Teachers give their opinions on something related to teaching in Thailand

[pinkpanther99]

Here's an interesting article on the Ajarn site that I thought was worth sharing:

Teachers give their opinions on something related to teaching in Thailand

OK, here's a very serious question to all you teachers out there. I want you to look into your crystal balls. What changes do you see as regards teaching in Thailand over the next five years?

I think it's a given that salaries won't increase that much (or you may well disagree with that statement) but what other changes might there be? (you guys know better than me because you're in the front line)

Will Filipino teachers or other ASEAN nationalities be filling more positions here? Will ASEAN make a difference at all? Will schools that find it hard to recruit teachers just simply give up? Will the short-term volunteer / gap year teacher become more popular? Let us know what you think.

here is the rest of the article - http://www.ajarn.com/ajarn-street/articles/the-burning-question-june-2015

[pinkpanther99]

Personally, I doubt much will change - unless the Thai education system itself has a complete overhaul.

I hear that EFL teaching in Thailand has changed little over the past decade and it hasn't changed all that much in the 5 years or so I've been here. Salaries and conditions have pretty much remained the same in that time.

Edit to add - unless ASEAN AEC will result in an influx of more teachers from south east Asia on lower wages than the native English speakers.

However, generally speaking, even though the players may change, the game will still remain the same.

Edited June 5, 2015 by pinkpanther99

[user82374298374]

I'm not a teacher, but nothing will change.

[silent]

I'm not a teacher, but nothing will change.

You can't be serious nothing will change. Wan't it only yesterday Thailand was Siam and hardly anybody could speak English or even understand enough to comprehend a complete thought.

Give yourself a shake. Nobody has any problem saying walkt or talkt instead of walkEd, talkEd and us normal earthlings just have to learn how to mind melt.

[duanebigsby]

If they don't address the waiver and licensing system, only allowing 4 years teaching without a B.Ed., a lot will change as they'll only get transient native speakers.

[LecheHombre]

I predict something like this:

[Davekavo]

Are they verifying ba degrees or still turning a blind eye.I have been offered so many teaching positions with out a ttyl or ba one government school was going to issue me with a fake degree from Australia I bottled out don't want to spend time in monkey hose for fraud.any thoughts on this subject.

[zeichen]

I hope that you have permission from ajarn dot com to post their information on a competitors website. I also imagine the link will soon disappear.

[thesetat2013]

Are they verifying ba degrees or still turning a blind eye.I have been offered so many teaching positions with out a ttyl or ba one government school was going to issue me with a fake degree from Australia I bottled out don't want to spend time in monkey hose for fraud.any thoughts on this subject.

They are looking online to see if your graduating university is accredited only.

There will be many changes coming from the ministry of education. New curriculum should have already started like the one PM wanted to teach his morals, ethics, and values based on Buddhism. Expect many more as to such.

However, the schools will be just as slow to make any changes the ministry wants if it means costing them more money or losing students. So don't expect much happening on the school level.

[Mudcrab]

Hopefully the standard of teachers will improve.

All I have read is how poor the standard of English is with the students and many excuses of how it is hard to teach.

Not sure all the students are incapable of learning.

Not so sure about the teachers abilities.

[Mudcrab]

Are they verifying ba degrees or still turning a blind eye.I have been offered so many teaching positions with out a ttyl or ba one government school was going to issue me with a fake degree from Australia I bottled out don't want to spend time in monkey hose for fraud.any thoughts on this subject.

Obviously it wasn't in English.

[elgordo38]

Hopefully the standard of teachers will improve.

All I have read is how poor the standard of English is with the students and many excuses of how it is hard to teach.

Not sure all the students are incapable of learning.

Not so sure about the teachers abilities.

My friend teaches English voluntarily in Lamphun. He often questions why he bothers to waste his time. Most students are sleeping or on their mobiles. The braver ones just do not show up. He said he is lucky if he is reaching 20% of the students present.

[Mudcrab]

Hopefully the standard of teachers will improve.

All I have read is how poor the standard of English is with the students and many excuses of how it is hard to teach.

Not sure all the students are incapable of learning.

Not so sure about the teachers abilities.

My friend teaches English voluntarily in Lamphun. He often questions why he bothers to waste his time. Most students are sleeping or on their mobiles. The braver ones just do not show up. He said he is lucky if he is reaching 20% of the students present.

Understand what you are saying....but he is not a teacher in the purest sense. A teacher will/should know how to engage and and instil the desire to learn.

