British Teachers To Improve Thai Youths' English Skills

[Markaew]

If these "teachers" are anything like the young Brits we have here that have "finished" college, I would classify them as not yet finished sucking their thumbs.

[chonabot]

I volunteered to teach English for awhile in Khong. It is useless if you do not know how to speak the Thai language. The students do not understand at all what you want them to do. I tried to have the teachers stay and translate what I wanted. None of them would, they all treated it like an hour off from the duties each day.

This is where some training comes in very handy.

The Thai English teachers can speak Thai very well, yet their English teaching is somewhat lacking compared to a trained NES who speaks very little Thai.

Again, a redundant point.

Not true, you do not have to speak Thai to teach English, I taught English for three years, and only used Thai for saying things like "be quiet", or "where have you been?"

May I also point out that from what I have seen, Thai English teachers teach the students to write very well.

Yes, but can they understand what they are writing? Most of my students just copy and copy well.....

[asupeartea]

I hope the British students are qualified to teach English.

Needless to say, 'British English' is not common English.

As linguists have said - America as a new country needed to identify and codify the language the country would use, so Noah Webster created a dictionary of the American language - English as it was spoken in the 18th century and they way Americans continue to speak it.

Simple test - a much large population of native speakers call the last letter of the alphabet 'ZEE' than use the term 'ZED'.

Now the obvious step, is to ask the thousands of American retirees living here to assist their local schools - modify the immigration code...

I a much large like your comment.

[theajarn]

More lip service from the Thai government.

But good on the teachers coming here to volunteer to teach these little rascals. Just don't let them know that the 'education system' is not really designed to teach. That might put their spirits down.

No, instead, just let these fine young gentlemen and women enjoy the cheap nightlife, the cheap bars and the cheap beer, and the cheap girls, because that's what Thailand is all about.

I am sure these people will face the usual Thai student who has had his or her brain absolutely fried and turned to mush with the prescribed 21+ subjects, long studying hours, over-abundance of 'homework' and little quality time with parents and siblings.

The strange thing is... what has the British Council got to do with this?

[asupeartea]

What I want to know is,who pays for all this.The British government will,as usual,pick up the bill in the long runespecially if the British council are involved

Why should we be worried about teaching english to anti-farang,brainwashed kids. Maybe,it will be like an expence paid holiday for the teachers?

With all the cutbacks and hardship in Britain it is ridiculous to waste money on these cosmetic projects. The British Council should remember that charity begins at home.

To get them off the dole.

[cup-O-coffee]

You do not need a work permit to volunteer here for a few months like these students are doing. All you need is a 0 visa for volunteer and paperwork from the organization. http://thaiembassy.se/en/visa/types-of-visa/51

You do not need anything to volunteer here for a few months the way that most say. All you need is a Tourist visa, a spin-doctored CV, a photo-shopped TEFL, a photo-shopped University Degree and a pulse.

Then you can get a job easily enough at any Royal Thai Government School without wasting you money at worthless TEFL schools that teach you doo-doo about the truth.

http:// www.cup-O-coffee.com (fictitious address for the purpose of satire)

Edited March 8, 2013 by cup-O-coffee

[Card]

I hope the British students are qualified to teach English.

I hope they can speak English!

[wayned]

I'm American but would love to see a Thai that could speak perfect English in the Scottish dialect!

[Morakot]

I'm American but would love to see a Thai that could speak perfect English in the Scottish dialect!

The alveolar tap or alveolar trill of the /r/ would be a major stumbling block for Thai people.

Edited March 8, 2013 by Morakot

[chonabot]

I hope the British students are qualified to teach English.

I hope they can speak English!

Why shouldn't they?

[salapau]

I've lived in Mae Sariang for two and a half years. Although not a qualified teacher and not utilising more traditional methods, I have taught a few Thai people here, both youngsters and the not so young, basic English skills and still help them to develop their language skills through every day chats. Initially teaching individual words and moving on to phrases and sentences. The chance to teach some more would be nice, but so far my applications have been rejected. Can anyone in this area assist with possible contacts or vacancies ?

