What's so bad about TEFLing?

[Neo]

TEFLer and TEFLing seem to get thrown about as a regular insult on this forum.
Is it simply a jealous outburst by those incapable of stringing a sentence together against their better educated adversaries, or is TEFL truly the lowest form of employment known to man and deserving of derision?

[OhOh]

a jealous outburst by those incapable of stringing a sentence together

Probably.

[sabaii sabaii]

Start a poll, lets out the Tefler scum on here

Let me think we got Sir Wilson doin it in Jakarta, if Tezza's right

Thormaturge hzas to be one, workin with kids, or animals, or fish, drive you insane

Chairman Mao ?

Anymore ?

Anyhow can't be too bad a life, gotta be better than teaching them little bastards back in the UK

My money is on Dick being one too, and The Gent

And with the cheap price of Mama noodles and Pattaya whores

What a Life , Without The Wife

[drawp]

Jealous? Of the 30k baht lifestyle...... count me in.

[FailSafe]

^

Is that really all an English teacher can expect to make in Thailand? Can you get up to the 100K range eventually?

[teddy]

Jealous? Of the 30k baht lifestyle...... count me in.

That's a $1,000 per month and seems to be more than what many Americans earn in the USA. Although the USA is fast heading towards third-world status, the cost of living is still first-world. 1,000 baht per day in Thailand gets me drunk, fed, laid and provides a roof over my head.

[terry57]

TEFLer and TEFLing seem to get thrown about as a regular insult on this forum.
Is it simply a jealous outburst by those incapable of stringing a sentence together against their better educated adversaries

Very good question Neo and Ive often pondered why they get the shitty stick.

Some of my best sparring partners are TEFLers and I only trot that out because everybody else does, no real reason, in reality its a job I suppose.

Ive often thought its a great way to meet Thai people so thats the up side and the 30k per month is better than a kick in the nuts.

But when you really look at the big picture they offer a lot more than the fat ugly pissed up mongers that inhabit certain places in Thailand even though a few of them would be Teflers.

Take the good with the bad matey.

[koman]

The few I've met have been OK, but for some reason when many of them get on a forum they get all uppity, superior and snobbish like they are some kind of fucking intellectual stars. They seem mostly to be really left wing apologists, so right there, sane and sensible people are compelled to dislike them... I hate it when they start poining out my little spelling mistakes and typos.....and crowing about it like it's really important or something.... I'm certainly not jealous of any of them...being comfortably retired and not having to face a bunch of Thai rug-rats every day. I don' think I could do that job for any amount of money....so I do admire them for doing it...

[aging one]

Is that really all an English teacher can expect to make in Thailand? Can you get up to the 100K range eventually?

Of course you can. But it takes time and effort initially. Sure as hell cant be done overnight. Make the right decisions, find something special to teach and it can be done. But as for me 100,000 to just above is the best you can do without an international school as your employer, if you go beyond that you are working too hard and defeating the purpose of living here.

Luckily for me my wife makes much more than I do.

[Fondles]

Is it simply a jealous outburst by those incapable of stringing a sentence together against their better educated adversaries, or is TEFL truly the lowest form of employment known to man and deserving of derision?

My step father is an English teacher at a government school in Chanthaburi and is on 35k per month, he loves it. The salary whilst extremely low compared to what I earn easily support's him and his wife, he is happy and has a nice life whilst not needing to dip into his savings unless a major purchase is needed.

[natalie8]

I taught ESL in Thailand for 4 years and I really enjoyed it. I was in BKK for three years, teaching full time, and in Phuket one year, teaching part time. If you manage to get good night classes and / or privates along with your regular work, you can make good money and have a decent lifestyle.

While I was there, I had a good social life, I travelled quite a lot and I saved quite a bit of money too. I only left there because my husband got a job in Dubai and I joined him here.

I miss Thailand at times, but I know it will always be there for vacations with free acommodations.

[dirtydog]

Pattaya Teflers are earning nearer the 20k mark than the 30k mark, and sadly they get stiffed so much it probably works out a lot less.

[nidhogg]

an English teacher

Well, that is really the crux of the problem. What is an "English teacher"?.

To me, that implies someone with a degree or full diploma in teaching or education, coupled with a specialization in teaching English.

What it does not include is some one who has the (often bare) native ability to speak English, coupled with a one month course in TEFLing done by a dodgy "school".

It seems to be one of the biggest con games going (and not just in Thailand) that those TEFLers are called "teachers", when in all reality they are little more than (at best) language assistants.

I would think that properly trained, accredited teachers may be able to hit the 100K mark, while the poor bugger struggling along with a native ability and a TEFL cert will certainly be lucky to rise much above the 30K mark (by and large). And just to knock it on the head before it starts, the long running debate of TEFL plus or minus a degree is not really germaine here - UNLESS that degree is in education (or teaching). A degree in fine art no more equips one to teach English, than does a life spent delivering newspapers.

Thailand does however reap what it sows. It inability (or lack of desire) to hire and pay properly English teachers directly results in the generally abysmal level of English language displayed by the vast majority of the Thai population.

Even more radically, I would also suggest that if Thailand is really serious about getting its population fluent in English, it makes serious efforts to ensure that its Thai English teacher can actually speak the language before letting them loose in front of a class.

