Some advice for you in future: don't come to a battle of wits unarmed.
Trite answer as you do not want to know what the experience required by BC actually is. It will burst your day-dreamer bubble.
This looks like fun, so I'll throw in my tuppence...
Many 'teachers' that teach EFL in schools/universities throughout Asia have either no teaching qualifications, no experience/knowledge of EFL or both; this is a problem.
A qualified primary/secondary school teacher from the UK/USA/Canada/etc has some skills, classroom management skills, to teach at primary/secondary schools in Asia, but they would lack EFL theory and practical skills - this is a massive problem and leads to lots of bad teaching. They should (and need) to undertake a CELTA at the very least. If they care about continued development then they should look for further EFL post-graduate qualifications too (Thammasat have some decent and affordable options at MA/PhD level which would arm teachers very well). A CELTA is better than any of the other short term certificates I know of, as it's rigorous, teaches basic classroom management skills and has an EFL focus. It is only a starting point, imho, and should be the very minimum requirement.
While we're talking about primary schools, the average Thai school is such a difficult place to teach English due to lack of student motivation, lack of materials, poor management (senior Thai staff/patronage), so any enthusiastic native speaker with a CELTA is likely to be worth hiring. &, yes, while it's not the only quality, empathy with the students and foregrounding their learning in the local context is good teaching.
The only place to earn good money in Thailand, as far as I'm aware, is folks with teacher qualifications from their home countries to work in international schools following the US/UK curriculum they were trained to teach. &, I'll add that I don't consider these teachers qualified to teach EFL in Asian primary/secondary schools or universities without further EFL teacher training. But, they no doubt do an excellent job of teaching at the international schools that follow the same curriculum they were trained for, and they earn excellent salaries doing so.
Regarding further qualifications, some MAs look like they provide relevant skills, but do not; a prime example is a BA/MA/PhD in education - it has the word education in it, but is linked to first language acquisition and abstract theory; people with these types of qualification cause untold damage throughout Asia, as they usually move into senior positions and make decisions that they have no knowledge of; I've had endless experience of these folks, both native speakers and Asian, who write syllabuses and exams without any idea at all what EFL is about or the relevant EFL language theory - they simply follow theory written for kids in the UK/Australia/US decades ago, highly prescriptive and objectivist, and totally inappropriate in the local context. Disaster...
I've met many teachers with undergraduate (and/or postgraduate) qualifications in English, English literature, Business Management, Anthropology, and similar who have done a CELTA or TEFL MA (not TESoL), and are very good teachers. The important area seems to be that the teacher foregrounds their own and student thinking skills and autonomy while having EFL knowledge that they're able to localize.
DELTA: is loved by some (such as the British council and some countries like the ME) and carries no worth for others (Thai universities). I don't know much about it, so I won't comment other than to say I believe it's a rigorous program which is good, but it's linked to Cambridge University/British Council and their imperialism that I have no time for at all...
Linguistics qualifications: I'm biased because my post graduate qualifications and research are in linguistics, specifically applied linguistics in EFL, I consider this an excellent base for EFL teaching at secondary school and university level, but it must have an EFL focus. The problem is that most qualifications and teacher training courses are TESoL, focused on first language acquisition and highly culturally imperialistic.
I work solely in universities (although I did teach Thai primary school teachers of English for 7 years at Silpakorn and Chula universities), and the worst teachers I've come across are primary/secondary school teachers and management with post graduate qualifications in education - they just repeat classes that a 6 year-old in Britain or America would teach, and these are a complete failure for young adults in Asia. Obviously, this general English paradigm is outdated and proven useless, but these people simply don't read up to date research.
To end, there are at least three areas and each require different qualifications: International schools following a UK/US curriculum; primary/secondary schools; universities. I work in universities and consider myself good at my job, but I am not qualified to work at International schools or primary/secondary schools.
:)
The experience is 5 years teaching EFL- as it says on the opening page of the link.
"You should have a Diploma-level qualification (i.e. Cambridge DELTA/Trinity DipTESOL), an undergraduate/university degree with 5 years full-time teaching to a variety of age groups and levels. i.e. Young learners and Adults of which one year should have been gained after obtaining your Diploma-level qualification"
Are you a glutton for punishment or are you just really stupid?
So now we get to the root of your daydream. You are a TEFLer with a BA or such, about to spend big money on a DELTA or such & after completing so and the time & teaching requirements you will be expecting the BC to be recruiting you, starting salary from B100,000 per month at least. :rofl:
Does anybody have any figures on the numbers of ex bricklayer turned TEFL employed in Thailand compared to the Deltaforce BC "professionals"?
I don't have recent data but the last set of figures available (2012) showed: 1 - 0.
That comment wasn't necessary, but it does prove they were learning and that the teacher made the difference.Quote:
Originally Posted by OhOh
seriously, i do not understand these "teachers" that work here with dodgy visa's and then cry about poor salaries !
why not just go back to Birmingham or wherever you come from and get a real job.
personally i won't get out of bed for less than 30 000 baht a WEEK !
Rob
Supply and demand... lots of wannabe English teachers (and real qualified English teachers too) want to escape their dreary, cold, capsule of existence - hence the wages have stagnated (or declined) since the mid 90's.
Thailand is a popular place to live for foreigners.. it's seen as cheap, sunny, with free and easy sex, easily available...
