Talkin’ bout my situation
Everyone's situation is a little different
A section of the ajarn website for those teachers looking to embark on a teaching career in Thailand and have so many questions and no real answers.
How’s the Thailand TEFL job market?
Are salaries really going down?
Ajarn.com asked about thirty recruiters, language school owners, government school hirers and firers, etc for their opinions on the TEFL job market in Thailand. So then - are teacher salaries really going down?
Home or away?
Where is the best place to do a TEFL course - Thailand or your own country?
A good question that occasionally pops up on the ajarn discussion forum is “should I take a TEFL course in Thailand or in my home country (USA, England, etc)? I’ve noticed that the question never really gets a decent answer, so I turned to a dozen or so of Thailand’s TEFL course providers and asked them for their input.
Nothing but misinformation
Sent in by Mr T
I'm finding out that almost everything in Thailand's TEFL industry is a big fat lie.
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.
Are TEFL qualifications necessary?
Let's consider what can go wrong after TEFL courses.
One argument against qualifications is that teaching experience itself is enough to guarantee a good teacher. Not so. I have recently been learning French in an institution where my intermediate classmates are often poor performers in their out-of-class interactions. And for what reason?
An alternative guide
A rough guide to the lonely planet of teaching in SE Asia
If you studied TEFL or CELTA in your home country, something that would have almost definitely been lacking from your course was your tutors experience and knowledge of SE Asia.
Who can truly teach?
Sent in by RM
Education and ESL are two different things. Its that simple. What does a degree in Astro Physics have to with teaching a foreign language to a 9 year old for example?
Sweet spastic, silly swarms
Back in Korea again
Korea was the same as when I left it. New swarms of hagwons proliferated like rabbits on viagra and cheap wine. Every street twinkled with the latest corporate offspring – doe-eyed upstarts of whatever educational franchise chain. Small, independent, family owned schools struggled to compete; while saturating the nation themselves oblivious to supply and demand.
Are you certified?
Finding your way through the TEFL course maze
Teaching was no longer challenging. I was stagnating. Sure, I could always shake my life up with a weekend of debauchery, an occasional fling with a sexy female expatriate, or by traveling to a different city – and, truth be told, I often tried combining all three. But, at my core, I knew that I wasn’t growing productively. As a teacher I wasn’t developing. My methodologies had become stale. I needed a new bag of tricks. I needed rejuvenation.
Featured Teachers
-
Asger
Certificate (3)
Dane (male, 41 years old, native Danish speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
-
Sary
Certificate (2)
Spaniard (female, 33 years old, native Spanish speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
-
Nicholas
MA (1), Certificate (1), Diploma (1), PGCE (1)
British (male, 38 years old, native English speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
-
Jennelyn
Diploma (1)
Filipino (female, 32 years old, native Tagalog speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
-
Stephen
MA (1), BA (1), Certificate (1)
American (male, 43 years old, native English speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
-
Benjamin
BA (1), Certificate (1)
British (male, 40 years old, native English speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
-
Guillaume
BA (1), Certificate (1), Diploma (1)
Ivorian (male, 41 years old, native French speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
-
Caroline
BSc (1), Certificate (1)
Irish (female, 26 years old, native English speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
-
Nigel
BSc (1), Certificate (1), BA (1)
British (male, 52 years old, native English speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
-
Wilcone
Diploma (1)
Filipino (female, 26 years old, native Tagalog speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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.
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.
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.
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"
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.
Fancy teaching freelance?
How easy is it to cut out the middlemen and rake in the cash teach students at their own homes?
