The maturing of the Thai EFL industry
Something tells me there’s a bright future ahead,
Take a look around you, and you’ll soon discover that there are signs not only of a maturing of the education sector in Thailand as a whole, but also the language teaching industry as well.
ISO 9002
The sure sign of quality
The old ISO column from a year ago reared it's head again this week. Partly due to the paper receiving a few requests to have it reprinted (honest) and partly due to the Education Editor taking the weekend off to go to the music festival in Pattaya.
Whinging Thai teachers & cheering practice.
Returning to the topic of ISO numbers for a moment
Making the best use of those valuable school days - by cancelling classes in order to standardise students cheering ISO style.
ISO rules OK
What a school needs to do to get that treasured number
This seems to be the most popular column so far because many people have mentioned that they identify with it's sentiment.
Featured Teachers
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Sherwin
BA (2)
Filippino (male, 30 years old, native Cebuano speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Rowena
BEd (1)
Filippino (female, 30 years old, native Tagalog speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Diana Grac
BA (1)
Philippino (female, 28 years old, native Tagalog speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Jason
BSc (1), Certificate (1)
American (male, 35 years old, native English speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Jonny
Certificate (3), BA (1), Diploma (1)
British (male, 49 years old, native English speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Rob
Certificate (1), BA (1)
British (male, 36 years old, native English speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Rak
Certificate (2), BSc (1), Diploma (1)
American (male, 30 years old, native English speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Apple Grac
BA (1)
Filippino (female, 27 years old, native Tagalog speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Asger
Certificate (3)
Dane (male, 40 years old, native Danish speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Franky
Certificate (4), Diploma (3)
Belgian (male, 41 years old, native Dutch speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
Ajarn Guests
Fear of change?
In Thailand the government has set 2012 as English Speaking Year with a goal of encouraging students to converse in English every Monday. Such policies are useful but the major leap of enacting legislation to make English an official language for Thailand is also needed
Software for student tests
The integration of internet and computers with education and English learning is something students find normal, and classrooms without some access to educational software may seem quaint. Some students may even feel they can get more ‘professional' teaching from the numerous online ELT sites if a school is behind in IT.
Whatever happened to the shopping mall teacher?
They are the shopping mall English teachers - gliding like pale, undernourished phantoms amid the hordes of weekend Thai shoppers. The main reason I empathize with the shopping mall teacher is because I was once one myself. I know how desperate and soul-destroying it can be.
About Ajarn.com
Ajarn.com was started as a small hobby website in 1999 by Ian McNamara. It was a simple way for one Bangkok teacher to share his Thailand experiences and pass on advice. The website developed a loyal and enthusiastic following. In 2004, Ian handed over the reins to Phil Williams and 'Bangkok Phil' has run the ajarn website ever since.
Ajarn.com has grown enormously and is now the most popular TEFL site in Thailand - possibly even South East Asia. Although best-known for its vibrant jobs page, Ajarn has a wealth of articles, blogs, features and help and advice. But one principle has always remained at Ajarn's core - to tell things like they are and to do it with a sense of humor. Thailand can be Heaven or Hell for an English teacher. It's always been Ajarn.com's duty to present both sides of the equation. Thanks for stopping by.
Friends of Ajarn
Renting an apartment?
Before you go pounding the streets, check out our guide and know what to look out for.
Fun Quiz
Find out how employable you are in Thailand as an English teacher. Is it a case of 'welcome aboard' or "Mom, I need you to send some money again"
Fancy teaching freelance?
How easy is it to cut out the middlemen and rake in the cash teach students at their own homes?
Hi, I’m Tony Dabbs
I was a licensed life and health agent in the USA for many years and now I'm ajarn.com's health insurance expert.
The cost of living
How much money does a teacher need to earn in order to survive in Thailand? We analyze the facts.
The Region Guides
Fancy working in Thailand but not in Bangkok? Our region guides are written by teachers who actually live and work in the provinces.
E-mailing for jobs
E-mailing potential employers in Thailand can be a very frustrating experience. Teacher Chris is on hand to give you some top tips.
