Great blog post. I have been a teaching in Thailand for 10 years plus now and I couldnt agree more with whats being said here. Seen this a thousand times and often I feel ashamed of the western culture and most peoples attitudes. My belief is that youre getting paid to do a job, so get on with it and do the best that you can, or dont even bother. Personaly Ive got a great job at a good school and I absolutely love being with the kids and teaching them. Do your work, stop complaining or bugger off to where you belong with the rest of the useless individuals on this planet.

By mark burger, udon thani (28th May 2021)

Don't worry, Jack just likes to moan at people who point out people moaning. Now I'm moaning at him. It's never ending!

A lot of people that go out to teach in foreign countries probably have unrealistic explanations because they're young, in the most part, and haven't had the life experience necessary to temper that. But that's pure conjecture on my part.

By Dan, UK (24th July 2020)

yes it is true that you have to work sometimes hard sometimes not that much but anyway you have to work. if you are just substituting another fellow the job is easier but if you have to work in one school you have to give grades and make exams. and you are paid only 9 months a year and of course you have to pay the visas and the work permits. and you can teach private as well to support yourself during the vacations. anyway it is good experience and you are somehow changed to a better person. good luck to all of you english teachers. i have taught two more languages besides english and in one of the best agencies which is elp english planet. thank you english planet and to all your staff members.

By non native speaker, have been in many places (29th June 2020)

Actually you don't have to teach or do much of anything you've described. The trick is getting hired. Then the teacher just shirks. As long as nothing showstopping goes down most will live to see another year. The work ethic in this country by foreign teachers is horrific. What's worse half of them think they're doing a smashing job. It's been absolutely amazing to see what teachers get away with making the same money as me. I guess I'm the dolt. Few lose sleep over being found out. The narcissism is jaw dropping. Absolutely tragic for the students. I'm not talking some dire mooban in Buriram this is central Bangkok.

By Jim Beam, The Big Smoke (18th May 2020)

Who thought these were myths?? lol
I've only just started my course, and ITA told us exactly what our expectations should be. They didn't say anything even close to any of this..

By Neil, Nayarit, Mexico (14th November 2017)

The big one I learnt when I was in Thailand was that farang teachers won't make a difference to Thai society.
So many guys I know, myself included, went to Thailand with the best of intentions and the rosiest of glasses, hoping to "make a difference" or "save those poor kids from their oppressive culture", only to end up frustrated and bitterly disappointed.
Thailand doesn't want to nor should it change or modernise simply because a few western, white knights want it to.
Word of advice- Go for the adventure, go to travel, enjoy and work hard but don't expect to make a difference to Thai society.

By Jey, Italy (18th May 2017)

People that have been here for decades or perhaps been teaching for five years...they have a right to bitch a bit.

I bet I've been out here your entire adult life plus ten years.

I hate the moaners - and I'm going to moan about them. Oh the irony.

By Lou Mak, The Big Smoke (6th December 2016)

LOL

TEFL certificate might allow some schools to tick the box, but I'm of the opinion it's pretty much a joke for anyone with a solid education and public speaking skills.

Year after year I'm hired at very good (top) Bangkok schools. Last April the phone was ringing all day long begging me to come for an interview. Some schools even offered me direct hire on the phone. All these schools I'm writing of are on sataban top 100. All schools I've worked in are BKK top ten.

TEFL is expensive and inconsistent and not spending 2000us on one has not held me back in the least.

I hop about looking for that golden job or will burn out while trying. Now, I know what I want, just need to find the school.

Oh, teaching waivers...flowing like wine. I feel confident for me, I will burn out before they deny me.

By Lou Mak, The Big Smoke (6th December 2016)

Good start, well written. I do not have a TEFL and seemingly little problem findin work at gov schools and I'm mid 50s. Even some privates have shown interest. I do have a few things going for me but it's effort more than anything and IMO a liberal arts degree under a recognizable university. Yeah, I'm sure I'm passed up but how long does it take to recoup 60k from a 38k job (30?) ??? Half the teachers that do the cert only teach a year anyway or so I'm told. If your presentation skills are strong and you are willing to read up a bit and watch a few videos - you don't need a TEFL judging by the skills and demeanor the lot I've taught with has.