[Neeranam]

I volunteered to teach English for awhile in Khong. It is useless if you do not know how to speak the Thai language. The students do not understand at all what you want them to do. I tried to have the teachers stay and translate what I wanted. None of them would, they all treated it like an hour off from the duties each day.

Matter of technique. When I studied for my TESOL/TEFL certification the students were forbidden from using their native language (L1) in the class and the instructors, if they knew the students language, were not allowed to use it either. It was an excellent methodology and based on total immersion and contextual teaching.

An example. The first day of our training, the instructor came into the classroom and started off right away speaking Japanese (he was not Japanese) and teaching the 1st hour as such. This demonstration of the methodology was powerful and impressed us.

Bottom line, you do not need nor necessarily want to use the native language (L1) in the class room.

I've taught both ways. Before I learned Thai only in English. For classroom management it is not possible like emergencies bloody nose and things like that. Head lice washing day is also difficult in English. However I have never met a person who actually spoke Thai and taught in English (I am sure they exist although I have not met one). I know there are international schools that do this but I have only worked in government schools except on a college level.

I taught English here for 13 years. I could speak Thai well for about 8 of those years and never spoke it in class. Speaking the L1 language is detrimental to the students learning. Why then do teachers do it? Well it makes life easier for the teacher. I admit in my early years I spoke Thai in the class. I was concerned as to what the students thought of me(weird I know). It was a warning to them not to call me 'ai sat' or whatever. I was naive and actually thought saying 'kao jai mai' helped the students as "do you understand" is so hard to understand.

I've observed in quite a few teachers that as their Thai improves over years, their use of Thai in the class decreases. Also, I've never spoken Thai to my either of my kids. Last week, I was at a restaurant in Khon Kaen and was shocke when the head english teacher at a 'good' school started speaking Thai to his 3 y/o kid!

I watched an English teacher teach at one of my daughters' schools a year ago and had to laugh. The guy said to my daughter(who speaks English obviously), "where are you going on vacation?". As my daughter was thinking, he said, "wan yoot pai sai?". I think the word 'vacation' confused her, being an American word. Anyway, this guy was wrong on so many levels. His Thai was wrong and my kid speaks fluent Thai. He was confusing Thai with the local Isarn dialect. He had no idea of concept checking etc. He seemed to think that as my kid is 'look kreung' he can speak to her in 2 languages, when even I don't. Total waste of money sending 'half-caste' kids to English programs, but that deserves it's own thread.

BTW, when I learned Thai many years ago, I did it by hanging around people who couldn't speak English. I had girlfriends who spoke no English and even my wife, when we met, couldn't speak a single word of English.

I'm amazed at the number of English teachers I've met over the years who know about not speaking the L1 language but when they ask me for advice on learning Thai they want a Thai teacher who can speak English.

[Card]

I hope the British students are qualified to teach English.

I hope they can speak English!

Why shouldn't they?

I am English myself but my experience of some on a TEFL course I once took revealed how poor their language skills were, especially in informal writing in a bulletin board. They basically just used text language. Of course it doesn't mean they could not write English fluently and correctly if they tried, but there was no evidence of it. What I am afraid of is that the rush to recruit "native speakers" may result in unemployed UK kids coming over here for a jolly. Not necessarily a bad thing, as long as they can speak, write and teach basic English.

[Neeranam]

I'm American but would love to see a Thai that could speak perfect English in the Scottish dialect!

Come round to my house and you'll experience it.

[belg]

that is a lot of workpermits to process, or suddenly not needed...

if the thai gov would let farang , native or not, teach those kids, near them, in the moo bahn or whatever, for free, without needs of work permit and without the fear of being deported by a jealous neighboor, that would be a start

[Neeranam]

I volunteered to teach English for awhile in Khong. It is useless if you do not know how to speak the Thai language. The students do not understand at all what you want them to do. I tried to have the teachers stay and translate what I wanted. None of them would, they all treated it like an hour off from the duties each day.

