LaReina Posted July 28, 2007 Share Posted July 28, 2007 I have seen quite a few advertisements for Mystery shoppers here in Thailand. Do any of you ladies know anyone who actually has done this and can vouch for it? Back home I was aware of this sort of thing but it was usually conducted by corporate on their stores. Actually I am in the mood to rant. Why is it that once a person can speak english everyone tells them to teach english? How annoying is that? Why do people assume that being a native speaker makes you qualified to teach, and by the same token, do they assume that they (the advocates of this foolishness) can effectively teach their own language to a person? as a second language? Why is it that expat males with no educational background who have lived in thailand for more than 10 years are like peacocks? Have you ever noticed that people who legitimately have a lot to boast and brag about tend to be the most reserved. I have noticed since living here in thailand.. that people do not believe you when you say that you can't understand Thai. They just keep talking and treat you like you can. I THINK it is nice, that they still try and talk to you, but then at the same time.. it is a waste of their energy. No? You will not catch a French or German national carrying on a full fledged conversation with you after you have told them that you can't understand them. Plus I am pretty sure I will not carry on a conversation in English. I'd feel loney! Thats my rant for the day. I'm home alone, bored and looking for a job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donna Posted July 28, 2007 Share Posted July 28, 2007 i agree with regards to the english teaching thing LaReina. if i have ever wanted to find a new job for whatever reason, almost everyone tells me to teach english. i have no teaching degree and am therefore not a teacher. aside from that, i have no desire to teach english. i do get tired of people telling me that i should just go teach english. good luck with the job search. its not easy in Thailand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fxm88 Posted July 28, 2007 Share Posted July 28, 2007 I have seen quite a few advertisements for Mystery shoppers here in Thailand. It's a scam. Why do people assume that being a native speaker makes you qualified to teach, and by the same token, do they assume that they (the advocates of this foolishness) can effectively teach their own language to a person? as a second language? The teacher pretends to teach and the student pretends to learn. Thats my rant for the day. I'm home alone, bored and looking for a job. Welcome to Thailand! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
November Rain Posted July 28, 2007 Share Posted July 28, 2007 I've been told to teach English too. I also have no qualifications to teach (although I do have experience, having been a private tutor in HK). There's all these 'non-qualified' teachers being kicked out & getting into big trouble every day, here - and that's what people advise you to do! Go figure!! Being British, I had to smile at your description of Thais continuing to talk to you when you've told them you don't understand. It's happened to me, too. It reminds me of that great Brit tradition of talking ve-ry-slow-ly-and-LOUD-LY to foreigners, because if you do that, of course they'll understand! :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaReina Posted July 28, 2007 Author Share Posted July 28, 2007 NR: Ohh that is soooo true.. I actually had a friend.. okay an American Friend, approach someone who was obviously from a different country while in the states and said: dooooooooooo yoooooooooooooooooooooooooou speaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaak Ennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnglish? and I thought, "how is dragging out your words going to help them?" But.. here in thailand, I would not mind if people dragged out words when they speak to me. People speak so fast that my brain is still on the "Pai" while they have finished with the "Nai Kah" and moved onto another topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eek Posted July 28, 2007 Share Posted July 28, 2007 I have a CELTA and teaching experience, but not in teaching English (apart from the minimal hours for my celta). Took it as back up really, but have no real desire to teach English. Funny thing is that I too get told to teach English but a few times a Thai has said I speak very good English for a non-native speaker, very clear. Some I guess dont know where Scotland is, and that English is my mother tongue. (I have only a minimal scottish lilt, mainly neutral accent. Left Scotland at 16.) If i say im from the UK many dont understand, or say oh England, which of course rattles my patriotic bones a tad, so Scotland it is.But nvm, just making a random comment. As for speaking Thai...everywhere I go I end up having some kind of pigeon Thaiglish conversations. Some works of English mixed up with Thai, some full Thai sentences, some full English. I wonder what a Thai person makes of this. If its something that irritates, or if they are pleased to carry on the conversations..sort of mutual practice Sometimes i even say a thai word and repeat the same word in English or vice versa..like "dee gwaa mai? Better?". Wonder why the heck i do it..i guess for practice and worry that im getting it wrong so clarify. Sometimes if I say I know a little Thai, I get the rattlers, talking in full fast long thai sentences, but not too often. Maybe its because CM has so many westerners? Most of my English conversations happen on Thai visa lol. My general bug bear is not so much being told i should teach English, its the matchmaking. If i end up in any lengthy conversation I get asked if i have a bf. When i say no, Im instantly told that they have a son/friend/brother/etc who would like to date me. I now have a rehearsed story in thai which states the my last bf broke my heart, im still sad and dont want a bf yet. Need time. Thankfully this works. I think if i didnt say my heart is broken they would still try to matchmake, but the broken heart part is understood. I am then told its ok, nvm, time will heal and then date a thai man. Another funny thing..aparently Thai men are not good for thai ladies, but for western women they are very good. "Thai man good man, you will like. Thai man handsome." If i ask if they have a bf/partner then ask if thai or western, i often get " Have falang bf, thai man he no good, falang better." Go figure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbk Posted July 28, 2007 Share Posted July 28, 2007 What is a mystery shopper? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaReina Posted July 28, 2007 Author Share Posted July 28, 2007 SBK: Mystery shopper is a person who walks into a store and shops but is not really a customer but somone checking out the store for customer service, and how well they are treated etc. I THINK. Eek: That is too funny.. the setting you up part. The man is good for you but not good enough for them. I just have taxi drivers trying to take me out. DANCING!! If I was not such a chicken I might have taken one up on their offer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eek Posted July 28, 2007 Share Posted July 28, 2007 Haha LaReina, i have had taxi drivers/guys say similar too. This is where its a great plus to pretend you dont understand (gen if their English isnt too good, and talking in Thai). Hate hurting peoples feelings, so i love the excuse i dont understand. I gen just smile and go quiet/change subject/run away/or other viable option. Im such a coward! