The Thailand expat forum for Travel, Lifestyle and Fun.

benbaaa

^^ heh heh, DD giving spelling lessons.

Coming soon:

How not to react to every little prod or poke by AntRobertson
Remaining calm in the face of adversity by Spiff/Stroller
Why Thai people are wonderful by Smeg
Windows beats Linux hands down by ChiangMai noon
How to write an interesting post by kingwilly
Avoid being a COCK by The Gentleman Scamp
Engendering racial harmony by Marmite the Dog
Dummy-spitting for beginners by William

__________________
The sleep of reason brings forth monsters.

dirtydog

Whats that then?

dirtydog

You are totally wrong here, are you actually a teacher in Thailand? On the punishment stuff that is.

kingwilly

does just prior mean on the back of a motorcycle from nana?

tropic of cancer

Well no obviously, but it's like this: you use the present perfect tense (say) in every conversation you have (unless you're American), but you're not aware of what it is nor why and whether you select to use it until you read an explaantion. Once you have done so, it's easy to teach - to the speaker of a language that uses tenses, that is. Thai does not, something you are unlikely to know unless you have lived and taught here (and whatever qualifiactions you may or may not have)

kingwilly

Jaysus, you sound quite thai there.....


erm, so you saying that you wish you could beat the kids with a stick and then they would behave better?

bit simplistic.

why?

because you aint teaching them it properly in the first place.

tropic of cancer

No, I'd never beat any child - but the fact that Thai teachers do and we don't is a green light to the kid to mess about.

The reason they forget the lesson is that English is not their native tongue; they don't think or speak in English outside the classroom. Bits stick, but target language has to be constantly recycled and reinforced. This differs from teaching in England say, where a learner is surrounded by and practising the structures all the time.

As for my typo 'thier'; yes, clearly from my post I am illiterate.

phuketbound

^I am not being negative. You are jumping very quickly (judgemental), on what toc is saying, and making him look bad. I see know insinuating that he can't control his class. I also think that those that consistently pick on typos have nothing better to do. And if you are going to judge people based on that alone whether they are a good teacher or not is hypocritical. I don't think toc has shown that he is a lazy teacher.

I know many people with Master's and Phd's that can't teach, and connect with students. I know some great teacher's with only a TEFL or CELTA.

I agree with this. The same applies to Korea. I can teach the students, but once they go out into the community, they are not using the language. Koreans barely speak English to each other, even when they know it. They are not getting the practice they often need. So, we do our best, and hope that they can use it in the future, with their parents, or if they go abroad.

phuketbound

Gabriel Angel; you should look back because he did not say he couldn't control his class, or that he would take a stick to them. You must think I am real gullible. For one, I don't teach in a language school, and for two, I think you sound quite pompous with that comment.

dirtydog

A good teacher will keep the kids enthralled during a lesson, they will learn, it really is that simple.

dirtydog

So, your saying you cannot control your classroom? I aint a teacher but the day I say I cannot control a few dozen Thai kids without beating them is the the day I top myself.

tropic of cancer

You have no idea

Gabriel

It is my experience that lazy teachers will blame everyone but themselves for their own lack of professionalism.

I would hope that Tropic of Cancer can up his game in this respect.

tropic of cancer

Just saw this.

I NEVER EVER descend to personal abuse on message boards (because it shows a lack of class imo). However, you nearly had me with this comment.

You obviously have your own set of prejudices against teachers (and this site seems to be partly set up on this premise) so to accuse me of unprofessionalism well, its par for the course. Nothing will ever change fixed minds like some possess herein.

However to imply I'm lazy hurts after the year I've just put in. I've worked so damn hard to get knowledge into those adorable little gits. Some failure, some success - just like life in the round.

Shame on you son, tbh; look at yourself and ask if you really have the right to cast aspersions like that on those you don't know.

phuketbound

This is a really good post TOC. One of the reasons I don't post much on ajarn anymore. Many people that their shit doesn't stink when in fact, it is sometimes quite the opposite. People like to think they are better than everyone else, I suppose. It is the nit pickers that make me laugh.

I am not a TEFLer, I am a qualified professional teacher (do you want to make fun of that too), that has studied many years, and graduated Cum Laude, but I never say that. It doesn't define me, as being a TEFLer does for some others that I've come across. I am a teacher among many other things. I love to learn everyday, and I never want to be known as the expert, because I learn something even from my students on a daily basis. Live and learn toc.

Matthew

I've got to agree with KW here.

Plan B

And here I was thinking you were a reasonable and intelligent person.

good2bhappy

bollocks
where have you been!

good2bhappy

past
present perfect
future
present
present continous

Chairman Mao

Oh God! Fucking language tense craic. Always riviting to hear the finer points pedantically shouted and argued about in a in a belittling manner.

Great stuff.