Matter of technique. When I studied for my TESOL/TEFL certification the students were forbidden from using their native language (L1) in the class and the instructors, if they knew the students language, were not allowed to use it either. It was an excellent methodology and based on total immersion and contextual teaching.

An example. The first day of our training, the instructor came into the classroom and started off right away speaking Japanese (he was not Japanese) and teaching the 1st hour as such. This demonstration of the methodology was powerful and impressed us.

Bottom line, you do not need nor necessarily want to use the native language (L1) in the class room.

My ESL Methods teacher in grad school taught us in Swahili.

We were taught Hungarian and remarkably, I still remember the vocab after all these years - proves a point.

[belg]

I have to chuckle when I see Westerners constantly bashing Thai people for their poor English skills... yet I know almost no farang that can speak more than three words of Thai, even the ones that have lived here for years. If it's so damn easy to pick up a language, then how about picking up the one in the country you reside in before you rip into them for not learning your language.

so rionoir, how many languages do you speak except your native language ?

for me, it is about 3 others than my native language, no room for thai anymore

[asupeartea]

I volunteered to teach English for awhile in Khong. It is useless if you do not know how to speak the Thai language. The students do not understand at all what you want them to do. I tried to have the teachers stay and translate what I wanted. None of them would, they all treated it like an hour off from the duties each day.

Matter of technique. When I studied for my TESOL/TEFL certification the students were forbidden from using their native language (L1) in the class and the instructors, if they knew the students language, were not allowed to use it either. It was an excellent methodology and based on total immersion and contextual teaching.

An example. The first day of our training, the instructor came into the classroom and started off right away speaking Japanese (he was not Japanese) and teaching the 1st hour as such. This demonstration of the methodology was powerful and impressed us.

Bottom line, you do not need nor necessarily want to use the native language (L1) in the class room.

My ESL Methods teacher in grad school taught us in Swahili.

We were taught Hungarian and remarkably, I still remember the vocab after all these years - proves a point.

Yeap!

[super22k]

The British council are involved because they are "cooperating" with the UK authorities and "cooperating" with the Thai authorities"."Cooperating"means Britain pays for it all. I would have thought it was less expensive to keep these teachers on the dole rather than massage the unemployment figures.But Politicians will be politicians. Me thinks a lot of these posts on this subject are from English teachers.

[Neeranam]

The British council are involved because they are "cooperating" with the UK authorities and "cooperating" with the Thai authorities"."Cooperating"means Britain pays for it all. I would have thought it was less expensive to keep these teachers on the dole rather than massage the unemployment figures.But Politicians will be politicians. Me thinks a lot of these posts on this subject are from English teachers.

Great deducting Sherlock - it is the 'teaching in thailand' sub forum.

[chiangmaikelly]

I volunteered to teach English for awhile in Khong. It is useless if you do not know how to speak the Thai language. The students do not understand at all what you want them to do. I tried to have the teachers stay and translate what I wanted. None of them would, they all treated it like an hour off from the duties each day.

Matter of technique. When I studied for my TESOL/TEFL certification the students were forbidden from using their native language (L1) in the class and the instructors, if they knew the students language, were not allowed to use it either. It was an excellent methodology and based on total immersion and contextual teaching.

An example. The first day of our training, the instructor came into the classroom and started off right away speaking Japanese (he was not Japanese) and teaching the 1st hour as such. This demonstration of the methodology was powerful and impressed us.

Bottom line, you do not need nor necessarily want to use the native language (L1) in the class room.

I've taught both ways. Before I learned Thai only in English. For classroom management it is not possible like emergencies bloody nose and things like that. Head lice washing day is also difficult in English. However I have never met a person who actually spoke Thai and taught in English (I am sure they exist although I have not met one). I know there are international schools that do this but I have only worked in government schools except on a college level.

