Problems Of Teaching Tefl To Thai Students

[bubbaba]

First off, I am not a teacher. My wife is. I read much about the problems of teaching english to Thai students. I hear how bad the teachers and or their methods are here in Thailand. My wife is doing research on the problems of students, teachers, methods, etc. She ask me tonight, what do the farang teachers here think? What do they recommend should be done to help the students learn better? To be more motivated, etc. She ask me many other questions. Since I don't know, I am posting here asking for any and all information, recommendations, opinions, suggestions, etc.

[mbkudu]

Thailand needs teachers, not parrot trainers.

[PeaceBlondie]

Ken May had another great article in the Bangkok Post Learning Post yesterday (Hi, Ken!), about the [possibly] bright future of English language education in Thailand. Near the end of the article, the distressing statistic was quoted that in the next three years, it is expected that 30% of the Thai English teachers will retire! There is no way the remaining 70% can carry the load, and hiring freezes prevent many new hires.

[crabstix]

First off, I am not a teacher. My wife is. I read much about the problems of teaching english to Thai students. I hear how bad the teachers and or their methods are here in Thailand. My wife is doing research on the problems of students, teachers, methods, etc. She ask me tonight, what do the farang teachers here think? What do they recommend should be done to help the students learn better? To be more motivated, etc. She ask me many other questions. Since I don't know, I am posting here asking for any and all information, recommendations, opinions, suggestions, etc.

Thai students need teachers who care about their education. A caring attitude all the way from the administrator level, down to the regular school teacher. Administrators often give priority to meetings, camps, trips and cancel classes as a result, with students losing valuable class time. A caring administrator will ensure that quality teachers are hired who have the same vision i.e to improve education in the local community. It's a shame when I see quality Thai & farang teachers not using their potential to help the students. I think when the people in a position to help the students care, everything else falls into place. Even a highly motivated caring teacher with a limited command of English would try to improve their own English skills so that they could help their students.

[enuff said]

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As usual, everybody goes on and on about caring, training, methods, etc., etc., while ignoring the 300 pound gorilla that is the real reason for poor results in all subjects, not just English, to wit:

THERE ARE 55 TO 60 STUDENTS AND ONLY ONE TEACHER!

Until this problem is solved, you all can go on and on with your other reasons and it doesn't mean a thing. Wasn't it discovered and proven 40 years ago by some of the world's most prominent universities and teaching institutions, that any more than 20/24 students per teacher was a waste of time? I'm pretty sure I read they are now recommending class sizes of 15/18 as of 1995!

All of the training and caring in the world means nothing when the guys in the last five rows don't even know there's a teacher in the room!

'nuff said

~

[makavelithedon]

.

As usual, everybody goes on and on about caring, training, methods, etc., etc., while ignoring the 300 pound gorilla that is the real reason for poor results in all subjects, not just English, to wit:

THERE ARE 55 TO 60 STUDENTS AND ONLY ONE TEACHER!

Until this problem is solved, you all can go on and on with your other reasons and it doesn't mean a thing. Wasn't it discovered and proven 40 years ago by some of the world's most prominent universities and teaching institutions, that any more than 20/24 students per teacher was a waste of time? I'm pretty sure I read they are now recommending class sizes of 15/18 as of 1995!

All of the training and caring in the world means nothing when the guys in the last five rows don't even know there's a teacher in the room!

'nuff said

~

Absolutely.

Which part of 45-60 students into 1 teacher per class and a world full of documented evidence on complete and utter failure with classes of this size, don't those who are supposed to be intelligent understand?

[geriatrickid]

Forgive my bias but I am not as predisposed to the smaller class sizes as some. I had classes that were both small (25 students) and large (100 students) in high school. The teachers that kept my attention and that imparted knowledge had the following characteristics;

- a personality, including a smile;

- were able to take the ideas and concepts taught and apply them to everyday living;

- brought life to the material.

