Work Permit, No Degree

[punkfutures]

Greetings everyone,

I never got a college degree however I would like to teach English (in Thailand). A company based in Chang Mai that does TEFL certs tells me they would probably be able to get me a work permit and placement in Thailand even though I lack a BA. The company seems well established and reviewed.

From anyone's experience, does this seem feasible? Or perhaps a empty promise? I appreciate any advice.

I might end up teaching in China anyway, because of the greater earning potential.

thanks

[Loaded]

anything is possible in Thailand

If they are a MOE licensed non-formal school, they are exempt from the TCT teacher license requirements and obtaining a work permit is far easier for them.

Edited June 21, 2014 by Loaded

[sirchai]

I never got a college degree however I would like to teach English (in Thailand). A company based in Chang Mai that does TEFL certs tells me they would probably be able to get me a work permit and placement in Thailand even though I lack a BA. The company seems well established and reviewed.

Seems to me that they'll want to sell you such a course. After that, who knows. By law are you not entitled to work as an English teacher without a BA in any field.

How much is their well "established" TEFL, that doesn't mean anything in Thailand?

My wife might probably be able to buy me a brand new Mercedes Benz 500, if................

Best of luck.- -

Edited June 22, 2014 by sirchai

[punkfutures]

'How much is their well "established" TEFL, that doesn't mean anything in Thailand?'

If it didn't mean anything, perhaps most schools would not say 'TEFL Certificate' within their list of required qualifications.

[brucetefl]

more and more countries now require degrees.I am biased, so please do your own research, but you might be interested in the three-year BA TESOL degree program at Thongsook College.

[Utley]

No college degree = smaller paycheck.

[Scott]

It can also mean limited opportunities and being excluded form various jobs where they cannot get you a work permit.

[ice4351]

You don't have a degree, which means you are not a teacher. How in the world do you realistically expect to be a good teacher in Thailand. Certified quality teachers spend thousand of hours preparing themselves to be a teacher. Being a good teacher in extremely difficult at best even for a truly qualified person. People like you are the reason Thailand is way behind in teaching the Thai children English. The Thai government needs to seek out and recruit truly qualified natural English teachers from the US, England, Canada, Austrailia, etc. The should provide incentives like a decent salary, housing, motorbike to entice quality people to come. The USA has is doing this currently with Chinese and Spanish speakers from China and Mexico. I am really tired of people who think teaching kids is easy or that they can do it without any kind of training. Bottom line: Thailand needs real teachers to teach English to their kids and Thai teachers!

[brucetefl]

the percentage of teachers who have more than a four-week course and teaching is probably less than 5 percent, excluding people from the Philippines of course.

I have a bachelor's degree and a master. None of the teachers who taught me my bachelors or masters degrees had formal training in education. But yet I learned anyway. Isn't that amazing?

Edited June 23, 2014 by brucetefl

[JimMagee]

Without a degree you cannot get a work permit for a regular teaching position. However, you can be hired as a teaching assistant, or there are many schools in rural areas that will hire anyone to teach English if you are a native English speaker, even if you have never been to college or have a TEFL.

[bangkoklasse]

Poor kids

[Blueboy88]

You don't have a degree, which means you are not a teacher. How in the world do you realistically expect to be a good teacher in Thailand. Certified quality teachers spend thousand of hours preparing themselves to be a teacher. Being a good teacher in extremely difficult at best even for a truly qualified person. People like you are the reason Thailand is way behind in teaching the Thai children English. The Thai government needs to seek out and recruit truly qualified natural English teachers from the US, England, Canada, Austrailia, etc. The should provide incentives like a decent salary, housing, motorbike to entice quality people to come. The USA has is doing this currently with Chinese and Spanish speakers from China and Mexico. I am really tired of people who think teaching kids is easy or that they can do it without any kind of training. Bottom line: Thailand needs real teachers to teach English to their kids and Thai teachers!

Bigotted, self-centred and aggressive. Hmmmm... all the qualities anyone would want in a teacher.

Having a degree and studying a lot does not make anyone a GOOD teacher.

I am glad my kids aren't taught by you!

You have a point, but....

