I don't want to learn!
The biggest teaching hurdle: motivation
Motivation in the classroom, both from the teachers and the students, is essential for learning but it is a tricky balance to strike since the two are so interconnected; if the teacher loses motivation, so do the students and if the students lose motivation, so does the teacher.
The A to Z of TEFL in Thailand
A playful look at this sometimes crazy industry
Have we come up with the ultimate A to Z of teaching TEFL in Thailand. I'm sure you could add a few more.
English versus English
Why get into arguments over which form of English is best?
The problem my students face is getting confused when encountering, for example, British English in one course with one teacher, and the next semester encountering American English with another teacher; it is hard enough to understand one way of speaking and writing, much less understanding that there are differences in what is considered correct
Young teachers vs old teachers?
Which age group do Thai employers really prefer?
It’s the argument that refuses to go away. Which teacher group do Thai schools really prefer to hire and for what reasons? In this light-hearted ajarn article, older teachers and their young counterparts square up to each other over 11 rounds. Seconds out!
Tossed on the TEFL scrapheap
Is teaching in Thailand a young man's game?
These are older teachers who have made their life in Thailand, perhaps even got married and raised children, and are now contemplating the unthinkable. Leaving the home they love. For many it’s either a case of seeking out pastures new or returning home to a country they left behind a long time ago.
The Burning Question - Does it help if you can speak Thai?
Teachers give their opinions on a couple of teaching in Thailand questions
This month's burning questions are a) Does a period of time spent teaching English in Thailand look good on your resume if and when you return home? and b) Does knowing and speaking Thai language in the classroom come in useful?
So, you want to teach English in Thailand?
First impressions of a novice
A couple of months into teaching at a school in Pattaya, I think I've learned a thing or two about living and teaching in Thailand.
Teaching 'with' students, 'to' students and 'at' students
Sometimes I decide to just look on the funny side of trying to teach
I've been teaching in various capacities almost two years in Thailand now, and the differences between teaching students who want to be with you versus those who must be there are quite clear.
An English teacher and proud
Do those who don't teach English in Thailand look down on those that do?
What do expats who work in Thailand but don't teach English think of us teachers? Are we ridiculed when out of earshot or do even the high-flyers afford us maximum respect. An invitation to a business networking evening and a chance to really find out.
Teacher agencies
Do they deserve such a bad press?
I first wrote about the topic of teacher placement agencies (TPAs) back in 2006. Back then, there were relatively few TPAs recruiting foreign teachers in Thailand compared with the number who operate today - but even in those early days, there were certainly a good few complaints about them.
