sirchai

Thanks to those who helped.

I just wanted to get the opinions of people who had experience with the Thai books.

In this town the students aren't allowed to take their English books home so it's difficult for me to

get my hands on one to asses it.

My wife found a website in Thai that shows what they must learn in the first year of junior high(Maw 1).

There are thirty new words each chapter,vocabulary that is much too advanced for their level of English.

The grammar doesn't look too difficult for the first year but goes crazy after that.

This was as I expected but I didn't realize that there would be a lot of mistakes in it as some people have suggested.I have also found out that they have a workbook that they can take home and I can get a copy of that.

I would prefer to use a more communicative style of teaching but the parents(my customers) are all Chinese and only care about exam results.In a way they are right because getting into a university is more likely to get the students out of poverty than conversation ability but that's another debate.

I will most likely not follow the Thai course fully but I would like to teach them the same grammar and get them used to the type of questions that they will be given in their end of year exam.

I was a bit bleary eyed last night when I opened this post and I didn't check my typing before I posted.

I didn't think it would be an issue.

Thanks again to all who helped and God bless the begrudgers.

I stopped calling teachers teachers now. God bless you all, especially if there's no one here.( A god.)-

It might make sense to add, that you'll have to add 008, when using AIS.

The protesters handed out leaflets with information on the impact of the drilling on the area's natural resources, environment, residents' livelihood, health and farmland.

Isn't that great? I love it. Best to let them know to fragg off.

It will be difficult to find work that offers a work permit if you don't have a degree. There are loopholes but they depend on the willingness of a school to utilize them.

And those who had no time in life with a lifetime one.....

Lady Godiva. Surin.

Khun Nongsao Kama Sutra- Surin.

Whatever will happen, hopefully not again in Sisaket. Trying to save some stuff once with a boat is enough.

If you'd like to do her and yourself a favor, please drive to Ubon Ratchathani, there're several shops in front of the Big C, that will have what she (you) are looking for.\\

Are you just bored to wear your old ones, or are you really serious?.

I don't want to buy online cos you never know what you end up with size or quality wise!

Guess not too many male TVF members order knickers online, when living in Thailand, but you obviously do.!

Topic closet

Should have started by now?

In laws extremely worried for their crops.

There's a nice shortcut to my workplace and there's always enough rain pouring down in Sisaket area. Would send you some, if possible....

On the foreign teachers blogs, many, many English teachers are talking about walking. Sick of this visa <deleted> and the shitee pay and corruption. English Thai teachers who can't string a sentence together unless it is a negative statement about how you teach.

The only reason they want foreign teachers here is so they can all collect Tea Money from the top to the bottom.

Let the Filipinos teach here. Native English Teachers think very carefully, is this place worth it?

Yes, many foreign teachers are thinking about walking. Many already have. My school is losing one this week. But it is because of the stricter requirements being placed on teachers to be here...from having the correct visa to obtaining the teaching license.

I myself will be in limbo when my teaching license expires in about 2 years. Even though I have been teaching here for almost 3 years at the same school, the test for licensure is no longer offered for foreigners, so the only course is via a degree in education or current licensure from another country - neither of which I currently have.

It's not all about tea money. Some schools, sure. These are also the same schools that are losing all of their teachers because the school will not get the appropriate visa and work permit for their teachers, or they are not really teachers at all and cannot get the relevant paperwork together.

For many of the schools, the teachers are legitimate, but it is getting harder to find the quality because of the lower pay. I am not Filipino, I am American. I do live in a VERY rural place (There are hill tribe villagers in my school), and the pay is ok...nothing great, but more than enough to exist here and save $200-300 per month without budgeting. I could not live in CM or BKK on my pay, but if I lived there I would demand higher pay.

Where I am, it is an extremely poor community, with more than 80% of the population subsistence farmers. It is very difficult for parents to come up with the THB600 per term to have the foreign teachers here (2 American and 1 Filipino), but the education their kids get will put them in a MUCH better place when it comes time for them to enter the workforce. This is true of many schools that are doing things right.

Yes, this place is ABSOLUTELY worth it. Most teachers do not teach for the pay; I certainly do not. I do it for that "light bulb effect" - when kids eyes light up when they figure something out....that's what the teaching is all about - not the money. If I wanted to make money I would have gone into IT or politics or big business. In fact, before I came here, I was in big business in the USA at a major home improvement retailer making some awesome money...but had no life outside of work and massive stress 24/7.

I'll take the lower paycheck and the "Mai Bpen Rai" attitude as I spend my weekends doing anything I want to - which usually includes an afternoon in the hammock sipping a cold Leo.

