Thailand lacks in good English Teachers

**Storekeeper** · 15-05-2007, 04:20 PM

That got this American boy in the 4th grade at the school my daughter goes to Phichit. Guess he's been here a couple years. Little fugger is completly fluent in both reading and writing as well as speaking.

I'll have to ask him what he thinks of the Filipina teachers at the school.

My daughter got challenged on her English speaking skills the very first day by a girl in her class. A girl who I guess spent a couple of years in either Hong Kong or Korea going to an inernational school. So the teacher I guess told the kid to ask my daughter some questions.

I asked her what the questions were and she told me she didn't bother to answer the question but just told the girl she could help her learn to pronounce her "Rs" correctly ... made me proud to know she's piccked up proper smart ass as well !!!

**robin** · 15-05-2007, 04:42 PM

The average going rate for an English teacher in LOS reflects the low level of importance attached to learning good English IMO. I only teach private sector in Germany and have never considered going the TEFL route since hearing and seeing the standard of English teaching in Thai state schools.
It's not perfect over here either where almost all state school English teachers are German. It shows in the stilted, accented English the kids learn to speak.
However, as an old hand told me long ago, an enthusiastic amateur is arguably better than a bored professional.

**bradthai** · 15-05-2007, 06:50 PM

reading through this thresd, i am forced to ask the question why there isn't a teachers sub forum?
plenty of building your own this and that subforums.

power. power. shouldn't just belong to tools

**dirtydog** · 15-05-2007, 06:58 PM

Originally Posted by bradthai

i am forced to ask the question why there isn't a teachers sub forum?

There will be, at the moment smeg wants too much money to moderate it though

**bradthai** · 15-05-2007, 07:02 PM

just a suggestion.
put a job on ajarn .c

bound to get a reply

watterinja · 15-05-2007, 07:41 PM

Originally Posted by dirtydog

Originally Posted by bradthai

i am forced to ask the question why there isn't a teachers sub forum?

There will be, at the moment smeg wants too much money to moderate it though

Why don't you poach Bangkok Phil's gardener - LDMA?

**Ban Saray** · 16-05-2007, 04:22 AM

There has been a couple of things that distress me mentioned in this thread,
1. Use of Filipinos, our local pep school used one and my daughters spken English improved, however her confidence diminished. This was because the teacher relied on my daughter to lead the class, which she obviously was not happy about. She has moved up a nothch this year to a better school with 4 foreign teachers, I haven't met them yet but hope to this week.
2. Use of exclusively younger teachers 35 y.o. I'm wondering why someone like myself, a 53 y.o old engineer with a a Grad Dip in Business, currently contemplating a MEd at Asian U; could not teach English just as well?? I speak Thai and am down the track on the reading and writing Thai, and would like to stop working 60-70 hours a week for grotesques amounts of money; and just do a 20 hours or so for my beer money.

I also am alarmed at the attitudes some of the posters have, very short tempered, know it all types. I did the College of Hard Knocks before getting my degree, 20 years as a soldier, and would not call myself all knowing. Some of the posters here sound like our PM J. Howard, and hes the biggest liar I've ever met, and but for his ears would dissappear up GWB's backside.

Just some thoughts!

**Marmite the Dog** · 16-05-2007, 10:44 AM

Originally Posted by Ban Saray

There has been a couple of things that distress me mentioned in this thread,

Originally Posted by Ban Saray

Use of exclusively younger teachers 35 y.o.

That's certainly not true IME. I know plenty of teachers who are older than this.

Originally Posted by Ban Saray

I'm wondering why someone like myself, a 53 y.o old engineer with a a Grad Dip in Business, could not teach English just as well??

No reason why you couldn't, as long as you understand that teaching Englsih in Thailand is more about having enthusiasm and getting the kids interested in the subject than teaching as we know it in the west. also, expect to be constantly banging you head against the wall if you're teaching exclusively Thai kids, as you'll have maybe one or two who are interested and the rest you'll just want to shoot.

Originally Posted by Ban Saray

currently contemplating a MEd at Asian U

Have a chat with Watternija about Asian universities...

**kerux** · 16-05-2007, 01:46 PM

Originally Posted by watterinja

Why don't you poach Bangkok Phil's gardener - LDMA?

Please, no.

**Hootad Binky** · 17-05-2007, 04:36 AM

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

Originally Posted by Ban Saray

I'm wondering why someone like myself, a 53 y.o old engineer with a a Grad Dip in Business, could not teach English just as well??

No reason why you couldn't, as long as you understand that teaching Englsih in Thailand is more about having enthusiasm and getting the kids interested in the subject than teaching as we know it in the west. also, expect to be constantly banging you head against the wall if you're teaching exclusively Thai kids, as you'll have maybe one or two who are interested and the rest you'll just want to shoot.

