Teaching tips
What to do and what not to do in the EFL classroom
Tim Cornwall offers some great tips and techniques for both experienced and inexperienced teachers alike from smiling to laying down class rules and from teacher movement to setting up activities.
The Mismeasure of Thais
Teachers rarely take the blame for students constantly failing exams.
It is not the students’ fault that they are failing tests and exams. All students want to pass. They simply don’t know how since most teachers have never taught their students how to study effectively and to recognize the pitfalls of taking tests and examinations.
Bangkok Post Articles
Postbox letter from Asian Teacher
Thailand's plunge in education from the Bangkok Post - A teacher's response
Ralph has hit the nail on the head
Postbox letter from Peter Batchelor
I asked why the school did not employ an English native speaker and was told "we get our two English teachers (the Filipino and the Thai) for the same price as one farang teacher so this way is better for the school"
Unteaching what the Thai teachers have taught
Postbox letter from Ralph Sasser
Let’s look at the reality. Thai teachers do teach grammar and vocabulary, although I don’t see how considering most can’t even speak a coherent sentence in English
Responsibility: Teaching the fourth R in education
It's time to make our students look good - and not just academically
In our zeal to teach the three ‘R's, reading, ‘righting, and ‘rithmetic, we are neglecting to teach another very important ‘R': Responsibility; responsibility for oneself and responsibility for others
My dinner with Ning
A call for traditionalists in the classroom
We were an unlikely pair. Me, a 51 year old Canadian English teacher who is jaded, cynical, and has had more negative experiences with Asian women than I care to admit; and her, a 31 year old Thai Science teacher who, in my opinion, is looking for a foreign status symbol.
We're not all going on a summer holiday
A two-month teaching diary until May rolls around again
So, school is out. If you’re going on holiday either in or out of Thailand, lucky old you, I hope that you have a great time.
Writing your own readers
Why not design your own student reading material
Let your textbooks dictate the level and style of language to use and only introduce new vocabulary if it’s cool and/or funny. Students have a nice habit of always remembering these types of words.
Repetition
An argument about what students really need
Most of us are faced with the same challenge: large class sizes. We can’t do anything about this other than work with it.
