Phuket Schools Relax Rules For Hiring English Teachers

[BwindiBoy]

Not sure if anyone's got to the point - I read three pages and got bored - but have you considered that the reason native English speakers don't want to teach in Phuket is because, regardless of all the "teaching specific" issues, Phuket is a sh!te hole?! End of.

Considering the amount of foreigners living here your reasoning is flawed.

That's like saying that twice as many people live in Bangkok compared to London so Bangkok is twice as good as London. I believe your logic is flawed. P.s. Foreigners does not equate to native English speakers.

[stevenl]

Not sure if anyone's got to the point - I read three pages and got bored - but have you considered that the reason native English speakers don't want to teach in Phuket is because, regardless of all the "teaching specific" issues, Phuket is a sh!te hole?! End of.

Considering the amount of foreigners living here your reasoning is flawed.

That's like saying that twice as many people live in Bangkok compared to London so Bangkok is twice as good as London. I believe your logic is flawed. P.s. Foreigners does not equate to native English speakers.

No, nothing like that comparison.

There are many, many native speakers living on Phuket.

[Markaew]

I suppose the point is that being able to speak (and write) a language does not give me the native ability to teach that language, and I have met Thais who have a far, far greater understanding of the mechanics and grammar of the language than I have.

From my observations, one of the problems is that Thais see foreign teachers as a "one size fits all" option, whereas I think there are different types of "teachers":

1. Teachers: Those who have the ability to teach a subject (or subjects) in the English language. An example of this would be some one who could teach say physics, maths, history or other subject in English.

2. Teachers of English: Those who have the proper training to formally teach the language (grammar, structure and usage)

3. Native speakers: those without formal qualifications and training, but native ability.

Classes 2 and 3 could usefully be employed in school together, with the predominantly grammar teaching being done by 2, but extensive practice done by 3. Easy to imagine a lesson by a teacher in category 2 teaching about the past tense (rules, constructs) and a teacher in category 3 then doing speaking or writing practice on the past tense: "What did you do yesterday?"

Using your definition of teachers above, Thai schools are more and more going to the 2 & 3 combination where the Thai teacher teaches your #2 and the Native Speaker teaches #3. They like it because they can control the subject. Thai teachers teach the grammar part of English which has text books for the students. They generally butcher the content of the text and have no clue they are teaching very poorly. Thai teachers have no respect for the conversation side of teaching (#3) which is consistent because the foreigners teach that portion of their shared subject. There generally is no text for conversation in these classes which makes it easy for the Thai teachers to criticize. They claim they are doing very well because of the text they are following (but horribly done). The Thai student is going to accept Thai teacher's pronunciation of English words as a result of the inherent trust they have between them so the foreigner really cannot make a difference in the student's pronunciation and understanding of English. What needs to be done is the native speaking teacher should teach the grammar as well so all the English contact the student receives is correctly presently. That would improve the teaching environment for the native speaking teacher and the student benefits. This will never happen because the Thai will never up total control of a subject presented to their race of people.

[cutter007]

The most useful move that the education system could make would be to Romanise the Thai alphabet, this is the biggest obstacle to learning English, and conversely for foreigners learning Thai. Just look at how Turkey emerged from the Middle Ages when it converted from Arabic to Roman.

As to unqualified but native speakers, these can do an adequate job if the department also contains enough qualified and experienced teachers to provide guidance. At the moment it is often the one eyed leading the blind.

Will never happen, to even suggest it would be blasphemous.

Never would be suggested, out of respect for who created the alphabet, apparently it is disrespectful to update out of date things according to Thai rational. The way it was originally designed is the best way and any improvements or updates to it would mean that the creater didn't do it completely perfect the first time.

They are still teaching the names of characters that are not even used in a single word in the language anymore.

Of course the wealthier and educated Thai's know this a ridiculous way to think, but if they educated the

masses that this was a silly and unproductive way to think, it would also erode at some values that are core tools, use to control these uneducated masses.

[cutter007]

Burma was an English colony.

It has millions of English speakers train by the British (the real McCoy).

Why not just hire Burmese English Teachers. Cheap and good.

"English colony" and here was me thinking all along that they were a former British colony!

British left Burma in 1948, considering that if you took someone that finished

high school in 1948, that would make them about 81 now.