Why would/should they pay more, when there is 100 fresh faced applicants, eager to take your place if you rock the money boat.
The demographics have shifted. Older teachers have fooked off for greener pastures - most teachers are now 20 something - looking for their OE, perhaps a year or 2 in LOS max.. then back to the reality of working life where they came from...
It suits them and suits the establishment who get a revolving door of constant supply of bright, enthusiastic, young teachers to impress the parents...
They are not in the system long enough to become jaded, or tire of the bureaucracy and utter shambles that is the Thai *business* education system.
Latterly there has been a steep rise in the number of teachers who lead quiet lives, barely drink, have side jobs and spend a lot of time with Netflix etc.
They will tell you that BKK in particular is actually not a bad place to be to pay off student loans etc. as long as you are focussed and work your way into a circa 70k job.
Think of how much you need to be earning to cover rent and bills, travel etc. for a reasonably comfortable apartment in the centre of the capital cities of our home countries. For London maybe 100k sterling a year. For Bangkok maybe 300k baht a year.
With the U.K. economy in its steepest decline for thirty years this looks set to to continue.
A lot of people here compare TEFL in Thailand in 2016 to the low skilled labour of the seventies when they were making their first steps into the world of employment. Apples and oranges...
Oh and it's very noticeable that the 'old boy' retired electricians etc. here simply have to believe all TEFLers make 30k. :D
Yes, stereotypes are big in Thailand... Thai nature is to pigeon hole people into tight compartments..
I was a Science teacher selling cosmetics - with a matchmaking business 55... combining 2 or 3, vastly different jobs, really did their minds in.
Thais like black and white... they don't like, or their minds can't compute outside the norm... I don't mean that in an offensive way... just a Farang stereotype of Thais lol...
You are a teacher (full stop)... the mold is set - it's very limiting and restrictive... I like doing things outside the square...my businesses were not uber successful (obviously) but they enabled me a great life-style in Thailand and the rare ability to actually save money... (which is key to my happiness)...
Some crafty teachers making much more than 30k that's for sure, Cyrille. You just have to market yourself well, anything is possible..
It's strange, my recent visit to Japan, I noticed many Gaijin/Farang doing all sorts of jobs/businesses... the Hotel we stayed in Miyazaki we were greeted by Western staff (fluent in Japanese)...
Another lady was married to a Japanese man, teaching from their house (she was the only English teacher I met).
A bakery shop was owned by a Danish man, Indian restaurant run by ahh umm Indians... retired couple in Itoshima making their own soaps, organic vegetables, arts and crafts, etc, etc...
I've been away from Thailand for 4 years now.. so I expect there might be changes happening there too...(my point being, lots of small entrepreneurs in Japan)... You would think with less rules/regulations, Thailand should be a paradise for guys/girls with smart business ideas..
Whereas internet forums are a great showcase for the more nuanced understanding of farangs.Quote:
Originally Posted by NZdick1983
* cough *
;)
Loads more farang / thai couples where she obviously isn't from a bar around in bkk these days too.
Vastly different to when I arrived in '89.
^ 555 touche^...
We are not immune from stereotypes as well...
Yes, I noticed those changes while I was still there... Noi the short, stocky, rat munching, face like a dropped pie walking with young stud dude
has all but gone.. replaced by Noi the office worker/accountant, clean and never seen a bar, keen on a Western man
Erm. Right. Anything you notice about those two sentences?Quote:
Yes, stereotypes are big in Thailand... Thai nature is to pigeon hole people into tight compartments..
^ Nothing particularly... hole, tight, pigeon.. mmmm am I hungry, or horny..
Best not to over-generalize from your own experience; like most foreigners in Thailand, you seem to have spent your time here with idiots (and why that would be the case...well, one can hypothesise). If that's the life you want, that's up to you but it hardly provides a sound grounding for the vacuous, asinine horseshit you post on this board.Quote:
Thais like black and white... they don't like, or their minds can't compute outside the norm... I
^ Insight into what?
The deeper meaning of teaching in Thailand??
What would you like to hear? everyone bases their opinions on their own life-experiences no? best not judge me by the tongue in cheek, horseshit I post on TD, I'm not writing my thesis on the meaning of life, just giving my impression of living half my life there in a lighthearted manner. :)
I was lucky to have a great bunch of friends during my time there - a couple idiots, yes ya got me...(but they made things interesting though)... as they do on this board, as per your contributions, PT.. lol :notworthy:
The fact that you are instantly guilty of doing exactly what you accuse Thais of doing.Quote:
Insight into what?
But, hey, this is a forum for racist bellends so why make a big deal over it?
^ Yup... Thais like eat rice... Thais like saaleep... Thais like saapicy somtam... Thais like sabai sabai complacent easily manipulated, English teachers... :chitown:
Farang like dark skinned lady, Farang no like saapicy food, Farang like eat bread (ka-nom)...
I got nothing against the Thais (or anyone, for that matter)... just calling a spade a spade.. generalizations exist.
Of course, Thais are not racist or judgemental in the slightest...:rolleyes:
If only I had 1 baht for every time a Thai said they love the smell of Indians, or that we shouldn't judge black people by their color as inside they may be nice people, etc, etc... :rofl:
^ Meaningless fucking gibberish.
jaaa ^ :bananaman: