A Brief Overview For A Years Teaching

[westybrook]

Hi all.

This is really for people who have been doing teaching for some time in LOS.

The question is, what level would the board in a school require you to be teaching pupils at?

E.g If you was in a primary school, what would the class expect to learn in 1 year.

Also for Secondary and college.

So if you decided to teach in LOS for 1 year and you had a class you saw for 2 times a week, and you taught the whole school calender, at what level would you expect the students to be at, knowing no English before.

Thanks for your replys in advance

[chownah]

I only taught for one term at a community college so I'm not the best person to give you an answer...but I will anyway...my opinion is that there is no firm expectation as to what would be learned in one year. In Thailand everyone passes and most get A's.....doesn't matter how much is learned...so quite often not much is learned.....I'm talking regular Thai schools here, not international schools.

Edited July 19, 2005 by chownah

[kenkannif]

^ Sounds about right mate!

[Ijustwannateach]

I don't know the official Thai curriculum for English for Prathom/Matthayom (and even if I did, it would be much more than I would type here on a forum!) The best way to find out would be to ask one of the Thai English teachers after you get the job; though even then it may be mostly in Thai.

Whatever it is, it doesn't work from a communicative point of view. Some of the students probably actually learn the grammar and pass the tests; the rest just cheat or squeak by.

As a TEFLer in the school, the best way to specify your job is probably: to teach them to use more English than they knew how to before they met you. Sad but true. Of course some classes will be more advanced than others and you can tailor your program as appropriate.

In some schools you may be given some official curriculum (the better schools, for example) and the students will be expected to be operating at a certain level. If they're not, they won't be failed but you won't be held accountable normally (as the school knows they've only gotten in because Daddy donated XXXX baht anyway).

The worst case, as ever, would be in a school where you were held accountable but not given power to enforce the learning and the work. That would be a job to drop in a heartbeat.

"Steven"

[westybrook]

Thanks for the replys guys!

[PeaceBlondie]

In two years at three schools, I was seldom given any expectations, monitoring, feedback, evaluation, etc. It's a joke (especially the testing); don't be serious. Go in, do your best, enjoy it, smile and joke as you teach. Mai bpen rai: nothing matters.

[Kathe]

Hi all.

This is really for people who have been doing teaching for some time in LOS.

The question is, what level would the board in a school require you to be teaching pupils at?

E.g  If you was in a primary school, what would the class expect to learn in 1 year.

Also for Secondary and college.

So if you decided to teach in LOS for 1 year and you had a class you saw for 2 times a week, and you taught the whole school calender, at what level would you expect the students to be at, knowing no English before.

Thanks for your replys in advance

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Just only one question , only if you care to answer. After have been reading many post of you during the last few weeks. Have you ever been to Thailand before Khun Westybrook ? Foreigner earning hard to live like western standard. Life in Thailand is tough. As a tourist living is nice. Forget about the fake degree you are looking for. If they know you will lose all your credit and then you are no more trustful people. Maybe they cut the quota of your visa to stay in Thailand. If you have black list on our Database.....it wont look so rosa for your life here.

If you really want to live and stay in Thailand, let your wife doing some small business like shop or minimart at home to earn some more money to live.

Why are you worried about her visa to your country ? Are you from States ? You are still young, you will earn much more in your country. Take her and baby to your country for some years, they shall have a better life and learning your culture too. Sorry , coz I have read some news about English teacher who made a suicide because he cant afford to live with his teacher 's salary. Just wishing you good luck !

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Westy hasn't thought it through yet

[brianbrain]

I don't know the official Thai curriculum for English for Prathom/Matthayom (and even if I did, it would be much more than I would type here on a forum!)  The best way to find out would be to ask one of the Thai English teachers after you get the job; though even then it may be mostly in Thai.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have a document sitting next to me, titled as follows:

Strands and Learning Standards

The Foreign Language

The Basic Education Curriculum

BE 2544

Ministry of Education

The preface begins, “This little book of Strands and Learning Standards of the foreign language in the Basic Education Curriculum BE 2544 of the Ministry of Education was translated into English basically for the foreigner volunteers who come to teach English in the primary schools of Phitsanulok.”

The document runs to about 10 pages and specifies target proficiency levels for four class intervals: P1-3, P4-6, M1-3, and M4-6. I don’t have the time or inclination to copy the entire document, so I’ll give you just two examples:

Class interval 1 (finished P3)

1.2 Has foreign language listening and speaking skills sufficient to converse about his/her self, the family, the school, the surrounding environment, foods, drinks, and relationships with other people. Minimum vocabulary (concrete terms) 300-450 words.

1.3 Be able to use the foreign language to express one-word comments and simple sentences in everyday conversation.

Class interval 2 (finished P6)

2.2 Have foreign language listening and speaking skills sufficient to converse about his/her self, the family, the school, the surrounding environment, foods, drinks, relationships with other people, leisure time and recreational activities, health and welfare, the purchase and sale of goods, and the weather. Minimum vocabulary (concrete terms) 1,050-1,200 words.

2.4 Be able to construct and use simple sentences and compound sentences to communicate as required for class interval 2.

So, to the original poster, there may very well be an “official level” at which you should be teaching (or aiming towards). Unfortunately, the reality is that most if not all students will fall very much short of these standards. While many M1 students may cope with “How are you?” (or even better, “How are yooooooo?”), just try “How are you TODAY?” and see the look of puzzlement on their faces.

[westybrook]

very interesting BrianBrain

Dr Pat what do you mean I havent thought it through yet? Im asking every question I can come up with so how am I not thinking it through?

Please explain yourself sir!

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Where are you at in the fake degree buying exercise Westy ?

[westybrook]

I guess you are one of many who have not read my last post on that subject, if you do you will understand.

Just remember when you read it, put yourself in my position!

[PeaceBlondie]

Westy, going back to your original post on this thread:

If you only see the students two hours per week, and it's a typical Thai class of 50 students who didn't ask to be in the class, you'll be lucky at the end of the year to have taught 200 vocab words and two simple tenses. There will be tests - you may even write a test yourself - but their progress will be very slow.

OTOH, if the class is under 30, and the families pay extra for 3 to 5 hours per week of good instruction by a native-speaker, you should be able to make enough progress to have a very simple, short conversation with them at year's end. And, they should be able to take dictation of short sentences, or write a simple paragraph. Nothing like the unrealistic standards/strands published by the MoE, however.

[Ijustwannateach]

Yes, the infamous "strands" and strains of the Ministry's "official" curriculum for EP- however, this translated curriculum might not necessarily be REALLY the same (it might be, but who knows?) as the umpteen-year-old program which the Thais are using for themselves. Plus, a foreigner's role in the non-EP government schools is really a supplementary rather than a core one. It's a nice wish list, though.

I remember a discussion about the curriculum with a Thai teacher about 3 years back, when they were doing THAT year's new curriculum (they seem to do one every year, just to stay in practice):

Her: "All this week we Thai teachers are having meetings about the new curriculum."

Me: "It sounds like a lot of work."

Her: "It is- for the smart teachers. For the dumb or lazy teachers it's no work at all."

"Steven"

[westybrook]

What hours would you expect to work in say a gov school, or college uni?

This is based on 25-30k month and 40-50k a month?

Thanks!

[Ijustwannateach]

I think you should see the Questions About Qualifications thread pinned at the top.

TEFL gigs are typically 18-20 teaching hours a week, almost without regard to pay.

Subject classes and the higher-paid jobs have saner teaching hours (15-17) but expect you to be doing stuff outside class- homework, class prep, lesson plans, marking- you know, like a real school.

"Steven"