brucetefl

Those that say its impossible to get a B visa and a work permit without a degree are simply wrong. A good number of the students taking our BA TESOL degree are obtaining waivers, B visas and work permits. Not all, but a good number.

I have been involved in English teaching in Thailand since 1996. During that time I have yet to meet ANYONE who really waned to teach English in thailand who could not attain their goal.

I couldn't bother to review this entire thread. Everyone going on about how he won't have a work permit and might be deported.

Do you live in the same country that I do people?

He would be volunteering at a small rural school. Is likely that a few policeman have their kids attending school. He's not getting paid.

Yes, technically he should have a work permit.

But I simply can't imagine any circumstance where the Department of immigration is going to come in and arrest this guy because he's volunteer teaching at a small rural school where the other teachers can't speak any English at the request of the director.

This is just absolutely silly. No one is going to give this guy a hard time. He's likely going to become a very well-respected member of the community for assisting at the school.

Voluntary work requires a work permit.

Yes, you could be doing one of those Thai English teachers out of a job! ha!

I've been to a few ASEAN countries, and Thailand would have to have the least number of English speakers I've come across.

Do it! Even with a Greek accent, it's better than nothing at all.

Do it without work permit?

Benefits? None.

Risk? Deportation.

Um.....

I am biased but you might want to consider getting your degree at Thongsook College.

Just google thongsook international and look for the BA TESOL.

No. Not graduate school. You need a degree from a recognized university. High school and a TOEFL score is not going to do it at all. you will be rejected IMMEDIATELY and told to get a degree.

If you want to be a troll at least be a good one. That was pretty sad.

And ANY degree from a university in Thailand that is recognized by the MOE can lead to graduate study in the US or UK. Nothing special there.

So can a High School education and suitable TOEFL score

Degrees are actually approved by the university board of directors, so our degree was approved well before we began the classes. However it is required to submit the curriculum to the MOE for a final stamp, which we did and was stamped in late 2013.

We specifically chose not to create this as a B. Ed. because this would cause the program to be extended to 5 years (most of our students will complete this degree in 3). We should have an affordable M. Ed available for our graduates by the time they do finish. We felt this would be approximately the same price but far more useful.

This degree is absolutely, 100% approved and accredited by the MOE and the CHE.

"Commission on Higher Education take note of approval of this course as of 23 December 2556"

Scott, the moderator of this forum, apparently knows a few students.

Nellyp is a member of the student council and a student since day 1. He probably would not mind a PM.

"Commission on Higher Education take note of approval of this course as of 23 December 2556"

If you print out that cover, officially stamped as it is, and show it to the MOE or CHE, they can confirm its been officially approved and its completely legit.

well it sounds like you want to put things into some evil intent. I think I was quite clear. We don't know if it will be recognized as the equivalent of a bachelor's degree in education. We just guarantee it's recognized as a degree.anything else would be a bonus.

Okay, before things get too out of hand, I better post something here.

Thongsook College is an Institute of higher education registered with the Ministry of Education on the Council of Higher Education in Thailand. This means the degrees completed at Thongsook College will be recognized as legitimate degrees not only in Thailand but around the world. This is by international agreement. Students that graduate from Thai universities are able to use those degrees to enter graduate schools in the US, UK and around the world. This one is no different.

The degree itself was submitted to the Ministry of education and received it stamp approving it as a legitimate degree. You can see that stamp on the website.

Okay, have we covered most of the snarky posts yet?

Students of our program have received waivers from the TCT allowing them to continue work as they pursue this degree.

We are only promising that this degree will be recognized as a degree by the TCT. However we are cautiously optimistic that the degree will actually allow graduates to receive a teacher's license. Because, while it is not a B.Ed, it has 90 credits within the major of teaching English to speakers of other languages. Unfortunately, our first graduates will not complete the program for another year. And even then, the TCT have a habit of changing their minds. I don't like to make promises I can't keep and those I can't control.

If anyone has any legitimate questions they can PM me. For all the snarks, can't you find a better hobby?

Its not that complicated.

My undergraduate degrees were in Economics and International Relations. Lets stick to that for now.

Undoubtedly my Econ professors had spent less than 2 years of part time study (45 credits towards the major + related) gaining their BS in Economics. Total study time estimate, inside class and out, MAXIMUM 6,000 hours. Then they gained a PhD, that took them probably 8 hours a day x 200 days per year x 3 years to get their PhD. And with this they became literally the highest possible level of expert on Economics. Total study time, 5,000 hours.

Now lets say I am a high school graduate.

The average american watches 5 hours of TV per day. All in English of course. 32,850 hours of English exposure.

