I am bored and I want to teach

[SPALAX]

I'm a non NES, teaching English, French, German in Thailand. It wasn't so easy for me to be accepted and mainly by NES agents of course. Sorry but my level in English is very good although not perfect. Only real Brits can detect my french origin. What is a real NES? A Brit whose grandmother was a Brit and not born in some suburbs of Edinburgh, born himself in England (not UK) and speaking a nice English. I only worked outside of France and spoke only English for my whole life. My mother was born in UK but I'm not interested in genealogy and any certificate anyway could be a fake.

So, you are already qualified to be a teacher teaching English because you have a Canadian Passport. (50%)

If you have a degree translated in English if it's in French, you pass again (40%)

With 9 on 10, you can get a job, only through a connection or a NES agent.

If your English is poor, do like your students, work and try to improve it.

I met many NES (native passports) whose English was just terrible.

You won't be the first one and maybe not the worst one.

As the British sovereigns have been saying for centuries:

"Honni soit qui mal y pense"

You gotta be kidding. I'd tell you in a sec, where you come from. ( Native passports don't say anything, as it's got nothing to do with the language ability!)

"Native passports don't say anything, as it's got nothing to do with the language ability!"

Great. So, why are the agents or some schools require a native passport (USA, UK, aso) (Their most important point) ? Please tell me. But I agree with you anyway.

A long time ago, I was arrested by a policeman somewhere in Nevada ( didn't mind my speed, he said). Nevada is in USA as you probably know. Don't feel undermined or underestimated. I spent quite a lot of time to ask: Great Britain is in UK, and so where is Britain?

In a second, he could detect that I wasn't from a ranch/mine nearby and told me that I was coming from NYC. He wasn't wrong because my plane landed there some days before.

[duanebigsby]

You are correct in saying that you need refresher training in English before you teach it. Even the small amount that you've written in this thread is full of small errors that make it apparent to a native speaker that that you are not one (misuse or omission of the definite article, slight misuse of idiomatic phrases/phrasal verbs).

I'm not sure that any off-the-shelf course that is available to you is going to meet your needs. You might consider private conversation lessons with a native speaker with an emphasis on error correction - but it needs to be with an EFL teacher who can explain WHY your usage is incorrect (99% of untrained native speakers won't be able to explain the reason because their own language usage is just instinctive - they've never even thought about the 'rules').

You're judging his English ability and grammar on an internet forum?

He is "judging" because his ego has been crushed. Let me explain.

He and other posters who feel like gods in Thailand are so b...hurt with the realization that even a monkey can do their job, so they have a need to attack anyone who is not up to their fake internet standards.

BTW, I was being honest in my original post.

I am really not a native speaker. I need to improve my English. I am a Canadian citizen with a degree from a recognized university (English, not French).

God forbid I disclose my Euro trash nationality.... can you imagine the blasting I would get?

I'm a Canuck from Vancouver. How strong is your Quebecois accent? Your written English is fine.

[theguyfromanotherforum]

I'm a Canuck from Vancouver. How strong is your Quebecois accent? Your written English is fine.

Hi Canuckster from Vancity! I am not French although I spent 15 years in Montreal and about 5 in Toronto.

I have an accent..... yes.

[inbangkok]

Are these job offers you are spammed with or job postings? Big difference. If they are actual offers, why are you here asking for advice? Why not just accept whichever one looks good?

Agencies. No work permit.

Absolutely not what I asked you. Is it a job posting? Or a job offer? Here is the difference......

Job Posting - This school needs an English teacher.....we are looking for blah blah with XYZ qualifications starting on this date. Responsibilities include.....etc. etc.

Job Offer - Thank you for interviewing with us. We really like you and think you would be great in this position. We would love to have you work for us.

Absolutely nothing to do with work permits. And by the way, many agencies in Bangkok do provide work permits to their employees.

Do you have problems understanding English?

You asked me... "why not just accept whichever one looks good?"

and I answered:

Agencies. No work permit.

