Unprofessional and unskilled English Teacher's do you feel guilty?

[Display]

Why I ask this is because my GF sister's kids that live in the countryside with their grandma were calling their mum that does not have a lot of money asking could they get money for an English Learning Weekend Camp.

Now she didn't have the money for it but felt bad so she borrowed some cash of my GF to pay for it.

Now I know enough that most of these Falang teachers on these English Camp are not even trained teachers and a lot of them are not even Native English speakers!

I think this is wrong! What is your opinion?

[AnotherOneAmerican]

How do you know they had any white NES?

Edited May 29, 2014 by AnotherOneAmerican

[pigeonjake]

now this will be good,,

and ill lay odds, that the old falang verses young falang card comes out to play,

there young,,,lol

this will be good,, wait till schools out,,lol

[Display]

How do you know they had any white NES?

Hmm Good point! But I Taught all these English Camps had Falang Teacher's, My bad on that one.

But I have met a few non native English Teacher in Bangkok that told me they do these weekend English Camps in the countryside and surrounding area's around bangkok.....

Edited May 29, 2014 by Display

[benalibina]

To teach a language, does 1 need to be a native speaker ?

Edited May 29, 2014 by benalibina

[AhFarangJa]

How do you know they had any white NES?

Hmm Good point! But I Taught all these English Camps had Falang Teacher's, My bad on that one.

But I have met a few non native English Teacher in Bangkok that told me they do these weekend English Camps.....

I tawt I taw a puddy tat... sorry, but as it is about English Language Teachers I had to have a dig... ..can you please tell me what exactly is done at these weekend camps? I only ask because my brother in law is now headmaster of the village school, before, among other things,he was also the English teacher, yet he still cannot put one sentence together.

[Display]

To teach a language, does 1 need to be a native ?

I think its a good start to be native at least! As just yesterday I was speaking to a friend of a friend that is Chinese's and he is a qualified Chinese teacher here in Bangkok, and he was joking to me that there are French and Spanish English Teacher here in Thailand with heavy accents. He taught it was hilarious!

Don't shot the messengers here please.....

[pigeonjake]

i know the "teachers" were having a good moan the other year when some philopines were coming over to teach, for less money then the "english teachers" that were here

jake

[benalibina]

To teach a language, does 1 need to be a native ?

I think its a good start to be native at least! As just yesterday I was speaking to a friend of a friend that is Chinese's and he is a qualified Chinese teacher here in Bangkok, and he was joking to me that there are French and Spanish English Teacher here in Thailand with heavy accents. He taught it was hilarious!

Don't shot the messengers here please.....

Hmmmm..i come from The Netherlands and it is mandatory that kids start to learn 3 other languages when they start high school. English, french and german. Do you really think that we have thousands of natives from those countries teaching their respective languages ?

[Display]

To teach a language, does 1 need to be a native ?

I think its a good start to be native at least! As just yesterday I was speaking to a friend of a friend that is Chinese's and he is a qualified Chinese teacher here in Bangkok, and he was joking to me that there are French and Spanish English Teacher here in Thailand with heavy accents. He taught it was hilarious!

Don't shot the messengers here please.....

Hmmmm..i come from The Netherlands and it is mandatory that kids start to learn 3 other languages when they start high school. English, french and german. Do you really think that we have thousands of natives from those countries teaching their respective languages ?

Yes in my Country at least my French Teacher was French and my German Teacher was German! makes sense!

[AnotherOneAmerican]

How do you know they had any white NES?

Hmm Good point! But I Taught all these English Camps had Falang Teacher's, My bad on that one.

But I have met a few non native English Teacher in Bangkok that told me they do these weekend English Camps.....

I tawt I taw a puddy tat... sorry, but as it is about English Language Teachers I had to have a dig... ..can you please tell me what exactly is done at these weekend camps? I only ask because my brother in law is now headmaster of the village school, before, among other things,he was also the English teacher, yet he still cannot put one sentence together.

Most of these English camps are as AFJ says, some Thai English teachers that speak little or no English.

Sometimes a Filipino or two that sort of speak English.

I also know a Russian English teacher, and a Dutch English teacher, neither of which you would want teaching Thais English.

(But they all work cheap!)

The camps usually aren't worthwhile educationally, but might be a bit of fun.

Edited May 29, 2014 by AnotherOneAmerican

[benalibina]

To teach a language, does 1 need to be a native ?