I've worked at been turned down over money or turned down many top Bangkok public schools. Must be another half dozen with solid name recognition, same.

I think TEFL is a joke and my short career would seemingly demonstrate this. I do hear they teach you how to play lots of stupid games though. They seemingly teach this as it can be part of your daily lesson planning, instead of a rare treat.

By Luu Mak, Planet Bangkok (18th May 2016)

The comments actually explain many of the problems new teachers face when arriving in front of the class for the first time.

THE BOOK IS WRONG AND NO ONE HELPS ME.

I suggest you look at it this way.

Forget the book. Yes it must be finished but it is only a book. If you can base your lessons around the curriculum. If you do not have a curriculum use the first page in the text book. It should be called the scope and sequence. It outlines what is being learnt. This is called backward design. You understand what the students need to know by the end of the lesson before you make your lesson plan. Remember a lesson is not a period. It could and should be many lessons.

An example and my personal favourite when teaching bored students in grades 4,5,6,7,8.

BANGKOK IS SINKING. We are all going to die. I write this on the board before the students arrive and normally act busy for the first 5 minutes of class so the kids get a chance to think about the sentence. I will not go into the whole lesson but the lesson meets the curriculum in science as part of understanding the water cycle and the nitrogen cycle. Due to ground water being removed from under Bangkok for drinking and household water the city is slowly sinking over time. You can go to a temple that during High tides is already under water. This is a good place to travel on the weekends and any photos can be used to help you in class. i cannot remember the name of the wat.

For the young kids.

Reading is so much fun to teach but never think of it as reading. You are teaching comprehension. No point reading something that you cannot understand the information being given in the text. The first thing my grade 2 kids read is the lyrics to the cartoons Ben 10 and Power puff girls. They need to read the lyrics and make a dance that explains the meaning of the lyrics. Huge fun.

So my point is this. Remember the best teacher you had when you were at school. i bet they had something different to all the others. What was it? I bet it was not that they did book work all the time but probably made the curriculum relevant to you. IT was interesting and maybe a bit different.

My favourite teacher was my history teacher. i remember him walking into class. As we were reading through the text book about explorers exploring the mountain ranges west of Sydney, Australia. I remember him saying " This is a load of Shit". He than went on to explain that his hobby was bush walking (trekking Etc). He had recently walked through the area and new that the terrain was nothing like what was being read and could not possibly be true. He backed up this claim with a lesson the next week explaining the whole story. The geography of the area mixed with the local indigenous tribes and there actual abilities to take out a soldier with a musket using only a spear. (When you see the puff of smoke from the musket run in a slightly different direction.)

So your knowledge will help you. Your travelling experiences will help you. If you go somewhere in Thailand and take a selfie please spend a bit of extra time and learn about the area. If you go to Ayuthaya historical city. Take a photo of the buddha head in the tree. Show that photo to your grade 5,6,7,8 kids and ask them to explain it. How and why did it happen. Let the kids speak. Let them write using a pencil or creating a power point display. Now bring the grammar being learnt into the lesson and have the students repair their sentences.

Yes the text book has to be finished but it is not the lesson. It is a resource that can be finished for homework. So you now have no prep when setting homework.

Make it interesting, create, create and create a bit more.

You are on a working holiday so combine them. Go see and do and use what you learn to make a connection with your students but remember that you are their teacher not their friend. You are looking for respect from the students and respect needs to be earned.

Have fun

By T mark, Chantaburi (14th May 2016)

Hi Kylie - so many myths it's hard to choose just 5!

How about the myths which annoy me most:

* teaching English is easy
* if you can speak English, you can teach English

But then again, don't get me started on this!

Thanks for the blog - great read!

By Jenny Scott, USA (1st December 2014)

Despite all the usual grumbling from jaded English teachers, this is fairly accurate post. I spent 10 years teaching in South Korea and Russia, and loved watching the newbies arrive all bright-eyed, and then half of them would be gone within 6 months.