To answer your other question, yes I have been offered a job by several recruiters.

No, just problems understanding you. You did not answer......

If you are gonna be a dick, I am done with you........ Good luck

[Blindside]

Funny, I had to go back to the original post to be reminded of the question.

I don't recommend a CELTA or any other high level ESL / EFL qualifications - not if you are going to remain in Thailand. Do a straight up TEFL certificate. Do not do one online though. Few places I know in Thailand scrutinise TEFL certificates apart from the nominal hours required to complete it. So just check out the establishment that offers it and if they are registered and / or accredited

In terms of teaching; I too agree that your motivations sound somewhat suspect. However, this could have been said of me a dozen years ago when I came to Thailand with my no name TEFL and my B degree. Looking for adventure and travel to exotic destinations. Unsure if I would make it, or even stay longer than a day.

I am now a qualified teacher in an International School. Funny how life goes.

Having said that I have seen many¹⁰ "short-timers" wasting everyone's time and taking the piss in general.

Perhaps you should consider teaching at a language school, get various types of assignments and see if any of them resonates with you. If not, walk away.

[isawasnake]

I did about 4 spit-takes working my way through this thread. You guys can't honestly be serious, can you? You guys are actually taking teaching over here seriously? Because I can tell you right now, as far as your students are concerned, your class is a total joke.

I am all for doing one's job, getting there on time and all that. But when it comes to teaching in Thailand you can really only do so much is the truth. It would be like buying a 1965 VW bug ans wanting to drive 165 miles per hour in it. You are only going to get to 65, and you will be lucky if you get there.

Don't take this crap too seriously guys, you sure as hell aren't being taken seriously, so why in the world would you bother. The op will be as effective with his attitude as just about any of you.... ie a few kids will learn a few things every class.

Edited August 13, 2014 by isawasnake

[smotherb]

theguyfromanotherforum said, "Because teaching is easier.... and the way you 2 presented your arguments in "English" I feel I am quite up for it. Also linguistic courses and classes in phonology? Are you nuts? I thought TOEIC score is all that people care about or otherwise how do you explain Irish and Australians teaching here."

Exactly tgfaf, it appears your written English is better than most of the so-called 'NES teachers' and you have a real degree. I'd say go for it.

[smotherb]

Teaching is a professional vocation, not a panacea for boredom.

Teaching requires empathy, consistency, good understanding of psychology, intelligence, training and a host of other skills

too many to mention here (at the risk of boring you), none of which are evident in your ramblings.

Human beings are not toys for your pleasure, to be had at a whim; especially not children.

If you are for real, go and do some serious training and join the pantheon of elite, selfless professionals who dedicate their life to educating others and improving the human condition.

Oh please, try that ideological horse manure on the majority of farangs teaching English in Thailand and see how many meet those expectations.

[aarontendo]

No doubt there, OP is definately trash talking. However, his level of English seems more than adequate to teach the language from the little I've seen. I think he's just goofing a bit, but if he's seriously wanting to get a job teaching I've no doubt he can secure employment.

[theguyfromanotherforum]

Look. I asked about the TEFL course. I got some delusional replies from individuals who think they are a god given to Thailand. So, I got a bit excited.

From the replies I got it seems that TEFL courses do not teach grammar, although I had a different impression.

In any case I might then just take it for the "classroom experience".

Thanks

[isawasnake]

Just go right into a classroom, dont take anything. You are going to wish you did not waste the money after you start teaching.

No matter what anybody on here, or in the world tells you, you are going to be as good of a teacher as you want to be. No better or worse.

I personally hate sanctimonious teachers, they make me want to puke. I am sorry kids have to learn from such people.

Edited August 14, 2014 by isawasnake

[lostinisaan]

Look. I asked about the TEFL course. I got some delusional replies from individuals who think they are a god given to Thailand. So, I got a bit excited.

From the replies I got it seems that TEFL courses do not teach grammar, although I had a different impression.

