Farangs need to pass "Thainess" course to get teacher license

[Johnny S]

"Thainess course" .... They need to learn how to scam, steal, rape, kill, drive like a moron etc. etc. etc. ?

[micmichd]

We have required them to take this course because Thai culture and theirs are completely different, he says."

Yes, farangs eat bread and Thais eat rice and sticky rice

[micmichd]

Thais don't bash their hosts.

[gandalf12]

Good, If I am wrong please tell me, How the hell can a teacher teach English to Thais,without speaking Thai themselves?

Also are they tested for their accent? I would not like my child to learn English in a East London,,,Birminham,,, Geordie accent.

A friend from Germany learnt all his English in Wales,when he was salmon fishing (he visited for 20 years ) He now speaks english with

a Welsh accent,and they take the piss out of him daily in Hannover

There are courses in the UK that teach Thai. Mostly aimed at people who will come into Thai's every day in their job. People like in the embassy will have to deal with a lot of Thais and English.

These courses are from what I understand for 3 months and not a word of English is spoken the entire time. They work on the principle of immersion which is very effective but very difficult at first

[lildragon]

Ahh the Thai education system. Where your kids cannot fail, kids lacking the ability being put into the English program because their parents pay more, the actual education coming second to ENDLESS shows and awards ceremonies to impress some judges that are just looking for the biggest pay off anyway.

Before I get called up on 'Thai bashing' I have worked in Thai schools for the last 5 1/2 years. It really is that laughable. Most kids don't care cos they know they can't fail and most parents don't care (in my middle class school anyway) about results as long as their kid is 'seen' being in the advanced programs.

And kids with special needs, I feel sorry for them the most. Shoved into this rigid system and shunned. Thai education needs stripping out and redone top to bottom. Looks like it won't happen though as now foreign teachers have to learn 'Thainess' in order be a part of this complete farce.

[otherstuff1957]

the course is a must even to foreigners who have already got a teacher’s license from their home country.

“For those who have already been a licensed teacher in their homeland, they take just the 21-hour course. For those who have never got a license from their homeland, they must take a longer course,” Paitoon explains.

He adds that the longer course covers a total of 42 hours, with content spanning from Thainess, to Thai laws, to Thai education concepts, to Thai educational psychology, and to educational evaluation.

Paitoon says in the past, only two universities were authorized to conduct such courses. However, the TCT has now decided to make these courses available at more facilities.

“Other universities should contact the TCT now if they want to organize such courses. They can even arrange the training in collaboration with schools,” he says.

While I enjoy laughing at the ignorant buffoons who run the TCT as much as the next man, reading between the lines, this is actually good news for foreign teachers in Thailand.

Thai teachers who are not grandmothered into their positions are now required to have B.Ed.s or a B.A./B.S. plus one year of post-graduate study in Education. The TCT decided that foreign teachers should be held to the same standards. However, outside of the International Schools, few teachers had a degree in Education. Indeed, quite a few had no degree at all.

For Thai teachers, this was not a huge issue, as they could spend a year studying at their local Ratchapat and fulfill the new requirements quickly and cheaply. For foreigners, however, the equivalent post-grad or Masters degree would be quite expensive, usually about 200-300K baht or more. Also, if a foreigner spent a year or so earning a Thai M.Ed, they would have spent all of that time and money for a degree that would be worthless outside of Thailand. Online degrees from the US or UK are better, but may or may not be recognized by the TCT!

All this was not really a problem for the majority of teachers, as the TCT would hand out 2 or 3 consecutive 2 year waivers to any teacher who could produce any BA or BS. As many teachers only teach here for a year or two, the waivers were sufficient. The foreign teachers who really have their nuts in a vise out this are the men married to Thai women who have been here for several years and wish to stay. Those fellows with no degree at all are, quite frankly, out of luck. Those of us with degrees in other fields have been saving out pennies and frantically sharing tips about various online MEd or PGCSi programs and debating the legality of certain MA TEFL courses.

If this article is true, and "those who have never got a license from their homeland, .. must take a longer course,” , I, for one would happily study for "a total of 42 hours" to learn " Thainess, ... Thai laws, to Thai education concepts, to Thai educational psychology, and to educational evaluation". as opposed to spending a year online or in some stuffy meeting room earning an M.Ed. of questionable value for much more money!