By TEFL Teacher Guide, Canada (1st May 2014)

Where did you learn to write Annetjie – a cause..?? (course) It works like this white native speaking teachers trump non native speakers. Women, especially young white attractive women with blond hair and blue eyes trump everyone, from what I have seen damn if they have the experience or not. Younger people are taking jobs away from a lot of older committed teachers in the guise of looking good and having fun. There is a lot of ageism in Thailand and in my experience anyone over 50 is having a hard time getting a job.
They talk about fellow chalkies but this is not the case. There is you and the guy who is going to take your job away from you – your competitor. Be careful who you help. This happens often, and in the end people helping friends out come to regret it – getting hem jobs and the like.
The problem in Thailand is that continue down their path, almost like they want the whole system to fail. There is very little reading and writing, way too much grammar, most of it marked in multiple choice, which the kids rarely understand or use. And so English just becomes one big haze for most of them of a million rules and very little sense. Try and explain to them why it is “I have a pen” “He has a pen” Does he have a pen?” (have and has) and you can understand why they get so mind boggled by all the rules and instead of getting reading and writing in the system – yes I know many have many kids – my first year I had over 1000 kids I taught every week – try and mark their writing skills – they concentrate on copious amounts of grammar. Then the only teachers who seem to survive are those having fun, and those who really could not give a damn. If you buck the system you are thrown out. Thai kids are not taught to think and too often I hear that it is too difficult. That is their favourite gripe and there seems to be an enormous swing towards games this year.
Then you have the marking system. In the old days they could not fail. Now that does seem to be good enough, and the parents demand 80% and above and if the school does not produce it then the parents take them out of the school because little Pui is not progressing. Whose fault is that? The parents or the school? I could give 90% if they wanted So without even testing them and in the end they are guaranteed a high mark with very little effort. With all of that taken away from you, not much reading and writing, a multiple choice system, a no fail system, and high mark guarantee that naughty little sod who gave you trouble and never listened to a word the whole year walks out with a solid 80%, and there is not much you can do about it.
Sometimes the best strategy is just to take it in your stride, do not care too much, do you best, play lots of games walk out the classroom and forget about it, because it seems that is what they want. In the end they will realize they are not progressing and maybe they change their system.

By Marvin, Bangkok (17th March 2014)

I am sixty years of age. Teachers like me don't get a teaching job in foreign countries although we have years of experience. We use to take our profession seriously and we don't see it as one big holiday. What are my changes to get a job in Thailand or in any other foreign country. At the moment I am busy doing my TEFL cause. Is it worthwhile to complete this cause or not.

By Annatjie, South-Africa (7th March 2014)

It seems as if the education system in Thailand is the same as it is in China. If a foreign teacher without experience arrives at an English learning centre, he/she is trained to be a comic figure and told to ignore all the grammar and vocabulary mistakes found in books issued by the centre. The locals have no idea how to manage professionally and lack communication skills making teaching frustrating for the serious teacher. I personally feel as if I have been employed to be a babysitter. If I install any kind of discpline then I am told that I am too serious. I keep hoping that I will find a professional institute where students are actually serious about learning English. There are some exceptions but they are in the minority. In the meantime the English language is being destroyed by many incompetent, non~caring foreign teachers who are not serious about teaching and by the locals who are teaching the students Chinglish and other forms of incorrect English.

By Michael, China (22nd October 2013)

I don't know how these 5 purported myths really have anything to do with the state of education in Thailand or really actually trying to educate Thais with English. The fact remains that even native English backpackers could create serious positive changes in a Thai student's English abilities. That is if they and the students were supplied with English language books that were on the student's level and if most of the Thai student's were at some early point in there lives told they really had to listen and learn at school by their parents. Culture and karma will not raise the education of a Thai nor help with their success in life. Culture is to be taught as a subject at school in compliance with what knowledge science brings to education about the subject. Karma, finding correct lottery numbers etc. has no place whatsoever. These things have to be understood by the Thai population or their education is doomed to failure.

By Dave, Saudi Arabia (11th October 2013)

'Teaching in Thailand is an amazing, enriching experience.' I don't agree! There's nothing amazing or enriching about the low salaries, mismanagement, abuse, chaos, discrimination, prejudice, work permit/visa stipulations, traffic congestion, lack of administrative support, absence of appropriate materials, benefits (yeah, right) or zombie-like students (when or IF they even come to class). I could go on. My years of teaching experience in Thailand were positively frightful! Care to hear all my horror stories for Halloween?

