MEP - with no English Language classes?

[scooterboy]

Just what should/do Mini English Programs (MEPs) for primary schools consist of?

I ask, because a local school has an MEP program, apparently taught by an NES teacher and
a Filipino. Sounds quite good, but I'm rather surprised to hear that there's no actual English Language class taught in English. There are naturally English Language (grammar-type) classes, but these are apparently taught by Thai teachers only. I know two of these teachers - and their English is - well - not of a good standard (for MEP, that is).

When I enquired as to what subjects were taught, I was informed that Maths, Science and Social Studies were taught in both English and Thai, while all other subjects (including English Language) were taught by Thais only.

I'm trying to understand why English Language classes are not taught in English, as well as in Thai. Maybe that's not really 100% necessary, but I would think that the students would get much more out of being taught by an NES teacher, too. Somehow it seems more natural, when other MEP subjects are also taught in English.

Yes, I know that there's no guarantee of a better education with an NES teacher - I'm talking in general terms, and not about teachers being good or bad.....

So, what English subjects are there generally in Mini English Programs (MEPs)? And are they taught by Thais and/or by non-Thais?

Thanks for your info and/or opinion

Edited July 2, 2015 by scooterboy

[DLang]

...while all other subjects (including English Language) were taught by Thais only.

I'm trying to understand why English Language classes are not taught in English...

They are. You just said that they are. They are being taught by Thai English teachers.

Perhaps they experienced a few normal TEFLers and decided that the Thais are much better at it.

MEP's usually do the Thai curriculum with Thai classes, then do the same topics/classes in English.

[doremifasol]

Most Thai English teachers teach grammar only

because so many NES teachers can't do it.

Edited July 2, 2015 by doremifasol

[Rhys]

Simply Economics 100%.

[SlyAnimal]

Most schools get foreign teachers to teach English conversation or subjects (Maths/Science etc).

I'm not sure what the real reasons are for foreigners teaching these objects, but would suggest the following as possible reasons:

Conversation is generally because Thai teachers are usually more confident to reach reading/writing, but most aren't confident when it comes to listening/speaking.

Also the "English Grammar" classes are taught across the entire grade, so it'd be a bit unfair to give one class a Farang and all of the others Thai teachers. This would also put them in direct "competition" with the Thai teachers, which could cause loss of face.

Many foreign teachers wouldn't necessarily be better than the Thai teachers at teaching grammar (lack of knowledge + language barriers). Also the Thai teachers build on their own methods each year, and so would probably require the foreign teacher to teach the students using a similar method e.g. Just teaching verbs as "verb 1, verb 2, verb 3", which would negate a lot of the point of having a foreign teacher. This is because exams are usually standardized across the grade, so foreign teachers would need to "teach to the test".

Also general English classes are often taught much more often than the MEP specific classes, which would either mean a Thai + foreign teacher "share" a single subject, or require additional foreign teachers in order to cover all of the MEP (which is expensive).

The "MEP" subjects are good for foreign teachers though, as they're just a bonus class so aren't in competition with the Thai teachers. Also the school can decide how many classes per week to fit the maximum number of hours their foreign teachers are working. Also it sounds more impressive to tell the parents that their children are getting taught social studies from John, Maths from Luke and Science from Mark (Even if each was only 1h per week), as opposed to just getting English from John 3h per week.

[scooterboy]

Brilliant, Sly!


Thanks for an excellent post - much appreciated.

That explains a few things - and you could be quite right as to the reasons why our local school (and perhaps others) only uses Thai teachers to teach English. Looking around on the internet, I do see that some schools in other parts of Thailand actually do use foreign teachers to teach English in MEP classes, but for some schools it's not always clear if Thai and/or foreign teachers are used.

It also appears that their are no rigidly set MEP programs - Math seems to be in all MEP schools programs, and many schools have Science and/or Social Studies included in their program. Some schools offer Computers or even Sports as part of their MEP program.

Also the "English Grammar" classes are taught across the entire grade, so it'd be a bit unfair to give one class a Farang and all of the others Thai teachers. This would also put them in direct "competition" with the Thai teachers, which could cause loss of face.

Yes and no. While I presume that the same Thai teacher teaches English Grammar across the same school grade, parents have to pay (extra) for MEP classes, and so would expect better learning possibilities - and indirectly, better quality teaching - for their offspring.

I suspect that in the end, it all boils down to the policies at the individual school and to how much the parents have to pay for MEP classes. At a guess, the more expensive schools would perhaps include English Grammar with a foreign teacher, while the cheaper schools only use the foreign teachers for Math, Science and whatever. In that case, our local school falls in the "cheap" category...

Thanks again for your input.

[Scott]

Mini English Programs are usually designed for the economic benefit of the school, not for the students. I know of one school with a similar program and asked why the native, or Filipino teacher didn't teach English language. I was told that if the parents want that, then they have to pay more for a different program at the same school.

English, as taught by the Thais, is a part of the national curriculum and it's important that the students do well on the national exams. There are some weird grammatical constructs used and I don't know that most native, or near native speakers would teach such stuff to the students.

From my experience with a Mini English Program, it was not worth the trouble. The students really didn't get enough English to help them grow and prosper in the language. They did learn to read, but their comprehension remained very, very low and unless they knew the concept in Thai, they were not able to learn it in English.

[allane]

Are the following definitions generally accepted throughout the country, in both public and private schools ?

1. English Immersion Program (EIP), or Intensive English Program (IEP) - generally about 80% of instructional hours are in English; all subjects except Thai, Buddhism, and maybe, Social Studies.

2. Regular Program - all subjects are taught in Thai, with possibly, some foreigners being hired to teach a portion of the English course(s).

3. Mini - English - any combination of Thai and foreign teachers which falls between 1. and 2. on the spectrum.

I have been unable to find any standardized Thai government definition (in English) of what a Mini- English Program must,or must not, include.

To the OP: If the school director and the parents are happy, I don't see what concern it is of yours, or why either party would care what you think.