Teaching English in Isaan

**njdesi** · 03-06-2008, 06:57 AM

I am going to be stuck in the wherethefokaburi Sisaket for a week when the wife and me are visiting her family. I'll have fok all to do during the day, so I told her I would help out the local English teacher at the Matayom school for an hour a day. She told her high school teacher, and now they want me to teach a class or two for a week! They are all M1 or M2 students (guessing 30 to 40 kids in the class), ok reading skills but most have never spoken to a farang. I vaguely remember something about present, practice, produce. I haven't taught in five years, so I am a bit out of practice. But I do remember Thai teachers being generally useless in providing structure, so I am assuming that I will be on my own with no guidance from the teacher. Except for maybe, "Here is the class. Have fun."

Few questions:
1.) What is an appropriate lesson to teach this level of students?
2.) Any websites with ready made lesson plans for the lesson identified above?
3.) Any games to wind up the lesson that the students will enjoy?

**obsidian** · 03-06-2008, 07:23 AM

brief introductions.

you model it and present the target language (name- first-last-nic, age-day-month-year-time, family- bros and sisters, ages, names, etcetcetc).

keep it light and have a laugh and the kids will love it.

**peterpan** · 03-06-2008, 08:21 AM

Originally Posted by njdesi

I am going to be stuck in the wherethefokaburi Sisaket for a week when the wife and me are visiting her family. I'll have fok all to do during the day, so I told her I would help out the local English teacher at the Matayom school for an hour a day. She told her high school teacher, and now they want me to teach a class or two for a week! They are all M1 or M2 students (guessing 30 to 40 kids in the class), ok reading skills but most have never spoken to a farang. I vaguely remember something about present, practice, produce. I haven't taught in five years, so I am a bit out of practice. But I do remember Thai teachers being generally useless in providing structure, so I am assuming that I will be on my own with no guidance from the teacher. Except for maybe, "Here is the class. Have fun."

Few questions:
1.) What is an appropriate lesson to teach this level of students?
2.) Any websites with ready made lesson plans for the lesson identified above?
3.) Any games to wind up the lesson that the students will enjoy?

Should you really be teaching English ?
Look at your first sentence.

I am going to be stuck in the wherethefokaburi Sisaket for a week when the wife and me are visiting her family.

See anything wrong.

**kingwilly** · 03-06-2008, 09:00 AM

Originally Posted by peterpan

Should you really be teaching English ?

I think you are being a little harsh Peter. He is talking about a volunteer position for 2 weeks.

I would think games, songs, roleplays etc might be the best way to go.

**dirtydog** · 03-06-2008, 01:03 PM

Originally Posted by peterpan

See anything wrong.

he spelt "wherethefokaburi" wrong?

**Marmite the Dog** · 03-06-2008, 01:08 PM

Some of these might help.

ESL Cafe's Idea Cookbook - Kids

**dexter** · 03-06-2008, 01:14 PM

Originally Posted by kingwilly

Originally Posted by peterpan

Should you really be teaching English ?

I would think games, songs, roleplays etc might be the best way to go.

Agreed, throw in a couple of madlib lessons too. If you can't download any books, copy and paste a few relevant short stories and replace the vocab yourself.

**Papadave** · 03-06-2008, 04:34 PM

Originally Posted by njdesi

ok reading skills but most have never spoken to a farang.

Originally Posted by The_Dude

Teach slang and bad word phrases it's fun for all and easy to pick up.

Don't worry - they probably 'kao jai' and communicate better true English than their 'new-age' peers in Farangland!

**njdesi** · 03-06-2008, 05:53 PM

I am going to be stuck in the wherethefokaburi Sisaket for a week when the wife and me are visiting her family.

See anything wrong.
Ah yes. The wife and I. Normally, you would use me because it is in the predicate of the sentence, but since it is part of a independent clause, you use I.
I won't be teaching any grammar, just conversation. The whole purpose is just to have the kids listen and talk to a native speaker. And for me to avoid complete boredom. It's either this or get drunk every day with the local yokels.

**ChiangMai noon** · 03-06-2008, 05:57 PM

^
friend of mine has just moved back down to si sakett.

excellent teacher, we were sorry to lose him but the wife wanted to move back to her home town.

he would definitely be able to help you out a lot.

would you like his contact details?

**Marmite the Dog** · 04-06-2008, 11:37 AM

Originally Posted by njdesi

stuck in the wherethefokaburi

Not sure the 'the' is needed either.

**njdesi** · 04-06-2008, 06:20 PM

^
I think my English ability is still worth a free lunch from the school cafeteria.

**Marmite the Dog** · 04-06-2008, 10:43 PM

Originally Posted by njdesi

I think my English ability is still worth a free lunch from the school cafeteria.

Go for it mate - I'm sure you'll be a star.

**njdesi** · 12-06-2008, 04:08 PM

I've spent the past three days being bitten by every insect in Isaan. Visiting the wife's family is fun, but I would be lying if I didn't say I was looking forward to being back to the US in four days. It was fun teaching the kids, but I forgot how shy they can be around foreigners. Playing a few games seemed to warm them up to the big nosed freak speaking angrit. Overall, the teachers have been really nice.They had a volunteer teacher work here about a year ago. After three weeks, he split without explanation, so they appreciate any native speakers visiting the school. I made the mistake of correcting one of the English teachers. She's an unmarried old bat who can get away with babbling nonsense to the students and teachers who don't know any better. I was getting sick of her crap so I started correcting her grammar. Unfortunately, she is the head of the English Department so I don't think I'll ever be invited back again.

**Texpat** · 12-06-2008, 04:33 PM

Originally Posted by njdesi

I've spent the past three days

I was getting sick of her crap

Classic.

**njdesi** · 15-06-2008, 10:51 AM

^
That's why I work in the US. I can't work with some Thais for more than a week before wanting to choke them.

**churlish** · 21-06-2008, 12:26 PM

Sisaket is boredom personified.

**DJ Pat** · 21-06-2008, 08:50 PM

Have fun and check out the bikers bar in town.

By the way:

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