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  1. #1

    R.I.P.


    dirtydog's Avatar
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    Thailand lacks in good English Teachers

    English skills deteriorating


    The national test for students doing basic education shows achievements in English have dropped significantly.

    Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC) secretary general Khunying Kasama Varavarn blamed the decrease of classroom hours for teaching English.

    The Bureau of Education Testing provided annual tests for grade 6 and grade 9 students across the country. It revealed students in grade 6 had received their lowest average mark in English, followed by maths, Thai and sciences. Grade 9 students lowest scholastic achievement was in English followed by maths, sciences, social studies and Thai.

    Records of the past three years show the results in English, Thai and maths had dropped every year, while only sciences had improved.

    However the larger schools that came under the Commission on Higher Education and private schools fared better.

    "Not so long ago the number of teaching hours for English in most schools was reduced from four to between two and three a week, while the quality of English teachers is a problem," Kasama said.
    She ordered provincial basic education offices to help schools in their areas improve the quality of English teaching before the next national test at the end of the year.

    The Nation

  2. #2
    Thailand Expat Boon Mee's Avatar
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    Whada ya expect with the quality of TEFLer's represented here?

  3. #3
    Thailand Expat
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    Thailand lacks in good English Teachers


    whoever wrote the title to this thread needs an English lesson or two

  4. #4
    Not an expat
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    Yeah, but he isn't a teacher.

  5. #5
    Thailand Expat
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    ^true, but just goes to show that because you're a native speaker, doesn't mean you know shit about the langauge. And, IMO, that's what 'this place' (Thailand) needs to realise.

    BTW - to be fair, I know even less about the language

  6. #6
    Not an expat
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    That's another problem, who is a native speaker.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Fabian View Post
    That's another problem, who is a native speaker.
    Err, English people of course.

  8. #8
    Thailand Expat
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    Quote Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Fabian View Post
    That's another problem, who is a native speaker.
    Err, English people of course.
    Certainly not yanks

  9. #9
    Thailand Expat Boon Mee's Avatar
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    Well, teaching English as a second language is tough enough with the likes of three different uses of: two/too/to w/out throwing in all those exta u's y'all use like in color/flavor etc., eh?

  10. #10
    Thailand Expat
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    ^one of the best laughs I've ever had in Thailand was when I asked a Thai for the definition of "nobility"...

  11. #11
    watterinja
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    Shelf-packers, lorry drivers, blue-collar workers, alcoholics, sex-deviants, fake degrees - these are perfect credentials for an expat Engrish teecha.

    What are the Thai's complaining about when they pay peanuts anyway? They got what they paid for.

  12. #12
    Thailand Expat
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    Quote Originally Posted by watterinja View Post
    Shelf-packers, lorry drivers, blue-collar workers, alcoholics, sex-deviants, fake degrees - these are perfect credentials for an expat Engrish teecha.

    What are the Thai's complaining about when they pay peanuts anyway? They got what they paid for.
    Sorry mate, but these are also stero-types. I know some extremely well qualified teachers here.

    I'd go so far as to say that when I back-packed though this place in the early '90s, you got away with a lot more shit than you do today.

    Yes, there are some that meet these requirements; but, IME, much less so than 20 years ago.

    (and, as a yarp, you must believe in putting the score up on the board, regardless of personal feeling?)

  13. #13
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    Maybe if they sorted out their antiquated and inconvenient immigration and visa laws and stopped killing English teachers in the holiday resorts, they'd have less to complain about.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by William View Post
    ^one of the best laughs I've ever had in Thailand was when I asked a Thai for the definition of "nobility"...

    And the answer was..........??

  15. #15
    ding ding ding
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    thats easy, it's "no ability"

  16. #16
    watterinja
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    Quote Originally Posted by William View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by watterinja View Post
    Shelf-packers, lorry drivers, blue-collar workers, alcoholics, sex-deviants, fake degrees - these are perfect credentials for an expat Engrish teecha.

    What are the Thai's complaining about when they pay peanuts anyway? They got what they paid for.
    Sorry mate, but these are also stero-types. I know some extremely well qualified teachers here.

