Being an English Teacher in Thailand

 

There's a reader who wrote in to me asking me about discrimination against Asians when applying for jobs as an English teacher.  I tried replying to her email but it was mispelled so I could not reply her via email.  But I guess its better for me to write a short entry about this issue too.

Yes, you can still find a job but sadly if you are an Asian then you would find it a bit more difficult to find a good placement in Thailand.  Yes, they do prefer Caucasian.  I've met a some ESL teachers who couldn't even form proper sentences or speak in proper English and yet they were hired!

There are language schools or International schools that might hire Asians without any discriminations but their basic requirement is not TEFL but a degree in Education.  Unless you can prove your worth, the chances of getting a fair and well paid job as a ESL teacher would be hard.  Especially so in Bangkok. But if you planning to teach in the rural areas (where pay is really very low and working with a much bigger class and more workload) then it should be a non-issue.

Hope this helps!

 

 

It's harder than I thought...

To be hired as an English Teacher in Thailand.  I have heard about the discrimination against non western folks in securing a job as an English Teacher.  They have this silly idea that a "farang" (Ang Mo) will be a better English teacher even if he may not come from a native English speaking country (Eg, France and Germany)

Its a bit discouraging but I have already prepared myself for this reality to haapen actually.  So most probably I will need to activate my Plan B instead;  Seting up my own little private tuition center here in Maesai or Chiang Mai.  Starting a buisness is no joke as it involves more money and time.  Moreover, I might need to work out my work permit by myself if I'm not employed by a school.  Which is the one major reason I wished to get employed. To understand how to get that work permit first hand before I go on my own.

Anyway, I still have till end of the month to get a job.  April will be tough as Songkran is in that month and I beleive the schools stop their hiring process during that period.  May will be the new school term so I have less than 2 weeks before reality sets in.

 

My first English lesson.

I taught my first English lesson today at Mae Nam Primary and it went pretty well.  Well, almost.  As at the latter part of the lesson, the kids kind of lost focus and I started to loose control of them.  My observer advised me that maybe I was too friendly and they don't think I am serious teacher.  Think I need to consider that in my next TP :P

The lesson was basically about animals and opposites.  I took a lot of time printing and coloured my flash cards myself.  I also designed a board game for them to practice their speaking but they seems to be more interested in throwing the dice around rather than speaking the words.

Anyway I took out my instax camera at the end of the class to take a picture of them.  All of them (even those kids not under my group) came and posed for me.  Took just one as they were estactic.  Asking for more.  I just said I ran out and quickly left the classroom before I get mobbed by these kids.

Overall, I did very well for my first lesson but I do hope I could improve better.   I will be teaching these kids again on Friday and I have not prepared the lesson plans yet.   I have another TP on Thursday at the tourism school so I need to work on that first.  It will be the adults I would be teaching coming Thursday and it will be another totally different experience. 

Can't write much.  Have to prepare the lesson plans before I go to bed tonight.