The Thailand expat forum for Travel, Lifestyle and Fun.

DJ Pat

WALL STREET gives you a grammar test before the interview so that counts most of you out already *

AUANon-profit organisation that is possibly Bangkok's biggest employer of teachers. Main branch is located on Rajdamri Rd and employs approx 100 teachers. AUA has come in for a bit of stick of late, but I still think there are far worse places you could work. Very busy school both during the day and in the evening, so at least they can give a teacher a decent schedule. Large class sizes is definitely a minus. ****

BERLITZVery window-dressed company that has a mind-numbingly boring teaching method that quite frankly doesn't work with Thais. Very profitable language school that pays its teachers below the average. Still a fairly good school for an inexperienced teacher to gain confidence talking in front of a group. **

BRITISH AMERICANSchool with a quite dreadful reputation that is also possibly the lowest paying school in town. 220 baht an hour the last time I checked, which quite frankly I wouldn't get out of bed for. A bonus is paid if you wear the British American navy blue blazer while you are teaching. Lots of teachers pass through here. Nuff said. * (and lucky to get that)

BRITISH COUNCILSnobby set up that thinks its better than anyone else perhaps because it recruits teachers directly from Britain, although I have heard of Bangkok teachers being recruited while living here in Bangkok. Nowhere near as good as they think they are. ****

ECCAnother school with a reputation which you'd hardly call glowing. Branches all over the city. They don't pay much and expect a teacher to do a lot of hours. Many teachers start here when they first come to Bangkok, but the vast majority move on after a period of time. **

ELCVery image-conscious school that is known to hire teachers based on the way they look rather than their ability to teach. This school also has the advantage of being able to fill a teacher's day-time schedule, but I'm talking to a lot of ex-ELC teachers these days, and that always says it all. ***

ELITEDon't know a great deal about this school located on Silom Rd, but firstly they seem to have a fairly high turnover of teachers, and secondly they pay very poorly for out-service company work This school tends to keep a rather low profile. ***

ENGLISH FIRSTSchool with franchises all over the place, loads of them in Indonesia. Recent newcomer to the Bangkok EFL scene, but from what I've seen don't really offer anything new. ***

INLINGUASchool with at least seven branches in Bangkok, and very big on corporate image. One of the better language institutes in the city, but still way short of perfection. Lots of company classes for teachers who enjoy teaching business English. Good choice for the teacher who is looking to make good money with a big schedule or the teacher looking to fill specific gaps. ***

MELSA school with a very good reputation that seems to have slipped of late. You never ever spoke to a disgruntled MELS teacher a few years back, but I've heard one or two recently. Mostly into corporate work and university classes. I get the distinct impression that this school has too many hungry teachers at the moment, and can't feed them all. ***

NAVASchool that was crap, went good, and now looks to be going crap again. A fair few complaints coming in about NAVA and its branches all over the city. Big on children's classes which is always a huge minus in my book. They will offer a teacher a one year contract but it's nothing to shout from the rooftops about. **

SIAM COMPUTERBad reputation has dogged this school for as long as I've been in Bangkok. Those who admit they work for Siam Computer always seem to do so in a low almost apologetic voice. Seriously, you ask 15 teachers their opinions and then form your own. Can they all be wrong? Although efforts are being made to improve things, I'd definitely put it at the bottom of the pile. *

Taken from the old site which I can't remember the name of, but altogether useful.....

kingwilly

yup true.

and they really aint got a good rep over here either.

CSFFan

I'm working part time for Inlingua and have no complaints. Very professional setup at the branch I'm at. If I have free time, like this month with my holiday from my regular school, they work with me to try and fill it as much as possible.

Chairman Mao

Go International (Chulalongkorn) pays 700 an hour. Teaching is in 3 hour blocks - with 2 x 15 minute breaks - teach 2 1/2 hrs, but get paid for the 3. A lad in my apartment works there on the weekends and says it's a good set up. Has about 20 different levels I think and you choose what one suits you best. Sounds like a good enuf set up.

Blake7

Can anyone recommend a language school which teaches Japanese? I need an intensive month long course.

DJ Pat

Ask Marmite^^^

Marmite the Dog

Wrong language, but I have sent a message to a friend who works at a Japanese school in Bangkok to see if he can offer any advice.

bkkmadness

Similar thread running on TV, worth keeping an eye on it, something may turn up on there.

Japanese Lessons - Thailand Forum

Skettios

Thanks for the list.

I'm looking for part time work, but the ajarn website has listings for around 300/hr. That with talk of a teacher shortage.

Does anyone seriously work at that rate? I would probably have to kill myself, if my girlfriend didn't do it first.

Chairman Mao

She prolly wouldn't be your GF if you were earning that little, so not much point in her killing you.

Skettios

You obviously don't know my girlfriend.

Chairman Mao

far right in the white dress innit?

Skettios

You got me. Now I'm going to have to pick up the slack even more.

Agent_Smith

I can second that. Spot on. The only thing I can say for them is that they always, always have work and will try to accommodate your needs. And there is a certain level of professionalism to their organization. The pay is crap, though.