How to motivate your students

Sent in by Stephen Salter

9th May 2013

These kids passed every test I set them after our keep fit regime started. Carrot and stick works every time if used properly, but I suppose it helps if you know what you are doing. I know all teachers don't have the freedom I had but do try it if you can

The death of General English

And if it isn't dead, it damn well should be

25th July 2012

Students study English with local teachers or native English speakers (NES), or both, but what they're ultimately looking at is a textbook, many of which were never published with Asian markets in mind.

Why can’t Thais speak English?

Some of these students have had over 2,000 hours of English.

24th July 2012

Considering that English has been the international language of tourism and commerce for I don't know how many decades now, and there are I don't know how many thousands of English teachers all over the country, why is the general level of English so poor?

I don’t want to learn!

The biggest teaching hurdle: motivation

2nd December 2011

Motivation in the classroom, both from the teachers and the students, is essential for learning but it is a tricky balance to strike since the two are so interconnected; if the teacher loses motivation, so do the students and if the students lose motivation, so does the teacher.

Great Expectations

When parents of students are simply too demanding

2nd October 2009

The demands and expectations that some parents burden their children with are alas often too great. At the moment I’m teaching a kid who hasn’t even turned six, yet his life revolves solely around learning.

The root of all evil

A return to the subject of student materials

1st March 2009

I think choosing content that encourages students to think in scientific ways facilitates their English language acquisition.

Making learners

How learners learn

2nd August 2005

Each learner and each learning experience is unique; yet educators can identify patterns in the learning process. Designing effective learning requirements requires a clear understanding of, and attention to, both commonalities and differences in the learners and the learning.

Clock, peanut and frog

The problematic pronunciation of many Thais

1st March 2005

I try to have as much empathy for my students as I possibly can and I am becoming rather good at understanding the unintelligible. However, there are limits to everything and I am not a mind-reader. If a person says for example /sa-pye/, I know he or she means “Spy” (the wine-cooler or James Bond, doesn’t matter). But if someone says “kye”, I don’t automatically think of cry.

EQ = IQ for idiots?

What does the system all mean?

13th June 2001

The average Thai student isn't going to make much of an impression on the IQ scale. I know uni students who boast about their 104 IQ because it's better than average. I hate to tell them most dolphin's IQs are higher. Not hard to see why E.Q. is so popular here.

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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.