When speaking Thai is discouraged

Many schools will actively discourage or outright ban teachers from using so much as one word of Thai in the classroom and for good reason. If they wanted someone to teach students about English in Thai, they'd just hire Thai teachers and not pay the premium rate for a native speaker. Because schools want full immersion; students have to listen and try to understand as much as they can, to English as spoken by a Colonial or a Britbonglander, and speak it as much as they can. Same with any language. Hence my Thai ability increased dramatically when I lived in Thoeng, a small town near Chiang Rai. I trained Muay Thai with an Ajarn, who spoke zero English and neither did the local dudes I trained with. Because for a couple of hours a day I was in a position where I had to listen and try to understand as much as possible, and speak it as much as I could.

Jonathon


Read more letters

Send your letter to Ajarn.com



Featured Jobs

NES Primary English & Maths / Science Teachers

฿60,000+ / month

Rayong


Health Education Teacher

฿50,000+ / month

Bangkok


English Teachers for May Start

฿35,000+ / month

Thailand


Home School Teacher

฿90,000+ / month

Bangkok


Filipino Teachers for Kindergarten 3 and Grades1-12

฿20,000+ / month

Bangkok


Summer Camp Teachers

฿450+ / month

Bangkok


Featured Teachers

  • Sofia


    Russian, 28 years old. Currently living in Thailand

  • Jane


    Filipino, 26 years old. Currently living in Philippines

  • Julius


    Filipino, 40 years old. Currently living in Saudi Arabia

  • Roel


    Filipino, 23 years old. Currently living in Philippines

  • Arran


    British, 24 years old. Currently living in Australia

  • Richard


    British, 53 years old. Currently living in Thailand

The Hot Spot


The dreaded demo

The dreaded demo

Many schools ask for demo lessons before they hire. What should you the teacher be aware of?


Need Thailand insurance?

Need Thailand insurance?

Have a question about health or travel insurance in Thailand? Ricky Batten from Pacific Prime is Ajarn's resident expert.


Can you hear me OK?

Can you hear me OK?

In today's modern world, the on-line interview is becoming more and more popular. How do you prepare for it?


Will I find work in Thailand?

Will I find work in Thailand?

It's one of the most common questions we get e-mailed to us. So find out exactly where you stand.


Contributions welcome

Contributions welcome

If you like visiting ajarn.com and reading the content, why not get involved yourself and keep us up to date?


Renting an apartment?

Renting an apartment?

Before you go pounding the streets, check out our guide and know what to look out for.


Teacher mistakes

Teacher mistakes

What are the most common mistakes that teachers make when they are about to embark on a teaching career in Thailand? We've got them all covered.