Looking For Advice

[deepbluesea]

I would appreciate your comments about planning for a career in teaching English and education more generally in Thailand.

This move would be in the short to medium term, meaning in a year or two. Here are my qualifications (and lacunae):

I am a male, US citizen, native English speaker, with two Master's degrees (in liberal arts subjects, not education) from US universities.

I have taught for 4 years for the University of California as adjunct faculty, this means typically 6 college level courses a year.

I do not have a TEFL certificate but would pursue one before looking for work.

I have not taught English language before.

My Thai is at a beginning stage, but I would expect to be at least basically proficient in a year or so.

I am 41. I have read a lot of comments about how age is an issue for teaching positions. Could someone explain why? It seems to me that experience should be of value.

My goal would be to work at a top level school on Bangkok, but also I would be interested in a school that teaches the underprivileged (if this exists).

What are your thoughts and your advice? Thanks for your help.

Edited July 17, 2011 by deepbluesea

[Phatcharanan]

Schools for the underprivileged exist. They are either 'temple' schools, run by monks, orphanages or the camps on the Myanmar border.

Don't expect to get paid anything other than subsistence wages though. You will get fed and you will have a roof over your head. If you are there for a year or so then yes, you can make a difference.

Your experience should be enough to get you into some University positions. You don't NEED a TEFL but it may help you with practicalities of teaching in Thailand. The course would be best done over here.

'Top school'? That one is trickier. They generally look for home-country accredited teachers, Ed degrees etc.

Edited July 17, 2011 by Phatcharanan

[JSixpack]

> My Thai is at a beginning stage, but I would expect to be at least

> basically proficient in a year or so.

You don't really need any Thai.

>

> I am 41. I have read a lot of comments about how age is an issue

> for teaching positions. Could someone explain why? It seems to me

> that experience should be of value.

Why so?

The only experience that counts is professional, paid teaching experience, the more specific for the targeted job the better. And this is as it should be.

You don't have any there, and no teaching certificates either, so one has to wonder why you're thinking of teaching here.

>

> My goal would be to work at a top level school on Bangkok,

That ain't gonna happen.

> but also

> I would be interested in a school that teaches the underprivileged (if this exists).

Most of the public Thai schools teach the underprivileged, no problem.

>

> What are your thoughts and your advice? Thanks for your help.

>

>

Advice is to stay there and get a real job making real money in a real career--in teaching if you want to be a teacher, and then get the professional credentials. Here's what you need in California: http://www.ctc.ca.gov/credentials/teach.html

Save and invest that real money. Come here after you have a substantial nest egg, unless you have one already.

Otherwise, just come over in the summers and enjoy yourself.

[Scott]

You should have few problems in finding a teaching job. You might not get to pick and chose where you will work, however.

Universities are notorious for paying low wages. The schools for the underprivileged will also be very low paying. The border areas might be a little rough with few creature comforts.

So, unless you have a nice nest egg to live on while you find your ideal job, you might need to aim for the middle of the road schools. Lady luck may smile on you, however, and you may find something in your subject area that makes it easier.

At 41, your not old. It has more to do about how you look than how old you actually are.

Best of luck and keep us updated.

[allane]

About one yr. ago, I ended my 14 yr. career as a high school teacher in Thailand. In general, I don't think that you would have any problems finding a job of some kind. But, I do think that you need to focus your goal first. It struck me as strange that you want to work at a top-level school, or at a school for poor students. These are polar opposites. I think that you should choose one or the other; or at least not reveal to each that you are also considering the other.

- The Thai school year consists of two terms; approx. May 1 - Oct. 20 and, Approx. Nov. 1 - Mar. 31. (These dates are for the teachers; the students would have slightly shorter terms.) And, these dates do not apply to international schools, which generally follow the school calendar of whatever country they are affiliated to. So, for best job hunting, time your arrival here for approx. Apr. 1; second best date would be approx. Oct. 1.

- bring the original copy of your degrees etc. Photocopies are not accepted by Immigration/Labour Depts. for Visas and Work Permits.

- age shouldn't be an issue for anyone less than about 55. Above that, a person needs to offset it with relevant qualifications and experience.

[deepbluesea]

Thanks for the replies.

[saipanman]

don't worry too much...your correct in getting on with a TEFL cert before you get started....go ahead and make it a great vacation while taking a TEFL course there...at least a 120hr course...anything less no one likes it....I did mine in Ban Phe...it was cool...not exactly college level but still cool enough...after that it seems your two MA's should do well for you, the best school jobs are taken with long stay expats usually, but there is the off chance that you could get picked up at the last minute if someone did a no show at the beginning of the year...but if you're in it for only a year or two, then I would walk on just about any large university and start asking...you could very well easily get a lecturer job part time likely but then after about a month they start asking can you go full time...its still only about 1000 bucks a month but take it as a paid experience in teaching...have a great time in country....if your looking for big money...stop...you could also google volunteer thailand and check out some great opportunities that you pay a fee for but have a great time with the village.....you can also pick up short time english gigs with any one of a million little english outfits around town...just stop and and drop a credential package and market yourself...but I'd just grab a Uni job and have fun with it....they'll love you for it...

[Anyse]

I was offered a position in June with the Royal Thai University in early June (full time, full benefits, good pay). I was not packed, else I would have gone. I have an MA in Humanities, three lasped teaching credentials, an English credential as well as full ESL training and experience plus 5.5 years teaching experience. I was so happy to get the offer, though. I wish that I could have. I will have my TEFL certification in the next few weeks now as I will train in Phuket in August/Sept for the final classroom work there. If you plan for a long-term stay, you need to learn a lot more about the system in Thailand. I know that, usually, one has to work the lower jobs (which I do not feel are "lower" at all) before you can teach or even think about teaching at a university in Thailand. I hope that I can matriculate in about 2 years to a Royal Thai University and am in no hurry. If it happens, it happens.

Have you looked at finances, costs to move here, living costs here, other expenses, health care, insurance if driving (getting a license there - a motorbike, automobile or both, or any special expenses that you may have pertaining to your needs? Have you read up on Thai culture? This is essential as you have to understand that teaching in Thailand requires more understanding of their cultural mores pertaining to how to teach so as to assure that you will not put a student in a situation in which he/she will "lose face." Also, are you ready to be an "outsider" or a guest in Thailand while you are there? I am going to be in the "guest" mode, myself. Do you know what les majeste laws are? Can you abide by their laws more strictly than Thais? You have a LOT to consider. You can't come to Thailand with the idea that things can be "better" if we do this or that. This is a culture that is entrenched and you will have to learn to work within it and there are few ways to work around it.

I hope that I have made a few points here for you. You are coming to a wonderful place and there is a price to pay for this (as it would be anywhere). Oh, you do not need to know Thai to teach English because you can not use Thai in the classroom! If they learn that you speak Thai, they will try at all points to get you to hear, listen to and to speak with them in Thai! This will undermine the immersion teaching method and will also give poor results in your teaching and, more importantly, in their learning. When you take a TEFL course, they may not even address cultural points in that course at all. I have learned mine through a LOT of reading as well as forums on TEFL language teaching and learning. If you write me here and want to know some of these resources, I would be happy to put some of them together for you to help you as much as possible.

Edited July 24, 2011 by Anyse