In any case I might then just take it for the "classroom experience".

Thanks

Best of Luck, Chuck.

[Kathiejs]

Look. I asked about the TEFL course. I got some delusional replies from individuals who think they are a god given to Thailand. So, I got a bit excited.

From the replies I got it seems that TEFL courses do not teach grammar, although I had a different impression.

In any case I might then just take it for the "classroom experience".

Thanks

TEFL courses do teach grammar (or at least, CELTA does), but it won't be anything that you as a fluent learner don't already know - it just addresses the issues with native speakers that I outline in my previous post. CELTA (and I assume other TEFL courses) also covers things like lesson planning, communication, educational psychology and classroom management. You should pick up lots of ideas for teaching methods using exercises, games, tapes, videos, role plays, props... - anything rather than lecturing from the blackboard. I loved doing it, even though it was really hard work (I did it 2 days a week for 13 weeks - the 4 week full time option must be absolutely brutal).

[Scott]

Posts discussing and criticizing grammar have been removed. It is off-topic and continuing to do it will result in a formal warning. The OP did not ask for advice on grammar.

Stay on topic, please.

[inutil]

TEFL does teach grammar. Of course it does. Well, contingent on just how gung ho your tefl agency is i guess... its just basic stuff though: Tenses, parts of speech, um... hang on... im sure there were other things...

...

...nah, lost it.

Anyway, it teaches grammar. It gets a day or two of your month long course. Not a ridiculous amount by any stretch, but genuinely, its sort of right. I'm an experienced teacher. I've got plenty of classroom experience whilst almost everyone i did the course with had no classroom experience. Six demo lessons got them over that bunny in the headlights terror. By around demonstration 10 they were really getting their fluidity and confidence in front of their classes. Realistically then, observed teaching just feels more of an appropriate use of the time. You get feedback, its constructive, its all safety net and actually lets you start the new gig with a bit of confidence and some decent classroom experience.

I know the grammar nerds get mad about it, but you get your basic grammar down reasonably quick (allowing for further study and professional development later on if you want to go into a bit more depth). In terms of training and observed lessons from there on in, i can tell you (anecdotaly) that observed classroom teaching (where I am the actual subject under observation (and not my coteacher)) has been around... ooooh... 6 or 7 lessons... in about 9 years of teaching. Whee! so screw the grammar component. That classroom experience and observation is gold dust!

Particularly in Thailand Public schools, you're going to be thrown into the deep end. Well, more like the shark pool to be honest. Yes yes, no one seemed to care what i did in my class, so there is that. But for that 1 hour where youre on your own with a class of 50 plus students (and barely 10% of them are in any way focused or can be regarded as 'keeping up with' the material (let alone surpassing it)), you're going to be eaten alive. The tefl wont save you of course, but it will at least give you that safety net those first terrifying few times where you spectacularly screw up your timings, or lose your temper, or lose your materials, or forget what youre doing, or have absolutely no response to your 15 minutes you set aside for your self intro Q and A and have nothing else left on the table to pull you out of a hole except er... hangman??? Bingo??? Um... HALP?!??!!! A little look back to the twelve or so classes you taught, and the classes you saw your mates teach at least gives you some ideas on how to switch things up a bit.

Also, for Non native ESL teachers (as in teachers who learned English as a second language), grammar should be the LEAST of your worries. Unlike most of us, you actually learned all this stuff. I mean, someone physically explained it instead of said "right, in today's English class you're going to write a book report on yadayadayada" (followed by lots of red pen corrections and random "Paragraph!!!" or "Sp!" interjections). That's what i remember from English GCSE... Then again, i <deleted> around a lot in school... so you know...

Edited August 14, 2014 by inutil

[puukao]

I think the OP means: "I am really, really, really bored and I want to do something during the day. Something is better than nothing, and I want to be productive. What work can I do in Thailand? Teaching English. Anything else? Not really. OK, well, that solves that."