I can find no mention of this anywhere else. Not on the TCT website, nor the education sub-forum, nor any of the competing forums. What is the source of this news and is it indeed true?

[attento]

21 hours, can't be much to learn about Thainess.

How much is there to learn

[The manic]

IELTS not TOEIC....a real language test

[Rhys]

How much is to learn about Poontang U..

[TallPalm]

It really isn't the place to be getting touchy about grammar either.

Considering that this article relates to teaching English, then I believe it does.

[Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere]

They are hoping this is the straw that breaks the camel's back or in this case the test that breaks the teacher's back. Just more bull from an unelected government. What do you expect? So smile and take their stupid test or go somewhere where you are really needed and welcomed. Why take abuse unless you have no choice than to grin and bear it. I have a PhD but would never waste my time teaching here. If I teach it would be in a country where students have a hunger for education but can't afford it. Before a teacher was one who was given respect in Thai society but lately that respect has faded.

[Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere]

They need to leave teachers to do teaching. The money for this test should be spent Thainess testing the rude Chinese tourists that come here. Their pockets are deeper than an English teacher's.

[Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere]

I'm waiting for someone to actually take this test and post it. Maybe the course will cover How To Avoid Thai Women Money Scams. Of course that would take up the whole 21 hours.

[AjarnDara]

Any other suggestions? You obviously feel that your on a different level to everyone else. Could you perhaps come up with a plan for world peace while your at it!

you're ... not 'your' - the possessive pronoun - thank you for proving his point about degrees not meaning a person knows English.

[otherstuff1957]

There is no other reference to this anywhere else on the internet. I rather suspect that his most high worshipful excellency the Prof. Dr. Paiboon was just thinking out loud and our intrepid reporters thought that he was discussing actual real official plans.

Edited February 15, 2015 by otherstuff1957

[The manic]

It's a form of cross cultural sensitivity training : very fashionable in the 90s. However,well researched theories indicate the culture of the target language is more important than the teachers ' commitment to the culture of their host culture as long as they avoid offensive blunders. That is why Thais are poor language learners. .they have a very blinkered view of the world and little interest in the culture of other places.

[off road pat]

the only good thing about threads like these are some of the replies

some are very funny and some just hit that nail.

so my 25 stang

i can not follow any traffic laws or driver consideration

i can find way to do as little as possible whilst appearing reup roi

i can throw litter

i can use skin whitening

i can 'practice' Buddhism while been as materialistic as possible

i could, if need be barely speak english and still teach grammar out of a book

shirely thats already 50%

and considering the no fail policy

yey i've already passed

what should i wear at the presentation ceremony?

This one is just to good......!!!!...you just hit the nail.....!!! 555555

[nodomino]

Apparently this is an attempt to inculcate into native English speakers a reticence to describe a thing by saying it cannot be described, let alone be spoken. This is all very Thai.

[connda]

So we have yet another hoop to jumo through, with very little detail of costs etc, it is hard to see how attending a course on 'Thainess ' will improve the situation. Lately I have been trying to find out about the course, but as yet this year NONE are being held, but as that wonderful office in Bangkok insists on sending out letters to those that can teach with the requirement of a pass on this course, no course no letter or should I say no licence no letter with one fell swoop thay will denude Thailand of many many qualified teachers because they haven't taken a test they have not held.

Thsi is typical Thai logic and will not further their educational qualifications when even a professor is spouting complete nonsense, Ever since ASEAN decided English would be the 'lingua franca' of ASEAN, Thailand has done very little to address the shortfall of GOOD English teachers and this is yet another nail in the coffin. They do not like being told what to do and their ( Thailands ) failure to address the problem will leave their workforce with distinct disadvantages.

BUT the so-called educated elite fail to see that, rather follow the party line that Thainess is far more important than educational expertise.

I'll sum your post up. It's called 'Thainess'. There! You didn't even have to take a 21 hour course, and you just nailed it right smack on the head. Kudos!!!

[connda]

Thailand is already weak at English and they are screaming for more foreign teachers, WHY ARE THEY DOING THIS! they've totally lost their marbles.

they should get someone who speaks English and is motivated and give him a 42 hour speedcourse how to teach without a lesson in "thainess" or need for paperwork if they want more teachers. They are digging a grave for Thailand.

