Thailand to recruit 10,000 foreign teachers to boost English standards of Thai kids

[connda]

5 hours ago, DiJoDavO said:

That said, maybe all of the people who complain about the salary should take a look how much the Thai teachers make,

Personally I don't care how much Thai teachers make.  I personally have completely different skill-sets than most Thai teachers, and English language and teaching skill-sets command a significantly higher salary outside of Thailand than Thai schools are willing to pay.  So I look at salaries of those teaching English internationally or teaching professionally for corporate programs.  That's the standard I gauge a salary against, not a Thai English teacher's salary. Virtually none of those Thai 'teachers' could never obtain employment teaching English outside of Thailand in an international setting.  To use a worn-out idiom, you are comparing apples and oranges. 
I taught for three years in a private English language school in Thailand before pulling the rip-cord on retirement.  That was enough.  I moved back to our village and offered to provide volunteer teaching and English language curriculum development as well as 'Teach-the-Teachers classes for the local public schools in my area of the province, the only stipulation being the requirement that they obtain a work permit for me.  I made that offer to the provincials schools in our Amphur - they had no interest in obtaining a work permit for me.  I had 10 years of teaching experience as well as 24 years in IT.  They couldn't send a secretary to the Labor office with me.  So I pulled the offer - permanently. 
Thailand deserves what it gets.  I've no sympathy.

Edited February 16, 2020 by connda

[ChaiyaTH]

32 minutes ago, emptypockets said:

I learnt French from a native English speaker.

Thais are unique... If looking to learn both English and French, better chance learning it from a Cambodian than a Thai. 
Which should actually make Thailand feel ashamed as they do have a huge education budget etc etc.

[ParkerN]

29 minutes ago, connda said:

Personally I don't care how much Thai teachers make.  I personally have completely different skill-sets than most Thai teachers, and English language and teaching skill-sets command a significantly higher salary outside of Thailand than Thai schools are willing to pay.  So I look at salaries of those teaching English internationally or teaching professionally for corporate programs.  That's the standard I gauge a salary against, not a Thai English teacher's salary. Virtually none of those Thai 'teachers' could never obtain employment teaching English outside of Thailand in an international setting.  To use a worn-out idiom, you are comparing apples and oranges. 
I taught for three years in a private English language school in Thailand before pulling the rip-cord on retirement.  That was enough.  I moved back to our village and offered to provide volunteer teaching and English language curriculum development as well as 'Teach-the-Teachers classes for the local public schools in my area of the province, the only stipulation being the requirement that they obtain a work permit for me.  I made that offer to the provincials schools in our Amphur - they had no interest in obtaining a work permit for me.  I had 10 years of teaching experience as well as 24 years in IT.  They couldn't send a secretary to the Labor office with me.  So I pulled the offer - permanently. 
Thailand deserves what it gets.  I've no sympathy.

 

Amen. But then, did you *really* not expect exactly that?

Edited February 16, 2020 by ParkerN

[BobbyL]

On 2/15/2020 at 7:00 PM, Jare said:

 

 In the UK, teachers now get a promise of 30,000GBP a year starting salary if they're clever, that's a bit more than 30,000THB a month.

Even though true, it isn't really a fair comparison. UK qualified teachers in Thailand aren't earning 30,000THB / month. They will be working in international schools who generally pay more than UK schools with a lot of added benefits that you do not get teaching there (relocation allowance, housing allowance, annual flights, bonus, free lunch, free school for children etc). I take home considerably more per year working in an international school in Bangkok than I did when I was teaching in England. 

 

The problem for the TEFL 'English' teachers here earning 30,000 - 40,000THB is that it isn't going to be anywhere near enticing in this day and age. However, those salaries never seem to change according to what people say so the machine just keeps on churning without any quality at all. 

 

Fair play to the people who are doing it for that money and trying to make a difference in Thai schools. It must not be easy I imagine. 

 

 

[ParkerN]

Just now, ParkerN said:

 

Amen

 

[SiSePuede419]

On 2/15/2020 at 6:50 PM, Denim said:

There is a big pool of untapped chavs cluttering up the UK who will jump at this......innit.

Will there be subtitles so the kids can understand whatever language they're mumbling? ????

[Caine]

Waste of time and money they can speak English because they're thick as pig s@#t.

[MRDave]

13 hours ago, baansgr said:

Quite simple let NES retirees teach that have a lifetime experience, a passion for their community and a real desire to contribute to Thai esucation. Apsrt from already being based in Thailand probably for a long time and some understanding of Thai culture, surely beats any crappy ology degrees most youngsters get now that just want to spend a gap year travelling. They really are overlooking a vast untapped pool of potential teachers.