Teaching English without a proper teaching license is not held in high regard, and this person will get bored "teaching". You don't become a teacher by taking one online course and paying some money. I don't blame the OP for trying to solve the boredom, but this is affecting others trying to learn English.

Note: English is my 3rd language, but I did stay at a Holiday Express last night!!!!

I was bored yesterday and invented a beer glass that has built-in beer goggles; thus protecting me from unattractive females after a few too many. It will remain stuck to my hand until the female meets pre-determined qualifications. Now I can sell this and buy my own language school!!!!!

[lostinisaan]

Look. I asked about the TEFL course. I got some delusional replies from individuals who think they are a god given to Thailand. So, I got a bit excited.

From the replies I got it seems that TEFL courses do not teach grammar, although I had a different impression.

In any case I might then just take it for the "classroom experience".

Thanks

TEFL courses do teach grammar (or at least, CELTA does), but it won't be anything that you as a fluent learner don't already know - it just addresses the issues with native speakers that I outline in my previous post. CELTA (and I assume other TEFL courses) also covers things like lesson planning, communication, educational psychology and classroom management. You should pick up lots of ideas for teaching methods using exercises, games, tapes, videos, role plays, props... - anything rather than lecturing from the blackboard. I loved doing it, even though it was really hard work (I did it 2 days a week for 13 weeks - the 4 week full time option must be absolutely brutal).

Great "insight of an experienced" teacher.

Teaching English in Thailand is hard work, when you take it seriously and want to see results, other than bored students who don't understand a word you're saying.

That's maybe why it's called "teacher?"

[Kathiejs]

Posts discussing and criticizing grammar have been removed. It is off-topic and continuing to do it will result in a formal warning. The OP did not ask for advice on grammar.

Funny - I read the OP's post

"Point out the errors I made please.

I've been waiting half an hour now. Point them out."

as a fairly unambiguous request (or demand!) for advice on his grammar. For which he gave thanks when I obliged. You've deleted something for which he would normally have had to pay....

[inutil]

Truth is no one knows if they take to teaching until they actually give it a whirl. No reason why he shouldnt get his feet wet. It might take one whole class for him to tell everyone to go themselves and storm out, or he might just kill it and realise hed really like to do this a bit longer because its actually a blast!

Just as with every other fun TEFL site waste of time discussion, ive seen good teachers without degrees, awesome non-native English teachers who could teach circles around everyone else (despite having a bit of an accent), and amazingly charismatic teachers who came here for a gap year or two to see Asia, stayed a bit too long, and stumbled into a career entirely by accident. No one really knows if the spark is there and in what way until you give it a go. Maybe you just like to perform, and though you have naff all interest in the subject, youre just born to fire imaginations and inspire students. Maybe you just like the shenanigans of kids and can tailor your student-centric lessons naturally to them in a way that Mr.bigstick grammar translation cant or wont. Maybe you think intrinsic motivation is OBVIOUSLY far more important to your students than hanging a test over their heads and delighting in failing 30% of them.

I dunno. Maybe its exactly the opposite. Maybe you LOVE giving students a clear, structured groundwork with obvious standards of success and achievement instead of just waffling on about 'intrinsic motivation' or 'student centric approaches' whilst your class descends into chaos... etc etc. Ive seen teachers of all styles and shapes, and the only bad teachers i ever saw were (are) those who think that one size fits all. Then again, im all hippy 'intrinsic motivation' so er, glass houses etc.

