Christmas and mid-terms at school

A relatively carefree couple of weeks at school

The Foreign Language Department put on a nice 2-hour long show for the entire school the Thursday before Christmas. I'm not sure why this date was chosen instead of Friday, but I do know that during Christmas itself, midterms were in session. It was quite nice, and I think the kids generally enjoyed it. But then again, who doesn't enjoy getting to miss two hours of class first thing in the morning?


Magazines with class part two

What I've learned from a school magazine project

What has topped it all off for me is the surprising ease that this potentially challenging project (getting students to produce a school magazine) has been thus far.


The death of General English

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

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.


Farang ajarn cover letter

Postbox letter from Mel

I wasted my time and my life of quiet TEFL desperation at an all-girl’s government school off the Hua Lamphong BTS station sweating direly in dreary and dilapidated non-air-conditioned classrooms beneath depressing rows of old, broken-down fans babysitting on average 40 bored, clueless, and mediocre mathayom students


Magazines with class

The task of producing a school magazine

Since being in Thailand, I’ve often thought about producing a basic magazine for students but, up until this new school year, had disregarded the idea because I was teaching P1 to 4 and it would have meant me doing most of the leg work.


Thai education shambles

Postbox letter from Ajarn Jim

Outside of MEP and EP programs, why are government schools fixated on NES teachers doing so much conversation? From what I understand, the English section of the university exams covers reading, comprehension, vocabulary, and grammar.


English speaking day

Some different ways to get your students speaking English

I heard from a number of Filipino instructors in Thai universities that they had something called ‘English Speaking Day'. They said that students had not as yet made any significant progress but the instructors were optimistic that the ESD idea would work if implemented for a longer period of time and Thai students would surely improve.


This is an English-speaking only zone

Reflections from teaching in an English-only international school

Six weeks ago I started a new teaching job in Myanmar at an international school. The job and the school have surpassed my expectations and one of the most impressive things is that I can use complete sentences in the classroom and give directions in English and the students not only understand, but they respond with great English.


Where will the money go?

Postbox letter from Cliff

I retired from my job in the States last year and decided to spend my retirement here in Thailand, teaching Thai people to speak better English among other things. I knew beforehand it would be an uphill battle. I have spent 4 years of my life here, plus another 11 working at a Thai church near my home in the San Diego area, so I was well aware of the difficulties Thai people have with our language. In fact, most of the few Thai people I know who speak it fluently have a very heavy Thai accent.


Culture of insouciance

The Cambodian rubbish dump, and my not so final, final exam

Many of the students in my class with their fancy clothes, laptops, I-phones, and I-pads, rarely experience an atmosphere where true learning takes place. Outside of the odd serious teacher they may have encountered along the way, they also live and learn in a rubbish dump, an educational one.


Showing 10 tagged items out of 119 total Page 9 of 12



Featured Jobs

NES or Non-NES Teacher

฿30,000+ / month

Lopburi


English Conversation Teachers

฿35,000+ / month

Thailand


NES Homeroom Teacher and PE & Health Teacher

฿50,000+ / month

Nakhon Pathom


NES and Non-NES Teachers

฿40,000+ / month

Bangkok


Science and Mathematics Teacher

฿42,000+ / month

Nonthaburi


English Conversation Teachers

฿35,000+ / month

Thailand


Featured Teachers

  • Svetlana


    Belarusian, 40 years old. Currently living in Thailand

  • Chandrashekar


    Indian, 60 years old. Currently living in India

  • Francis


    Filipino, 26 years old. Currently living in Thailand

  • Peter


    Canadian, 65 years old. Currently living in Canada

  • Isaac


    Ugandan, 20 years old. Currently living in Thailand

  • Aldrich


    Indian, 24 years old. Currently living in Thailand

The Hot Spot


The region guides

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.


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?


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.


The cost of living

The cost of living

How much money does a teacher need to earn in order to live in Thailand? We survey various teachers earning different salaries and with different lifestyles.


Air your views

Air your views

Got something to say on the topic of teaching, working or living in Thailand? The Ajarn Postbox is the place. Send us your letters!