Anything else is just an excuse.

The teaching profession has,unfortunately been hijacked by the pc brigade and the unions with the result that that the teachers have become more important than the students if you know what I mean, particularly by the "NES" imports who have brought their attitudes with them.

[duanebigsby]

Hopefully the standard of teachers will improve.

All I have read is how poor the standard of English is with the students and many excuses of how it is hard to teach.

Not sure all the students are incapable of learning.

Not so sure about the teachers abilities.

You obviously don't understand that it is the system that is broken in Thailand as you constantly blame the teacher.

You are always harping about qualifications, insisting on B.Ed. degrees.

In the west you can teach English as a second language in language schools, community centres, church run classes, and gov't centres with a TEFL.

Why should there be more stringent rules here?

You have never stepped inside a Thai school but always slam the teachers.

Ideal situation for English language, classes of 25 kids max and about 6 hours a week.

Thailand, 1 hour 40 minutes a week with up to 60 kids in a class. How do you keep 60 kids focused?

Thai schools have notoriously undisciplined schools, no fails, no repercussions for poor performance or behavior, and many students have zero percent

interest in learning English.

In spite of all this we do reach many students and I have many I would consider adequate and some near fluent, with a desire to learn.

Someone who has never tried teaching in Thailand should shut up about it. Quit blaming the teachers when you know bugger all about the system!!!

[duanebigsby]

Hopefully the standard of teachers will improve.

All I have read is how poor the standard of English is with the students and many excuses of how it is hard to teach.

Not sure all the students are incapable of learning.

Not so sure about the teachers abilities.

My friend teaches English voluntarily in Lamphun. He often questions why he bothers to waste his time. Most students are sleeping or on their mobiles. The braver ones just do not show up. He said he is lucky if he is reaching 20% of the students present.

Understand what you are saying....but he is not a teacher in the purest sense. A teacher will/should know how to engage and and instil the desire to learn.

Anything else is just an excuse.

The teaching profession has,unfortunately been hijacked by the pc brigade and the unions with the result that that the teachers have become more important than the students if you know what I mean, particularly by the "NES" imports who have brought their attitudes with them.

So he's meant to engage up to 60 kids who have never been disciplined and have no desire to learn English? That's his fault is it?

[lostinisaan]

So he's meant to engage up to 60 kids who have never been disciplined and have no desire to learn English? That's his fault is it?

I had 55 kids in M 1, but I had most of them in grade six, so it was much easier to deal with.

40 degrees hot, 55 kids, no fan, many of them just don't want to learn English. Some are on the phone, "playing facebook", some sleep, etc..

A lot of them do not respect foreigners, who're married to Thai women, because they believe that these guys have all met their wives in bars.

Then add some "hormonal changes" and you're confronted with the reality in a Thai classroom.

Not in an ESL classroom, doing your TEFL course.......

I'd love to see such a super teacher who keeps all of them interested in learning English. hour by hour, day by day, week by week...

Happy weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

Edited June 5, 2015 by lostinisaan

[johninbkk71]

Hopefully the standard of teachers will improve.

All I have read is how poor the standard of English is with the students and many excuses of how it is hard to teach.

Not sure all the students are incapable of learning.

Not so sure about the teachers abilities.

Ever tried to teach 50 kids in one classroom to speak English?

[duanebigsby]

So he's meant to engage up to 60 kids who have never been disciplined and have no desire to learn English? That's his fault is it?

I had 55 kids in M 1, but I had most of them in grade six, so it was much easier to deal with.

40 degrees hot, 55 kids, no fan, many of them just don't want to learn English. Some are on the phone, "playing facebook", some sleep, etc..

A lot of them do not respect foreigners, who're married to Thai women, because they believe that these guys have all met their wives in bars.

Then add some "hormonal changes" and you're confronted with the reality in a Thai classroom.

Not in an ESL classroom, doing your TEFL course.......

I'd love to see such a super teacher who keeps all of them interested in learning English. our by hour, day by day, week by week....

And I've got 15 to 20 students of the 55 listening, speaking and interested in learning. I think we really are teaching to 25-30% of the students.I'm happy with that. I taught m5 last year and the m6 teacher is happy how motivated they seem to be. Maybe I got them interested, I hope so.

[Colabamumbai]

The schools are bringing in more Chinese teachers in Isaan paying them less and hiring less native English teachers.

Why in the world would Thai students want to learn English?