I went through some very boring grammar classes. It was hardly inspiring to sit there and learn about dangling and misplaced modifiers, hanging gerunds etc. Even more boring was poetry class. I was a normal 15 year old boy and the last thing I wanted to discuss was Ode to a Grecian Urn. Then one day, the teacher walked in and read examples of bad english and gave a story as to the ramifications of each example. Guess what, we all paid attention and actually walked away understanding the concept. In grade 11 (16 yrs. old) class of 100 students we were stuck with boring Chaucer. The teacher brought it to life by explaining what the story was about and adding historical perspective including all the sexual perversions and violent customs of the era.Ideal for adolescents. We paid attention. The recipe for success is the same as that for a successful marketing campaign: Know your taget audience and tailor the message to that audience.

I still have a lot of contempt for many of my high school teachers, as many were incompetent. However, there also some that were awesome and made a difference. Kids will not listen unless they can understand the material and put it into their specific context and perspective. Simply put, if one wants to be a good teacher, one must think back to one's own educational experience and remember what worked for them and what did not.

[PeaceBlondie]

geriatric kid, the culture trap for most of us farang who try to teach in Thailand is that this is really a whole 'nother world, and the huge class sizes are a major contributing factor among several. I'll bet your classes were not held at 41 degrees C, with lousy textbooks, antiquated teaching methods, by very overworked teachers whose bosses were clueless. Thailand has some outstanding exceptions to the general rule, but class sizes of 25 work far better here (with students selected for their work, ability and behavior). The system tends to burn out the tenderest hearts of both teachers and students.

[Loaded]

Forgive my bias but I am not as predisposed to the smaller class sizes as some. I had classes that were both small (25 students) and large (100 students) in high school. The teachers that kept my attention and that imparted knowledge had the following characteristics;

- a personality, including a smile;

- were able to take the ideas and concepts taught and apply them to everyday living;

- brought life to the material.

I went through some very boring grammar classes. It was hardly inspiring to sit there and learn about dangling and misplaced modifiers, hanging gerunds etc. Even more boring was poetry class. I was a normal 15 year old boy and the last thing I wanted to discuss was Ode to a Grecian Urn. Then one day, the teacher walked in and read examples of bad english and gave a story as to the ramifications of each example. Guess what, we all paid attention and actually walked away understanding the concept. In grade 11 (16 yrs. old) class of 100 students we were stuck with boring Chaucer. The teacher brought it to life by explaining what the story was about and adding historical perspective including all the sexual perversions and violent customs of the era.Ideal for adolescents. We paid attention. The recipe for success is the same as that for a successful marketing campaign: Know your taget audience and tailor the message to that audience.

I still have a lot of contempt for many of my high school teachers, as many were incompetent. However, there also some that were awesome and made a difference. Kids will not listen unless they can understand the material and put it into their specific context and perspective. Simply put, if one wants to be a good teacher, one must think back to one's own educational experience and remember what worked for them and what did not.

You're confusing lecturing with TEFL teaching. The language class should give opportunity to the language student to practice that day's target structure. Obviously, first the teacher must present an example and relate this to its structure and use. Then practice activities with lots of support so that students only focus on the target structure, and then by the end of the class an interaction to allow students to now produce the target structure in context without the support of notes. This is my 5-minute summary.

Some particular problems related to Thailand:

large classes

face - students afraid of making mistakes

schools that believe language is taught like a subject

no-fail testing

bloody hot classrooms

cultural differences regarding timekeeping, discipline ans acceptable behaviour

insecure teachers due to a complicated and ever-changing system that doesn't make it easy to be legal

[enuff said]

.

Hello geriatrickid, (and bubaba take note)

I hope you have read the above comments and now realize you have been ignoring the OTHER 300 pound gorilla:

THEY DON'T SPEAK ENGLISH!

Believe me, I have taught for 7 years under all types of conditions from P5 to college seniors and, if out of 50+ students in a class, 5 of them could tell me where they lived or what they had for breakfast, it would be a miracle.

That's why I have to laugh when I hear my well intentioned colleagues yammer on about this method and that method and this study and that study. 99% of them were conceived and orchestrated in Western countries in a Western culture with Western students and Western teachers (who speak the same tongue) to achieve satisfactory Western results.

This isn't Kansas anymore, Toto.

"You're confusing lecturing with TEFL teaching." OMG Loaded!