I think its a good start to be native at least! As just yesterday I was speaking to a friend of a friend that is Chinese's and he is a qualified Chinese teacher here in Bangkok, and he was joking to me that there are French and Spanish English Teacher here in Thailand with heavy accents. He taught it was hilarious!

Don't shot the messengers here please.....

Hmmmm..i come from The Netherlands and it is mandatory that kids start to learn 3 other languages when they start high school. English, french and german. Do you really think that we have thousands of natives from those countries teaching their respective languages ?

Yes in my Country at least my French Teacher was French and my German Teacher was German! makes sense!

You obviously not read my above comment properly. Mandatory....not optionally.

[h90]

To teach a language, does 1 need to be a native ?

I think its a good start to be native at least! As just yesterday I was speaking to a friend of a friend that is Chinese's and he is a qualified Chinese teacher here in Bangkok, and he was joking to me that there are French and Spanish English Teacher here in Thailand with heavy accents. He taught it was hilarious!

Don't shot the messengers here please.....

Hmmmm..i come from The Netherlands and it is mandatory that kids start to learn 3 other languages when they start high school. English, french and german. Do you really think that we have thousands of natives from those countries teaching their respective languages ?

Well that would be 2 and a half language. As German speaker I can more or less understand dutch and can read it....Once on a holiday I was couple of days with Dutch people and after 4 days you understand 95 %.

Not much to learn here.

[CharlieH]

What qualifications do you have in order to judge ?

How would you know if a teacher is good or bad ?

Is it the teacher ability or the students ?

Too many variables not enough info for anyone to comment either way.

[h90]

I think its a good start to be native at least! As just yesterday I was speaking to a friend of a friend that is Chinese's and he is a qualified Chinese teacher here in Bangkok, and he was joking to me that there are French and Spanish English Teacher here in Thailand with heavy accents. He taught it was hilarious!

Don't shot the messengers here please.....

yes I met English teacher and thought their English is worse than mine. And being honest to myself: My English is bad...

[Myran]

I agree that some non-native speakers with very heavy accents shouldn´t be teaching, but there are a lot of foreigners (like myself) who have trained and achieved a near perfect accent and are therefore very much qualified to teach if we have the linguistic knowledge.

Accents aside, I believe that non-natives often have much greater knowledge of English than natives, since the natives simply have acquired the language, and not really learned it.

Edited May 29, 2014 by Myran

[CharlieH]

I agree that some non-native speakers with very heavy accents shouldn´t be teaching, but there are a lot of foreigners (like myself) who have trained and achieved a near perfect accent and are therefore very much qualified to teach if we have the linguistic knowledge.

Aside from accents I believe that non-natives often have much greater knowledge of English than natives, since the natives simply have acquired the language, and not really learned it.

I agree, there is also a huge difference in conversational english and technical structure ie grammar, they are worlds apart, I knew a Chinese guy who technically was brilliant in structure and grammar, but to listen to him actually talk was, well lets say not good, but thats about pronounciation and conversation, not technical structure.

There are many dimensionx to it.

Edited May 29, 2014 by CharlieH

[Ulysses G.]

At one time, I was a somewhat qualified and skilled English teacher, but I still felt guilty, because most of the English teaching programs here were so terrible that the teachers qualifications made little difference. I really felt bad for the students.

[Display]

You obviously not read my above comment properly. Mandatory....not optionally.

Yes I did read your post - Its the same in my country I was forced to learn French and German!

[Swiss1960]

To teach a language, does 1 need to be a native ?

I think its a good start to be native at least! As just yesterday I was speaking to a friend of a friend that is Chinese's and he is a qualified Chinese teacher here in Bangkok, and he was joking to me that there are French and Spanish English Teacher here in Thailand with heavy accents. He taught it was hilarious!

Don't shot the messengers here please.....

well, your friends probably "thought" and not "taught".... this from a non-native English speaking Swiss...

the majority of my language teachers (for German, French, English, Italian) have NOT been native in the languages the taught but had the proper education and degrees to teach those languages. And honestly, reading on this forum, there are quite a few English native speakers who's English would not get them through Swiss High School exams...

and since you are talking about a weekend camp... what level of English are the kids supposed to learn? Basic sentences like "where do you come from" (English version) or "where you come from" (Thai version) or "what is your name" (English version) or "what you call" (Thai version)? For basics, you don't need native speakers, just somebody who can speak, read and write the language without making too many mistakes.

[Display]

To teach a language, does 1 need to be a native ?