By Lisa, Not in Thailand (9th October 2013)

Totally agree with you about the distinction between 'edutainment' - an oxymoron if ever there was one - and education.

But if you are working at an institution that genuinely employs pedagogy aimed at developing sophisticated language and study skills, and higher order thinking skills (critical thinking skills, or at least those at the upper end of the modern equivalents of Bloom's taxonomy), you can count yourself fortunate.

Lacking possession of the same, it is those organising education in Asian and other developing countries who are the biggest advocates of doing away with systematic, scientifically informed, research-driven methods of English language teaching in favour of having sing-alongs, dressing teachers up in clown suits, and playing inane games. ''Western' methods of education are a failure', they lament.

They lack sufficient grasp of the rationale of contemporary methods of education to be able to implement them in a manner that causes students to embrace them. That is, in a way that awakes in them their spirit of scientific curiosity, or that cultivates the proverbial 'inquiring mind', or intrinsic motivation to learn and possess knowledge.

The best they can hope for is to at least give classrooms the guise of being educational environments by having students look their way. Or not be sleeping or sitting there switched off or chatting to their mates (or applying their make-up, or doing their homework, or playing with their mobile phones, or any of the other ways students have traditionally whiled away their social conditioning via the microphone). So that is what they go for.

It is another reason why unqualified and/or inexperienced foreign teachers are often preferred, they are not as reluctant (ashamed) to go along with this immersion in the shallow end of the intellectual pool.

Have a look how many 'MEd' students in Thai universities are producing theses that find the positive side of using songs or games in the classroom, for example, or that justify reneging on modern academic standards.

The Korean education system, and especially hagwons, put teachers under direct compulsion to opt for mindless 'fun' (for a moron) over thinking and doing. Google it up.

This website from Japan intimates the same:

http://www.teaching-english-in-japan.jp/excellent-english-teacher/understand-students-needs

The idea, by the way, that unqualified teachers are good teachers is peculiar to Thailand, and other places where they do not appreciate the value of a good education. See how far you get finding employment in the education system of a developed country without a degree, and furthermore one that is specific to the job. Foreigners who imagine otherwise are as lost in pipedreams as the Thais...

By Chris, Somewhere (5th October 2013)

Nice! Well written, positive and realistic article. Sometimes, in my experience, the school or administrator is to blame. But most of the time, I think the teacher is to blame for their unhappiness. Many foreign teachers expect Thai public schools to be something they are not and wouldn't be even if they could.

Thanks again! :)

By Jason Alavi, Rangsit (4th October 2013)

Some good points Kylie, but some, not all.

You don't need a degree or even a TEFL to be a good teacher. Some places will train you themselves, like an apprenticeship and then you work your way up the ladder.

So the point about certification doesn't apply to everyone.

By Paul, Bangkok (1st October 2013)

Good article Kylie

I think you make some excellent points. What alot of teachers fail to realise is that this is a totally different culture and the education system over here is very different to that what the so called 'teachers' experienced back in their home country. What they really need to realise is that no one asked them to come out here and if they don't like it no oine is forcing them to stay!

I personally worked in a big government school over here in Thailand for a full semester and thoroughly enjoyed it. Having worked in education for 23 years I did not have a problem with submitting lesson plans and trying to deliver a professional service regardless of all the constraints. Although I loved working with the students I did struggle with how education is delivered over here. I do not agree with teaching just for tests for believe in the concept of teaching for knowledge and enabling students to question.

Therefore, I decided to leave and start my own school (see hot seat Andy Fleming). I know do things our way

We have made many local contacts in regards to education and am now closely working with the Local Government around alternative methods of educating students. Yes, it is not my system to change but if I can offer an alternative approach based on our schools experience it is up to the powers that be to either reject or accept them.

The point I am trying to make is that stopping in the system and complaining will not achieve anything apart from making oneself bitter and twisted. If you cannot give 100% to the students (the least they deserve) the time has come to get out.