Great idea, Thailand should tap that huge pool of British taught 81 year old Burmese english speakers,

Thailand can bring them over and stick them in front of a class of 12 year old Thais.

Anyone that has been to Burma for a day, knows that the junta beat any sense evidence of english skills out of the

populous decades ago.

[Rumpole]

I agreee, but..........the way the Thais look at the Burmese it would be a huge "loss of face" to hire someone they think of as being inferior to them.

Thais think EVERYONE is inferior to them.

[Lannatyne]

Burma was an English colony.

It has millions of English speakers train by the British (the real McCoy).

Why not just hire Burmese English Teachers. Cheap and good.

"English colony" and here was me thinking all along that they were a former British colony!

British left Burma in 1948, considering that if you took someone that finished

high school in 1948, that would make them about 81 now.

Great idea, Thailand should tap that huge pool of British taught 81 year old Burmese english speakers,

Thailand can bring them over and stick them in front of a class of 12 year old Thais.

Anyone that has been to Burma for a day, knows that the junta beat any sense evidence of english skills out of the

populous decades ago.

That's rubbish. Spend 10 minutes in Kawthuang, and you hear English miles better than that spoken back in Ranong. Even the drop-outs on the quay can put a conversation together far, far better than many people here.

Alonside Burmese, English is the second primary language. I don't think you can say the same for Thailand.

[bigbamboo]

A lot of this has to do with the wages. I know a guy that teaches at Uni level and get less than 30K a month. But a lot of it has to do with location... we have an ELS and we're offering 60K a month... but when you say it's in Surin they're not interested. Still needing two TESOL teachers...

There you have it. I have been a qualified (in the UK) TEFL teacher for ten years which I did after quitting my previous job before coming to Thailand from England after marrying my Thai fiancee. Have taught on an individual basis and for groups for specific purposes, for various institutions and in our own small domestic private school here in Chiang Mai. I have met many foreign teachers over the years of widely varying capabilities but ultimately there are two kinds of 'farang' teacher. Those who want to teach and those who teach so they can live in Thailand.....and as you suggest, that means close to the nightlife, the beaches or both. Regards and best of luck with your search.

Edited November 17, 2011 by bigbamboo

[sydneyjed]

i can understand the problems _ here in thailand i can take a tefel course at a cost of just over £800 in bangkok---supposed to then be garanteed a job paying 35,000 baht per month with an additional 5,000 baht towards housing costs.....back home in the uk same course £425? almost twice as much here in thailand just to take a course...

majority of the teachers here are american and cannot speak correct english---eg rubbish/garbage sauce/jelly food/groceries the list goes on and on,.

i have no tefel qualifications but could still teach better than the majority of these teachers................so if a school here in buriram is looking for a english speaker then you can send myself a reply to my e-mail box

You've been ripped off then..here's the latest price you can pay for an online TEFL certificate....

http://www.scoopon.com.au/deals/6152/get-certified-to-teach-english-all-over-the-world-for-just-84-usually-496?utm_source=scoopon&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news

[kanderson]

i can understand the problems _ here in thailand i can take a tefel course at a cost of just over £800 in bangkok---supposed to then be garanteed a job paying 35,000 baht per month with an additional 5,000 baht towards housing costs.....back home in the uk same course £425? almost twice as much here in thailand just to take a course...

majority of the teachers here are american and cannot speak correct english---eg rubbish/garbage sauce/jelly food/groceries the list goes on and on,.

i have no tefel qualifications but could still teach better than the majority of these teachers................so if a school here in buriram is looking for a english speaker then you can send myself a reply to my e-mail box

You've been ripped off then..here's the latest price you can pay for an online TEFL certificate....

http://www.scoopon.c...m_campaign=news

Some time ago I took a TESOL course that might be nearly the same as this one. (ACTDEC certified). I paid $320.00 so this seems like a good price.

I got a very high score but it was very time consuming and I had to write something like 10 + papers on TESOL subjects. Clearly a classroom setting would have been easier and faster.

The course is designed to leave no doubt about the credibility of the online certificate. You end up with a 60+ page portfolio that includes most of your written work etc..

This course took me 5 months - it was painfull at times. I certianly learned a lot - no doubt about that.

I ended up printing the entire course out - helps for a high score when talking quizs and tests.