Thread: Why Do Farang English Teachers in Thailand Accept Low Salaries?

great stuff Dicki

I'd share my experiences as a teacher over the last 14 years, but don't think it's worth the effort when there's someone obviously trolling the thread.

Just my two cents.....

Your on a roll dick, keep em coming bro you've got the trolls fucked now they are gob smacked and will shortly reply with insults, they have really no comeback to your brutally honest wit mate, you've obviously been around , I like your style mate, be sure to pop in for a brewski when your in my neck of the woods or I,ll buy you an asahi in fukuoka

55 cheers bro.

wit and dick together in the same sentence, now there's a first.. not trying to be a spaz, it comes naturally.
I've learned to not take myself too seriously, especially on a forum with such a diverse group of people.

At any rate, it doesn't matter how benign or non-flamatory your posts may or may not be, someone will always take offense (real or imagined).

You know how it goes...you can please some punters some of the time but you can't please all punters al the time..

Or something like that..

Originally Posted by BobR

That comment wasn't necessary, but it does prove they were learning and that the teacher made the difference.

So touchy eh, OK the New Zealander/Aussie whine, happy?

Why don't they label the course how to speak American/Australian? That would be a more honest label. There are some differences in attitude and culture, still.

^ Slight accents, are the least important thing when teaching English. Almost inconsequential.

^ Good points, OhOh.

Some of my (Thai) co-teachers were very good teachers.. I learned some techniques from them and vice-versa..

IMHO To positively impact the Thai education system, one doesn't need to be a literary genius, just focus on the basics/foundation i.e. Phonetics, reading comprehension and basic grammar.

*For the majority of Thai learners.. excluding university level of course..

Thank you. My knowledge is only gleaned from the neighbours kids here who bring their Thai text books along for my guidance. Some of the grammar and word selection is not of a very high standard. It's amusing when the text books allegedly are produced by the Thai government agencies and university educated Thais.

It's what the Thai English teachers, and presumably the ex-pats/native speakers, use at the local schools. When your students are shown the English sentence, the Thai pronunciation and the Thai translation guess what they eyes are drawn to?

When I learnt French at school, the only language used in the class was French. We did have a little red book of French/English words for reference and homework was a mandatory 20 words a week to memorise.

What I really need, from you, is one of these. *

I said it before but I think the Thai way of teaching English is shite. I send my 3 kids to Marie Patak school. They are taught American English, due to that being the cheapest English package they buy from Bangkok. The children are not taught the 'phonetic' alphabet and right from dot one are taught to use abbreviated words such as can't instead of cannot. My kids think abbreviated words are words in their own right. Plus using American English the spellings are different. My kids think 'Donut' is the correct way to spell 'Doughnut'. It really does my fcuking head in. Also 'okay' is correct if written as 'Ok'.

You can say 'why don't you just take your kids out of the school then'. I could, but that just leaves the option of putting them in a government school and they're no better.

Another thing that pisses me off is that the 'American English' is taught by Brits.

My 2 cents:

As a non-native English speaker, the accent (whether US, UK, Aussie, Kiwi) doesn't really matter. What's important is that it's English that is taught. My English teachers were also non-native speakers as they were Filipinas. I think all my elementary & HS English teachers were female. IMHO, I didn't do too bad - I can speak English fluently, for several hours if needed, whether with a Brit, Aussie or American. I also know how to differentiate to/too, your/you're, there/they're/their, which I've noticed that some native speakers don't really pay attention to. I grew up watching Sesame Street, an American kid educational show, and I think that helped a lot, as well as other US cartoons. My niece watched Hi Five, an Australian kiddie show, and I think it helped her too. I've also watched Harry Potter movies (all of them), so now, I can understand the Brit accent too. IMO, the Brits or Americans saying that their form of English is better, that's just BS. To non native speakers, it's just same-same.

To pragmatic - I spell donut as donut, color, meter, theater, civilization, etc, because we use the American form of English. But I think if I ever live in a country where they use UK English, I can easily switch. Don't stress too much abt ypur kids learning US English, US English is ok.

Btw, to illustrate how a non native speaker can switch accents, try looking for Leah Salonga's interview in a talk show in the UK. She was still a teen there when she played 'Kim' in Miss Saigon (the musical). When she went to the US to play the same role, she adapted a North American accent.

Cheers! Sorry for typos, am on fone.

Originally Posted by katie23

I also know how to differentiate to/too, your/you're, there/they're/their, which I've noticed that some native speakers don't really pay attention to.

Mentioning no names, like.

^ Exactly, Pragmatic.

In Thai, they say "puk chee - roy na"... appearance over substance, making things looks great on the surface, to hide the ugly truth underneath...

Now I feel sad as I made it a point to "school" my girlfriend into dropping the ay in okay every time she would text me. You guys were right I would make a lousy English-language teacher. It's back to the old grindstone for this poor boy, at least for now.

