Thai officials to slash number of foreign English teachers

[Nomyai]

english teachers are a fraud anyway. notice how most of them are single men.

I hate this bulls@@t stereotype of the Native English teacher.

I'm single because I want to live my life that way.

I'm not a backpacking, sex tourist, constantly drunk, looking for my next conquest.

You guys pull this <deleted> out of your asses.

I'm not a loser in my home country who couldn't go back either.

Where do you get these crap stereotypes?

For every one of you there are 9 hooligan types! open yer eyes!

[Nomyai]

nobody wants fat, old, smelly guy.....unless in college and he has published amazing works...

Au contraire- many thai girls go for the fat,old, smelly types as husbands.............hahahah, whether or not in college with published amazing works.

[George Feedback]

Thai logic again

[FritsSikkink]

Well apart from the problems already given by other posters there is the point about who and where the foreign teachers come from. I have some friends who come from Africa, India etc. and they are here teaching English. They may be okay at written English but their pronunciation/accent is a real problem. While I was holding conversation (only) class in a vocational college one of the points I mentioned was that of various accent. My friend from an African state, had finished his English Proper (grammar etc) class I asked him to join us. 75% of what he said was not understood. I feel that if a school is going to teach English, and any other language for that matter the teacher be standard native speaker.

the teacher should have a teaching decree, not just be a native speaker

How do we go about getting a teaching decree?

go to uni

[FritsSikkink]

Well apart from the problems already given by other posters there is the point about who and where the foreign teachers come from. I have some friends who come from Africa, India etc. and they are here teaching English. They may be okay at written English but their pronunciation/accent is a real problem. While I was holding conversation (only) class in a vocational college one of the points I mentioned was that of various accent. My friend from an African state, had finished his English Proper (grammar etc) class I asked him to join us. 75% of what he said was not understood. I feel that if a school is going to teach English, and any other language for that matter the teacher be standard native speaker.

the teacher should have a teaching decree, not just be a native speaker

After reading your sentence, it appears you must have slept through your English classes. Please try to comment on a subject you have some knowledge about.

English isn't my first language and i speak 4 more languages. How many can you speak?

[balo]

A lot of farang teachers will lose their 30000 baht salary now , I wonder what they'll do next ?

[freedom4life]

Just add this one to the long list of big and stupid mistakes...

[bbbbooboo]

Stupid IS what stupid DOES ?

[carter1882]

I wonder how many French teachers, say, in the UK are actually French nationals or French native speakers. The notion that one needs to be a native speaker to teach a language is flawed. The notion that you need to be a good teacher to teach a language is not. That is far more likely where Thailand's problems lie.

[ozyjon]

So who cares

Try going to France and flapping your gums in English

see the reaction you get, maybe they will forget about

learning English, and focus on learning a new language

lets say like Kazakhstan ? hey good idea, no.

[Straight8]

Thai mentality at its finest.

Makes you wonder where this place is headed [where the farang comes into the equation] and what's in stall for the many expats in the not too distant future.

[tonray]

A lot of farang teachers will lose their 30000 baht salary now , I wonder what they'll do next ?

There will be a shift to private language academies. The parents will foot the bill instead of the government. This will fail because parents can (and will) pull their kids out of government schools and the private schools will benefit greatly. The funding model will change and will further act to polarize Thailand economically as now only the kids from wealthier families will be able to afford decent English instruction. Long term effects disastrous in light of ASEAN goals...the real wake up call will be when Thailand gets passed my Myanmar which will rapidly become a regional economic power with reforms and a population eager for learning and change.

[cumgranosalum]

I must admit I didn't read ALL the replies, but from the few I did, I guess most respondents are English teachers....

I also admit I didn't do nor intend to do any research on the subject, but just my thoughts and observations:

1. Thailand is NOT the only country in the world that has its own language - I am not going to list all those countries

2. Thai people are NOT the only people who are not proficient in English - I had difficulties communicating in English in France and Germany, and I am not talking science talk - I am talking about asking driving direction in Germany or direction to the right train platform in France... In both places not in a small remote village, but in BIG cities, and not only elderly people, I was actually trying to ask young people who seemed to be students. BTW - the only person in the French train station who was able to answer my question was the toilets attendant!!! Even in the US of A - it's getting harder and harder to get around if you don't speak Spanish...

3. I am pretty sure that in MOST countries in the world, the foreign language teachers (be it English or any other) are locals, and not imported teachers.

