Teaching English to teenagers in Thailand is hands down one of the toughest gigs out there. I’ve been in classrooms where I’ve felt like a stand-up comedian dying on stage - blank stares, heads down, zero reaction. The biggest hurdle? Most of them just don’t care. English is just another subject they’re forced to take, and for a lot of them, there’s no real motivation to learn it. If they don’t see themselves needing it in their daily lives or future jobs, then why bother? You can try explaining how useful English is, but good luck convincing a 15-year-old who just wants to scroll through TikTok.

Then there’s the fear of making mistakes. Thai culture places a huge emphasis on saving face, and teenagers are especially self-conscious. The idea of speaking in front of their classmates and getting something wrong? Absolute nightmare. Even the kids who do understand some English will stay silent rather than risk embarrassment. You ask a question, wait a few seconds, and then... nothing. They’d rather let the awkward silence drag on than take a chance.

Getting their attention is another battle. Phones, social media, gaming—these are their real priorities, and an English lesson has to compete with that. If the lesson isn’t engaging, forget about it. But here’s the tricky part: activities that work with younger kids (like silly games or songs) often feel too childish for teenagers, and traditional textbook lessons bore them to death. It’s a constant balancing act between keeping things interesting and not making them roll their eyes.

The classroom dynamic doesn’t help either. Many Thai teens don’t want to stand out, so even if someone actually enjoys English, they’ll downplay it to avoid looking like the "nerdy" kid. Peer pressure is real, and participation is often seen as uncool. In mixed-ability classes, the weaker students zone out because they’re lost, while the stronger ones get bored because they’re not being challenged. It’s no wonder that half the time, they’re either chatting, doodling, or straight-up sleeping.

Michael