Cabinet gives green light to Canadians to teach English in 300 schools - kids will speak well in just a few years, says now ex-minister

[realfunster]

1 hour ago, mr mr said:

 

no doubt aboot it.

Sorry, I cant understand your accent.

Did you mean to say no doot aboot it ? Eh ?

Edited February 25, 2021 by realfunster
Difficulties with Canadian spelling & grammar.

[Crossy]

3 hours ago, Crossy said:

Aluminium is an interesting one. 

 

Also interesting is that aluminium (aluminum) is one of only two elements where alternative spelling is permitted, the other being caesium (cesium).

 

The yellow element (atomic number 16) has an official spelling of "sulfur" (Brit. steps back in horror having been taught "sulphur" since forever), indeed it's been that way since 1992 (or 1971 dependant upon which reference you use). And no, it's not the incidious Americanisation of science, looking at the roots of the name it really should be an "f".

 

 

All good fun.

 

[mr mr]

49 minutes ago, realfunster said:

Sorry, I cant understand your accent.

Did you mean to say no doot aboot it ? Eh ?

 

i was using the more sophisticated ontario accent.

[ikke1959]

Yes sure.. I believe everything.. But the kids are not willing to learn and don't need to learn too. They know nothing will happen and they always pass.. so why learn a strange language what is nowhere used in Thailand??

Secondly with all the formalities and problems with immigrations it will be almost impossible to get 1000 teachers coming to work here in Thailand.. But yeah Thailand hope their will be 10 million tourists too in the second half of this year 

[from the home of CC]

5 hours ago, jvs said:

At least you will be able to understand what they are saying eh?

I've been an instructor on an off for years in four different countries and the one thing that was commonly said by the students was that being taught by someone who could articulate words clearly made a big difference..

[Kerryd]

Right now Thailand uses a lot of "Native English Speakers" - from places like India, Sri Lanka, the Philippines and even some African countries. It seems that almost anyone who can sort of string a sentence together in English can foist themselves off as a "native" English speaker, especially when talking to someone that probably has an even poorer grasp of the language.

How they are going to attract 10,000 Canadians though will be the mystery. Not long ago every part time worker in places like MacDonalds and Tim Hortons were demanding a "living wage" of at least $15 (Cdn) per hour for what is generally considered to be "unskilled" labour.

That's about 345 baht - an hour - equivalent. At 40 hours a week (five 8 hour days) that would work out to 55,000-60,000 a month minimum. (I can hear the howls of laughter already and I haven't even posted this yet !)
Someone with an actual (4 year degree) in teaching would probably be expecting to earn a bit more than the minimum "living wage" back home, let alone in a foreign country.

Did I also mention they'd be expecting other benefits (housing and travel allowances, paid time off, flights home).

Which is pretty much the reason why Thailand has so many of those "non-native" English speakers teaching English here. Actual native English speakers from places like Australia, New Zealand, England, Canada and even "American" speaker from the States are (generally) too expensive !

[Burma Bill]

5 hours ago, Crossy said:

"Good moaning, I was pi55ing by your doeur".

 Brilliant - thank you Allo, Allo!

 

"I have come to collect my bersicle - René asks "What bersicle?" - "The bersicle that produces the electrocity for the roodio when you piddle in your wife's mothers' bedroom" 

 

[BigStar]

6 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

So Thai kids will speak English with a French accent. 

French, English Canadian, and Filipino accents are still understandable throughout the world, however, unlike Brummie and Geordie. So, good move, Thailand.

[flossie35]

6 hours ago, bdenner said:

So it's taken all these years for the education department to realize Filipino English teachers are a waste of time!

Why should they be? Philippines is I think world's second largest English-speaking country.

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, bdenner said:

So it's taken all these years for the education department to realize Filipino English teachers are a waste of time!

No, they knew they were a waste of time, and will continue to employ them at the right price.

Not many Canadian teachers will stay here for more than 6 months without the higher salary.

They will holiday here for a while then plan to go somewhere else where the money is better.

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, petermik said:

Yes monsieur....

Qui qui mon ami.

[A1Str8]

I already gave them the green light. They've been doing it for years.

Good thing, the cabinet caught up????

[phantomfiddler]

Must be a "Special" on Canadians ???? since mathematically 1 British English teacher = 5 Canadians. Or was it 10, eh ?

[Nout]

Why Canadians? Britain, Australia and America are at the forefront of ELT research and practice. That the British Council have not got their snouts in the trough indicated this contract is of no consequence either pedagogical or financial

[Nout]

10 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

No, they knew they were a waste of time, and will continue to employ them at the right price.

Not many Canadian teachers will stay here for more than 6 months without the higher salary.

They will holiday here for a while then plan to go somewhere else where the money is better.