4. I don't think that in the 10 or so years that foreign English have been widely employed all over the country, the level of English of the Thai students has improved to actually support the idea that foreign teachers are any better than the Thai teachers - now I can already imagine some of the TV members' responses to this like "the students are not listening to us" or "they are not interested" or "the school administrations / regulations / local teachers / janitors restrict our success"

Face it. This is Thailand. The official language is Thai. All documents are and will probably ALWAYS be in Thai. There are about 65 million Thais. Not all of them, not even most of them will ever NEED to interact in any other language. The ASEAN threat that Thais are going to lose their jobs if they can't master English? B******it. There have been import / export in Thailand for years. Who ever need to, find the way to communicate.

It's a pity you didn't research the topic.... It would have saved you the time of writing all that nonsense.

[nottocus]

Another brilliant example of Thai logic: We are bottom of the league so don't get any experts to help improve.

Most foreign English teachers in Thailand aren't real teachers and have no teaching qualifications. A degree and a tefl course doesn't really cut it. They just do the job so they can stay in Thailand.

[FruitPudding]

This isn't going to happen guys. They are yanking our chains again.

[metisdead]

Off topic posts, inflammatory posts and baiting posts and replies have been removed.

[phuketrichard]

teaching english in thailand is a limited job anyway

once ASEAN ( IF ) really does happen , which i seriously doubt. Filipinos will flock in an take all the teaching positions away from the westerners left employed teaching english.

[Langsuan Man]

One of the reasons that Korea became such a power house economically was because they did everything possible to increase English language education in the country

At one time South Korea had the largest number of US Peace Corps volunteers teaching English in their schools of any country in the world

But no, Thailand doesn't need English teachers that can speak English, they think that an intensive 6 week course taught by Thai English teachers to Thai English teachers is going to solve the problem

I am reminded of the old saying

Those who can do, do. Those who can't do, teach. Those who can't teach, teach teachers

[bkk_mike]

Maybe I'm unusual in that the only Thai English teacher, from a Thai equivalent of a secondary school that I ever had to deal with spoke decent English. She was my niece's teacher and had gone to University in New Zealand.

Thinking back, when I did languages at school (I did O grades in 3 languages in addition to English), in no cases were the teachers natives of the language they were teaching (would have been difficult for Latin ).

In French, they had, native speaking young adults (i.e. I remember students from France and Switzerland), in the classes for a few months each year as teaching assistants. But we never had an actual French teacher. Although it's a lot easier to travel from Scotland to France, so there were school trips and the like as well...

Wasn't there another story last year about hiring students to work as teaching assistants in their "gap" years?

Maybe the two policies are related.

[sanukjim]

Ten to one that you don't have an education degree and you could not teach in a certified school in your home country.That fact still makes you a phony school teacher here.

[puukao]

One of the reasons that Korea became such a power house economically was because they did everything possible to increase English language education in the country

At one time South Korea had the largest number of US Peace Corps volunteers teaching English in their schools of any country in the world

But no, Thailand doesn't need English teachers that can speak English, they think that an intensive 6 week course taught by Thai English teachers to Thai English teachers is going to solve the problem

I am reminded of the old saying

Those who can do, do. Those who can't do, teach. Those who can't teach, teach teachers

"Those who can do, do. Those who can't do, teach. "

So doctors just do, without being taught? Or what about History? Should we not learn history, or just "do" history without being taught?

Should we be taught how to drive or just "do"? What about shooting a gun? Should military be taught, or is that bad as well?

What about swimming? Good to teach a kid to swim, or say "listen kid, those who can.... do....those who can't, teach???"

The examples are endless.......So, the good ones DID and then they TEACH......

Like the pilot of your plane......are you NOT glad there was a TEACHER for them????

worst quote ever.....

and most ignorant...

signed,

DID

[taony]

I wish I could get to see the look on the British Council teachers' faces at the end of the six-week course (probably will be a few if they are to "train" 500). Exasperation anyone?

[brewsterbudgen]

Another brilliant example of Thai logic: We are bottom of the league so don't get any experts to help improve.

Most foreign English teachers in Thailand aren't real teachers and have no teaching qualifications. A degree and a tefl course doesn't really cut it. They just do the job so they can stay in Thailand.

The same qualifications are required for TEFL teaching in most countries, including European countries and the Middle East. What additional qualifications do you suggest are necessary to teach TEFL?