Ahhhh...... get a CELTA; teaching English isn't as simple as it sounds. One of the students I've trained is teaching in Chiang Mai right now, with WP/Non-Imm. B, the whole nine yards. Says he was offered 7 jobs.

**kerux** · 17-05-2007, 05:13 PM

Yeah, for what, 30,000 baht?

**dirtydog** · 17-05-2007, 06:27 PM

^ Thats 5 times the national average wage in Thailand, I feel sure that if proper teachers in the UK were offered 5 times the average national wage in the UK there would be 1 teacher per student.

**bradthai** · 17-05-2007, 06:39 PM

and builders who are thai get how much d.d.?
in comparison to what you earn.

up here.
builders get about 5kbaht a month.
so are you on 25k then?

ps.
i'd mod a teachers forum for free. true.

**dirtydog** · 17-05-2007, 07:05 PM

Originally Posted by bradthai

and builders who are thai get how much d.d.? in comparison to what you earn.

And school owners get how much compared to their lowly paid staff?

Originally Posted by bradthai

so are you on 25k then?

This month my total earnings after checking through all my bank accounts etc amounted to the grand total of zilch, I think last month was also about the same

but then again get a big job, and yes it is hard work, dealing with the retards everyday, but theres a bit of profit in it

aint gonna get rich on it though, well thats not quite true, I got a group from Hong Kong that want me to find land for them to buy and then develop it for them, building small villages is good money, they been hassleing me for a couple of years now, trouble is it took me a couple of years to find the land I liked for myself that I thought was a fair deal, if its for somebody else i dont want to find them just a mediocore deal

**dirtydog** · 17-05-2007, 07:27 PM

Originally Posted by bradthai

ps. i'd mod a teachers forum for free. true.

I have to admit we dont actually pay moderators, they do it for the love of the forum and the free passwords to sex sites, not that they are perverted or anything, well apart from XXXXXX and XXXX Ccc cc and the others, got to admit I have been giving it some thought as the wnker LDMA has a building forum, yep I think it is time for a teaching forum....

**ChiangMai noon** · 17-05-2007, 07:39 PM

Originally Posted by dirtydog

This month my total earnings after checking through all my bank accounts etc amounted to the grand total of zilch,

Originally Posted by dirtydog

I have to admit we dont actually pay moderators,

I guess you are forgiven then DD.

**Ban Saray** · 17-05-2007, 09:36 PM

Seems I need 20 posts to contact wattninja

**Ban Saray** · 17-05-2007, 09:38 PM

Thanks for the advice the CELTA course looks like a good choice for a working holiday in Chang Mai

**Ban Saray** · 17-05-2007, 09:41 PM

I do enjoy teaching, have done bouts of it in trade schools, and taught many Thais rudementary English and engineering/managemnt techniques.
I also understand about banging your head against the wall, but that's true of any Thai at work also.
Having worked here for over 10 years I have some experience in all of that.
So there is my 20 posts!

**Hootad Binky** · 18-05-2007, 12:14 AM

Originally Posted by kerux

Yeah, for what, 30,000 baht?

I was making between 50-90,000/month by the time I left.

**GooMaiRoo** · 18-05-2007, 09:11 AM

Thinking is a painful activity for most young Thais, so learning a foreign language is a big problem. Add to this the electronic heroin (video games, TV, etc...) inundating every corner of Thailand and their minds atrophy even more than before. Certainly the TEFL teachers are a mixed bag, but I've never met students anywhere with such an aversion to thinking.

**keeshouAhDoGe** · 19-05-2007, 08:07 PM

Originally Posted by Hootad Binky

Further factoid: most speakers of English in the world are not native English speakers. Most English teachers in this world are not native speakers, either.

And most "Native" speakers, speak with a North American accent, not a European accent

**Storekeeper** · 27-05-2007, 06:18 PM

Originally Posted by Ban Saray

I also am alarmed at the attitudes some of the posters have, very short tempered, know it all types.

We are well represented here that's for sure my man ...

**Pimp of the LOS** · 04-06-2007, 08:44 AM

Originally Posted by dirtydog

Yes but someone that spends a few years getting a teaching degree to my mind seems more committed to teaching than someone who has done a 40 hour course, which would you rather have tending your sick cattle, a qualified vet or somebody in there first couple of weeks of vetinarian training?

Hold up there Dirty Dog....you're telling me you actually NEED to go to college to do this job. I wonder what classes one has to take....perhaps... Animalspeak 101, The history of Hi, nice to meet you 302, and my personal favorite Hangman Ethics.

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