Nothings changed since I arrived in 2550. FUBARed then; FUBARed now. Actually, if anything, it's worse. ASEAN is gonna be the quinessential 'wake-up' call, and Thailand is gonna be caught napping with their pants around their ankles.

Boo hoo. Go hire a 22 year old backpacker fresh out of uni that's never taugh a day in they're life, and doesn't plan to teach any longer than their own narrow attention span. Best of luck LOS. See how far 'Thainess' gets you in the global business community, especially when the best you can speak is broken pidgin English.

[connda]

It's a culture course, not a language course. There should be no requirement to speak Thai if you're teaching English, in fact the classroom should have a strict "English only" rule to be effective. Your GF's son's teacher may indeed be hopeless, but it may be more to do with the students than the teacher!

What a load of crap,,,,Try and get a teaching job in the UK or Germany without being able to speak the local lingo. Just trying to keep your job?

TEFL teachers work throughout Europe without the need to speak the local language. Every school I have worked in has forbidden me from speaking Thai with the children.

I gotta admit, that's pretty tough, especially when the only language that 98% of those kid's speak is Thai. Sure, they can say, "Hello Teacher.", but then again, so can both my dogs. What a joke. The only way I can get a 'level one' rank beginner Thai speaker with no English language skills actually conversing in English is to explain English grammatical and pronunciation concepts using the Thai language. If you can't read, write, and speak Thai to get the base concepts across to students who are functionally English illiterate, you're just adding to the problem. Like I said before, nothing is going to change until Thailand starts to loose major large chunks of market share to countries who can run their business units using English as their base language. Hubris and nationalism. What a waste.

Edited February 15, 2015 by connda

[cumgranosalum]

IELTS not TOEIC....a real language test

s is why TOEIC is no longer recognised for visas in UK?????

Edited February 16, 2015 by cumgranosalum

[cumgranosalum]

Thailand is already weak at English and they are screaming for more foreign teachers, WHY ARE THEY DOING THIS! they've totally lost their marbles.

they should get someone who speaks English and is motivated and give him a 42 hour speedcourse how to teach without a lesson in "thainess" or need for paperwork if they want more teachers. They are digging a grave for Thailand.

Nothings changed since I arrived in 2550. FUBARed then; FUBARed now. Actually, if anything, it's worse. ASEAN is gonna be the quinessential 'wake-up' call, and Thailand is gonna be caught napping with their pants around their ankles.

Boo hoo. Go hire a 22 year old backpacker fresh out of uni that's never taugh a day in they're life, and doesn't plan to teach any longer than their own narrow attention span. Best of luck LOS. See how far 'Thainess' gets you in the global business community, especially when the best you can speak is broken pidgin English.

ASEAN is gonna be the quinessential 'wake-up' call, and Thailand is gonna be caught napping with their pants around their ankles." - talk about mixing metaphors!

[claffey]

I hope it covers subjects like how to extort extra cash from children by forcing them to buy books from only them, how to pull kids hair, beat them with sticks, making bottle rockets, lighting fires in the playground and how to get the kids to jump through them without being too badly burned, forcing them to walk around all day at school without shoes but with socks until the socks are just rags-this really should be interesting indeed! The farangs will truly learn a lot, imagine the skills that they could take back to their home country after leaving here, the wealth of knowledge gained in Thailand, the hub of 3rd rate education!

If you knew anything about Thailand you would know that wearing shoes indoors is considered dirty. I have to agree with this. All sorts of dirt is carried on our shoes...

[claffey]

This is extremely important in international schools!

Ah yes it is quite important actually. Would you believe that many students in the International schools are actually Thai!! Shocking isn't it....

[claffey]

Thainess , so come 2 hours too late , play with your telephone the whole time , let somebody else do the work while drinking laokao , pay official in charge to give you the paper ?

I can't imagine the outcry of all the hurt hearts in LOS if the government of my home country would make it mandatory for Thai-restaurant owners to pass a test in basic western hygiene standards, social etiquette, the country's culture without superstition, greed, scams and corruption attempts. Maybe it's time for a petition.

I'm pretty sure your home country already requires all restaurants to have a certain standard of hygiene. Many European governments now require immigrants to pass an English language exam in order to obtain permission to remain.. Imagine if Thailand required all falang to pass a language test...?????

