More young UK teachers set to head this way - Thailand

[webfact]

More young UK teachers set to head this way
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The British Council expects the number of people involved in its Thailand English teaching programme to rise next year, as it celebrates its most successful summer yet.

As over 200 participants of the programme concluded a journey of a lifetime in Thailand last week, a dramatic rise in numbers is expected for next year's intake as more young Britons seek to experience Thai life beyond the typical backpacking trail.

In having already experienced a 25 per cent rise in participants in just one year, the programme is celebrating its most successful summer yet with hundreds of UK students and recent graduates taking on the challenge of teaching in Thai schools.

Set up in 2012 and running for its longest ever duration this year, the programme aims to improve English in Thai schools and uses language teaching in educational institutions, ranging from primary schools to vocational colleges, to strengthen cultural ties between Thailand and the UK.

Not only does the programme enable the development of English speaking and comprehension among Thai students but it also gives English teaching assistants the chance to gain valuable international work experience, learn Thai and integrate into Thai communities.

The British Council, the Thai Ministry of Education and programme sponsors welcomed some 248 English language assistants from 41 UK universities to Bangkok in June, marking the beginning of their nine-week journey.

And with applications for the next intake of teaching assistants opening in October, the number of participants is set to gather pace ahead of 2015 with more UK students eager to take part than ever before.

Chris Gibson OBE, the director of the British Council Thailand, said: "We are thrilled that our Thailand English teaching programme has had an incredibly successful summer and we look forward to welcoming even more students next year as the programme continues to gather pace.

"Sharing languages to encourage cultural exchange is at the heart of English teaching at the British Council, and we hope that the English teaching assistants and Thai schools all gain invaluable knowledge and cultural understanding from this experience."

This year 173 academic institutions within Thailand are participating in the programme - 104 government schools, 56 private schools and 13 vocational colleges. Forty-five of them are located in Bangkok and surrounds, and the rest are located in 50 provinces.

Helen Sunderland, who took part in the scheme in 2013, said: "Stepping into the unknown has been challenging, scary at times but also exhilarating, eye-opening, fascinating and inspiring."

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/More-young-UK-teachers-set-to-head-this-way-30242744.html


-- The Nation 2014-09-08

[casualbiker]

9 weeks ...........

[Bluespunk]

Deleted. Why be negative.

Edited September 8, 2014 by Bluespunk

[1weatherman]

Now about that work permit you need....

[EricBerg]

"Helen Sunderland, who took part in the scheme in 2013, said: "Stepping into the unknown has been challenging, scary at times but also exhilarating, eye-opening, fascinating and inspiring.""

exhilarating, eye-opening, fascinating and inspiring: that was LOS untill some ten years ago. Now it's mixed emotions.

[thesetat2013]

It would be interesting to know the details about this program in the UK. Is it an exchange program? Are they volunteers? How long are they teaching here for? What is their incentive to come here for this? Without knowing these things its impossible to say its good or bad

Sent from my GT-S5310 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[siampolee]

Not only does the programme enable the development of English speaking and comprehension among Thai students but it also gives English teaching assistants the chance to gain valuable international work experience, learn Thai and integrate into Thai communities.

All this in just 9 weeks, or say ''around 1512 hours as no sleep is taken so as to amass such a vast range of knowledge one presumes.''

Indeed a classic statement worthy of the brothers Grimm and their fairy tales.

[DrLom]

I wonder how many of them can count?

[phosphorescent]

Why are so many of you being negative? They are not here to change the world. They're here to provide students with exposure to a foreign language. Any exposure to the language is a good thing regardless of the duration.

[IMA_FARANG]

As they say, "More lambs to the slaughter".

Or.........

"2 months ago I didn't know what a Thai English teacher was, but now I is one".

Edited September 8, 2014 by IMA_FARANG

[NongKhaiKid]

How long will it take them to realise that the Thai ' English Teacher ' they are assisting isn't translating what they say correctly and only putting over their own interpretation, not the least because the teacher doesn't actually understand ?

[IMA_FARANG]

Why are so many of you being negative? They are not here to change the world. They're here to provide students with exposure to a foreign language. Any exposure to the language is a good thing regardless of the duration.

-----------------------------

I am not being negative, I am just being realistic.

It's like throwing a bunch of non swimmers into a pool.

Some will actually learn to swim, many won't

Not quite the same situation, but as a wet behind the ears farm boy who never had been outside the U.S. at 19 years old I was sent to Vietnam as a "soldier".

But I turned out to be a swimmer, so I'm still in South East Asia over 40 years later.

[garrya]

Why are so many of you being negative? They are not here to change the world. They're here to provide students with exposure to a foreign language. Any exposure to the language is a good thing regardless of the duration.