Still, if youre even up for considering it, no matter your motivation (yes, even boredom), have a go. I really believe you should have a go, because for me, its the most fun job you can do. You might love it! Which means boredom will no longer be your motivation (i genuinely defy you to be bored teaching, anyway!). And if you find you actually hate it, everyone wins as well. Now you'll know from experience just how hard working a job it is trying to get 20-60 young teens all with their own varying interests, motivations, and skills on point and learning something they didnt know before they walked into your class. Love it! love it! love it! Exhausting, demoralising, hilarious, frustrating, exciting, energising, maddening, draining and rewarding in the space of a single lesson. Its a ridiculous job

Edited August 14, 2014 by inutil

[isawasnake]

This is way off topic, but I found teaching to be such an odd "profession" for so many reasons. First and foremost, you can be the best of the bunch in all of say bangkok for example, and all things being equal, you are getting paid the same exact amount as the ahole in the next classroom who has his thumb up his ass. It isn't like golf or something, where you must be good to win and get paid. It's like anybody can get in there and do it, and since there are no standardized tests, there is no way to tell who is doing a good job, and who isn't. What ends up happening as a result of all this is we get a bunch of robotic morons who manage the schools. They aren't talented or smart, or even good at teaching necessarily, they are simply robotic followers. Their only real "talent" is not getting mad when people demean them.

On that last point, I saw many times people assuming they were doing well, and others were not, based on whatever criteria they felt necessary. Learning as a bottom line result never seemed to be part of anyone's equation. I love extrapolating the same principles to a business environment.... one guy comes in late everyday, but makes the company 10% more than any other employee. Who should be rewarded? The guy who comes in late, or the earner? Well, in business it is the earner of course, in schools it is the moron who gets there on time every day, even though he is ineffective. It is like a dog who chases his tail into an abyss of stupidity, and the dumber and more robotic you are, the more you are rewarded.

The one valuable thing I learned when teaching is I don't want my kids to be taught by people like this. I suppose the other thing I learned is that many people think they are better than they really are at this job. Pretension reigns in the groups of self proclaimed "good teachers" around here, no doubt.

Edited August 15, 2014 by isawasnake

[Scott]

Schools are a little like factories. You can be the best bolt tightener, but you probably won't get paid more. The difference is that some factories produce poor products and some produce superior goods.

In the end the superior goods come from good raw materials.

[squarethecircle]

Give it a shot. You've got experience and I see you say you're bored, so if you can make the classes "sanuk sanuk" while keeping them educational, you'll be doing well.

[lust]

this thread is giving canadians a bad name, should be locked

[Scott]

Canadians are a fine group of people and a credit to the Human race. We've had numerous Canadian teachers at our school who were from Canada and they were well educated and good teachers.

I may be biased since I do have family in Canada, though.

[Fookhaht]

Canadians are a fine group of people and a credit to the Human race. We've had numerous Canadian teachers at our school who were from Canada and they were well educated and good teachers.

I may be biased since I do have family in Canada, though.

We had two Canadians and both were washouts. Not representative of the normal well-educated, hard-working Canadians I have known back home. However they were representative of the oft-found non-motivated expat who taught because they were bored, or the Thai wife/husband was driving them to bring in more income.

Luck of the draw, I guess.

[Scott]

Yes. I did not use ALL, I said numerous. They are still human beings and there are a few who have characteristics which are less than admirable, but I am afraid we are getting a little off-topic.

[Fookhaht]

Actually, I surreptitiously tied it into the topic to make a point with our OP.

[insert smiley-face]

[benj005]

Are you a handsome man?

[Somtamnication]

Are you a handsome man?

And does the OP have tits...

[duanebigsby]

Canadians are a fine group of people and a credit to the Human race. We've had numerous Canadian teachers at our school who were from Canada and they were well educated and good teachers.

I may be biased since I do have family in Canada, though.

We had two Canadians and both were washouts. Not representative of the normal well-educated, hard-working Canadians I have known back home. However they were representative of the oft-found non-motivated expat who taught because they were bored, or the Thai wife/husband was driving them to bring in more income.

Luck of the draw, I guess.

You managed to say not everyone from Canada fits a stereotype you have of them and then contrast it with a stereotype of a bored expat teacher all in two sentences.

How many levels is that wrong on.

All of us need to throw these generalizations out the window. People are people. Period end!

Edited August 17, 2014 by duanebigsby