I was teaching 9 yes 9 subjects, 6 of them computer subjects at college level, all the books are in Thai and the school knew that I could not read or write Thai, yet I speak and understand most of it, having being to a Thai school in Bangkok.

The college refused to give me a wage increase from 28,000 and would not sign a new contract although they would keep paying me. Am a Native Canadian English speaker and educator.

The educational system in Thailand is a sad commentary., but then so many things here are.

From Kalasin Isaan.

[Colabamumbai]

The schools are bringing in more Chinese teachers in Isaan paying them less and hiring less native English teachers.

Why in the world would Thai students want to learn English?

I was teaching 9 yes 9 subjects, 6 of them computer subjects at college level, all the books are in Thai and the school knew that I could not read or write Thai, yet I speak and understand most of it, having being to a Thai school in Bangkok.

The college refused to give me a wage increase from 28,000 and would not sign a new contract although they would keep paying me. Am a Native Canadian English speaker and educator.

The educational system in Thailand is a sad commentary., but then so many things here are.

From Kalasin Isaan.

[mogo51]

I am not a teacher, but my gf is a Filipino, with dual teaching degress Maths/English, Batchelor of Ed. She has more than 20 years teaching experience,

12 in Philippines, 8 in Thailand. How is that regarded by the Thai Education System - simply zero.

She works at a Government School in Pattaya and is treated very poorly by the Thai School system. She is poorly paid, far less than 10k bht monthly to

what an unqualified Native Speaker is paid, who may have done a 6 week TEFL course or similar, has no idea of teaching, you do not make a teacher in

6 weeks - she spent 4 years and has very sound teaching skills.

She is well liked by her students and teaches allegedly ''smart' and advanced students. All for a miserable salary and constant harassment by 'racist' Thais.

She is lucky if she gets a 1% increase a year, that does not even cover the cost of her transport costs for the month. But she does not complain and is a

professional teacher and I have great admiration for her committment to her chosen profession. She has many other Filipino teachers who suffer the same

sort of treatment.

If funds indeed findto their way into the system rather than being scammed, then this will give some positive changes,, that will be a good thing for Thailand. But they have to clear up the corruption within the Educations system - they appear to be trying to do this in all areas.

Modernisation of the cirriculum is essential from what I gather from her. An understanding of the global teaching methods and their introduction is also

necessary.

There are many bright students that my gf encounters and they are the light for the future Thailand, but strong and honest management is essential - good luck with that one!

[lostinisaan]

So he's meant to engage up to 60 kids who have never been disciplined and have no desire to learn English? That's his fault is it?

I had 55 kids in M 1, but I had most of them in grade six, so it was much easier to deal with.

40 degrees hot, 55 kids, no fan, many of them just don't want to learn English. Some are on the phone, "playing facebook", some sleep, etc..

A lot of them do not respect foreigners, who're married to Thai women, because they believe that these guys have all met their wives in bars.

Then add some "hormonal changes" and you're confronted with the reality in a Thai classroom.

Not in an ESL classroom, doing your TEFL course.......

I'd love to see such a super teacher who keeps all of them interested in learning English. our by hour, day by day, week by week....

And I've got 15 to 20 students of the 55 listening, speaking and interested in learning. I think we really are teaching to 25-30% of the students.I'm happy with that. I taught m5 last year and the m6 teacher is happy how motivated they seem to be. Maybe I got them interested, I hope so.

Just in my humble opinion. The average of kids who really want to learn English is between three to seven kids per class.

Edited June 5, 2015 by lostinisaan

[duanebigsby]

I am not a teacher, but my gf is a Filipino, with dual teaching degress Maths/English, Batchelor of Ed. She has more than 20 years teaching experience,

12 in Philippines, 8 in Thailand. How is that regarded by the Thai Education System - simply zero.

She works at a Government School in Pattaya and is treated very poorly by the Thai School system. She is poorly paid, far less than 10k bht monthly to

what an unqualified Native Speaker is paid, who may have done a 6 week TEFL course or similar, has no idea of teaching, you do not make a teacher in

6 weeks - she spent 4 years and has very sound teaching skills.

She is well liked by her students and teaches allegedly ''smart' and advanced students. All for a miserable salary and constant harassment by 'racist' Thais.

She is lucky if she gets a 1% increase a year, that does not even cover the cost of her transport costs for the month. But she does not complain and is a

professional teacher and I have great admiration for her committment to her chosen profession. She has many other Filipino teachers who suffer the same

sort of treatment.

