Thai teachers pose as foreigners to teach English

[webfact]

Thai Teachers Pose as Foreigners to Teach English
By Sasiwan Mokkhasen
Staff Reporter


Middle-school students at the Parliament Museum in a 2010 file photo. Photo: Office of the Prime Minister

BANGKOK — Seeing him from a distance, young children call out their Singaporean teacher’s name before sprinting toward him, excited to practice speaking English.

For their teacher, it’s a rewarding moment he says he could never experience if they knew the truth about him: He’s actually a Thai national who pretends he cannot understand every single word they say.

“They will value us less if they know we are a Thai teacher,” said Natthawut, who teaches at a school in the southern province of Hat Yai

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1454995350


-- Khaosod English 2016-02-09

[toybits]

Beware of Fake Foreigners with poor grammar to boot!

Edited February 9, 2016 by toybits

[JacksSmirkingRevenge]

lame

[aussieinthailand]

Fake foreigner, I wonder will he get the Thai price or the falang price???

So to work in Thailand he would need Passport, work permit, a few day's extra off to boarder run, fake understanding Thai sometimes,

higher salary Yu'p ok, I can see the positive's in that.

[seajae]

wow, thais trying to pretend to not be thais so they can teach english. Still will not make them able to speak and understand english though, if they are learning english in Thailand them they are still geting it wrong. If they are serious about learning english they need to attend a uni overseas where english is the first language, I have seen and heard thai teachers that are supposedly english teachers, what a joke, they have no idea. All this does is dumb down the students even more, they need real english teachers that have real experience with english not these pretend ones but then what else can we expect here.

[zeichen]

"There’s nothing illegal about the practice, and all three teachers and a representative of the company described what they do as a valuable teaching technique that forces students to speak because they believe their teachers are foreigners who cannot understand Thai."

Actually it is illegal it is called fraud. If the article is correct though and the parents know and the government isn't subsidizing NES, then it is just silly.

As for making the students speak in English, that can be done also just by ignoring students when they speak Thai.

[Prbkk]

Beware of Fake Foreigners with poor grammar to boot!

Why you say like that? Can, lah! Don't talk cock, lah! We teach those Kayu boys good, lah!

[Thailand]

[DM07]

Pretending to not understand their Thai and forcing them to speak English?!

Well...I have heard worse ideas on teaching!

[nikmar]

Seeing him from a distance, young children call out their Singaporean teacher’s name before sprinting toward him, excited to practice speaking English.

because thats what students do, right. practice their Englit skills.

[JHolmesJr]

Singaporeans teaching english……hahahahahahaha…..now Ive heard it all.

Edited February 9, 2016 by JHolmesJr

[kblaze]

This is the quote that got me;

“It is better to use a Thai teacher who has studied English directly than a European teacher who might carry the wrong accent,”

[Lingba]

is this serious?

[mrrizzla]

I can kind of see their twisted logic after working in schools here for six years. But lying to children about your identity seems to be teaching a worse life lesson than getting cheap English teachers...

[kblaze]

I can kind of see their twisted logic after working in schools here for six years. But lying to children about your identity seems to be teaching a worse life lesson than getting cheap English teachers...

Yeah, they are basically resorting to the old "what they don't know won't hurt them"

And yes its true, the kids who don't know may find some benefit from the "lie".

But to me, its the negative, longer-term effect on the teachers that will be most pronounced

[mrrizzla]

I can kind of see their twisted logic after working in schools here for six years. But lying to children about your identity seems to be teaching a worse life lesson than getting cheap English teachers...

Yeah, they are basically resorting to the old "what they don't know won't hurt them"

And yes its true, the kids who don't know may find some benefit from the "lie".

But to me, its the negative, longer-term effect on the teachers that will be most pronounced

Yep. It's not good for everyone all round tbh (well, apart from the penny pinching agencies and schools)

[DavisH]

Singaporeans teaching english……hahahahahahaha…..now Ive heard it all.

Why not? An IELTS score of 7 to them is an embarrassment. A Thai would be proud of that score The only decent Thai english teachers I've ever met have studied overseas for a long time. And these teachers never spoke Thai to their students, even though they were fluent. They never let the students know. Otherwise they would just speak Thai to them.