YOU UNDERSTAND!!! (Can I hug you? In a manly way, of course.) Let me see if I can add some other points to your good ones...

The lesson must be about an easily recognizable premise common to ALL cultures. Such as greeting someone, the weather, or being ill.

The teacher gives a few examples of the language used to discuss this premise USING TEACHING AIDS --> pictures, acting, sound effects, mime, video, etc. --> you MUST USE teaching aids. The students practice the target language with the teacher and each other.

Teacher Talk does not work. The teacher must speak ONLY the target language of the lesson. "Hello. My name is..." "It is very hot today." "I have a stomach ache." Concentrating on accurate pronunciation, correct elocution, and perfect diction.

The most important part about student production is THE MISTAKES!

Correction by the teacher DOES NOT WORK.

Correction by peers works A LITTLE.

SELF-CORRECTION is the best of all.

Therefore, and I really believe this deep in my guts, the best lesson plans provide a platform for the student to use the target language and learn from his own mistakes and the mistakes of others.

I will withdraw now to my flame-proof bunker.

'nuff said

~

[CosmicSurfer]

Improve the system ????

Forget it.... It will never happen... for these reasons.

You need to Junk the WHOLE SYSTEM.. Every level.. Every Subject.. and then accept that culture and the world is a living thing, always growing, evolving, and changing.. You can't stick your head in the mud and say, "Our way is the best way.. Our Culture is the best culture... Our System is the Best System"... You can never improve a system that is based on a feudal mentality, patronage and corruption and has an Ostrich attitude and a vested interest in NOT educating the people so that the existing system of life can be perpetuated to keep the "Elite" the Elite and the "people" the people.. and never the twain shall meet!!!!!

So Start over from scratch...

There is absolutely no hope with an educational culture that believes that you can educate people without teaching them to THINK.

They need Air Con in every classroom.. who can think in 35-40+c. weather

They need Proper school books.. not the cheapest books that the school can buy, so they can save money for.. all the things they don't need (Corruption???)

They need a dose of real life reality in success and failure... Just like the Real world... No More Automatic passing.

They need to allow students to Fail their tests and grades... To hold them back if they haven't proven their absorption of the Study material.

They need testing that is NOT Multiple choice, or don't have questions that have more than one correct answer to a question out of 4 choices...

They need their Language Classes be organized by aptitude, not only age or grade level. Learning a language is a talent, not a subject like math or chemistry.. either you have the aptitude or talent to absorb and express yourself or not.. People learn languages at different rates.. and without the support of "OUTSIDE INFLUENCES", like parents, friends, the Media and the government, the vast majority of learners never will pick it up... If the society and culture don't provide a reason, a value, then why should the students accept the problem. ( Who makes more money.. a Tuk-Tuk driver who speaks English, or a Thai English teacher, who doesn't??? )

They need to put an emphasis on LEARNING... and stop the ridiculous daily assemblies where they are told how stupid they are, or how wonderful the school is... and the "Sports Day" that consumes weeks of study time just before final exams.

They need to understand PRIORITIES.

They Need a school schedule that is set in stone at the beginning of the year so all concerned can accurately plan their yearly goals...

Smaller Class sizes, Proper Phys-Ed faciilities, gyms, etc. (too many Ping-pong tables.. and a little grass would also be nice.)

They need teachers that teach.. and aren't in-love with their own voices.

Forget the uniforms... The army needs sheep... Students should be Eagles.. they need to Fly, their minds need to soar... Sameness is deadening.. Individuality rules.

I could go one and on... Perhaps the question should be "What's good about the Thai Educational system?? What Works???"

You get a shorter list.

CS

[enuff said]

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So what happened to the OP?

I thought we gave him some good insights and he has yet to return to the thread.

OR

Is that his wife posting the very same request as "whitevan73" on another thread?

If so, then they are exhibiting one of the "problems of teaching tefl to Thai students" themselves:

The left hand ignoring the right

'nuff said

~

[PeaceBlondie]

I think the OP here is another person, more likely a farang married and living in Thailand. The other pair (whitevan) apparently are in England, posting from the same nik together.

Personally, I don't care if a poster starts a thread on a reasonable subject and then goes silent. It gives us a chance to comment.