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  1. #1
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    Advice on TEFLing

    Hi all,
    been asked over the years by the local school boss, district governor etc to do some volunteer english teaching at the local high school.

    Never thought much about it, until this year, low rubber prices, little money to get out of the area, for breaks from the boredom of village life.

    So was thinking of doing a TELF course and volunteering some time.
    Question, how much do these courses cost, how long do they take and is there any in Ubon.

    School doesn't require a certificate, just someone who speaks english to help the Thai [alleged english teacher]

    Any thoughts or suggestions, is it worth the effort to do the course.

    Thanks for any help. Jim

  2. #2
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    So you're going to pay for a tefling course, but volunteer your time?

    If you've never taught before, yes it might be worth it if you plan to make a living doing it, but I'd probably go and see what the expectations are. If after that, you don't feel comfortable with the teaching, then do the course.

    If you need more info, let me know via PM.

  3. #3
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    Rule number 1

    Never use a picture of yourself as an avatar or you will be sacked from your new job before you get your first pay check. Apparently...this has happened.

    More seriously ...if it's just a thing to do becuse you are bored then its not worth wasting a lot of money doing a TEFL course because wherever you do it...it won't be that cheap and you'll be teaching for a while just to claw your outlay back.

    Then you have to consider legality, work permits etc. Can be a major hassle and expense if you are only thinking of doing it just to see what its like.

    Might be better to speak to someone at the place you are hoping to work first to see if they are going to take care of your work permit and visa.

    If it is strictly going to be only occassional volunteer work....save yourself the expense and try it out for a couple of hours before making a final decision.

    Frankly, I would have to say , there are better fixes for boredom around.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by jamescollister
    Advice on TELFing
    Learn how to spell TEFL

  5. #5
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    I would say James considering your around ubon, you maybe able to get a decent living out of it, why not contact Ubon uni, or even the education system around there for possible proposal for freelance work k throughout the area i know theres no English speaking teachers around by us.

  6. #6
    Excommunicated baldrick's Avatar
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    only tutor hot young things that are on their way to bangkok , pattaya and phuket

  7. #7
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    It depends on what you mean by volunteering.

    If it's volunteering or "volunteering". I think it's the latter - why else would you need a tefl, right?

    Do you have a good internet connection?

    If so there are better ways of "volunteering" your time, less visible too.

    Just a thought.
    <Your advert for prostitutes here, reasonable rates>

  8. #8
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    Really bad internet, can't even get facebook a lot of the time.
    W/P not needed out this far, no labor department, no immigration, no police, border soldier country.
    What police there are near the high school, their kids attend, plus BIL pays their wages.
    Question is, is it worth doing a course or not and how long and how much.
    Jim

  9. #9
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    Jim, I don't know about the TEFL stuff, so I'll tap out.

    Good luck.

  10. #10
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    Why pay to do a course to learn how to do a job that won't earn you any money.

    If you want to work and get paid then don't the teaching jobs pay around 30-40k p/m? Do the course, can't imagine they cost more than 60k baht, and get a paying job out of it.

    If you're living on rubber scraps and TEFLing seems like a goldmine than in you're in a state mate. Do it and get an job and put 30-40k p/m on the table at least.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Yasojack View Post
    I would say James considering your around ubon, you maybe able to get a decent living out of it, why not contact Ubon uni, or even the education system around there for possible proposal for freelance work k throughout the area i know theres no English speaking teachers around by us.
    You are probably to closer to Ubon han me, I'm about 130 km plus by road, Just my nearest city and this teaching thing has nothing to do with money, just boredom.
    Lived my life working., hard to just it around watching. Jim

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by alwarner View Post
    It depends on what you mean by volunteering.

    If it's volunteering or "volunteering". I think it's the latter - why else would you need a tefl, right?

    Do you have a good internet connection?

    If so there are better ways of "volunteering" your time, less visible too.

    Just a thought.
    Can teach side arms, gas, batons, but not eure about kids and english.
    Bit scary, Jm

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by ACT View Post
    Why pay to do a course to learn how to do a job that won't earn you any money.

    If you want to work and get paid then don't the teaching jobs pay around 30-40k p/m? Do the course, can't imagine they cost more than 60k baht, and get a paying job out of it.

    If you're living on rubber scraps and TEFLing seems like a goldmine than in you're in a state mate. Do it and get an job and put 30-40k p/m on the table at least.
    We produce about 5,000 kilos a month of rubber in the good months.
    Nothing to do with money, just filling in the days productively. Jim

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    Nothing to do with money
    Oh right.

    "Never thought much about it, until this year, low rubber prices, little money to get out of the area"

    No need to panic over a one or two thousand dollar course then.