K through 12, 6 hours of classes per day, all in English, 15,600 hours of english classroom instruction.

We will ignore conversing with family and friends.

Your average 10 year old kid in the US who picks up a book once in a while is fairly fluent at English. Far, far more competent than all but a handful of the top Thai English teachers in Thailand.

The reason TESOL courses are so helpful is that it takes something you already know pretty darn well (English) and teaches you some simple techniques that can allow you to be an effective teacher.

And some of the WORST teachers I have ever encountered are the MA's in Edu who think they actually can teach...

the percentage of teachers who have more than a four-week course and teaching is probably less than 5 percent, excluding people from the Philippines of course.

I have a bachelor's degree and a master. None of the teachers who taught me my bachelors or masters degrees had formal training in education. But yet I learned anyway. Isn't that amazing?

No, they had formal graduate and post-graduate training in the discipline of your degree program. Barring special circumstances, they had master's degrees in that discipline when you earned your bachelor and doctorates in that discipline when you earned your master.

How is it you think that compares to a lack of an education degree--or a simple bachelor's degree, as is accepted here in Thialand--for primary and secondary school education?

more and more countries now require degrees.I am biased, so please do your own research, but you might be interested in the three-year BA TESOL degree program at Thongsook College.

Some people advocate just starting out talking to any girl you see and then trying to talk to more attractive ones.

Like just striking up conversations with normal looking girls first. Talk about anything. The weather. Food. Anything. Once you've become more confident in talking to normal looking girls try to speak with more attractive ones. Eventually make it a goal to speak with every attractive girl you see.

It works.

Just my opinion, but the internet, especially websites like Thaicupid, are the best way to meet girls in Thailand.

If you walk up to a girl who is a complete stranger in some public place you are likely to frighten her no matter how polite you are.

If you can make the initial connection online and then meet them later even for something as innocent as coffee you will find a great deal of success.

Again, just my opinion. I hate walking up the strangers. It makes me feel like a creep.

I, personally, field at the OP is absolutely correct. There is a segment of the population here That resent and hate anyone that has accomplished anything. But this is not something unique of Thailand but true the world over.

I am sure its a good course but... 175,000 for a diploma? I doubt most can afford it.

Do you have any training as a teacher at all?

Just think about this for a moment. You, A random foreigner, shows up at the police station or the immigration office to complain about a school. You've been in that town for maybe six months or year. The director of that school has been there for many years. The person who hires the foreign teachers has been there even longer. The immigration officers and police officers may very well have children who attend those schools. And it certainly not beyond the scope of imagination that someone is paying off a few of these officers to make sure that the school stays out of trouble.

Think about that for a moment. It may be you who gets into more trouble than the school. And, as Scott mentioned earlier, it's unlikely that anyone will take anything you have to say seriously.

This is just my opinion, but the people who care and matter in this discussion probably are not reading these forums. And anyone who reads too much into the quality of my education and mastery of English based upon my posts here is probably not someone I am worried about impressing.

People have different skill sets. I believe many would consider me fairly well educated with a BA and Masters from respected US universities. I am also a terrible proof reader and have a difficult time seeing errors that for most people are obvious--my brain just does not notice them.

And this is a forum. I generally rush through my post because its not exactly the top priority. And I make many spelling errors and typos. Or I may chance some of the content and unintentionally create a grammar error.

And I do not really care that much. Its a FORUM.

Its likely far easier to get a job as a teacher than other industries--of course I do not know your background.

OK a few general ideas on how to choose a TEFL course:

1. A course is only as good as the trainers. They should have at least 5 years of ESL teaching experience and AT LEAST a cert of their own, hopefully a diploma or a masters.

2. The course should have at least 100 hours of total study time.

3. The course should have you spend at least 6 hours teaching real students, the more realistic the situation the better, and have you be observed by an experienced teacher.

What makes it even better? Having many schools in many countries. That allows it to be more recognized and you do not need to worry about it closing down when you need a replacement cert!

You certainly need to jump through a few hoops if you don't have all the necessary qualifications.

Some people join Thai language classes to get an ED visa.

Some people make frequent border runs and visits to overseas embassies to get visas.

Some people get alternate visas like O or retirement.

Some people go the extra mile and think long-term by trying to obtain the necessary qualifications here in Thailand or via distance-learning.

I suppose some people just overstay and worry about the consequences later.

By the way I'm not advocating any of these, just telling you the realities.

I personally have met hundreds if not thousands of teachers who have taught or are teaching in Thailand without a degree.

Things have changed a great deal. It seems that schools are looking for young attractive teachers first, qualification second.

And I have never met any native speaker, regardless of age and degree (or lack thereof) who didn't find a job if they really wanted one.