EFL Teaching in Thailand (and elsewhere) part two
What’s the best and the worst class you’ve ever taught?
As promised, here are some of the lighter moments that I have been privy to in my time as an ajarn in Thailand; a time that, give or take one or two visits elsewhere, has lasted about twelve years. To be honest, I don’t have to think that hard to come up with memories of my good classes as they spring to mind with relative ease.
A time of change
How does teaching in Thailand now compare to twenty years ago?
For those of you pissing and moaning about visa runs, the immigration department, the work permit process, the unpredictability of the consulates in neighboring countries - let me tell you this - it was no better in the early 90s. In fact I'd say marginally worse.
Doing it yourself
What it takes to start your very own language school
For the first two years we actually lived in our school. This was tiring and annoying, but saved us a lot of money, obviously. Our monthly mortgage was only 6,600 baht, for which we got a house AND a school! The drawbacks to this sort of arrangement are that we had to pull out our bedrolls after the school was closed down
Views from Laos
Sent in by Stephen Thomas in Laos
There should be no surprise to foreign nationals that the Thai Ministry of Education from an educational perspective is trying to improve matters in relation to hiring foreign personnel. I read a recent Yahoo survey which claimed that 40% of foreign teachers in Taipei, Taiwan, hold some false documentation, notably fake degree certificates that they bought in Bangkok.
A very bad day indeed
Today was one of the most unpleasant in my four years plus of teaching
My problem was discipline. You see, I've been teaching for over four years and until today I had only received two complaints.
Tips for the Thai classroom
How to survive it
After graduating from college in the States, I surmised the job market and beat a hasty path to Thailand. Using an all-inclusive, value-added program called LanguageCorps, I had TEFL training in the well-known Ban Phe school, followed by a guarantee of my choice of jobs.
Featured Teachers
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Jonah
Certificate (3), BA (1)
Filippino (male, 28 years old, native Tagalog speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Karina
BA (1), MA (1)
Filippino (female, 31 years old, native Tagalog speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Robin Jame
BA (1), Certificate (1)
Filippino (male, 23 years old, native English speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Jonary
BA (1)
Filippino (male, 25 years old, native Cebuano speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Charlotte
BA (1)
British (female, 22 years old, native English speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Patrick
BA (1)
American (male, 42 years old, native English speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Deborah
Certificate (3)
American (female, 58 years old, native English speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Kay Anne
BEd (1)
Filippino (female, 27 years old, native Tagalog speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Abner
Certificate (10), BSc (1)
Filippino (male, 44 years old, native Tagalog speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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James
Certificate (1), BA (1)
American (male, 50 years old, native English 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
The cost of living
How much money does a teacher need to earn in order to survive in Thailand? We analyze the facts.
Fancy teaching freelance?
How easy is it to cut out the middlemen and rake in the cash teach students at their own homes?
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.
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.
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"
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.
Renting an apartment?
Before you go pounding the streets, check out our guide and know what to look out for.