[aspenninja]

You don't have a degree, which means you are not a teacher. How in the world do you realistically expect to be a good teacher in Thailand. Certified quality teachers spend thousand of hours preparing themselves to be a teacher. Being a good teacher in extremely difficult at best even for a truly qualified person. People like you are the reason Thailand is way behind in teaching the Thai children English. The Thai government needs to seek out and recruit truly qualified natural English teachers from the US, England, Canada, Austrailia, etc. The should provide incentives like a decent salary, housing, motorbike to entice quality people to come. The USA has is doing this currently with Chinese and Spanish speakers from China and Mexico. I am really tired of people who think teaching kids is easy or that they can do it without any kind of training. Bottom line: Thailand needs real teachers to teach English to their kids and Thai teachers!

There is a fatal flaw with your line of thinking. The law wants you to have a degree in ANYTHING. Not just teaching. So tell me, how will my graphic design degree make me a better English teacher?

[brewsterbudgen]

You don't have a degree, which means you are not a teacher. How in the world do you realistically expect to be a good teacher in Thailand. Certified quality teachers spend thousand of hours preparing themselves to be a teacher. Being a good teacher in extremely difficult at best even for a truly qualified person. People like you are the reason Thailand is way behind in teaching the Thai children English. The Thai government needs to seek out and recruit truly qualified natural English teachers from the US, England, Canada, Austrailia, etc. The should provide incentives like a decent salary, housing, motorbike to entice quality people to come. The USA has is doing this currently with Chinese and Spanish speakers from China and Mexico. I am really tired of people who think teaching kids is easy or that they can do it without any kind of training. Bottom line: Thailand needs real teachers to teach English to their kids and Thai teachers!

What nonsense. We're talking TEFL teaching, possibly to adults or teenagers or corporate, so a decent TEFL qualification with lots of classroom practice is more than sufficient. If you have good classroom management, a good attitude and rapport with the students and a good understanding of grammar and language, there is no reason why you cannot succeed in the TEFL market in Thailand. Without a degree the better paying jobs may not be available, but there are scores of experienced teachers teaching English in Thailand without degrees.

[lucifer666]

I did the TEFL / TESOL courses thinking it would help. The first schooli applied to, asked only whether i had a degree or not ( I have). They didn't care anything about the English courses that i had done. Waste of money in my opinion.

[RtotheC]

You don't have a degree, which means you are not a teacher. How in the world do you realistically expect to be a good teacher in Thailand. Certified quality teachers spend thousand of hours preparing themselves to be a teacher. Being a good teacher in extremely difficult at best even for a truly qualified person. People like you are the reason Thailand is way behind in teaching the Thai children English. The Thai government needs to seek out and recruit truly qualified natural English teachers from the US, England, Canada, Austrailia, etc. The should provide incentives like a decent salary, housing, motorbike to entice quality people to come. The USA has is doing this currently with Chinese and Spanish speakers from China and Mexico. I am really tired of people who think teaching kids is easy or that they can do it without any kind of training. Bottom line: Thailand needs real teachers to teach English to their kids and Thai teachers!

This is such rubbish. I came in with the attitude that i wanted to teach and i have a degree in English as well as TEFL. The truth is that the degree is required, although it is meaningless. The TEFL provided actual training that teaches you how to teach as opposed to just learning things in an academic environement. That academic environment is nothing like any type of teaching in Thailand, WHERE IT IS IMPOSSIBLE OT FAIL!!! That being said the children know this and literally don't care. For them it literally is all about playing games, and if you try to do any actual teaching they stop paying attention.

So the bottom line is Thailand has real teachers and they are limiting them.

[smotherb]

the percentage of teachers who have more than a four-week course and teaching is probably less than 5 percent, excluding people from the Philippines of course.

I have a bachelor's degree and a master. None of the teachers who taught me my bachelors or masters degrees had formal training in education. But yet I learned anyway. Isn't that amazing?

No, they had formal graduate and post-graduate training in the discipline of your degree program. Barring special circumstances, they had master's degrees in that discipline when you earned your bachelor and doctorates in that discipline when you earned your master.

How is it you think that compares to a lack of an education degree--or a simple bachelor's degree, as is accepted here in Thialand--for primary and secondary school education?

[abrahamzvi]

You don't have a degree, which means you are not a teacher. How in the world do you realistically expect to be a good teacher in Thailand. Certified quality teachers spend thousand of hours preparing themselves to be a teacher. Being a good teacher in extremely difficult at best even for a truly qualified person. People like you are the reason Thailand is way behind in teaching the Thai children English. The Thai government needs to seek out and recruit truly qualified natural English teachers from the US, England, Canada, Australia, etc. The should provide incentives like a decent salary, housing, motorbike to entice quality people to come. The USA has is doing this currently with Chinese and Spanish speakers from China and Mexico. I am really tired of people who think teaching kids is easy or that they can do it without any kind of training. Bottom line: Thailand needs real teachers to teach English to their kids and Thai teachers!

