Thai education: 500 top teachers to attend English course run by British Council

[Lunchbob]

It would be interesting to see that test.

[brewsterbudgen]

Thought learning chinese would be more appropriate.

Chinese is not, nor is it likely to be, a lingua franca.

[ParadiseLost]

Thought learning chinese would be more appropriate.

Chinese is not, nor is it likely to be, a lingua franca.

dis is da lingo of da future - ok - lol tyvm

[Siamwhiteelephant]

And does the British Council voice support of existing British English teachers in Thailand to try and safeguard their jobs long-term here?

[simon43]

All will have the great Briton accent that many students will not understand.

...or spell.

Hmm, when I taught Primary School students in Myanmar, all the parents clamoured (not 'clamored') for me to be their Homeroom teacher because of my clear, British accent..

As for the spelling, if my 7 year old students could easily grasp the difference in spelling between colour and color, or the meaning of boot and trunk on a car, then I'm sure the Thai students can do the same.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZ3fjQa5Hls

[fred Kubasa]

Who, with what qualifiers, will decide who the "TOP 500 " are ?

[retarius]

I was engaged to teach complex grammar to a bunch of kids who could only say 'How are you?" "I'm fai" (sic). Waste of time, absolutely no basics and the Thai teacher in charge of the class could not speak English at all.

[Thai at Heart]

All will have the great Briton accent that many students will not understand.

...or spell.

Hmm, when I taught Primary School students in Myanmar, all the parents clamoured (not 'clamored') for me to be their Homeroom teacher because of my clear, British accent..

As for the spelling, if my 7 year old students could easily grasp the difference in spelling between colour and color, or the meaning of boot and trunk on a car, then I'm sure the Thai students can do the same.

A yes, American English.

A few missing "U"s and" gotten" thrown in, and apparently that makes a language completely undecipherable by any but the most discerning ear and mind.

[chrisrazz]

shame on the British Council.

[JAG]

And does the British Council voice support of existing British English teachers in Thailand to try and safeguard their jobs long-term here?

Don't be silly, they are a commercial organisation masquerading as a charity, who have just landed a nice fat contract. A particularly good contract, because the whole farrago of "face"means that no matter how abysmal the results actually are, it will be presented as a roaring success.

Michael David Selby, the adviser to the Deputy Education Minister, must think all his Christmases have come at once.

He is no doubt an expert.

Many years ago, in a far off galaxy, I remember "expert " being defined as: "ex" is a has been, and a "spurt" is what happens when you put a drip under pressure!

Edited November 23, 2015 by JAG

[Thongkorn]

Thought learning chinese would be more appropriate.

There are more people who speak English in China than America

[billd766]

Here are the CEFL standards

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

I wonder how many Thai teachers of English have even reached level A2?

Edited November 23, 2015 by billd766

[brewsterbudgen]

shame on the British Council.

Why? It's a nice little earner for them and, while the overall aims are unrealistic, at least the Thai government is accepting it needs input from native speakers to improve the standard of Thai English teachers. Who better than to provide this than the BC? Edited November 23, 2015 by brewsterbudgen

[cmiuc]

WE need to understand..

this is all about corruption in the MOE and other agencies involved.

if the educators really valued their students learning and progress..they would comment...

but it is about money.. not about care for students...

we as foreigners as all countries depend on our jobs... and for the MOE to take away our jobs only means they are only finding ways to corrupt our money...

so if they want to do...they will and they will also find the corruption at their doorstep.

that is the true cause of this article.not about the care of students.

[Lupatria]

[NongKhaiKid]

And does the British Council voice support of existing British English teachers in Thailand to try and safeguard their jobs long-term here?

Don't be silly, they are a commercial organisation masquerading as a charity, who have just landed a nice fat contract. A particularly good contract, because the whole farrago of "face"means that no matter how abysmal the results actually are, it will be presented as a roaring success.

Michael David Selby, the adviser to the Deputy Education Minister, must think all his Christmases have come at once.

He is no doubt an expert.

Many years ago, in a far off galaxy, I remember "expert " being defined as: "ex" is a has been, and a "spurt" is what happens when you put a drip under pressure!

I poster earlier that we can expect a claim that the classes were so successful and that classroom understanding has rocketed.

We can be sure the British Council will not contradict any such claims or publicly report any lack of attention and application, poor attendance as teachers find something better to do and so on.

[davehowden]

And who will teach the "lucky 500", probably some of the axed Farang English teachers that Thailand so badly wants to get rid of?