[klong toey]

Last time i posted about the life style of a TEFler the Mod's delete it.
I guess the truth hurts,specially if the Mod was the TEFler i posted about

[dirtydog]

We don't have any mods that are teflers, so what are you waffling on aout?

[Satonic]

Isn't teaching/TEFLing generally seen as being the last resort? When all other business and job prospects have failed.

[Professorfart]

I'm as guilty as anyone for taking the piss out of TELFers so I'm glad to be able to quantify it here.

For me it's not the job per se but a section of the people who do the job.

Most TEFLers I meet are happy enough lads (and lasses) who just want to get on with it all and enjoy their lives here.

There is a section though who will never, ever admit to being a TEFler even though it's as obvious as the nose on your face that they are.

I'm sure everyone knows the type.

You can see them daily on the BTS in their 199 Baht nylon shirt and tie from Lotus, permanent sunglasses and toting their briefcases full of 'A is for Apple' flashcards en route to whatever 200B an hour sweatshop they work at.

They can usually be found in pubs like The Londoner (or similar) especially on Fridays, spending money they can't afford, full of bluster and bullshit.
They have instant "expert knowledge" through reading Stickman for a few months and quote him verbatim, banging on about "The Arab" and "Boss Hogg" even though they wouldn't know either if they bit them on the arse.
They will never resist the chance to blast out their low class pidgin Thai phrases in front of anyone they think is a tourist.

They'll tell you they're in "real estate" or waiting for HSBC to come knocking on their door with a 6 figure expat package or they'll have some "original" business plan in the pipeline once they get the "funding" for it - teaching, if they admit to it, is always merely a means to an end.

Eventually after a year or so though, when they realise that there is no money in "real estate", HSBC aren't ever going to come knocking and their "original" business idea has been tried (and failed) 100 times before they tend to vanish along with all their bluster.

I've seen so many of this type come and go over the years and I'll be fooked if any of them have lasted more than 2 years.

On the other hand I know a good few no bullshit TEFLers who have been here for years and some of them are the Salt of the Earth.
It's a shame that BKK prices have risen but their wages haven't as they used to make for decent company on a night out and would be out most weekends.
Now they're only able to get out for one or two nights a month which is a shame but I'm fooked if I'm subbing any coont.

[terry57]

As one of the other poster said,

You can spot a Tefler a mile away on this forum when they start bleating on about a posters spelling.

I mean, fok off dude and force a rubber duster up your bottom.

[sabaii sabaii]

Last time i posted about the life style of a TEFler the Mod's delete it. I guess the truth hurts,specially if the Mod was the TEFler i posted about

We don't have any mods that are teflers, so what are you waffling on aout?

My post has gone awol

[sabang]

I've got nothing against Teflers, homongers, retiree's in the sticks (thats me), expats on expat contracts, barowners, whomever. No doubt there is both good and bad amongst all of these. I find it amusing in Thailand that they are all at each others throats though, at least on-line. Dunno why that is really- in HK, nobody gave a damn. English teachers kinda hung out in different circles, they didn't really have the money to hang out where the 'professional' expats hung out, but it wasn't like there was this great status thing attached. Nobody much gives a damn about who's outside your circle there- I don't mean that in a bad way, it was just like, so what. They get by. Or so we assumed. Academics/ qualified teachers tended to hang out together in their own circles too, but like so what.

No, who we should really be picking on is Boiler room scum.

[natalie8]

I find it amusing in Thailand that they are all at each others throats though, at least on-line.

I don't know what draws people to be so hostile on line, especially on teachers' forums. Some people need to find a good hobby.

[klong toey]

Last time i posted about the life style of a TEFler the Mod's delete it. I guess the truth hurts,specially if the Mod was the TEFler i posted about

We don't have any mods that are teflers, so what are you waffling on aout?

My post has gone awol

Think when we mention Teflers have to type in code.
I miss the ex Radio Caroline D.J R.I.P.

[socal]

Jealous? Of the 30k baht lifestyle...... count me in.

That's a $1,000 per month and seems to be more than what many Americans earn in the USA. Although the USA is fast heading towards third-world status, the cost of living is still first-world. 1,000 baht per day in Thailand gets me drunk, fed, laid and provides a roof over my head.

1,000 baht per day in Thailand gets me drunk, fed, laid and provides a roof over my head.

That answers the question.

[socal]

Is it simply a jealous outburst by those incapable of stringing a sentence together against their better educated adversaries, or is TEFL truly the lowest form of employment known to man and deserving of derision?

My step father is an English teacher at a government school in Chanthaburi and is on 35k per month, he loves it. The salary whilst extremely low compared to what I earn easily support's him and his wife, he is happy and has a nice life whilst not needing to dip into his savings unless a major purchase is needed.

What do you actually do when you teach english ? Just draw a horse on a chalkboard and say "horse" ?

I have never really understood what they do ? Is it a classroom with 30 kids ? Adults ?

[Carrabow]

As one of the other poster said,

You can spot a Tefler a mile away on this forum when they start bleating on about a posters spelling.

.

I once corrected Dr. Andy's spelling and made myself look a bigger fool 'cause of my sentence structure, grammar and misspellings I guess he taught me a lesson

Hey Teachers...Leave them kids alone (Floyd)