I taught English here for 13 years. I could speak Thai well for about 8 of those years and never spoke it in class. Speaking the L1 language is detrimental to the students learning. Why then do teachers do it? Well it makes life easier for the teacher. I admit in my early years I spoke Thai in the class. I was concerned as to what the students thought of me(weird I know). It was a warning to them not to call me 'ai sat' or whatever. I was naive and actually thought saying 'kao jai mai' helped the students as "do you understand" is so hard to understand.

I've observed in quite a few teachers that as their Thai improves over years, their use of Thai in the class decreases. Also, I've never spoken Thai to my either of my kids. Last week, I was at a restaurant in Khon Kaen and was shocke when the head english teacher at a 'good' school started speaking Thai to his 3 y/o kid!

I watched an English teacher teach at one of my daughters' schools a year ago and had to laugh. The guy said to my daughter(who speaks English obviously), "where are you going on vacation?". As my daughter was thinking, he said, "wan yoot pai sai?". I think the word 'vacation' confused her, being an American word. Anyway, this guy was wrong on so many levels. His Thai was wrong and my kid speaks fluent Thai. He was confusing Thai with the local Isarn dialect. He had no idea of concept checking etc. He seemed to think that as my kid is 'look kreung' he can speak to her in 2 languages, when even I don't. Total waste of money sending 'half-caste' kids to English programs, but that deserves it's own thread.

BTW, when I learned Thai many years ago, I did it by hanging around people who couldn't speak English. I had girlfriends who spoke no English and even my wife, when we met, couldn't speak a single word of English.

I'm amazed at the number of English teachers I've met over the years who know about not speaking the L1 language but when they ask me for advice on learning Thai they want a Thai teacher who can speak English.

I assume you taught the majority of your years at a private school. Am I wrong?

[Gettingaround]

I lived in Thailand for a year and I've been living in Cambodia since November last year. Not long I know. BUT the standard of English among young people in Cambodia far exceeds what I experienced in Thailand. The key difference appears, to me, to be that Cambodian schools clamour for native English speakers to teach in their schools. Many schools proudly claim "all lessons conducted in English" and the parents can't wait to sign their kids up. I am friends with several Khmer families here and can have full conversations with their teenage kids. Many in their late twenties upwards have little or no English.

So, has it come about by government action? Not really, I'm told it's always been easy to get a business visa and work permit here. Mind you that's a huge difference between Thailand and Cambodia right there. It's much more that Khmer parents WANT their kids to learn English as they see it as a route to success, whether here or overseas. I never sensed that in Thailand.

[wellred]

I think Thailand is in for a big shock once ASEAN kicks in. Try to correct a Thai on their English and they usually see it as a loss of face and act not interested. I'm afraid it's too late to change too.

[seligne]

Its going to be a bit of a battle for the students, and 8 weeks is nothing in time, as it flies by. At least there is a recognition, even if the initial steps are a little faltering.

When I was studying Thai, I also found it a great help to learn to read Thai, so perhaps one area where the younger students could help is in teaching some basic vocabulary that is related to reading basic English - it needs to be some key areas, and not just assuming that they can learn by rote - so there is the likely problem.

I agree with this. I have just finished teaching at a Thai public school (the Nov-Mar term). It is very difficult to get students to speak individually. My methodology devolved to reading to them from a SE-ED Young Readers series book (Emperors New Clothes for M1-2; Dracula for M4-5) and having them repeat it en masse, phrase by phrase. Thai teachers can teach English grammar in Thai, but they cannot replicate a native-speaker's pronunciation, intonation, etc. I hope it helped them.

[super22k]

There are forms of life other than English teaches.You would not be "The hound of the Baskerville" would you?

[NoshowJones]

Most of them do have an understanding of what they are writing, I tested them on it. In an average class of about forty, about nine times out of ten there is a big gap between the cleverest student and the dumbest. As you were a volunteer teacher, I would imagine you would not be taking classes by yourself. I have never came across any volunteer teachers, and I have taught in both Prathom and Mattayom schools. Can you tell me what a volunteer teacher actually does? I would be very interested to know.