A lot of people think they can teach English just because they are English. If that were the case, then I would not have spent four years reading for an English degree along with the £45,000 of student debt that came along with my qualification. What you are advocating if for non-qualified people to work for free and take away the jobs of qualified English teachers.  Sure, they can do it so long as they have a degree and a TEFL or Celta, along with a police check!

[Aussiepeter]

In 2005 I was 'recruited' by a leading foreign-owned private school in C Mai, most likely because of my Thai language skills. The first week there, the Deputy-Headmaster asked me to go to the Rajaphat (teachers college) in Chiang Puak to address a group of over 300 Thai English teachers. I got little warning, given only minutes to prepare a one hour talk, about 'the need to be able to communicate in English'. Unamused, I decided to 'dump' on them. (Ask an Aussie, if you need translation of this word.) As I started in English, I was interrupted and asked if I minded doing the talk "in northern Thai" as "otherwise, most will not understand you." (These were all supposedly qualified English teachers). I spoke in cum-muang (CM language) for almost an hour and received a thundering applause at the end !  What a load of shiiite ! All I can remember now was that I expressed how disappointed I was at the level of English spoken in Thailand and how it must improve. I taught English in CM for many years to appease the wife of a Thai General, as I used to be an army Officer, but I now had a Thai wife - (I am wealthy - I never needed the angst, or the pittance of a salary but, you never rock the boat in LOS - we are, after all, as many on this site like to say, visitors). You can't even imagine my shock, when I was handed an envelope as I left the building, with 2500 baht in it, for a one hour 'talk' in Thai ! I now live in Oz with my family and, we will never return to LOS. Doesn't matter how many supposed teachers they employ - most Thais don't want to speak English, any more than they 'like' foreigners. Just my opinion of course, but one gleaned after living in LOS for over 25 years... goodnight folks (it is 2400 in Oz). 

[ChaiyaTH]

4 minutes ago, MRDave said:

A lot of people think they can teach English just because they are English. If that were the case, then I would not have spent four years reading for an English degree along with the £45,000 of student debt that came along with my qualification. What you are advocating if for non-qualified people to work for free and take away the jobs of qualified English teachers.  Sure, they can do it so long as they have a degree and a TEFL or Celta, along with a police check!

Sounds to me that a teacher who has a education debt of 45K GBP, deciding to teach in Thailand for like 40-50K baht a month and not build up pension plus losing on the social welfare pension by not living and working back home, isn't exactly a smart move at all.... Would be stupid actually.

Edited February 16, 2020 by ChaiyaTH

[MRDave]

45 minutes ago, Humpy said:

Please select English speaking teachers without an English regional accent , good diction and no American twang !!.... or am I asking too much ?

 

 

As a Geordiie. I speak Geordie to my friends and family. When I use the phone or speak to people not from my area I speak BBC English. 

 

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/may/12/trainee-teachers-from-northern-england-told-to-modify-their-accents

 

https://www.tes.com/magazine/article/teacher-does-your-accent-matter

[Shaunduhpostman]

I could bang on and on ad nauseum about what is wrong with this so-called push to upgrade English in Thailand. But it is pointless, its the same problem again and again, they don't get it, don't care that they don't get it,  and it's the same broken record like statements that the government or the ministries issue every year about what needs to be done, while they take 3 steps backwards a few months later and immigration or someone in the education ministry will introduce some new laws that make it even more of a hassle or even an impossibility to become a teacher while wages totally stagnate for over 20 years. Care, commitment and money and good planning and patience are essential but no, it has to all happen right now, for no money and miraculous events must transpire. There is little to no will to fix any of the problems that are glaringly obvious if Thailand wants to improve its English, and importing 7,000 or 3,000 or 10,000 or whatever they were saying in the article will do nothing. It is exactly the same foreign teacher band-aide solution. For a government group to admit problems and discuss details of problems and solutions is just so unbecoming and nt the thing to do, no one wants to hear it and you won't have a job if you do I would guess. But There needs to be a foundation laid for a culture of language education and learning, and that starts with Thais themselves.  Why not shell out and invest for promising students to study abroad for a year? That is the best way to learn a language is to get into an environment and be immersed in the language. But no, we don;t want to spend that kind of money. And  as things stand foreign teachers arrive in this very negative millieu in the schools where Thai teachers rightfully feel neglected, unsupported and envious and left behind and go about sabotaging the visiting teachers, and the English programs. I get that they don't want people to like being here too much, but it is a real jungle you are descending into as a fresh of the boat English teacher going into a Thai school to teach. Nobody benefits. It s not only underpaid difficult to get legal but you face a hostile environment in most schools and there are too many who want to make sure you fail and fall flat on your face as the foreign teacher in the school. The education ministeries will never solve there whole problem I am afraid, there is no will or even capacity for honest self-reflection, evaluation and effective analsysis and basic problem solving to be able to do anything. It is like many things here,  very sad and you have to see this country drowning in a puddle of water so to speak and on so many fronts not just education.

