Weekend English teacher at public school

[fondue zoo]

I'm not certain if this is the correct forum but I am interested in the opinions of people involved in teaching here in Thailand.

The public school my 3 year old attends 5 days a week has offered a 2 hour English language session every Saturday.

At the start they had been a little vague about the teacher but after some questioning we were told she is Filipino and has been "accepted" at many private schools etc.

 

Where I'm from there is usually a meet and greet for parents with something like this but I know that isn't how it is normally done in Thailand.

When asking the school head about her the answers tend to be "she is good and has qualifications".

I understand that most Filipinos speak English with an American accent and teach American spelling but when we eventually leave he will be in a country that uses British English.

At three years of age they are little sponges so I was concerned it may cause difficulty when we go home. I also may be overthinking all this heh.

 

Also, Is it common for teachers to move around a lot here, and to move from private to public schools?

 

 

 

 

[2 is 1]

1 hour ago, fondue zoo said:

Also, Is it common for teachers to move around a lot here, and to move from private to public schools?

Normaly in private has much better salary! In puplic school's teatcher go there where getting first job! In he's/her's province. They put teatcher in number oder how good they manage in test! First number choose school first and so on! If there coming open spot more close they home they can try to move there! Also depens how many open spot have in teatcher's school subject. If you want more teatching to your kid , there is many private "schools" all over coundry. My wife had weekend school before, whe she still had time! She had one guy from AUS and one Kamerunian woman there to teatch English.

[JeffersLos]

1 hour ago, fondue zoo said:

I also may be overthinking all this

If he is having fun with a teacher that's speaking English, it will be beneficial. 

 

At 3 years old, don't worry about spelling, especially the difference between British and American spelling.

 

Any accent etc. that is picked up at 3 years old during a 2 hour weekly lesson will be non existent in the long term. 

 

If he enjoys it, and it's in 100% English, it will be beneficial. 

[BritManToo]

3 hours ago, fondue zoo said:

The public school my 3 year old attends 5 days a week has offered a 2 hour English language session every Saturday.

At the start they had been a little vague about the teacher but after some questioning we were told she is Filipino and has been "accepted" at many private schools etc.

Why not spend some time with your kid, then he'll learn to speak the same English as you.

[fondue zoo]

1 minute ago, BritManToo said:

Why not spend some time with your kid, then he'll learn to speak the same English as you.

????   We do that too slick, every night, and the little monkey is making progress. But this class was offered by the school last week with almost no details about the teacher.

 My wife is keen to do it but I wanted to get some feedback from people who teach, which JefferLos was kind enough to give.

 

[puchooay]

5 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Why not spend some time with your kid, then he'll learn to speak the same English as you.

I agree. No better place to learn than at home. That's how everyone learns their native tongue.

[fondue zoo]

11 hours ago, puchooay said:

I agree. No better place to learn than at home. That's how everyone learns their native tongue.

This is true too, all good points.

[JeffersLos]

Yeah, have him spend the time learning at home, I'm sure he's never there during the other 166 hours of the week. ????

 

At 3 years old, the social aspect of having fun with his peers is also beneficial. ???? 

 

[JeffersLos]

17 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Why not spend some time with your kid, then he'll learn to speak the same English as you.

 

16 hours ago, BritManToo said:

2 hours would be better spent at home

 

Do you actually think the kid never has anytime at home with his parents, and 2 hours on a Saturday is the only time he would get to be with his dad? ????

[Scott]

Off-topic posts and replies removed.   Stay on topic. 

 

[puchooay]

7 hours ago, JeffersLos said:

At 3 years old, the social aspect of having fun with his peers is also beneficial. ???? 

Just like he probably does from Monday to Friday.

 

The OP asked specifically about an English class with a Filipino teacher. Not the best idea if there are native speakers at home.

[phetphet]

Might be worth trying to find an English teacher that could come and teach at your house for a couple of hours every Saturday. That way, you can interview them, and your child is at home where you can keep an eye on what is being  taught.

 

There must be a few looking for a little extra cash.

[JeffersLos]

11 hours ago, JeffersLos said:

 

At 3 years old, the social aspect of having fun with his peers is also beneficial

 

3 hours ago, puchooay said:

Just like he probably does from Monday to Friday.

Probably not if he goes to a Thai school. ???? 

 

Which he does. A Thai public school. 

[JeffersLos]

6 hours ago, puchooay said:

Just like he probably does from Monday to Friday.

Have you not seen the CCTV and news reports from Thai Kindergartens all over the Thai News and the TV over the last few weeks?

 

Are the students gaining social skills and having fun with their peers? Or are they forced to sit still and get beaten and assaulted if they dare move, play or socialize? 

[fondue zoo]

16 hours ago, JeffersLos said:

Which he does. A Thai public school. 

For the record only, it's a Thai private school, just not a fancy pants one  ????  

Not that it matters at 3 years of age I suppose.

[JeffersLos]

2 minutes ago, fondue zoo said:

For the record only, it's a Thai private school,

Okay, I was going off this. 

 

On 9/30/2020 at 11:50 AM, fondue zoo said:

The public school my 3 year old attends

 

[fondue zoo]

2 minutes ago, JeffersLos said:

Okay, I was going off this. 

 

 

Sorry, my wife reminded me after she saw this topic.

[Ventenio]

On 9/30/2020 at 3:03 PM, fondue zoo said:

almost no details about the teacher.

this part should answer your question.

 

seems pretty obvious to me.  if the teacher was great, OMG there would be details, pictures, videos, more pictures, everything.... of course. 

 

 

[fondue zoo]

Yesterday, out of curiosity, we asked if they would be making the course outline or lessons plan information available to parents, the terse response we got was along the lines of "you think too much, don't worry, she is very good".  

I'm wary of two things: people who say "you think too much" and dudes who wear tunics.

 

All in all as JeffersLos stated, it's not going to do any harm in the long term and we will trial it for a month.

I did however tell my wife that if any kid is going to have the teacher start swinging it will be our kid.

She didn't find that funny...

[Neeranam]

I have 2 teenagers and it's "kinda cute" how they use some Americanisms. I need a 'dump' lol.

However, I would not like them taught by Filipinos, who often speak poor English and even I can't understand them. Many have fake degrees, and actually a degree from a Filipino university is no better than a high school diploma in the US/UK. They are good for teaching Thai kids cheaply, but not my kids. 

[fondue zoo]

I thought I should write a quick update as the first month has come to end for this "class".

In the beginning we were led to believe that the teacher would be teaching English through sit down lessons and activities.

But after watching videos of the class from the last four Saturdays that has not been been the case. Her accent is very "sing song", the grammar is lacking and she uses a lot of US slang phrasing. (no offence intended to any Americans)

 

I would describe it as three hours  of arts and crafts, singing songs, and the older Thai kids looking bored out of their gourds.

That said our 3 year old has fun  and she taught him how to be an excellent pirate so that is a positive.

....aside from having to correct him every time now.  Zed not Zee and stop ending your sentences with arrrr  ????