Over the past few months I’ve really enjoyed my job. 

Previously I was traveling over an hour each way to get to the school where I worked, compared to my 15-minute commute nowadays - and that certainly makes a difference! The other key point is that I’ve tried to make my classes more fun for the students and myself. I think I’m really getting into edutainment…. 

What is edutainment?

Edutainment is the idea that teachers should entertain and not just teach students. Teachers should be like game show hosts or performers in the classroom. The idea behind this is that students want fun lessons and don’t want to do the same old activities, exams and grammar exercises etc. 

In a lot of Thailand's shopping malls, the section or space that is home to tutoring schools, language centers and other learning facilities is often called the “Edutainment Zone”. 

Teachers don't like edutainment

I’ve not really heard many people stand-up for edutainment. A look online, and probably even in the comments section for this article, will show you that “professional teachers” shouldn’t be concerned with edutainment and it is offensive for schools to ask teachers to be performers. 

Supposedly edutainment means that students don’t learn as much and only really switch on for games and other fun activities. It also affects the self worth of teachers who feel they aren’t progressing or aren’t taken seriously. 

On a more serious note it can lead to a sharp increase in Teacher Talk Time (TTT) if the teacher does decide to become some sort of lively presenter during class. TTT is something that should be kept down, but is useful sometimes to help motivate a class and create a better atmosphere. 

The middle ground

In all honesty, schools don’t expect a class to be 100% full of games and fun. They know that learning has to take place, however, the idea that lessons can be fun and entertaining doesn’t mean that learning aims and goals wont be achieved. This is the point that a lot of anti-edutainment teachers don’t get. 

In my experience, a lot of teachers aren’t prepared to have a little fun in the classroom. So many teachers here are miserable and boring. In the end you don’t have to be a clown or an MC but just need to focus on making your classes interesting and fun for everyone there. 

My time teaching Prathom and adult students in Thailand has shown me that they love to play a few games but are also prepared to study.  I also know that if you have a serious class without something fun or entertaining then some students will switch off. In reality classes need a mix of education and edutainment to help reach their goals. 

Teaching kids

My current job was the first one where I had to teach young kids (5-12 year-olds). I was pretty nervous and was scared about how I could get them to enjoy classes. What I did to help me was observe other teachers. 

On my first day I watched a teacher conduct a great lesson with a class of 6 year-olds. He showed me his lesson plan and I thought it was ambitious but he delivered it in a way where the kids were invested in their learning and were always active. By the end of the class I had picked up so many great tips and ideas. In the end simple activities were made fun - and class routines helped everything flow. 

The teacher used slapstick humor, sound effects and a lot of letting the students draw on the interactive whiteboard. Sure these things might not be appropriate for all age levels, but they are ways of providing edutainment for younger kids whilst still learning.  

Teaching adults

Adults are usually more focused on the reasons that they are learning English. Most of them will have a goal they want to reach. Sure they want to learn the grammar or vocabulary but classes should still have a splash of edutainment in them. 

I’ve taught CEOs, doctors and politicians - all people with serious jobs - and often after a day at work, they want something entertaining when it comes to learning English. Don’t feel you need to abolish fun in adult classes because they probably enjoy the games just as much as the kids! 

One of my colleagues did a class based around space travel where the students were split into astronauts and aliens. They then had to ask each other questions about life on their planet whilst “space walking” on the moon. It made a pretty simple Q&A activity into something more memorable, which all of the students got into. 

18 months in the job

Now, 18 months after starting my current job, I feel comfortable in the role. I know how things work and what I should be doing. This second year in the job means I’m covering the syllabus for the second time and I decided to charge up my lessons to stop myself becoming bored and stale. 

In my first year I did most things by the book as it was easy to do and I thought it was my only option. This year I’m adding my own touches and improving lessons that either didn’t work or were boring first time around. One of the key ways I’m changing classes is to make them more fun and interesting for my students.

Adding competitions, races and time limits makes a lot of difference to almost any task. Previously students read texts from their books and now I use running dictations, speed reading and pair reading tasks which the students love. 

For some adult classes I occasionally add an arts and crafts element such as drawing posters, making a model or creating a collage. These are all tied to the lesson and learning aims but have proved popular too.

I have also enjoyed the change and feel it helps keep my job interesting when repeating what I’ve already taught. It’s something you could try if you’ve been in your job a while. 

Your school

I’ve worked at a couple of language schools and one of the key points put forward by management is that classes should be fun. One particular school I worked at would have theme days every month where teachers would dress up in costumes, do shows and go on activities with students. 

It was great fun and that was the school where I saw most progress from my learners. The most important aspect of the edutainment at this school was that it created a bond between students and teachers which led to improved learning and overall English skills. 

I also worked at a Thai high school where fun was deemed more important than grammar. I worked there from October to January and during that time most focus was put on the students making posters for Halloween and Christmas handcrafts. The school were happy that the kids learned some vocab and spoke in English but really wanted them to enjoy the time with their foreign teacher. I felt the students at this school were confident to use English as they had very grammar focused lessons with their Thai teachers and they appreciated the chance to be more relaxed in my class. 

I imagine working at an international school would be somewhat different. You probably have more pressure to deliver exam results but still there are ways to make classes fun. 

Education v edutainment

Overall I guess the issue with the word “edutainment” is that most people believe it’s just about turning classes into sideshows where learning takes a back seat. In all honesty I feel you need a bit of entertainment to make a class successful. I’m not saying you need to be a performer but should try and plan lessons where there are entertaining activities built around the learning aims. 

There will be some who will point to teaching theory and other such things who will try and say that fun for fun’s sake is not the key point in teaching. The problem is that your employer here in Thailand will probably put some pressure on you to add some edutainment to help them keep students and get good reviews. If you can’t do this then you’ll probably be looking for a new job pretty soon.  

 If you enjoyed this blog, check out my website - Life in a New Country  

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