I think its a good start to be native at least! As just yesterday I was speaking to a friend of a friend that is Chinese's and he is a qualified Chinese teacher here in Bangkok, and he was joking to me that there are French and Spanish English Teacher here in Thailand with heavy accents. He taught it was hilarious!

Don't shot the messengers here please.....

well, your friends probably "thought" and not "taught".... this from a non-native English speaking Swiss...

the majority of my language teachers (for German, French, English, Italian) have NOT been native in the languages the taught but had the proper education and degrees to teach those languages. And honestly, reading on this forum, there are quite a few English native speakers who's English would not get them through Swiss High School exams...

and since you are talking about a weekend camp... what level of English are the kids supposed to learn? Basic sentences like "where do you come from" (English version) or "where you come from" (Thai version) or "what is your name" (English version) or "what you call" (Thai version)? For basics, you don't need native speakers, just somebody who can speak, read and write the language without making too many mistakes.

Ok sorry Sir! everyone mades typo mistakes I am human!

"have NOT been native in the languages the taught" Its they taught teacher, not the taught?

[benalibina]

You obviously not read my above comment properly. Mandatory....not optionally.

Yes I did read your post - Its the same in my country I was forced to learn French and German!

As you claim that only native speakers teach languages in your country it must be a very small country.

Liechtenstein/ Luxemburg ?

Edited May 29, 2014 by benalibina

[Display]

You obviously not read my above comment properly. Mandatory....not optionally.

Yes I did read your post - Its the same in my country I was forced to learn French and German!

As you claim that only native speakers teach languages in your country it must be a very small country.

Liechtenstein/ Luxemburg ?

Nope - Please try again!

[benalibina]

You obviously not read my above comment properly. Mandatory....not optionally.

Yes I did read your post - Its the same in my country I was forced to learn French and German!

As you claim that only native speakers teach languages in your country it must be a very small country.

Liechtenstein/ Luxemburg ?

Nope - Please try again!

I have been stupid....Belgium or Switzerland....but IMO that doesnt count, if true.

Edited May 29, 2014 by benalibina

[kurnell]

We have a Philippine employee in our office that would run rings around 90% of the farang professionals in Thailand and probably speaks better English. If they are all like this I will hire nothing but Filipinos.

[Display]

You obviously not read my above comment properly. Mandatory....not optionally.

Yes I did read your post - Its the same in my country I was forced to learn French and German!

As you claim that only native speakers teach languages in your country it must be a very small country.

Liechtenstein/ Luxemburg ?

Nope - Please try again!

I have been stupid....Belgium or Switzerland....but IMO that doesnt count, if true.

Not either of them. Does it really matter? This topic is not about which country I am from!

[marko kok prong]

The other thing is i hope there not hiring scruffy,unwashed dreadlocked ,backpackers,who turn up half stoned,as this give a bad impression to the young students. I was a backpacker once before the onslaught start's but, i was always well presented,Safari suit,topee etc.

[Soutpeel]

The other thing is i hope there not hiring scruffy,unwashed dreadlocked ,backpackers,who turn up half stoned,as this give a bad impression to the young students. I was a backpacker once before the onslaught start's but, i was always well presented,Safari suit,topee etc.

Pith helmet as well ? ..Kendal mint cake in hand and Darjeeling on the brew ?

[DP25]

English camps are a scam and a waste of money but you are focusing your anger on the wrong people. It is the Thai teachers/language school owners that are making tons of profits and pressuring parents to sign up their children. The farang teachers are tossed a few baht for showing up, but they really have nothing to do with it.

As for non Native teachers, they are normally at least able to communicate in English, even if they have an accent. Many Thai teachers speak little to no English and are completely unable to communicate, and they are the ones students are interacting with most of the time. I have in-laws that are English teachers in a rural area, it is very difficult to have even a basic conversation in English with them. They practically run from any family event I will be attending because they are so embarrassed at being unable to speak with me.

[benalibina]

You obviously not read my above comment properly. Mandatory....not optionally.

Yes I did read your post - Its the same in my country I was forced to learn French and German!

As you claim that only native speakers teach languages in your country it must be a very small country.

Liechtenstein/ Luxemburg ?

Nope - Please try again!

I have been stupid....Belgium or Switzerland....but IMO that doesnt count, if true.

Not either of them. Does it really matter? This topic is not about which country I am from!

It is valid because of your claim that only native speakers can teach students a language properly. As you have experienced this yourself in your younger years.