im going to do a TEFL, is there many jobs in udon?

[Irish Alan]

Sorry guys i quickly wrote it down because i did not think you would bloody scrutinise it. I want to teach in udon because thats where my friends are and where i know my way around.

I want to do this in 2010 because i want to save up money so i can stay for a long time.

But after reading your good advice (and childish comments even at your age) i think i may give this one a miss.

The ONLY reason i wanted to teach english is so i could earn money in thailand, so i could be in thailand long enough to learn thai and have a second language.

Even though it a pritty (You are joking right?) point language to learn due to it only being spoken in thaland but i have a passion to learn it.

I may do this TEFL and go up to udon and just see how it goes, if i fail i fail, i mean, its not exactly going to be the end of the world isit?

Again let me remind you i didnt want to start teaching because i wanted to teach it was because i wanted to live half of what i saved up and half of what i was earning to live in thailand to learn thai.

look for the spelling mistakes if your old and sad enough.

thanks again for the advice from people i really appreciate it.

It is not a case of being old or sad. Okay I am twice your age+8 but you cannot expect to call yourself an English teacher and make such basic mistakes in the language you are supposed to teach. As I type this your mistakes are underlined in red.

You want to be taken seriously as an English teacher then at least try and make an effort not to make so many mistakes.

Want to post your CV?

[torestre]

I am actually curious about the subject of teaching English as well. It is lousy pay, I am not a native speaker, I have no qualification in teaching. I am still curious though.

Do you have to be a native speaker of English to get a teaching job? Are there any requirements for taking the TEFL test? I understand it is some sort of test to show your skills in English, right?

Are there any restrictions on starting your own school? Offering private study groups etc? Tutoring?

Like I said, I will most likely never start to teach English in Thailand. But I am still curious about it.

[bluejets]

I'm just thankful you have no intentions of teaching the electrical trade as a sideline.

[oldfield]

Plenty of jobs, here, I think easy it to get, every trip i do i spend other every day teaching speaking at Tessaban schools for free and they lovded me for it, evey offer me job to teack with pay 5000B week, but I lovded speaking english at thai schools keeps me off the streetsand sometime we go camp to watre with kids

Teacher say i number 1 for english, heresome pics, good day to all
All teachers say I handsome to

I think what you are doing is fantastic, and I applaud you for your altruism. However, I believe the new visa regulations have been introduced to stop this kind of thing.

[Irish Alan]

I am actually curious about the subject of teaching English as well. It is lousy pay, I am not a native speaker, I have no qualification in teaching. I am still curious though.

Do you have to be a native speaker of English to get a teaching job?

No - It is more difficult but not impossible if you have a degree and TEFL.

Are there any requirements for taking the TEFL test?

Not as I remember. You do the course, take a test/demonstrations lessons and that is it.

I understand it is some sort of test to show your skills in English, right?

Before? No unless there is if not a native speaker. There was a Dutch lady on my course. (In Dublin.)

Are there any restrictions on starting your own school? Offering private study groups etc? Tutoring?

Difficult one. I will leave it to someone more knowledgeable on working restrictions but in the first case your visa may inhibit working in any form. If you start a business (language school) you have to have a skill set not available in the indigenous population.

[AussieBoy]

Plenty of jobs, here, I think easy it to get, every trip i do i spend other every day teaching speaking at Tessaban schools for free and they lovded me for it, evey offer me job to teack with pay 5000B week, but I lovded speaking english at thai schools keeps me off the streetsand sometime we go camp to watre with kids

Teacher say i number 1 for english, heresome pics, good day to all
All teachers say I handsome to

I think what you are doing is fantastic, and I applaud you for your altruism. However, I believe the new visa regulations have been introduced to stop this kind of thing.

If you are doing nothing to attract the authorities, then a few day a week as a guest speaker seems no problem, I got to meet the director for udon Education, who asked me to come along to the english camp at the time the mayor of Udon was also in the roon on the top floor, they offered me some 3000B to got to Lom Po dam kalasin for 3 days, thanks but I am am just a guest speaker to the school.

