same access to better educational opportunities as the wealthy.
“I have done my tefl and am now here in the UK working 80 hours a week to pay for a degree course so I can live in Thailand with my Thai wife who happens to be a teacher,yes she is a Thai Teacher,a university qualified Thai Teacher who is presently teaching here in the UK.“
(a) Wow! Where to begin? This passage is a definite run-on sentence with structure, spelling and punctuation errors. Readers might enjoy trying to rewrite this. Here’s my attempt: I previously completed a TEFL course (in Thailand?) and I’m now in the UK working 80-hour weeks to pay tuition to a teaching degree program. A degree will qualify me to work at a proper school in Thailand and thus obtain a work permit so I can live with my Thai wife in her country.
I could go on and on here, but that’s my bit for now.
I admit I don’t know all my students nicknames, because at last count I have 2000, and I don’t recall all the teachers either! except the very cute single filipino teacher and the boss and the lady who pays me (LOL) But! I remember all my private students name!
By Peter, Phetchabun on 2010-06-09