I don't think 9 weeks is sufficient to teach and learn. It is not even enough to get used to the accent of the teacher. Another program run by crooks. Why not give them a semester to do it??

As you say, it is only exposure with no impact at all.

[metisdead]

A nonsense trolling post has been removed.

[timewilltell]

Maybe some are missing the point - of course it may be me but isn't the idea of the programme to expand the experience of the attendees primarily?

It does have benefits to the Thai schools who get a free 2 months of English tuition free - even though that may be at a rather basic level. Beneficial because the level of a English comprehension here is so abject any native speaking input must be of some benefit.

However I do not think they will be able to do much either teaching much English or learning much Thai but those involved will certainly add to their life experience and get a different perspective of the education systems outside the UK.

All good I think. The bias of the OP does seem a little off and misleading though with the main focus coming across rather blurred.

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa app

[casualbiker]

Why are so many of you being negative? They are not here to change the world. They're here to provide students with exposure to a foreign language. Any exposure to the language is a good thing regardless of the duration.

TEFL teachers do that every week not just for 9. And we are being put through the ringer, many unable to meet the ever changing regulations and rules.

[Robby nz]

The headline says UK Teachers but they are not really teachers are they ?

Possibly one day they will become teachers but then again............

OK any exposure to English they can give kids should be of some benefit but from my experience with the Mr's sisters kids it needs a lot more than a short time in school.

I am no teacher but I found that to get a child to understand how to pronounce an English word you need a basic understanding of Thai and the Thai vowels.

At present the SIL's each have a child of 11 in the same class at the same school, the boy who stayed with us has quite good English skills and can hold a conversation in English while the girl is at the 'good morning, good afternoon' stage and she gets better marks in English because she can copy English words from a book neater than he can, even though she has no idea what she is writing.

[Pib]

"Helen Sunderland, who took part in the scheme in 2013, said: "Stepping into the unknown has been challenging, scary at times but also exhilarating, eye-opening, fascinating and inspiring.""

exhilarating, eye-opening, fascinating and inspiring: that was LOS untill some ten years ago. Now it's mixed emotions.

She was talking about crossing a busy soi in Bangkok.

[apetley]

Why are so many of you being negative? They are not here to change the world. They're here to provide students with exposure to a foreign language. Any exposure to the language is a good thing regardless of the duration.

Some people are cynical for some reason but I'd like to say one of our local schools had a couple of these students last year and their contribution was appreciated by both the young students and staff.

[casualbiker]

Why are so many of you being negative? They are not here to change the world. They're here to provide students with exposure to a foreign language. Any exposure to the language is a good thing regardless of the duration.

Some people are cynical for some reason but I'd like to say one of our local schools had a couple of these students last year and their contribution was appreciated by both the young students and staff.

Would they appreciate a full time TEFL teacher more!

[MrBrad]

This is more of the blue-sky thinking agreed to by the Thai Department of Education. It's folly and hoodwinking for the short-time teachers, and even more so for the Thai students.

Even if the students are astute enough to sort through what's going on, I doubt that any of them would express their annoyance with yet another waste of hours when the time should be dedicated to real teaching and learning.

But, those of us who have spent time in Thai classrooms know that, generally speaking, high expectations and outcomes are not part of the education systems here.

[pomchop]

What a shame the Thai Ministry of Education can't work to develop a program to utilize retired farangs living in Thailand as volunteer English teachers....there is potentially a huge pool of available English speaking people ready willing and able to at least assist in helping kids practice speaking and understanding spoken English...but most are scared off by the ridiculous requirements for work permits required to even volunteer for FREE.

Nine weeks with some UK university kids is better than nothing but what happens when the nine weeks are up and they leave....retired farangs properly organized and utilized could be a major asset to Thai schools.

Edited September 8, 2014 by pomchop

[peterb17]

What a shame the Thai Ministry of Education can't work to develop a program to utilize retired farangs living in Thailand as volunteer English teachers....there is potentially a huge pool of available English speaking people ready willing and able to at least assist in helping kids practice speaking and understanding spoken English...but most are scared off by the ridiculous requirements for work permits required to even volunteer for FREE.

Nine weeks with some UK university kids is better than nothing but what happens when the nine weeks are up and they leave....retired farangs properly organized and utilized could be a major asset to Thai schools.

It can be done 12 members of the Pattaya City Expats Club teach English in local schools, this is done with the agreement of the local authorities, so there is no problem with work permits etc. They do an excellent job.

[indyuk]

Members articles on this news item are very disappointing, and tend to be very negative. The fact is none of the responders seem to understand the project and its objectives which have been agreed both by the Thai sponsors and the UK administrators.

The objective is simple in that the visiting students are to experience the Thi teaching environment and to understand what it takes to be an expat teacher. The goal is to encourage many of the UK post graduates to come to Thailand and teach Thai students professionally within the Thai Education system.