Technicly I need a work visa but the cost of one and the time fram to get just for the 6 weeks a year twice a year I am here is not worth the trouble, Boss man tell me in meeting We invite you as guest speaker no problems with visa just for 1 day, I usually go 5 days a week to different schools from Udon district with in 30 K
not to often I go to same school more than twice in one week

At this stage of just a few weeks if any complained it may be a slap on the wrist, I got more awards thanks please come back flowers choclates gifts than I can poke a stick at, I never take a thing, different story if I was living here full time..

have a nice day still looking for some guest speaker for december Jan schools visits, Preferabaly some one who can play a gutar, so I can sing some songs to the student , they JUST LOVE you singing.


Have as nice time at the Meeting, missing it sorryly, but phuket for a few days wont hurt me

See you at the Feb meeting as I will be in Ban Nor Lae for christmass, another thread story

I did help set up a Farang in Nong Han to get a work permit with the local school, he said the school helped him get work permit, he was doing just volunteer work, but decided to make it all proper, still does the speaking at the school and does it for about 3000b a week, he was not interesdted in full time pay just a few day a week, but he usually goes in every day till lunch or just the afternoon lessons, keeps him busy

ChoW

Kally
Master Builder

[Kaiheitai]

Wow I think the gals at Rajahbaht Udon have better grammar skills and, unfortunately, that's not sayin a lot and Aussie Boy you big softy you, lol! But an honorable endeavor nonetheless (^^)b

Kid should go enlist for a tour and then think about going out in the real world...

[bluejets]

Now Now Philip 101, it's not nice to send nasty PM just because you don't like the public responses.

[steveway2]

I think some of you Guys are a bit hard on Philip101 - maybe you have too much time on your hands?

[Laan Yaa Mo]

However, in this case the op intends to teach the English language in Thailand. Hence it is really incumbent on him to show some degree of competency in his chosen field so that there will be confidence in his ability to communicate efficiently and effectively in the classroom.

And, if he does have time on his hands, it might be prudent to spend some of that free time in the classroom studying English grammar.

One can only wish him and his future students well.

[rufus]

One of the major problems is that this sort of "free work" cuts into the legitimate employment of real teachers wanting to obtain work in Thailand. I notice that Kally is a master builder. How would he feel if I were to build houses for people for free?

[astrid]

TEFL course, how long time to do them in Thailand ?
Costing ?

[astrid]

Philip !

Just did a quick check on the Net, lot´s of on line
courses, perhaps something to think about ?

[ottauk]

Hi Astrid,
They do a full in Chaing Mai or Phuket , and it take four weeks .

Roy

[BKKSTAN]

One of the major problems is that this sort of "free work" cuts into the legitimate employment of real teachers wanting to obtain work in Thailand. I notice that Kally is a master builder. How would he feel if I were to build houses for people for free?

I really disagree!!Doing charity work is far more important than someone coming here to get a teaching job.Besides,those children might be w/o a teacher or the might be getting supplemental education/improved education by the free assistance!

[Grasshopper]

Hi All,

I understand that this thread has a number of pages and apologise if I cover anything which was previously mentioned. I have worked as an instructor and teacher for nearly seven years in both the UK (about 5) and Thailand (about 2), currently at university level, teaching a variety of business and marketing subjects in the English language. I have experience of teaching second language learners at all levels from basic, intermediate up to advanced. I would like to offer you the benefit of my experience. A couple of considerations....

First and most important - If you want to be an English teacher please find a working English teacher and ask to shadow his/her class, for a few classes, to get a feel for what it is all about. Talk to the students, the staff and have a look around a school, or two. See if you can match your personality traits to those around you, are you patient, caring and tolerant? If not forget it. Then think hard and reflect on your experience.