I would assume you would be working in the sticks somewhere. I always had a work permit, but I knew a few teachers who didn't. I wonder if any volunteer teachers work in Bangkok or Chaing Mai, I'm really interested in this.

[overherebc]

I have to chuckle when I see Westerners constantly bashing Thai people for their poor English skills... yet I know almost no farang that can speak more than three words of Thai, even the ones that have lived here for years. If it's so damn easy to pick up a language, then how about picking up the one in the country you reside in before you rip into them for not learning your language.

A good point. An ex student of mine who was an exchange student in Germany for one year, came back, now fluent in German.

Her English was always good, because she loves languages. She also speaks Laos and some Khmer.

You're damn right, most people here explaining about Thais' poor language skills, and can't even order a freaking noodle soup at a restaurant.

I've met many guys living here for 15- 20 years, without any Thai speaking skills.

My Thai isn't very good, but i can easily get around without any help in daily life situations.

My ex student was asking me: " What do you call a person, who only speaks one language."? Her answer was: " An American." I'm pretty sure that many speak Spanish as well.

Even the most fluent of Thai English speakers speak so you can make out every word they say, but understanding what they mean is completely different. ie they say yes when they mean no, that is because there are no main Thai words for yes and no. you will never get away with saying Chai and Mai Chai all the time.

Thailand has hundreds of combat aircraft that are flown by more than one pilot. If they have a problem and have to bail out do you mean to imply the captain of the plane can't tell his crew to bail out? Or lets say a doctor is giving you a heart transplant. The doctor can't say yes or no to his nurses questions? Now that is just silly.

I think the post you are answering is trying to convey that 'Not Yes' does not mean 'No' It can mean many things to many people.

[NoshowJones]

You do not need a work permit to volunteer here for a few months like these students are doing. All you need is a 0 visa for volunteer and paperwork from the organization. http://thaiembassy.se/en/visa/types-of-visa/51

I think your are wrong, I'm sure you need a work permit even though you are only working as a volunteer without pay. But I stand to be corrected.

[chiangmaikelly]

A good point. An ex student of mine who was an exchange student in Germany for one year, came back, now fluent in German.

Her English was always good, because she loves languages. She also speaks Laos and some Khmer.

You're damn right, most people here explaining about Thais' poor language skills, and can't even order a freaking noodle soup at a restaurant.

I've met many guys living here for 15- 20 years, without any Thai speaking skills.

My Thai isn't very good, but i can easily get around without any help in daily life situations.

My ex student was asking me: " What do you call a person, who only speaks one language."? Her answer was: " An American." I'm pretty sure that many speak Spanish as well.

Even the most fluent of Thai English speakers speak so you can make out every word they say, but understanding what they mean is completely different. ie they say yes when they mean no, that is because there are no main Thai words for yes and no. you will never get away with saying Chai and Mai Chai all the time.

Thailand has hundreds of combat aircraft that are flown by more than one pilot. If they have a problem and have to bail out do you mean to imply the captain of the plane can't tell his crew to bail out? Or lets say a doctor is giving you a heart transplant. The doctor can't say yes or no to his nurses questions? Now that is just silly.

I think the post you are answering is trying to convey that 'Not Yes' does not mean 'No' It can mean many things to many people.

OK that's the easy part now what was my post trying to convey?

Edited March 8, 2013 by chiangmaikelly

[Tywais]

You do not need a work permit to volunteer here for a few months like these students are doing. All you need is a 0 visa for volunteer and paperwork from the organization. http://thaiembassy.se/en/visa/types-of-visa/51

I think your are wrong, I'm sure you need a work permit even though you are only working as a volunteer without pay. But I stand to be corrected.

From the Alien Working Act:

Section 4

This Act shall not apply to duty performances in the Kingdom of aliens, particularly, in the following positions:

(5) persons performing duties or missions in accordance with the agreement which the Thai government has made with foreign governments or international agencies,

(6) persons performing duties or missions for the advantages of educations, cultures, arts, sports or other activities which, in this connection, shall be stipulated by the Royal Decree,