I fully agree with one exception. I maintain that people with a full university degree, preferably in teaching English as a foreign language, are very capable of being excellent English teachers, even if they are not native English speakers. I do know some Thais with such a qualification, who act as Assistant Professors in such Universities as Chula or mahidol and whose English language, as well as teaching capabilities are superior to some native English speakers with a BA, or MA degree in say History, or Geography..

[arjunadawn]

You don't have a degree, which means you are not a teacher. How in the world do you realistically expect to be a good teacher in Thailand. Certified quality teachers spend thousand of hours preparing themselves to be a teacher. Being a good teacher in extremely difficult at best even for a truly qualified person. People like you are the reason Thailand is way behind in teaching the Thai children English. The Thai government needs to seek out and recruit truly qualified natural English teachers from the US, England, Canada, Austrailia, etc. The should provide incentives like a decent salary, housing, motorbike to entice quality people to come. The USA has is doing this currently with Chinese and Spanish speakers from China and Mexico. I am really tired of people who think teaching kids is easy or that they can do it without any kind of training. Bottom line: Thailand needs real teachers to teach English to their kids and Thai teachers!

There is a fatal flaw with your line of thinking. The law wants you to have a degree in ANYTHING. Not just teaching. So tell me, how will my graphic design degree make me a better English teacher?

You assert a fatal flaw but haven't demonstrated it. In the context of the issue, do you really not understand why "any" degree is a minimum? Surely not the ideal, but a degree at a minimum is common for many fields as basic standards. A degree at least demonstrates exposure to core curricular of the degree, the ability to do course work, and hopefully the exposure to grasp how lesson plans, syllabus, etc., are formatted and delivered. Frankly, I see no reason someone with a degree could not teach literature, public speaking, etc. However, foundational, core English should really be taught by those who've prepared to teach.

[notbkk]

You don't have a degree, which means you are not a teacher. How in the world do you realistically expect to be a good teacher in Thailand. Certified quality teachers spend thousand of hours preparing themselves to be a teacher. Being a good teacher in extremely difficult at best even for a truly qualified person. People like you are the reason Thailand is way behind in teaching the Thai children English. The Thai government needs to seek out and recruit truly qualified natural English teachers from the US, England, Canada, Austrailia, etc. The should provide incentives like a decent salary, housing, motorbike to entice quality people to come. The USA has is doing this currently with Chinese and Spanish speakers from China and Mexico. I am really tired of people who think teaching kids is easy or that they can do it without any kind of training. Bottom line: Thailand needs real teachers to teach English to their kids and Thai teachers!

Oh BULL DUST! There are more good unqualified English teachers in Thailand than qualified teachers!

[kingstonkid]

PUNKFUTURES

I am not sure where you are from but let me put it simple.

A business can offer you the world as long as there is fine print.

How many second hand cars in the world were driven by a little old lady only on Sunday and never over 30 miles an hour?

Think about all those programs that wil make you a millionaire.

I am not saying that they can not do it but that it is limited and still not legal.

As to the Thongsook course it is good but before you register for that you might want to try teaching first.

I would suggest that you come over here take the course at TEFL school that is recognized by the schools that advertise on ajarn and then get a job and see if you really like it.

If you have not taught before it will be a whole new life and some find that it is more than they can handle.

In Bkk chichester is a recognized school that people all seem to like to see on your cv. But even they will not guarantee you a job with a work permit as a matter of fact they will not even guarantee you a job.

Would you guarantee someone something even if you did not know them?

Come to Thailand enjoy Thailand learn to teach the course is great. Teach here and enjoy the teaching.

best of luck

[kieran2698]

You don't have a degree, which means you are not a teacher. How in the world do you realistically expect to be a good teacher in Thailand. Certified quality teachers spend thousand of hours preparing themselves to be a teacher. Being a good teacher in extremely difficult at best even for a truly qualified person. People like you are the reason Thailand is way behind in teaching the Thai children English. The Thai government needs to seek out and recruit truly qualified natural English teachers from the US, England, Canada, Austrailia, etc. The should provide incentives like a decent salary, housing, motorbike to entice quality people to come. The USA has is doing this currently with Chinese and Spanish speakers from China and Mexico. I am really tired of people who think teaching kids is easy or that they can do it without any kind of training. Bottom line: Thailand needs real teachers to teach English to their kids and Thai teachers!