    I'd go so far as to say that when I back-packed though this place in the early '90s, you got away with a lot more shit than you do today.

    Yes, there are some that meet these requirements; but, IME, much less so than 20 years ago.

    (and, as a yarp, you must believe in putting the score up on the board, regardless of personal feeling?)
    In terms of score, what percentage of the teachers in the industry would you say are suitably-qualified & have the necessary paperwork to teach in Thailand?

    I'll put up the figure of 10%, & I'd say that was generous. Any other bids?

    To be honest, I taught corporate English & executive coaching skills for a while. I was shocked at the types I came across. Some were really decent fellows, making a sideline buck. The vast majority were chancers & I worked for a good outfit.

  17. #17
    Thailand Expat Boon Mee's Avatar
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    From all reports, the typical TEFLer seems to be of the sort who claimed to have killed Jon Benet Ramsey.

    ...no disrespect to all of the good ones though...

  18. #18
    Khun Marmite
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    Quote Originally Posted by Wallace View Post
    Maybe if they sorted out their antiquated and inconvenient immigration and visa laws...
    There are plenty of well spoken retired English folk in Thailand who wouldn't mind making some pin money teaching a few hours part-time, but if you're here on a "retirement" visa, the law won't let you.

  19. #19
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    please, lets not get into the old "piece of paper must make you a good teacher" i have seen it a million times,i worked with a guy who was a graduate of english from, pardon me, Cranbridge uni, and all i heard from his class room was "shut up- sit down" needless to say the kids didn't learn shite. then a "non-paperworked teacher" went in and taught the kids more English than they had in the past year. So in concution, lrts not start up the same old degree teachers are better than Non-degreed teachers, really, it is so borring

  20. #20

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    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?

  21. #21
    watterinja
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    Quote Originally Posted by beenaroundawhile01 View Post
    please, lets not get into the old "piece of paper must make you a good teacher" i have seen it a million times,i worked with a guy who was a graduate of english from, pardon me, Cranbridge uni, and all i heard from his class room was "shut up- sit down" needless to say the kids didn't learn shite. then a "non-paperworked teacher" went in and taught the kids more English than they had in the past year. So in concution, lrts not start up the same old degree teachers are better than Non-degreed teachers, really, it is so borring
    It's not really about who can, or cannot teach - rather it's about who may, or may not teach in Thailand, under the requirements of the law.

    If the Thai government will accept the unqualified people as Teacher's Aides, then all is well - but, they are still not qualified teachers - period. If they want the qualification, let them study towards a degree in their spare time.

  22. #22
    The Pikey Hunter
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    Quote Originally Posted by dirtydog View Post
    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?
    Obviously you'd pick the guy who's had his arm up the odd cow's arse. Should find a few likely candidates down Soi Yodsak.

  23. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by William View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Fabian View Post
    That's another problem, who is a native speaker.
    Err, English people of course.
    Certainly not yanks
    Wrong. There are more emulators of and native speakers of North American English in this world than British English, full-stop, period

    Also, when one holds up "received pronunciation" (unnatural and imitative by its very nature) or "the Queen's English" as representative of British English, this is a complete fallacy as the vast majority of British English Teachers (of English as a Second Language), qualified or not, often have incomprehensible (to Thais) Cockney, Northern, Scottish, Northern Irish, etc. regional accents. Only a few million Britons actually sound like a BBC announcer, and that's a fact.

    Having a degree or not may be indicative of one's educational level and aspirations, but having an internationally accredited TESL Certificate, like the CELTA from Cambridge (or an equivalent with 100/120 hours of classroom instruction + classroom observations and teaching practicum), most definitely makes a difference as to one's teaching capabilities.

    Just being a school teacher does not make one a competent TEFL teacher, as the methodologies are quite different.

  24. #24

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    Only a few million Americans have what can be considered clear concise speech, most countries have regional accents

  25. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by dirtydog View Post
    Only a few million Americans have what can be considered clear concise speech, most countries have regional accents
    So does the U.S:

    Boston accent (baa-staan)
    New York/New Jersey Accent (ne-jowsy)
    Southern Accent
    Californian Accent

    (clear-spoken Americans sound like Canadians, incidentally

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