This is not a new event. This years event is the third of a new format launched three years ago.

[casualbiker]

What a shame the Thai Ministry of Education can't work to develop a program to utilize retired farangs living in Thailand as volunteer English teachers....there is potentially a huge pool of available English speaking people ready willing and able to at least assist in helping kids practice speaking and understanding spoken English...but most are scared off by the ridiculous requirements for work permits required to even volunteer for FREE.

Nine weeks with some UK university kids is better than nothing but what happens when the nine weeks are up and they leave....retired farangs properly organized and utilized could be a major asset to Thai schools.

It can be done 12 members of the Pattaya City Expats Club teach English in local schools, this is done with the agreement of the local authorities, so there is no problem with work permits etc. They do an excellent job.

So they DON'T have WP's and are working illegally. I think it's good that they are giving their time. I just get so pissed of with the idiosyncrasies within the system!

[Chicken George]

What a shame the Thai Ministry of Education can't work to develop a program to utilize retired farangs living in Thailand as volunteer English teachers....there is potentially a huge pool of available English speaking people ready willing and able to at least assist in helping kids practice speaking and understanding spoken English...but most are scared off by the ridiculous requirements for work permits required to even volunteer for FREE.

Nine weeks with some UK university kids is better than nothing but what happens when the nine weeks are up and they leave....retired farangs properly organized and utilized could be a major asset to Thai schools.

It can be done 12 members of the Pattaya City Expats Club teach English in local schools, this is done with the agreement of the local authorities, so there is no problem with work permits etc. They do an excellent job.

Would be a good idea to add to the O visa that that if you are from a English speaking country as a first language ten you are able to teach here. It would enable married farangs with children to help supplement their income here. A tefle cert would be needed too.

This would provide I suspect long term teachers too not the usual one year or less short time in Thailand types.

[casualbiker]

Members articles on this news item are very disappointing, and tend to be very negative. The fact is none of the responders seem to understand the project and its objectives which have been agreed both by the Thai sponsors and the UK administrators.

The objective is simple in that the visiting students are to experience the Thi teaching environment and to understand what it takes to be an expat teacher. The goal is to encourage many of the UK post graduates to come to Thailand and teach Thai students professionally within the Thai Education system.

This is not a new event. This years event is the third of a new format launched three years ago.

Right! They honestly think that a new UK teaching graduate will come and work in Thailand at a government school for 40,000b a month... get real!

As it's in its 3rd year how many previous attendees are still here working in government schools .. I would bet NONE!

[rajyindee]

What a shame the Thai Ministry of Education can't work to develop a program to utilize retired farangs living in Thailand as volunteer English teachers....

There's nothing to stop them. Simply do the relevant course, get the correct visa and you're sorted. Easy as 1-2-3.

[pomchop]

What a shame the Thai Ministry of Education can't work to develop a program to utilize retired farangs living in Thailand as volunteer English teachers....there is potentially a huge pool of available English speaking people ready willing and able to at least assist in helping kids practice speaking and understanding spoken English...but most are scared off by the ridiculous requirements for work permits required to even volunteer for FREE.

Nine weeks with some UK university kids is better than nothing but what happens when the nine weeks are up and they leave....retired farangs properly organized and utilized could be a major asset to Thai schools.

It can be done 12 members of the Pattaya City Expats Club teach English in local schools, this is done with the agreement of the local authorities, so there is no problem with work permits etc. They do an excellent job.

Yes it can and is done in quite a few schools either with or without local authorities permission....but there are many more farangs who I know would be happy to volunteer at least a few days a week but are afraid of even attempting to help because of fear of repercussions from no work permit.

Some always hype the negatives about no training, different farang accents, etc etc...but frankly most of the Thai kids I have observed first hand in rural public schools the last thing to worry about is accents. They need interaction with the spoken English word. Many/most of them have literally no interaction with farangs and are very shy about trying to actually have a conversation no matter how basic with an English speaker. Most of their Thai English teachers rarely speak with them in English.

In my experience many of the kids actually know quite a bit of English in terms of reading or writing but there is pretty much zero emphasis on the speaking/understanding of the spoken word.

If you can get the kids to speak or understand ANY accent they are generally light years ahead of speaking /understanding NO English.

[smotherb]

What a shame the Thai Ministry of Education can't work to develop a program to utilize retired farangs living in Thailand as volunteer English teachers....there is potentially a huge pool of available English speaking people ready willing and able to at least assist in helping kids practice speaking and understanding spoken English...but most are scared off by the ridiculous requirements for work permits required to even volunteer for FREE.

Nine weeks with some UK university kids is better than nothing but what happens when the nine weeks are up and they leave....retired farangs properly organized and utilized could be a major asset to Thai schools.

Please, quit applying logic; it disrupts the status quo.