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbk Posted July 28, 2007 Share Posted July 28, 2007 Samee khun Thai always works for me. And then once they find out he's from Surat they are extra polite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eek Posted July 28, 2007 Share Posted July 28, 2007 Im getting better at it sbk. I just remembered something funny. Just over a month ago I took a quick trip to Penang for a new visa. Went to the Botanical Gardens and sat down for a bit admiring the view. A young Malay guy comes over to me with a huge smile asking where im from and what Hotel I am staying at. Told him UK and ignored the second question. He gets ready to sit down beside me and asks how expensive my hotel was, I said i didnt know because my bf paid for it. He looks suddenly startled and asks where my bf is. I pointed in the direction where the cafe/shop was and said he was just getting me a drink. He quickly said, OK bye bye, smile gone, and off like a shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seonai Posted July 28, 2007 Share Posted July 28, 2007 Sorry to be picky but it would actually be 'Samee khon Thai' - - a typo no doubt ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tywais Posted July 28, 2007 Share Posted July 28, 2007 What is a mystery shopper? Mystery Shopping - wiki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ratchabuild Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 What is a mystery shopper? Mystery Shopping - wiki I am a mys..............shit I shouldn't have said that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canadiangirl Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 I'm quite influenceable with accents -- if I hang out with someone enough, I tend to pick up their speech patterns. I've had French roommates, English boyfriends, Chinese boyfriends, California friends -- no one can figure out where I'm from by my accent. That said, I love speaking Thaiglish! I don't care if they are not correct, some Thaiglish expressions are more fun than the "real" ones. My favorite is "I'm lazy to go." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ave Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 Noooowww I know what mystery shopper means..never heard that before. A good ranting makes you feel better sometimes. Good on you. I have never been encouraged to teach English by the Thais, maybe because I am a non-native English speaker. My TEFL teacher friends pushed me to do a course instead, funnily enough. Never had the confidence nor the arrogance before to try and take teaching jobs away from fellow native speakers but then I had to find something to survive in the city of peakococks..(Pattaya) where ladies are invisibile. Now I'm one of the few non-native ESL teachers in town. It actually helps me to refresh the language as it was becoming more and more Thailish.. As for Thai speaking, first thing I did when I got on the plane to Thailand the first time, was to devour my phrasebook and start memorising a few Thai words. I didn't know what to expect on arrival. Now, even if my Thai is not proficient I approach the locals only in Thai language. Who gives a monkey if they laugh, I laugh with them. Initially I pretended to understand and guessed what they were saying, now it's a lot easier. It just wouldn't feel right to use English all the time and I'm too curious to know what they say... Unfortunately I can speak better than I can understand which can lead to misunderstandings at times. I found that Thai children can be great teachers and I learnt nothing from the chatty Thais who work in touristy areas. It took me 8 months of mama noodle to find the job I have now so I understand your situation very well...don't give up chuck! I have seen quite a few advertisements for Mystery shoppers here in Thailand.Do any of you ladies know anyone who actually has done this and can vouch for it? Back home I was aware of this sort of thing but it was usually conducted by corporate on their stores. Actually I am in the mood to rant. Why is it that once a person can speak english everyone tells them to teach english? How annoying is that? Why do people assume that being a native speaker makes you qualified to teach, and by the same token, do they assume that they (the advocates of this foolishness) can effectively teach their own language to a person? as a second language? Why is it that expat males with no educational background who have lived in thailand for more than 10 years are like peacocks? Have you ever noticed that people who legitimately have a lot to boast and brag about tend to be the most reserved. I have noticed since living here in thailand.. that people do not believe you when you say that you can't understand Thai. They just keep talking and treat you like you can. I THINK it is nice, that they still try and talk to you, but then at the same time.. it is a waste of their energy. No? You will not catch a French or German national carrying on a full fledged conversation with you after you have told them that you can't understand them. Plus I am pretty sure I will not carry on a conversation in English. I'd feel loney! Thats my rant for the day. I'm home alone, bored and looking for a job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmericanGuy1066 Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 ...Why is it that expat males with no educational background who have lived in thailand for more than 10 years are like peacocks? .... Because the males are the ones with the attractive coloured feathers, whereas the females are just plain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmericanGuy1066 Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 .....Why is it that once a person can speak english everyone tells them to teach english? How annoying is that? Why do people assume that being a native speaker makes you qualified to teach, and by the same token, do they assume that they (the advocates of this foolishness) can effectively teach their own language to a person? as a second language?....Why is it that expat males with no educational background who have lived in thailand for more than 10 years are like peacocks? ..... ...Thats my rant for the day. I'm home alone, bored and looking for a job.... If you're looking for a job, what about teaching English? You seem to speak it very well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ave Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 maybe because there are so many...? when a lot of dogs get together they feel more confident.. There is a big demand for female teachers in Thailand, from both, parents and consequently schools. Personally I think it's down to the individual rather than the gender. However, parents are happier to know that the english teacher is a female, that's a fact. ...Why is it that expat males with no educational background who have lived in thailand for more than 10 years are like peacocks? .... Because the males are the ones with the attractive coloured feathers, whereas the females are just plain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eek Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 (edited) edit: removed because im ranting... Edited August 3, 2007 by eek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
November Rain Posted August 4, 2007 Share Posted August 4, 2007 ...Why is it that expat males with no educational background who have lived in thailand for more than 10 years are like peacocks? .... Because the males are the ones with the attractive coloured feathers, whereas the females are just plain If you're looking for a job, what about teaching English? You seem to speak it very well Oh, look, ladies! We've got another one... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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