[Torrens54]

On 2/15/2020 at 6:50 PM, TheDark said:

64.000.000 baht / 3.000 new teacher = 21300 baht / new teacher. I guess that 64 million is price of the project / hiring cost. 

 

 

Maybe he needs a few Maths Teachers too and will all of these folks have HEALTH INSURANCE ?

 

The Government has just embarked on  ANOTHER round of ejecting White Foreigners from the FOREIGN HEALTH INSURANCE SCHEME.
It is only open to “Foreigners from neighbouring countries.” 

[connda]

12 minutes ago, ParkerN said:

 

Amen. But then, did you *really* not expect exactly that?

Actually, having been in the system for three years during which time I did contract work for public schools (Teach-the-Teacher programs).
Thai culture is highly risk adverse and resistant to change.  New methods are viewed with suspension as well as the farang outsiders who teach using methods other than rote teaching.  And being a Westerner, I don't pay the proper deference to authority figures based on their status and standing.  Nor do I care to.
 

Soooo, - I expected exactly that.  I honestly did try to show them the light.  <laughs> 

[Number 6]

3 hours ago, paulikens said:

try and apply for some of them, it definitely matters what age you are, you'll find out they don't want NES unless you are under 25 and good looking, these schools are deluded

 

I have either worked at, had offers from, been shortlisted or know HoD from all those schools save for Harrow (which I have no interest in working and is intl British curriculum school). The earliest those jobs, offers, discussions were made was when I was 54. In fact, I've worked at or working at equal and better. The age thing is a total myth although some schools may not hire you past 60, many will keep you on. It's your appearance, energy, motivation, professionslism. I've never had problems landing great schools in Bangkok.

[ParkerN]

45 minutes ago, ChaiyaTH said:

Thais are unique... If looking to learn both English and French, better chance learning it from a Cambodian than a Thai. 
Which should actually make Thailand feel ashamed as they do have a huge education budget etc etc.

 

Thinking about that, and other comments in this topic, perhaps language is as much about pronunciation as vocabulary and grammar. In that context, perhaps you're right in suggesting Cambodians. Would also explain the nonsense of a Glaswegian or Yorkshire Dalesman teaching English Language in London or New York (or TL).

 

Not that you'll hear any of that from a Thai who thinks they already speak God's language.

 

 

[hottrader77]

18 minutes ago, Torrens54 said:

Maybe he needs a few Maths Teachers too and will all of these folks have HEALTH INSURANCE ?

 

The Government has just embarked on  ANOTHER round of ejecting White Foreigners from the FOREIGN HEALTH INSURANCE SCHEME.
It is only open to “Foreigners from neighbouring countries.” 

its a pity they dont realise the potential in other areas of work such as sales , i do sales back in uk and also have a tefl cert, and have done teaching english just to get by , and i would much rather do sales over here , the thai argument is well we have already got sales man , but how many understand the farlang and how to sell to them not many ! some cannot even speak a good standard of english 

[jimcarr65]

The wages are stagnant at 30,000 baht. Native English speakers are getting fed up with the wages, visa requirements, trying to keep a smile when Thai teachers are talking about you behind your back, kids just wanting to play games and not interested in learning English at least at the Prathom and Mathayom levels. You might get lucky and get a decent private school for 38,000 baht where the kids want to learn but teachers don't leave those jobs. This topic comes up every couple of years and it's hogwash. 

[Srikcir]

Lest we forget this disaster stemming from the Prayut government's 2015 policy that seems to stem from a xenophobia of polluting "Thainess" from foreign English teachers:

Officials to slash number of foreign English teachers

• Although Thailand ranked at the very bottom of the English Proficiency Index by EF, the government's next move is to cut back on hiring foreign English teachers and have Thais teach English to Thais.
• The Education Ministry wants to cut back on foreign teacher recruitment to slash costs and focus on giving intensive language training to the Thai teachers.
• Under the "train-the-trainer" program, a group of 500 Thai teachers who teach English in government schools nationwide will take part in an intensive six-week training course taught by English specialists from the British Council.

Telling comment from foreign English teacher pinkpanther99 involved in teaching Thai English teachers:

• That lesson teaching the teachers was more problematic than even my lowest ranked pratom class.
• The Thai teacher had absolutely no interest in learning and often just sat their talking among themselves, playing on their phones and would almost never participate for fear of losing face.

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/870424-thai-officials-to-slash-number-of-foreign-english-teachers/#comments

Nothing is going to change English proficiency of Thai students without a willingness to change Thailand's inward-looking nationalism.