[Beng]

What's the bet in the not too distant future it will be announced the courses were a raging success, everyone passed of course, and the standard in classrooms has gone through the roof.

Just don't try having a conversation with the teachers though.

[brewsterbudgen]

And who will teach the "lucky 500", probably some of the axed Farang English teachers that Thailand so badly wants to get rid of?

.

I imagine it will be British Council teachers.

[daiwill60]

You may call me a synical old scrote if you will, but to have an " intensive " 6 weeks course in English, AND to also have instruction on teaching techniques and methods in situ.

Now that just isn,t going to work, whether the instruction comes from the British Council, or the Wandsworth Council.

However, if there were courses run at reputable Universities over a period of maybe a year, then there would be some small chance of advancement in the system.

I may even call you cynical??

Additionally, to run courses effectively at a university, such as one of the one I work at ( which happens to be in the top 5), one would have to reduce class sizes for 1 st year undergrads from 60- 120 + to about 20 students, and that ain't gonna happen while maximum money rolls in, and expenditure is minimalised, in employing farangs at the same amounts as they pay basic Gov't school teaching farangs.

[daiwill60]

And does the British Council voice support of existing British English teachers in Thailand to try and safeguard their jobs long-term here?

Don't be silly, they are a commercial organisation masquerading as a charity, who have just landed a nice fat contract. A particularly good contract, because the whole farrago of "face"means that no matter how abysmal the results actually are, it will be presented as a roaring success.

Michael David Selby, the adviser to the Deputy Education Minister, must think all his Christmases have come at once.

He is no doubt an expert.

Many years ago, in a far off galaxy, I remember "expert " being defined as: "ex" is a has been, and a "spurt" is what happens when you put a drip under pressure!

I poster earlier that we can expect a claim that the classes were so successful and that classroom understanding has rocketed.

We can be sure the British Council will not contradict any such claims or publicly report any lack of attention and application, poor attendance as teachers find something better to do and so on.

Talked with a friend recently who works for the BC in another nearby SE Country, who reported that the BC is now a <deleted> org to work for as opposed to a few years ago.

Now staff have to hit targets and provide evidence of what they have been doing etc etc.

If anyone doubts this, next time they advertise jobs, see the application process, same as the modern day UK Civil service bureaucracy .

[William C F Pierce]

The teaching of English by the British Council or anyone else with a native English background has to be a joke. The standard of English in the UK is so bad that there is no hope for the Thai teachers. Every daily UK national newspaper has at least one journalist who will persist in using the word "And" to wrongly start a paragraph or sentence. It is a word that has a meaning of in addition to something that has gone on before it in the same sentence. It should never ever have a capital letter. It can only be used like this, with artistic licence in songs or poetry. The correct use e.g. One, two and three. Or John, Peter, Harry, Dominic and Sally. There are of course many other common written mistakes from native English speakers. So even the English are suspect at English. Teaching Thais English will not improve until the English improve teaching themselves.

[William C F Pierce]

The teaching of English by the British Council or anyone else with a native English background has to be a joke. The standard of English in the UK is so bad that there is no hope for the Thai teachers. Every daily UK national newspaper has at least one journalist who will persist in using the word "And" to wrongly start a paragraph or sentence. It is a word that has a meaning of in addition to something that has gone on before it in the same sentence. It should never ever have a capital letter. It can only be used like this, with artistic licence in songs or poetry. The correct use e.g. One, two and three. Or John, Peter, Harry, Dominic and Sally. There are of course many other common written mistakes from native English speakers. So even the English are suspect at English. Teaching Thais English will not improve until the English improve teaching themselves.

[BKKdreaming]

I wonder who did not get this contract ?

I am glad that India and the Philppines did not win

Lets hope that the Thai Teachers care enough to show up and learn ( all cell phones removed)

Ummmm maybe we can program those Chinese tablets for the teachers........

[lamyai3]

The teaching of English by the British Council or anyone else with a native English background has to be a joke. The standard of English in the UK is so bad that there is no hope for the Thai teachers. Every daily UK national newspaper has at least one journalist who will persist in using the word "And" to wrongly start a paragraph or sentence. It is a word that has a meaning of in addition to something that has gone on before it in the same sentence. It should never ever have a capital letter. It can only be used like this, with artistic licence in songs or poetry. The correct use e.g. One, two and three. Or John, Peter, Harry, Dominic and Sally. There are of course many other common written mistakes from native English speakers. So even the English are suspect at English. Teaching Thais English will not improve until the English improve teaching themselves.

http://grammarist.com/grammar/conjunctions-to-start-sentences/