Seriously though a rather interesting read this thread. I never would have guessed that NZdick was a science teacher. He had me believing he ran a crew of mudders & painters and sold lipstick panties and cheek Rouge to the boys on the side. Just kidding NZ but I never pictured you as Bill Nye the Science Guy. You rock ,no not sheet rock, Dick! Science is the coolest thing about school, at least for me it was. It held my interest as we were allowed to do experiments with real chemicals back then. Can one find a real chemistry set these days. I dought it. Jr may spill on himself much less blow something up. I'll admit I had done both.

Spelling and English ick! All those nouns pronouns conjunctions contractions verbs adverbs bla bla bla. I'd do anything I could to skip my sophomore English class. I would stay past my lunch hour and play football against the Jocks right in front of old Mr.Scagans class that I should have been in you see. So did he and thats why he said since you enjoyed my class this much I'll be having you back next year. Tuff love it was and good man he was. He also taught the summer school sailing class that I was obliged to take as I was short on credits.

Art, now thats good fun. We learned centrifical casting in various metals. Rings and things some of wich I entered in the national contests. I heard many years later they still showed slides of some of fishes eggs. My best friend went on to run his own Jewelry store and I worked for him part time for a while. The real success story is that a girl I rode the bus to school with went on to create her own line of jewelry. The T kohl collection. She has galleries in Chicago. Made the rings for the Sopranos. My older sister said she showed up to her class reunion driving a Ferrari. I'll be dammed if little fish was too stupid not to take the bait back back then as the girl really liked me. Well fish ain't that smart. Talk about the one that got away!

What's all this got to do with teaching. All I got is live and learn. These kids your playing with just may remember you for who you really are. No joke..............fish.

Originally Posted by fishlocker

Seriously though a rather interesting read this thread. I never would have guessed that NZdick was a science teacher. He had me believing he ran a crew of mudders & painters and sold lipstick panties and cheek Rouge to the boys on the side.

haha... yep, Science/English teacher by day, plasterer by night (or something like that)...





still finding time to sell my skin care products heh...

So you really do rock, sheet rock that is. Way cool. I'm a multitasker myself. A workaholic /alcoholic, trying to curtail the former and the latter. And I do say I have plastered myself more than once. Though still terrible at it. I'm working on getting plastered now as I have a day off. As for my schooling I was and now am just a horrendous spiller. That is why I swill right out of the bottle now.You would know by the cloths that I wear. They have poor spiller written all over them. Not only that but they smell well just like, you guessed it................................................ ...........................fish.

555 ^ you're ok, Fish..

When you said Mudding, and sheet rock, that implies you are American, right?
we call is Gib-Stopping in NZ...

I only use American products (NZ products are shite) except for their base coat - for some reason (miracle) it's the best..

Plastering is an art - but still easy compared with teaching.

Correct, mud is plaster,sheet rock is gypsum drywall. This however I took down to the studs and screwed on Hardy Backer as it works well in damp areas. Threw in some glass block and tiled after replacing all plumbing with copper and a Kohler tub. A friend gave me a hand with the tub. The old cast iron tub was heavy. It's a hobby of mine that will pay dividends in the long haul. I'm in no rush as the place paid for itself since I snatched it from the bank. Honestly though I'd rather be fishing.

^ I couldn't do all that.. even though I have tilers who I sub-contract work to, I couldn't lay a tile myself, nor building work... (just plastering heh)..

I just stick to what I know (which is fook all really)... I will have to enlist the help of tradesmen to help renovate our rental/airbnb apartments, when we move to Japan/Fukuoka.

I can only do the cosmetic stuff, pull off wallpaper/skim coat and paint..

I do it all, alone mostly. My x brother in law helped me with the tub. I'm not to fond of roofing anymore. That's too much like work. This place is kinda far from where I live so it's nice that it's vacant now. I have a bed there and when I do get a few days off I stay there and fiddle with it.

New sink and counter are in the garage , thats next. I've taught myself over the years. I started young I guess and now eveything is easy except finding the time. Peace out............the fish.

I teach at a top government school. 16 classroom hours per week, 1000 baht per hour (and actually, the "hour" is a 50 minute period). I don't "thumb in", I don't stay on site when not teaching.
But I teach high school maths, to M6 level, in the SMA program, and there's not a lot of backpackers or teflers who are available and qualified to replace me. None at all at the moment. So I have a bit of employee power. I have no teaching degree or TEFL certificate, but I can teach maths to that level.
I'm getting bored with it, but won't leave until I can find a good replacement because my students are great, and I don't want to abandon them. They're good and deserve a good teacher.
If there's anybody who wants 1000 baht an hour job, 16 (or more if you want to do English as well) hours per week (minus the missed periods because of student activities!!!!), PM me.
Last week they asked me to sign up as a full-time teacher for next semester. Half the pay, more hours. I said "No thanks", and that was the end of that conversation. I suspect that their budget covers my wages, but they will do two books: One on the 35 000 payment, and one on the part-time payments I get now (to submit to Bangkok), and the director will pocket the difference.
PM me.