 

[Puchaiyank]

2 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

Native English speakers from Mexico?

Se Senior!

[chilli42]

Well if they only have three years, best the student and teachers study hard.  Learn English in three years with a few 30 minute classes a week. I remember how successful (not) that was in seeding French in English speaking Canada

[Isaanbiker]

Students have to fail if they do not attend their English lessons.

 

Thai teachers should speak English with them when teaching English.

 

Some Asian teachers are not much better than Thai English teachers.

Al the weird O-net tests say nothing about the kids' ability in English.

 

The wrong people have positions at the MoE, but no idea about education.

 

Native English speakers who'd love to do some voluntary work are not allowed to do so.

 

All students pass, even when they don't attend their English classes, many schools have "phantom students" who go through six years of secondary education, without being present at school. 

 

Mom and dad pay some money and in the end they receive a good looking high school diploma. 

 

The CEFR test scores for Thai English teachers were terrible. Wouldn't it make sense if they have to pass a test, suitable for the age group they teach?

 

Some flight attendants must have a TOEIC score of at least 700, but teachers of the English language are allowed to teach English with a 250 score? 

 

The salaries in 15 years didn't go up. Many schools now use agencies' contracts and pay only ten months a year.

 

How does someone with a family survive the dry months?

 

Many agencies bypass the laws and let unqualified foreigners work for them, to fill a position they get paid.

 

No matter how bad this teacher is.

 

 Too many foreigners are now working on fishy contracts, no insurance, no social security.

 

If they get sick, they'll be replaced by another white-skinned person.

 

How can more prominent schools employ ten trainers, just because none has a degree and all work full time?

 

Why do some foreigners spend good money to be able to apply for a teacher's license while others work for peanuts and got nothing to do with the TCT?

 

 I could go on and on. In other words, the whole discussion doesn't make sense.

 

They could hire 20,000 + foreigners. If so many come from the Philippines, where buying a fake degree is pretty standard, it won't change anything. 

Not only for them also Thai teachers buy their master's or Ph.D. for almost nothing. 

 

Not being racist, but too many Filipinos have a degree in education, but they don't apply for a teacher's license because they know that their degree is fake.

 

Hiring more foreigners who do not have any teaching experience doesn't help the country.

 

They need teachers who know what they're doing.

 

 How many times have we seen similar rubbish posts like this one, and nothing has changed?

 

People who believe that they can lose face will never be able to face the truth and do something that makes sense.

 

TIT and it couldn't get worse. IMOHO, the level of English 15 years ago wasn't worse than it is now. 

 

Doesn't that show that all the Asian teachers who only come here to send money home, didn't success?

 

I'm in no way racist, but if you talk to one of them, they can hardly give you an answer to an easy question. 

 

Is there any other country that uses so many Filipinos as native English speakers?

 

In other countries they can be happy to be a babysitter.

 

The problem is that most Thai teachers do not understand when foreigners are incompetent in English.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 16, 2020 by Isaanbiker

[KhaoYai]

On 2/15/2020 at 11:38 AM, rooster59 said:

Thailand's education minister has appealed to foreign embassies and other organisations to help him find an extra 3,000 foreign teachers to help schools teach English and other subjects in English.

Again? Wasn't this announced a few months back?

[Isaanbiker]

1 minute ago, KhaoYai said:

Again? Wasn't this announced a few months back?

It was at the end of the year 2019 that they'd start in January 2020. But nothing happened.

 

Isn't that the same with almost all they're planning, but they never do it? 

[Elfin]

2 hours ago, emptypockets said:

I learnt French from a native English speaker.

Me too from a very Strine teacher!

[ParkerN]

1 hour ago, Torrens54 said:

Maybe he needs a few Maths Teachers too and will all of these folks have HEALTH INSURANCE ?

 

The Government has just embarked on  ANOTHER round of ejecting White Foreigners from the FOREIGN HEALTH INSURANCE SCHEME.
It is only open to “Foreigners from neighbouring countries.” 

 

That's what heppens when all you've got is Bright-Ideas-itis and no clues. Nothing you do does anything useful.

 

Keystone Kops.

[ParkerN]

10 minutes ago, Elfin said:

Me too from a very Strine teacher!

I bet he had a Gloria Soame though.

[Huckenfell]

Why don't they approach those living here first. And for goodness sake, no Indians or we will end up with hundreds of "head wagging" kids .

[Elfin]

9 minutes ago, Huckenfell said:

Why don't they approach those living here first. And for goodness sake, no Indians or we will end up with hundreds of "head wagging" kids .

Oh my goodness gracious me!

[ndreamer]

If they allowed volunteers, I'll teach a few days a week no pay. Teaching younger kids.