Don't assume everyone is looking to make a buck or pad their pockets....many times it is quite the opposite. Yes, it is difficult to remain legal here, but if you do it right and try to do the right thing, you will find that people are quite accommodating...and I have never padded a pocket for any reason at all.

A great post, indeed. In my opinion, they must change quite a few things, as they’ll never get native English speakers, with an educational degree, working for that money. In Nakhon Meilouteenai.

Yep, it’s true that not all foreigners here are only in for the money; the kids’ feedback gives me more than my salary can buy. Okay, we all need money to feed a family, to be able to eat decent food from time to time and having a car with gasoline in my tank for most of the time means something to me.

I’m not a Filipino either. I’m from Germany who grew up bilingual, using English and German from early childhood on, because of the same reason why so many Filipinos here are employed as English teachers. The Western part of my country was occupied by American GI’s.

Unfortunately, I’m not from a less developed country than Thailand and I do not send money to any relatives, which is changing the situation immensely.

Finally, yes, if I want to make a lot of money, I’d go to Germany. But neither do I like the weather, nor the circumstances living there anymore. Agree with you and sipping a cold Archa, or Leo from time to time, can’t do any damage.

And yes, it does get more and more difficult these days to be here legally, but the pros outweigh the contras.

If that's getting worse, then there has to be a change of location.

Well, we have had internet trouble (school failed to pay the bills... ). Then there was a stopped up toilet. Moreover, there have been frequent repair requests for classroom equipment like projectors, loudspeakers etc. Each and every time, the excuse I heard was the budget...

There are xx unpaid students working as teachers.

While the OTPC policy was killed, the "smart classroom" initiative won't work when schools won't even keep projectors and loudspeakers operable

TBH, my school doesn't have curricula. When I raised this issue, I was referred to some book. Enough said. It's hopeless.

In my program, parents have to pay >17,000 Baht. But maintaining the teachers' PCs in just 6 classrooms is too much, with xx IT specialist son the payroll?!? You bet!

Maybe they need to pay us 10 k more and we bring in our own projectors and speakers, complete with some SLA?

I would love to see total TRANSPARENCY regarding a government school's finances and the "budget" preventing them from having unusable toilets cleaned.

I remember at my first school, where the flushing set for the toilet in grade two was non existent. That part was within five years never replaced.

There're usually always "students" from Rajabhat, especially those who'll become teachers sooner, or later. And they do not get paid.

I was the one at my former school, who did maintenance four PC's and three printers,solving soft and hardware issues. Honestly speaking, I did that more as a hobby.( Just curious, who's doing that now..lol)

Sorry, but it would be in my own personal interest to have a good functioning computer, I'm pretty sure if you'll talk to the parents, they'll do something.

It is as it always was. They might have bought 20 new computers, but maybe only on paper. Or they maybe landed somewhere else, you never know, until you know.

But to get to the point. ( A pint wouldn't be that bad now) It's all useless to ask Ass director A ( yes ass!) then get sent to Ass director B, then back to Ass A. Go to those who pay these Ass directors.

The parents who pay relatively good money do have the power. If they have a meeting, you might see a very quiet director listening.

All the parents can make it happen that a director has to pack his suitcase and go to Nakhon Phanom. Let them fix your problems, the Thai way.

They've also decided that all Thai English teachers from now on have to pass a TOEIC examination with at least a score of 850 points,as they're not native English speakers.

P.S. Sorry, that's just wishful thinking, but the Thai English teachers at my school have to pass such an examination now.And that's in the middle of nowhere in Isaan.

Really?!? Then why don't they get it right and demand the IELTS test?!???

I'm lost for words.

OTOH, a friend has had severe difficulties getting his "BA Hons equivalent" degree accredited by the TCT although he's a brilliant orator and was a solicitor for a few decades.

Now he's making 29 k teaching 24 periods a week.

850 points out of what, 950? Okay. But then they better enforce this ruthlessly on each and every non-NES!!

To be fair, I'd love to see the scores of so many "qualified native English speaking teachers with a real lifetime degree in electrification."

A good example might be a Scottish kid, 20 years old, mispronouncing almost every word. No degree, no idea, can't even book an inland flight from Ubon R. to Bangkok online, as his "mom" had always done that for him.

And that guy's teaching computing and health from P.4-6 ( drew a human body on the white board in a health lesson, as he's got no idea how to make a Slide, but all technology and Internet available) at a well known school with an EP in lower northeast?

This kid's making 36 K/month, "teaching" ( sorry had a laugh attack, when thinking about him) around 12 periods/week.

Neither an idea about computers, programs, he doesn't know what a DDR memory card is and for what we need it, nil knowledge about health education. All he's used to is some weird English camp bs. Hey-Hello. OMG.