No. People do a year or two minimum for their CV and for experience of teaching a monolingual class. This enables them to get better jobs or study Dip. TEFL or MA.

[hotchilli]

5 minutes ago, Nout said:

No. People do a year or two minimum for their CV and for experience of teaching a monolingual class. This enables them to get better jobs or study Dip. TEFL or MA.

As I said, many young student teachers  use Thailand as a stepping stone... they get into Asia then move on as soon as possible to neighbouring countries who offer better salaries.

[Humpy]

Dear Thai kids, when the Canadian teacher says he lives in a 'hoose'  he means 'house'... 

[Nout]

12 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

As I said, many young student teachers  use Thailand as a stepping stone... they get into Asia then move on as soon as possible to neighbouring countries who offer better salaries.

Not 6 months as you said.

[Mavideol]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

There is just one problem for Nattaphol Teepsuwan - yesterday he was jailed for seven years for insurrection

oh my oh my, all his "honest" work will be going down the pipes.... by any chance, some brown envelopes involved  555

[simon43]

1 hour ago, Humpy said:

Dear Thai kids, when the Canadian teacher says he lives in a 'hoose'  he means 'house'... 

Does he also say "I killed a moose' when he means 'mouse'? ????

[Blumpie]

8 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

But Canadians cannot spell! (Same as Americans.)

English language good language and speak good.  We satisfy language requirements nicely.  

Touque billows howlin dogs so the expreshion goes.  

[Mr Meeseeks]

10 hours ago, Peabody said:

"Nattaphol was then sentenced to 7 years 16 months in jail according to reports and print media in Thailand said he was taken off to jail. "

 

So 8 years, 4 months??

Looks like they need maths teachers as well.

[herfiehandbag]

10 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

So Thai kids will speak English with a French accent. 

I think that the Acadamie Francaise (which attempts to order the French language) would have significant issues with describing the French Canadian accent as "French"!

[kickstart]

10 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

So Thai kids will speak English with a French accent. 

It has got to be better than the Thais that can speak English, and speak it with that American twang that sets my teeth on edge. 

[charmonman]

12 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

But Canadians cannot spell! (Same as Americans.)

You’re wrong. We speak like Americans but spell like the British.

[connda]

14 hours ago, webfact said:

Three hundred is just a start, there will soon be 10,000 foreign  teachers in schools teaching English, he said, raising standards.

Lol.  Thai humor at its best!  ????

What's changed in the last two decades?
Ahhh, the response to Covid decimated the number of NES teachers in Thailand and closed the schools to boot.  But now teachers will come flocking back (to ASQ hotels, quarantine, expensive insurance, regulatory gauntlet of expensive requirements to enter) in order to get a job that pays the same low, mediocre wages as it did 20 years ago all the while being placed on "probation" without a work permit or Non-B visa.  Then then MOL fires up the machinery to cull the evil foreign teachers teaching without work permits and proper visas and documents.  Heavy fines and deportation for the foreigners; slaps on the hand for the hiring school. 

Been there, seen this movie already laew.    I know how it ends.  Sad story. 

Edited February 25, 2021 by connda

[Jingthing]

7 hours ago, Nout said:

Why Canadians? Britain, Australia and America are at the forefront of ELT research and practice. That the British Council have not got their snouts in the trough indicated this contract is of no consequence either pedagogical or financial

Perhaps the Thais heard the rumor that they're polite so probably won't complain about low pay, poor working conditions, and unmotivated students. Also wouldn't Canadians prefer anything to staying in their wintry frostbit ice houses? I say call their bluff and send them Quebecois Francophones.

Edited February 25, 2021 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

3 hours ago, kickstart said:

It has got to be better than the Thais that can speak English, and speak it with that American twang that sets my teeth on edge. 

That's regional in the U.S  but an American twang beats a Thai sounding like a dime store Harry Potter any day of the week.

[Jingthing]

13 hours ago, Crossy said:

 

Aluminium is an interesting one. 

 

"Aluminum" was the original name given to the element by Humphry Davy, but others called it "aluminium" as other metals ended in "ium" (sodium, calcium etc etc) and that became the accepted name in Europe.

 

However, in the USA the preferred name was "aluminum" and when the American Chemical Society debated on the issue, in 1925, it decided to stick with aluminum.

 

However "zed" is definitely the last letter of the alphabet not this "zee" thing (Dutch for sea).

 

English is not Dutch and Zed is my redneck Uncle from Appalachia. 

[djayz]

14 hours ago, webfact said:

Sourcing high quality foreign teachers with high level English abilities and abilities to pass on their knowledge to children remained his priority.

At the rates you guys are offering, you can forget the "quality" and just accept any white face that's desperate enough to stay here.