Teaching is not easy, anybody who tells you it is either very experienced and has passed through the early difficulties (and will also tell you that) or an idiot and possibly a liar. Even natural teachers are constantly challenged with a new teaching method, a new student, a new organisational culture, archaic teaching equipment and colleagues, and the list goes way deeper than this... Your classroom shadowing exposure will highlight any of these and more!

On the above note, 15 hours of teaching will involve at least an extra 30 hours of preparation, if the class is to be any good (so that is a 45 hour week (at least) for the first year. Plus marking, preparing exams, extra curricular activities, this list also goes on... The good news is 'money for old rope', after you have done the class your prep time is reduced considerably for a duplicate. And, your school may give you books and resources, although you still need to own the class!

Online courses - There is no substitute for real classroom time (see above!!), online courses do not offer this exposure. And, therefore, do not prepare you for the real thing. Also does your personal learning fit with online teaching techniques, if it does not you may become frustrated and quit, get angry, or exhibit the behaviour with which you manifest frustration? Is the online (in general actually) training course offered by a reputable institution? You should at least consider these points first before parting with your cash.

There are a lot of very bad teachers in Thailand. This is partly due to the poor calibre of candidates, the lack of experience, drinking and laziness, low motivation and no heart for teaching. It is an easy way to doss in paradise. If you are one of these people then don’t do it. You will be damaging children’s lives, your reputation and te reputation of your country. Unfortunately, this often goes unnoticed as many poor up-country schools are desperate to have any farang who shows his face with a TEFL cert in his hand. Who in reality, ends up being a farang face and not really a teacher of any worthwhile calibre.

However, if you are passionate, hardworking and dedicated it will be a very rewarding career. But not financially, unless you prove how good you are! As for charity work, this is great as your not taking food from anybodys mouth, charity workers are passionate and this trait may be reflected in their teaching ability. Hopefully knocking a waster of his/her pedestal. If your not sure whether you have a personality match with teaching I can send you a link to some great, well researched, online personality assessments which may offer you with some guidance.

A final note, in Thai culture the title Ajarn is highly revered so live up to that expectation and act like a teacher and be respected as one.

Best wishes,

D

[woody]

i agree with a lot of the above

but you can only work within the system presented

ps more and more young people use a "sms" style of writing

that has less capitalization and punctuation

i'm not young but still understand that language has changed a lot

with the mobile phone, email, sms AND internet forums, or is it fori?

try to keep up please

[Grasshopper]

Hi Woody,

Thanks for your support. I agree that you can only work with the resourses availible, and a little creativity of course.

As an update, I have just had at look at the previous posts and noticed a lot of digression from the real topic!

Best wishes,

D

[rufus]

Interesting! I teach here in Laos, have been the director of studies and a TEFL trainer in a school in Thailand and have taught in High schools and universities as well as worked in private industry, (IT), for over 30 years in Oz. I agree with most of Grasshopper's comments.

Stan, I would prefer that students had NO teacher rather than some fly by nighter who stuffs up a student's love for learning, (and there are many of those). Btw, that comment in no way is meant to reflect on the previous poster who teaches for gratis. Stan, I am not denigrating charity work - far from it and I do quite a lot myself. What I am commenting on is the quality of that work. I would much rather see no work than crap work being done - regardless of how much it costs.

A number of people come to SEA to make a career in teaching. Some do it for altruistic reasons, some for a way of supplementing their income to allow them to lead a hedonistic lifestyle. Some are crap teachers and some excellent. If you cut out the work of excellent teachers by volunteering to work for gratis, you are doing the teachers and ultimately the kids a major injustice.

Ron

[Grasshopper]

Hi Rufus,

Your argument is both objective and persuasive (and true!!), with reference to charity work and teaching calibre. A good teacher should never be sidelined, if possible, to be replaced by a lower quality teacher. Unless of course the circumstances offer no better alternative.

Must rush to class!!

Regards,

D