English Teaching Questions

[MDJase]

Hey everyone. I'm planning on going to Thailand sometime soon and getting an English teacher job. I've got a few questions about Thailand. I heard the people on this forum are really helpful. It'd be great if someone can help me out.

1. I heard when getting a job in Thailand often looks come before experience and that you should wear a formal business shirt and tie. Would wearing a suit be over doing it since Thailand is so hot and humid. Also, I don't wana get mugged on the street for looking rich.

2. I have short black hair (male). I normally dye it with some blonde streaks on all sides so my hair looks black with a some blonde in it. If I apply for teaching positions in private language schools, government and private high school or universities, would they mind if I had the blonde streaks in my hair. Is dying your hair almost as bad as having tattoos in Thailand?

(EDIT: I'm 24 years old Asian if you're curious)

3. Can anyone suggest some good private language schools in Bangkok to teach at? I prefer ones with lots of holidays (not including national holidays as working at any school would get you these) and hopefully with little or no weekend work. So far I only know of AUA that gives you a week break after every 6 weeks teaching. Unfortunately, they don't pay for those 1 week holidays. Better than nothing though.

4. When's the best time to apply for High School teaching jobs?

5. Is it absolutely necessary to have a teaching certificate to get a work permit?

Thanks in advanced,

Jason

[PeaceBlondie]

Hi, and welcome.

1. No suit jacket. White shirt and tie, dark trousers, black leather shoes.

2. Blonde streaks on an Asian male's head would look too non-conservative to most interviewers.

3. If you are too concerned about holidays, .....

4. April and first week of May

5. No

Good luck

[NormanW]

Hi, and welcome.

1. No suit jacket. White shirt and tie, dark trousers, black leather shoes.

2. Blonde streaks on an Asian male's head would look too non-conservative to most interviewers.

3. If you are too concerned about holidays, .....

4. April and first week of May

5. No

Good luck

Enough said.

[MDJase]

Cheers!

So any ideas about question 3? Language Schools with a lot of holidays?

P.S. One reason why I don't like the High Schools and Universities is the fact that they give you 2 sets of holidays. Both in lump sum. I'd rather space them out so I don't get 2 whole months of nothing to do or half a year's work with no breaks. Also, I prefer small classes over large classes.

Edited April 5, 2009 by MDJase

[fred2007]

Hi, and welcome.

1. No suit jacket. White shirt and tie, dark trousers, black leather shoes.

2. Blonde streaks on an Asian male's head would look too non-conservative to most interviewers.

3. If you are too concerned about holidays, .....

4. April and first week of May

5. No

Good luck

no April the first

[timi2546]

Hi, and welcome.

1. No suit jacket. White shirt and tie, dark trousers, black leather shoes.

....

good!

i wore yellow shirt, like thais do,

one thai-teacher recommend me to

do so, because i sweat a lot...

black - dark trousers are not very good

combination with chalk....

if u have tattoos, dont show them.

good luck !!

[Artisi]

And don't forget to use wana and gunna as much as you can to impress the people interviewing you on your English language skills .

" I don't wana get mugged on .................."

Edited April 6, 2009 by Artisi

[Martian]

And don't forget to use wana and gunna as much as you can to impress the people interviewing you on your English language skills .

" I don't wana get mugged on .................."

ROFLMAO

Edited April 8, 2009 by Martian

[Slip]

And don't forget to use wana and gunna as much as you can to impress the people interviewing you on your English language skills .

" I don't wana get mugged on .................."

Oh come on- he's obviously writing in an informal/ conversational style. Give the guy a break. I thought we had rules against this sort of thing in the teaching forum?

To the OP: Sorry to say it, but what you might find goes against you is that you're Asian. Certainly I have had experience of a native speaking/ raised guy who was a qualified teacher (I think with an MA as well) being turned down before interview stage simply because he was Asian and 'it wouldn't look right'.

[BlackArtemis]

Yeah, I never understood that. When i get on a forum I never get anal about my grammar and punctuation. Very often I type so fast I miss a shift when i hit the "I" key and it goes on as a lowercase. Or i hold it too long and get words looking like THailand.

However, when teaching I always self regulated and would write down words I might misspell before class, like echinoderm or deoxyribonucleic acid.

Now back on track. As others have said, you might have trouble. I knew a native Hawain who pretty much was given jobs right away based on his resume and phone conversations. once they saw he was brown like Filipinos, all sorts of problems arose... Also Thais may very well hold you to their standards and expect you to act like them simply because you are Asian. Don't let this stop you, if you really want to teach, do it. Find that place and enjoy your job. The only advice I will give is to come in strict, be consistent with what you say and do. You can always ease up on a class, but it's almost impossible to toughen up on one.

[PeaceBlondie]

I met an Asian who had taught at a matayom school in CMai for years. She finally left mid-term over a contract dispute. I met two Black British sisters who got jobs in a remote province, no problem. But this is not the First World, and some Asians practice some forms of racism in employment. Others do not.

Yes, no corrections of grammar and spelling here unless the poster requests it.

[Phatcharanan]

However, when teaching I always self regulated and would write down words I might misspell before class, like echinoderm or deoxyribonucleic acid.

I know the problems. My kids are constantly misspelling those words. Thick as two short planks my class. I,ll be glad to see them go to Year 2 in May.