[newnative]

An excellent idea! Step 1: Hire MORE foreign teachers proficient in English to teach English well. In 5 years or so there should be some Thai that can be hired to teach English.

[phantomfiddler]

I,m a big fan of Prayuth but I thing this is a big mistake, as every non-english teacher I have met here speaks deplorable english. The whole object of the excercise is to learn how to write and converse in english, right, or am I missing something here

Edited November 15, 2015 by phantomfiddler

[jamhar]

I can’t say I blame Thailand. Foreign teachers are expensive. But how effective it will be is up to debate. Certainly the need to train and have indigenous English teachers can’t be debated. How many French teachers in the US are actually French?

Given the level of English proficiency in TL today, this program will take time, possibly a decade at a minimum.

But change is coming. It would be in the interest of each instructor (and of Thailand) to become properly trained and become professionals. Get your masters, or PGCE Certification, TEFL Cert, ect. That will make you more marketable but not a guarantee. After all we are guests in Thailand.

[SABloke]

For my kids I would prefer a near fluent English speaking Thai teacher than a native English speaker.

Most foreign teachers in Thailand have absolutely zero idea what it takes to master a foreign language and the learning challenges that can occur.

Also, foreign teachers seem to go through a revolving door here. My daughter has had already 3 different teachers this year.

Good plan, though I fear not very realistic seen the lack of ambition levels of the average Thai teacher.

The ''revolving door'' thing is a problem, but again, I believe agencies are to blame: They created a problem that didn't exist. They hire unqualified young kids, pay them peanuts and the end result is that the good teachers get better employment and move on or the bad ones can't survive and move on. Then the agency goes to the school and says, ''See, at least we can provide you with a new teacher, but if you didn't have us you'd be screwed.'' Well...no. If the school just paid the teachers the 55 000+ Baht that the agencies charge, more teachers would stay on (The 55 000 is from the countryside 5 years ago..not sure what the rate in Bangkok is)

[duanebigsby]

Well apart from the problems already given by other posters there is the point about who and where the foreign teachers come from. I have some friends who come from Africa, India etc. and they are here teaching English. They may be okay at written English but their pronunciation/accent is a real problem. While I was holding conversation (only) class in a vocational college one of the points I mentioned was that of various accent. My friend from an African state, had finished his English Proper (grammar etc) class I asked him to join us. 75% of what he said was not understood. I feel that if a school is going to teach English, and any other language for that matter the teacher be standard native speaker.

the teacher should have a teaching decree, not just be a native speaker

Insisting on B.Ed degrees will instantly kill English learning in Thailand.

In Canada a teacher makes 45-55k a year. How are you going to convince that person to pay their own way to Thailand and get a job that pays 12k ?

With a TESL, I can teach ESL to non English speakers in Canada, why isn't that good enough for here?

[brewsterbudgen]

Well apart from the problems already given by other posters there is the point about who and where the foreign teachers come from. I have some friends who come from Africa, India etc. and they are here teaching English. They may be okay at written English but their pronunciation/accent is a real problem. While I was holding conversation (only) class in a vocational college one of the points I mentioned was that of various accent. My friend from an African state, had finished his English Proper (grammar etc) class I asked him to join us. 75% of what he said was not understood. I feel that if a school is going to teach English, and any other language for that matter the teacher be standard native speaker.

the teacher should have a teaching decree, not just be a native speaker

Insisting on B.Ed degrees will instantly kill English learning in Thailand.

In Canada a teacher makes 45-55k a year. How are you going to convince that person to pay their own way to Thailand and get a job that pays 12k ?

With a TESL, I can teach ESL to non English speakers in Canada, why isn't that good enough for here?

Unfortunately not many people here understand what TEFL/TESL is! If someone has a B.Ed or (in the UK) a PGCE why would they want to teach TEFL/TESL?

[Bezdomny]

Top 6 countries don"t have NES teachers (or you can count on fingers of one hand) so I think NES teachers aren"t necessary for teach English what also proves link below. You need to be a good dedicated teacher. I meet bad and good NES or Thai teachers.

In my eyes main reason is system, for example first day in my school I have been told that every student must pass. I dissagreed, so now I can"t assess them, Thai teachers do????

So if you combine this with Thai nature (sabai sabai) you get result.

And education here is just a damn good business.

And before someone stays hangin" on my English Im not teaching English language. But every well-intentioned criticism is welcome.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EF_English_Proficiency_Index