This is such rubbish. I came in with the attitude that i wanted to teach and i have a degree in English as well as TEFL. The truth is that the degree is required, although it is meaningless. The TEFL provided actual training that teaches you how to teach as opposed to just learning things in an academic environement. That academic environment is nothing like any type of teaching in Thailand, WHERE IT IS IMPOSSIBLE OT FAIL!!! That being said the children know this and literally don't care. For them it literally is all about playing games, and if you try to do any actual teaching they stop paying attention.

So the bottom line is Thailand has real teachers and they are limiting them.

It's easy to blame the system but perhaps it is actually your lessons which are not stimulating enough. I don't have that problem, they pay attention in my lessons and I would say that the majority very much do care. I suppose you are talking about the lower achievers when you said they can't fail, as in the fact that they will still graduate from high school. What they wont do though is pass the exams to get into a good university and that is what my students are aiming at and they are mostly trying very hard.

[kieran2698]

I did the TEFL / TESOL courses thinking it would help. The first schooli applied to, asked only whether i had a degree or not ( I have). They didn't care anything about the English courses that i had done. Waste of money in my opinion.

Did you not learn anything on the course? What level did you take?

[kieran2698]

the percentage of teachers who have more than a four-week course and teaching is probably less than 5 percent, excluding people from the Philippines of course.

I have a bachelor's degree and a master. None of the teachers who taught me my bachelors or masters degrees had formal training in education. But yet I learned anyway. Isn't that amazing?

No, it is ignorant. The primary difference is in motivation. At degree level the learning is expected to be motivated by the student whereas at school level the teacher must provide the motivation.

[NewMind]

Really OP if you want to transform the Thai Society into intellectual economy (since you want to teach children who are considered the future of any country), and if you really care about teaching the students in proper way by means of proper methods, you yourself need to be educated first in the art of teaching. Degrees do matter, but not as much as if, if you really have a good grasp over the subjects. Degree is just a prerequisite, consider it as a valid metrics to measure your competency. I've seen a lot of people with degrees but no conceptual understanding of the subjects they were taught or they are about to teach, and yet I've also seen some people with little formal education but highly competent in the matters of teaching. These guys according to me, are "truly" learned. Yet they may not be scholars

A teacher must have repertoires to teach her students, and should garner some respect either on account of his/her academic credentials, or teaching abilities. Those who have at least any one of these qualities, are still acceptable. Those who do not have any of these qualities, are no better than swindlers.

[Fullstop]

I never got a college degree however I would like to teach English (in Thailand).

Anyone making inquiries about this DONE TO DEATH topic and is incapable of doing basic internet searches is simply not intelligent enough to a teacher.

[amse]

Doing some volunteer English teaching will help you get a job, I taught English at the Boys Prison in Bangkok for a few months, then was hired as a grade 1 teacher in Phuket, in 2003, without even a TEFL, but that was back then. Most schools want at least a degree in anything, that will get you teaching Kindergarten.

[joshstiles]

you can not get a work permit without a degree.....

[Yooyung]

I never got a college degree however I would like to teach English (in Thailand).

Anyone making inquiries about this DONE TO DEATH topic and is incapable of doing basic internet searches is simply not intelligent enough to a teacher.

Ha! I am sorry, but I have to agree with this. How long has the degree requirement been common knowledge? Anyone that is genuinelly interested in teaching here would have found this info pretty much within the first google info searching session......and be aware that simply having a degree is now also NOT ENOUGH if the degree is NOT in education. I went home a few years back when the whole no degree = no teachers licence situation got more strict. Now, even though I have a degree I may have to do a further 2 years study.......

[gleeglee]

anything is possible in Thailand

If they are a MOE licensed non-formal school, they are exempt from the TCT teacher license requirements and obtaining a work permit is far easier for them.

As of 3 years ago it is a legal requirement to obtain a teaching licence , non formal schools are except as the poster above states , but to work in any other school you will require a teaching licence and without a degree you will not be allowed to take the Thai Culture course which is the first step in obtaining the teaching licence as you have to provide a degree certificate