    Good luck, and hopefully you can afford to take the family out of the Ubon village soon.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by jamescollister
    Can teach side arms, gas, batons, but not eure about kids and english.
    Bit scary, Jm
    The way Thai Politics are at the moment, your skill set may be in high demand!

  16. #16
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    spend time with the teachers after school to see what it is they need help with.
    buy a grammar and conversation book and brush up.
    just teach the teachers over a beer.
    get them to pick up the tab for your beer and grub.
    if they still want you to teach after a few lessons and you're up for it just go along with what the teachers require in a lesson plan.
    screw the tefl.
    dress smartly and you will impress.

  17. #17
    Excommunicated baldrick's Avatar
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    I am sure there are people around who could provide a lesson plan if you decided to give it a try - just muddle through - you are not taking money promising to have them speaking good oz slang in 2 weeks

  18. #18
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    I have a friend whose daughter did a TEFL course. I think it took about six weeks at Payap Uni in Chiang Mai. Don't know how much it cost.

    But at the end of it she was able to get a job at a good school and I think she was getting paid about 30,000 baht a month, but that was full time work.

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by baldrick View Post
    I am sure there are people around who could provide a lesson plan if you decided to give it a try - just muddle through - you are not taking money promising to have them speaking good oz slang in 2 weeks
    That's a really good idea, next time I am in the wong way Ubon I'll get one of the teachers to give me some lesson plans, or what ever they use.

    Will go to the school tomorrow and see what times their english classes are and give them 5 or 10 hours a week, to see how it goes. Jim

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by jamescollister
    Any thoughts or suggestions, is it worth the effort to do the course.
    Most courses are poor; you'll learn very little if anything - I wouldn't bother. If you are just gonna help out at a local school with kids practicing conversation English/confidence building then you don't need much other than enthusiasm and a smile.

    If you're gonna be a teacher at a school or uni then you should have both pedagogical and content knowledge. The best course to start on this road is a CELTA; it's one month long, hard work, but you'll learn plenty. Not many available, maybe Bangkok, Chiangmai and a couple of other places? Quite expensive - 45,000 baht? (guessing...)

    Quote Originally Posted by jamescollister
    Advice on TELFing
    Quote Originally Posted by Dillinger
    Learn how to spell TEFL
    James is modern and posh, he is planning to Teach English as a Lingua Franca.

    Teaching English as a lingua franca | British Council Voices
    Cycling should be banned!!!

  21. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bettyboo View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by jamescollister
    Any thoughts or suggestions, is it worth the effort to do the course.
    Most courses are poor; you'll learn very little if anything - I wouldn't bother. If you are just gonna help out at a local school with kids practicing conversation English/confidence building then you don't need much other than enthusiasm and a smile.
    One thing that I often seem to notice about TEFLers. They seem to focus on what 'they' need - in this case just enthusiasm and a smile.

    How about what the students need?

    I would say that is a 'teacher' who has been shown the basics, obzerved an experienced teacher while noting what they are doing and how they are doing it, then themselves teaching while being observed, then gotten feedback and advice on how they did and what they could do to improve etc.

    I would guess that that is a main part of the teaching courses.

    Shrugging one off because you will get by without one is a bit sad.

  22. #22
    Excommunicated baldrick's Avatar
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    I reckon you stagger in there , scratch your nads for abit , write up on the board

    a lazy brown fox jumped over the log etc etc , and tell them to copy it 1000 times

    then slump into the chair behind the desk , fart and burp then doze off with a powerful snore

    you will be a star TEFLer
    If you torture data for enough time , you can get it to say what you want.

  23. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bettyboo
    The best course to start on this road is a CELTA
    IH (Bangkok and Chiang Mai), plus ECC (Bangkok) provide the courses here for Thailand.

    If you have no idea what the difference between a verb and adjective is, then you will struggle to pass.

    Believe it or not, there is an entrance interview to the CELTA and they will be brutally honest on what is expected of you.

    To work in the middle of Bumfuck, a CELTA will obviously help, but a good grammar book should suffice.
    Black diamonds? I shit 'em.

  24. #24
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    Teaching English - for an English man - is like asking a seasoned drinker if he'd like to get paid for drinking a pint or two.

    Why study?

  25. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bogon View Post
    To work in the middle of Bumfuck, a CELTA will obviously help, but a good grammar book should suffice.
    Strange.

    So the students just need someone who knows what they need to know.

    Not someone who knows how to teach what they need to know?


    Sounds like a load of bollox really.

    Students surely need (and at least deserve) a teacher. Someone with at least a little bit of teacher training, no? Just because you read a book on verbs and adjectives surely doesn't mean that you should then be deserving of getting in front of 50 students and teaching them about it. What about teaching techniques etc?

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