By andy Fleming, Udon Thani (30th September 2013)

Great comments, all of this is so true.Good on you

By Christopher Botha, Thung Song (30th September 2013)

While you make some good points your comments betray your origins unless I am mistaken. The misconceptions about what is normally accepted practice imposed on or expected from teachers is what I am driving at.

Lesson plans for a term ahead and other nonsense including the lack of job security (contracts generally being for only 12 months.) are ridiculous notions imposed on teachers here because they are either not familiar with teaching in their home country and/or there is no union representation/support here so we teachers are often at the whim of . . well, either TEFL'ers who have become managers and do not understand teaching from the perspective of career teachers from the west or Thai managers (nuff said).

The biggest problem is that the Thai government only pay lip-service at present to the importance of speaking English hence they are happy to pay people who would not/could not be teachers in the west to teach in Thailand because they are cheap. The general range of salaries varies but a government school pays about 30,000baht and Language schools the same except for two I know of. Only international programs pay a living wage where it is possible to actually save some money.

Personally I hope that with the changes coming to Asia soon the Thai government realises that if they want stability in schools, career teachers who will stick around and are qualified having a PGCE and more . . they have to pay.
Employing young people just out of university and wandering the tropics for a year or two before going back home is not the way to improve education in Thailand.
If only teachers already experienced and properly qualified in their home countries were able to work here it would be better for the schools, the students and for the profession of teaching in Thailand.

By David Bonnie, Bangkok (30th September 2013)

Nice post. Somewhat informative, sounds realistic.

By Peter, Denmark (29th September 2013)

Good points Kylie! One of my friends back in farangland said I was here "on vacation". No vacation for us, look you say, but teaching's an honorable job.

And Jack, I've been all over Asia and everywhere the people seem to gripe. I hear the griping is worst in the Middle East because people go there almost only for the money, and tend to gripe with a passion.

By Sam, Shanghai (29th September 2013)

Oh, you're a teacher who doesn't really teach? How do you ever manage to do that? (*insert sarcasm*)

Considering that most foreigners who work in Thailand end up being teachers, you get the good, and unfortunately, a heavy dose of the bad and the ugly. Whatever their strength and weaknesses are in other fields, some people aren't cut out to be teachers but still take their slack-natured entitled mentality along with them to the classroom.

I'd be curious to know just how long they last in a Thai school? After hearing so many stories about teachers getting fired over petty things, I wonder what it take to weed out these "teachers" from the rest?

Great article. Lesson learned - you can't look at teaching opportunities in Thailand through rose-colored glasses!

By Chris and Angela, http://tielandtothailand.com (29th September 2013)

Kylie, the misconceptions you pointed out are very true indeed (except #4 to an extent). The scary part about these misconceptions are that many people who hold them are already teachers here! Its the people here who are already teaching who think 'there's no real teaching involved', etc. It just points out how many ESL teachers are here who shouldn't be.

I'm tired of the backpackers blowing in/out like tumbleweeds each term, and even more tired of some of the long-term teachers here who just want to bluff their way through things. Many of these people would be qualified to do unskilled labor back home. Then they buy a fake paper on KSR and suddenly they're educators. Not surprisingly, they get bumped from school to school each year and get more jaded as time goes on.

By Byron, Ayutthaya (29th September 2013)

"Stop moaning and go home!'

Having been in or around Thailand for somewhere around 20 years, one thing I haven't seen change is the amount of moaning coming from EFL/ESL teachers.

I haven't seen the same amount of negativity in ESL/EFL teachers outside Thailand, or among the rest of the expat community in Thailand. But negativity seems a constant in the English teaching community.

I expect the moaning will continue and will be just as bad 20 years from now as it is now (hope I am wrong on this account).

I guess if one is going to stay in Thailand, one has to get used to the complaints or be very selective in creating one’s social network.

People have been telling the moaners to either stop moaning or leave for years, but so many of the worst offenders are still here and more moaners seem to be coming in.

By Jack, Here and there (28th September 2013)

Dear Kylie,

Well done and well said.I could not agree with you more and we must remember why we are here.

Good luck and all the best

By Pieter, Lopburi (27th September 2013)