C'mon, give me a break, please.

It's not just that he says sex when he means six, it's his whole speech. Most Americans don't get it, how should kids understand Nessy's last world wonder?

An IQ test would be okay, as not always the brightest native English speaking guys make it to Thailand.

Then the result compared to the IQ of a Thai first grader...

Time to party folks we have a new tourist attraction.

That might be the hit, dancing together with my Morlam girls in wife's ( for Brits: Misses) village. We could call them "The Sexbombbones.".

P.S.They're all still single and properly virgins. Please page me, if you'd like to meet one of them...

.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4uQD3n5YyE

Are we sure its not a store of previously-used falang husbands of Korat bar girls, with a few bits of old pots strewn around to put the police of the scent?

Honestly speaking, my first thought was that these were some victims of Thaksin's war on drugs, where a couple of thousand innocent people got killed.

Then the Satthahip containers, where too many fishermen had bones, skulls, etc in their nets,. but then all in a sudden disappeared..

Howdy, sirchai, cool day, just ate a hotdog and going for a Bigmac soon......Will be living at your place for my free beer. OK

Dude, ya know how to eat unhealthy food, don't you? You're always welcome at our place and beer's always free for you.

My wife will make some decent German food for you, to give you an idea what good food is. 2012/99, Soi 2, after the prison turn right, then first road left/ After about 150 meters you'll see a green gate on the right hand side.

You're more than welcome. Anytime.

.Okay, let me guess, you're going to Mc because of the chicks, aeeh the chick's legs, aeehh burgers. Got it. Freaking Alzheimer.....

The States wil loose against Belgium no doubt about it.

I bet the Yankees beat the &lt;deleted&gt; out of these guys.

Move away from the patriotic and feudal type education and you may end up educating children in to mature, independent thinking citizens that are able to work and take responsibility for their mistakes. There's a lot of potential in Thailand, sadly many of those that can deliver honest quality work end up going abroad.

Yes, there is potential in the people here. I know so many amazing, brilliant souls. But, you hit the nail on the head when you used the words "mature", "independent", and "thinking". How can that happen when the adults in charge are often child-like themselves? When I'm teaching, my Thai teacher (again, tons of potential and I love her) is busy posting cat and dog videos on Facebook while I'm trying to get information to the students. I have a ton of adult colleagues and adult students who are sending me Hello Kitty stickers on Line Chat. I quit the cartoon stuff when I was 13 years old. Maybe 14. I had to turn off the notifications because the thing dings all night. I shouldn't have to do that. Then, when the meeting time got changed for something really, really important my Thai teacher just sends me a Line message so I didn't even get it and lost two days of work. These are grown professionals who are sending cartoons 24/7. In the world of me, that is a bit of a disconnect. There are so many other example's that come to mind. While the head teacher is delivering the opening talk to the students every morning, all the other teachers are yawning, rolling their eyes, and tapping their feet. I'm saying they don't have a mature mentality to lead the children with. Maybe it's different at other people's school and jobs, but that is my experience.

Your post isn't less irritating than Thai teachers updating their facebook with dogs and cats videos, while you’re trying to get information to the students.

In the world of me is a little bit of disconnect? You’d lost two days of work, because a Thai teacher had sent you a LINE message, you didn't even get? Did you not understand her?

Do you teach English at a school? Just asking, as I do not really get your point. The thread was about an educational reform, your input is exactly about what people are trying to reform.

If your thing “dings” all night, you might have given your username to too many people.

What goes around, comes around. -

They've also decided that all Thai English teachers from now on have to pass a TOEIC examination with at least a score of 850 points,as they're not native English speakers.

P.S. Sorry, that's just wishful thinking, but the Thai English teachers at my school have to pass such an examination now.And that's in the middle of nowhere in Isaan.

You didn't even mention what other qualifications you might, or might not have.

You'll need a BA in any field to get a NON-B and a work permit, independently of what some others here're saying. Just being a native English speaker isn't enough these days.

I've got a TEFL and a TESOL, but nobody ever wanted to see them.

Besides the next game for the USA againts Belguim. NOT Germany..

Thanks for telling me the truth. So Belgium will send them home, then?

Can I sue TVF for posting the wrong date? My lawyer is already aware.

Rest in Peace to the DISEASED!!!!

Hello and Sawasdee Khrap,

I'm willing to buy all the Americans I KNOW in Sisaket area a beer, if they win the World Cup against Germany tonight.

Might be sad to mention that they'd the wrong shaped ball, when they prepared themselves for the game.

Sorry,but isn't it a real bad time to go to Ko Chang? Rainy season and beach doesn't really fit. Hope you thought about that too.