[brewsterbudgen]

It's a culture course, not a language course. There should be no requirement to speak Thai if you're teaching English, in fact the classroom should have a strict "English only" rule to be effective. Your GF's son's teacher may indeed be hopeless, but it may be more to do with the students than the teacher!

What a load of crap,,,,Try and get a teaching job in the UK or Germany without being able to speak the local lingo. Just trying to keep your job?

TEFL teachers work throughout Europe without the need to speak the local language. Every school I have worked in has forbidden me from speaking Thai with the children.

I gotta admit, that's pretty tough, especially when the only language that 98% of those kid's speak is Thai. Sure, they can say, "Hello Teacher.", but then again, so can both my dogs. What a joke. The only way I can get a 'level one' rank beginner Thai speaker with no English language skills actually conversing in English is to explain English grammatical and pronunciation concepts using the Thai language. If you can't read, write, and speak Thai to get the base concepts across to students who are functionally English illiterate, you're just adding to the problem. Like I said before, nothing is going to change until Thailand starts to loose major large chunks of market share to countries who can run their business units using English as their base language. Hubris and nationalism. What a waste.

Take a TEFL course and you will learn how to do it.

[Soutpeel]

Thainess , so come 2 hours too late , play with your telephone the whole time , let somebody else do the work while drinking laokao , pay official in charge to give you the paper ?

I can't imagine the outcry of all the hurt hearts in LOS if the government of my home country would make it mandatory for Thai-restaurant owners to pass a test in basic western hygiene standards, social etiquette, the country's culture without superstition, greed, scams and corruption attempts. Maybe it's time for a petition.

I'm pretty sure your home country already requires all restaurants to have a certain standard of hygiene. Many European governments now require immigrants to pass an English language exam in order to obtain permission to remain.. Imagine if Thailand required all falang to pass a language test...?????

The key difference is 99.99% of farangs in Thailand are not immigrant's, if they change the law to require all "tourist's" to take a Thai language test then yes, I take your point

[brewsterbudgen]

Thainess , so come 2 hours too late , play with your telephone the whole time , let somebody else do the work while drinking laokao , pay official in charge to give you the paper ?

I can't imagine the outcry of all the hurt hearts in LOS if the government of my home country would make it mandatory for Thai-restaurant owners to pass a test in basic western hygiene standards, social etiquette, the country's culture without superstition, greed, scams and corruption attempts. Maybe it's time for a petition.

I'm pretty sure your home country already requires all restaurants to have a certain standard of hygiene. Many European governments now require immigrants to pass an English language exam in order to obtain permission to remain.. Imagine if Thailand required all falang to pass a language test...?????

The key difference is 99.99% of farangs in Thailand are not immigrant's, if they change the law to require all "tourist's" to take a Thai language test then yes, I take your point

And I believe in order to immigrate properly to Thailand, it is necessary to be able to speak/write Thai?

[The manic]

It's a culture course, not a language course. There should be no requirement to speak Thai if you're teaching English, in fact the classroom should have a strict "English only" rule to be effective. Your GF's son's teacher may indeed be hopeless, but it may be more to do with the students than the teacher!

What a load of crap,,,,Try and get a teaching job in the UK or Germany without being able to speak the local lingo. Just trying to keep your job?

TEFL teachers work throughout Europe without the need to speak the local language. Every school I have worked in has forbidden me from speaking Thai with the children.

I gotta admit, that's pretty tough, especially when the only language that 98% of those kid's speak is Thai. Sure, they can say, "Hello Teacher.", but then again, so can both my dogs. What a joke. The only way I can get a 'level one' rank beginner Thai speaker with no English language skills actually conversing in English is to explain English grammatical and pronunciation concepts using the Thai language. If you can't read, write, and speak Thai to get the base concepts across to students who are functionally English illiterate, you're just adding to the problem. Like I said before, nothing is going to change until Thailand starts to loose major large chunks of market share to countries who can run their business units using English as their base language. Hubris and nationalism. What a waste.

I can confirm that EFL/ESOL teachers never speak the learners' language. Imagine if you are teaching a mixed nationality group in the UK or USA. Would the teacher have to speak 12 different languages? As for mono lingual,classes, no the 'L1' is rarely used.