If funds indeed findto their way into the system rather than being scammed, then this will give some positive changes,, that will be a good thing for Thailand. But they have to clear up the corruption within the Educations system - they appear to be trying to do this in all areas.

Modernisation of the cirriculum is essential from what I gather from her. An understanding of the global teaching methods and their introduction is also

necessary.

There are many bright students that my gf encounters and they are the light for the future Thailand, but strong and honest management is essential - good luck with that one!

It's an unfortunate reality.

The schools sell Native speakers even though many people from the Philippines speak with no accent. Many have horrible accents.

I repeat you don't need more than a TEFL to teach English to non speakers. Just because she has a B.Ed. does not make her a good teacher and me a bad one. I'm not teaching Math. But I agree the teachers from the Philippines and Africa and India who speak good English are treated less fairly.

Insinuating I can't teach because she has a Education degree isn't right either.

[slappy]

So he's meant to engage up to 60 kids who have never been disciplined and have no desire to learn English? That's his fault is it?

I had 55 kids in M 1, but I had most of them in grade six, so it was much easier to deal with.

40 degrees hot, 55 kids, no fan, many of them just don't want to learn English. Some are on the phone, "playing facebook", some sleep, etc..

A lot of them do not respect foreigners, who're married to Thai women, because they believe that these guys have all met their wives in bars.

Then add some "hormonal changes" and you're confronted with the reality in a Thai classroom.

Not in an ESL classroom, doing your TEFL course.......

I'd love to see such a super teacher who keeps all of them interested in learning English. hour by hour, day by day, week by week...

Happy weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

Have to disagree to what you say, I teach in a government high school in Udon Thani Province, I teach M1, M2, M4 and M6 responsible for 600 students whom I teach once per week and a total of 18 lessons per week.

It all depends on your ability on how to teach, on how to manage your different levels of classes and how to manage each individual student in each class. At the beginning of the new school year all my new students in M1 are informed of my rules of what is allowed and what is not allowed.

which are 1, Try to speak English first in class, 2, listen to teacher, 3, listen to each other, 4, Try to ask questions 5, let's have fun and try try try 6, no phones can be used in lesson time and finally students are allowed to be late to up 5 min and no more.

With these rules and 6 years experience teaching here and in total 30 years experience teaching teenagers and adults. I have found that I have nearly 100% in attendance in every class, nearly 100% completion of home work, with M2 being the worst age group to manage, with attendance and homework dropping to about 95% for attendance and 90% homework. And even though I allow them to be up to 5 minutes late, only the odd one or two are late. Most are waiting for me, and I allows make sure I am on time.

I find at my school, I have nearly total respect from all the student. In fact I get more respect from the students, than I do from some of the Thai teachers! and yes I am married to a Thai, who is assistant Director of a school in another province and has never worked in a bar.

[connda]

I wrote this reply to a friend of mine who has a vested interest in education here in Thailand. It was part of a personal conversation regarding my own insights with the Thai education system, but as it specifically applies to teaching foreigner the Thai Language. Any references to the school or teachers have been removed:

<In this Thai Language school> Level 1 through 2 are a lot of 'rote' learning, and duly so. I believe there is a place for rote learning, and at the beginning levels of studying Thai - to pronounce the tones correctly, to enunciate correctly, to understand the base meanings of the words correctly - yeah, I'm fine with the technique. That doesn't mean I wouldn't 'tweak' it - I would, but I'm fine with it too.

But here is where the 'rubber meets the road'. I've got, many 400 hours of university level eduction training in teaching mythologies and curriculum development, in both educational and kinaesthetic learning techniques. I look at all curriculum and teaching methodologies through the lens of my own learning. Does this make me bias? Yes and no. I can be biased in the sense that I accept some teaching methodologies as effective, whereas other can be improved, or for that matter, tossed all together. Well, doesn't that make me the same as Thai educators? Am I biased by the teaching methodologies I've learned? No, I don't believe so. I'm not indoctrinated into one teaching methodology. I seek to change my methodologies to improve my technique. Thais educators, from my experience, are indoctrinated into one methodology of teaching that I personally view as -- really ineffective. Rote learning or some variation of that method, along with emphasizing certain nationalistic and cultural values over actually learning a set of educational curricula. What I've seen in Thai education is that, once in the groove, educators are under immense pressure not to change; and under no circumstances, to rock the boat, to break new ground, or to go off the beaten track. That's reinforced from the top down.