[jonclark]

If the teachers employed have the same spelling as the bright spark who thought up the company name "Make a Wit" (Wish?). I assume its the level of pronunciation they expect from their students. Well good luck to them. I pity the students.

I just wonder if the teachers from this company are being used by the school in MEP / EP programs under the apparently false pretense to parents that their sons / daughters are being taught by NES and being charged accordingly. If so this is pure deception albeit unwittingly so by the school one assumes. Make a wit (sic) is clearly at fault....unless the schools are in on the act?

But the bigger question that needs to be asked and seem to have been completely overlooked in the article is. Are these people qualified teachers, irrespective of their language ability? Or can any Thai person just rock up and become a teacher? If not then what they are doing is illegal ...[lets not go there about the qualifications of NES in Thailand and save that for a different thread].

[English_M_in_Bkk]

wow, thais trying to pretend to not be thais so they can teach english. Still will not make them able to speak and understand english though, if they are learning english in Thailand them they are still geting it wrong. If they are serious about learning english they need to attend a uni overseas where english is the first language, I have seen and heard thai teachers that are supposedly english teachers, what a joke, they have no idea. All this does is dumb down the students even more, they need real english teachers that have real experience with english not these pretend ones but then what else can we expect here.

I could comment about your English use... but that would just be cruel

[MorristheRunt]

Somchai wants to be Johnny Foreigner, you could not make this sh!t up!

Amazing Thailand, I salute you.

Edited February 9, 2016 by MorristheRunt

[Kasset Tak]

I have a friend with dual Thai/US citizenship (27 years in US) he is employed as a NES but without the hazel of visa and WP.
Just a comment to all people who say that only NES can't teach English; why the hell did I who is Swedish end up translating English to English between a British and an American tourist!? If you boast that you are a NES then you should be able to understand English no mater if it's American, Australian, British or Singaporean English and not just your own dialect!

[Jeremy50]

wow, thais trying to pretend to not be thais so they can teach english. Still will not make them able to speak and understand english though, if they are learning english in Thailand them they are still geting it wrong. If they are serious about learning english they need to attend a uni overseas where english is the first language, I have seen and heard thai teachers that are supposedly english teachers, what a joke, they have no idea. All this does is dumb down the students even more, they need real english teachers that have real experience with english not these pretend ones but then what else can we expect here.

Strewth, you have some balls to criticize others , given your appalling use of the English language in your post.

[Card]

Beware of Fake Foreigners with poor grammar to boot!

Beware real foreigners with poor grammar to boot.

[Card]

wow, thais trying to pretend to not be thais so they can teach english. Still will not make them able to speak and understand english though, if they are learning english in Thailand them they are still geting it wrong. If they are serious about learning english they need to attend a uni overseas where english is the first language, I have seen and heard thai teachers that are supposedly english teachers, what a joke, they have no idea. All this does is dumb down the students even more, they need real english teachers that have real experience with english not these pretend ones but then what else can we expect here.

Your 'english' needs improving. 4/10

[stickylies]

Imagine the fake foreign teacher saying "no undestàààààànd thai languèt" (sic) to his students. Lol. Followed by the obligatory "eat lice yet?" .... Lol.

Edited February 9, 2016 by stickylies

[TPI]

Beware of Fake Foreigners with poor grammar to boot!

Why you say like that? Can, lah! Don't talk cock, lah! We teach those Kayu boys good, lah!

S'porean English! Yes lah, no lah, television lah! The problem is that so many Thai teachers pretend to be "teachers"!

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

does this come with a fake work permit too?

[alanferdi]

lame

yeah pretty lame. Children are smart and if teachers play this Bonnie and Clyde Roll they only encourage kids to lie! There is nothing praise worthy in this though the intentions of a limited mind set is sought to hoodwink children.

Ohkay Ka.. Childrun... we aaah gow ing to plactise the ingaleesh languawage..... I hope the farangs do not stoop themselves to this level and pretend their Thai.....its not an honour its a shame to their nationality. Anyway Enjoy the masquerade.... let me know when the party is over. I can see Singaporeans and Malaysians taking a leading position in ASEAN, while others here seem to pretend. Good luck.

[Elfin]

Ah Thailand..........where every day appears to be April 1

[Misterwhisper]

Great idea!

I think I am going to pretend to be Thai next time my work permit and visa extension renewals are due or when I want to buy land or get the local entry price at national parks. Let's see how that's going to work out.