Bluntly: What I've experience at the educational institutions I've attended is a linear teaching modality. What's that in human terms? All the teachers teach the same. And the methodology is basically, rote-repetitive learning. Now, is it an effective learning modality? Personally, in learning the tonal Thai language, I believe at the very basic levels of understanding the tonalities of the Thai Language that are introduced in the most basic level -- maybe. Level 1 for sure. Maybe Level 2. Level 3? Time to move to a different teaching modality in my own opinion.

I quit learning at the school I was at after about 20 weeks of instruction. My last instructor, who by the way is working on her Master's dissertation in Education, was following the tried and true path: Rote repetition of vocabulary. Rote repetition of sentence structure. Rote repetition of example sentences. Rote repetition of conversations (here is about the only place we interact with other 'partners' in class to practice in a very simple rote repetition of the written conversation. And.....back to rote repetition of vocabulary in the next chapter. Wash, rinse, and repeat. But, take an individual like her, and have her complete a CELTA course, and maybe the entire modality could be changed. From what I can see, most Thai educators have never been exposed to actually hands-on teaching techniques.

Simply put: I was bored out of my freaking mind after 20 weeks of instruction,, and I finally just quit in the middle of the term! I can get more out of studying on a computer and talking to my Thai neighbors.

And sadly, each instructor at the school I attended teaches the same classes again, and again, and again -- like that's going to improve their technique. In my own opinion, it reinforces mediocrity.

My own teaching methodologies have been formed my a willingness to constantly reflect and change. If a technique works, I use it; if not, modify or discard it. But my teaching always is adapted to my students and my classes, of which, in the schools that I taught in, always changed.

In Thailand, education is tied at the hip with the patronage system, with increasing one's personal status, and has about nothing to do with actually attempting to educate a future generation of students to meet the demands of a globalize world. And personally, I don't care. I've given up on the system.

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.

[lostoday]

The average soi dog in Pattaya can understand 175 words in English.

Sooner or later someone will realize this and conform the English teaching system to the soi dog model.

Day one

"Say your name and address in English"

"Alli na?"

"No lunch for you today"

Day two.

"Say your name and address in English"

"My name is Somchai Pornpimple and I live on Soi Six.

"Enjoy your Somtom"

The possibilities are endless

You guys think I'm kidding? I could have every kid in the country speaking English in 6 months.

[zeichen]

""No lunch for you today""

I know that you are being sarcastic, but really negative reinforcement isn't a way to educate anyone properly.

[lostoday]

""No lunch for you today""

I know that you are being sarcastic, but really negative reinforcement isn't a way to educate anyone properly.

When they know the words they get to eat and that is positive reinforcement. And besides the current English education system really sucks. Positive and negative reinforcement might be worth trying.

[connda]

I'm not a teacher, but nothing will change.

You can't be serious nothing will change. Wan't it only yesterday Thailand was Siam and hardly anybody could speak English or even understand enough to comprehend a complete thought.

Give yourself a shake. Nobody has any problem saying walkt or talkt instead of walkEd, talkEd and us normal earthlings just have to learn how to mind melt.

And nowadays Thailand is Siam Version 1.01 and hardly anyone can speak passable English as compared to other Asian nations, let along understand or comprehend "Farang", a word that needs to be used because this is the archetype they aspire to but will never reach, so instead, they need to a demeaning word in order to feel superior.

Give yourself a shake. Thais can't say walked (walk-T) or talked (talk-T) because in their language the last consonant is 'Daw-Dek' which is an unaspirated consonant, and unless they have had an instructor who understands this (and no, the post-pubescent 20 year old back-backer community don't and probably never will) then they will continue to mispronounce everything English. But wait - if you'll work for peanuts and without a freaking work-permit - who cares?

Now, try returning to you're own planet. And until you have a basic understanding of the linguistics of Thai vs English - chime out of the conversation.

[Agkarajit]

Reformation of education will soon happen in this country. It is in deed very sad to see that most Thai people learn Roman alphabets since the beginning of their school days, however, they are reluctant to communicate in English. Moreover, their Thai teachers who teach them English are hardly qualified to communicate in English. Personally, I think it will be an advanrage for Thai schools to hire an ASEAN native who can fluently communicate in English and be able to transfer the verbal communication than a Caucasian. I also bellieve that if Thai schools pay a little more they will be able to hire high quality English speaking ASEAN teachers.