News Forum - The pros and cons of using a teaching agency in Thailand

[Thaiger]

Teaching in Thailand can be quite a rewarding experience. From learning all about Thai culture to helping children learn, making your career as an educator here is a noble act. The road to securing a job in Thailand can be travelled in 2 major ways. Some expats use an agency in which to get hired at a school, while others contact the school directly. Here, we will go over the pros and cons of using an agency to find a job as a teacher in Thailand. The pros Using an agency to assist you, can actually start before you even […]

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[JamesR]

On 10/9/2021 at 11:11 AM, Thaiger said:

Teaching in Thailand can be quite a rewarding experience. From learning all about Thai culture to helping children learn, making your career as an educator here is a noble act. The road to securing a job in Thailand can be travelled in 2 major ways. Some expats use an agency in which to get hired at a school, while others contact the school directly. Here, we will go over the pros and cons of using an agency to find a job as a teacher in Thailand. The pros Using an agency to assist you, can actually start before you even […]

The post The pros and cons of using a teaching agency in Thailand appeared first on Thaiger News.

Read the full story

I can see how the level of English Thai children learn in standard schools is not a very good standard as in the UK for example French, German or whatever foreign language was being taught the teachers also spoke English, how do you teach a foreign language if you can not speak the native language?

Sure you can point to things like a table and say 'table' but when you are teaching more complicated sentences you have to be able to speak in the native language and then repeat the equivalent in English. 

[Rain]

5 hours ago, JamesR said:

I can see how the level of English Thai children learn in standard schools is not a very good standard as in the UK for example French, German or whatever foreign language was being taught the teachers also spoke English, how do you teach a foreign language if you can not speak the native language?

Sure you can point to things like a table and say 'table' but when you are teaching more complicated sentences you have to be able to speak in the native language and then repeat the equivalent in English. 

A decent point that's usually avoided. 

The failure of Foreign/Western English language teachers to be somewhat fluent in Thai is quite dismal....and all too common.

[gummy]

2 hours ago, Rain said:

how do you teach a foreign language if you can not speak the native language?

Just to divert slightly, then we all speak the language of our parents simply by mimicking the sounds and later understanding what those sounds mean. The problem arises when you have language teachers teaching a language which is not their native tongue then quite often those being taught consequently pronounce  some words incorrectly.

[LoongFred]

On 10/11/2021 at 9:41 AM, gummy said:

Just to divert slightly, then we all speak the language of our parents simply by mimicking the sounds and later understanding what those sounds mean. The problem arises when you have language teachers teaching a language which is not their native tongue then quite often those being taught consequently pronounce  some words incorrectly.

Is this based on personal experience

 

On 10/11/2021 at 9:41 AM, gummy said:

Just to divert slightly, then we all speak the language of our parents simply by mimicking the sounds and later understanding what those sounds mean. The problem arises when you have language teachers teaching a language which is not their native tongue then quite often those being taught consequently pronounce  some words incorrectly.

Some native English speakers don’t pronounce words correctly and use a lot of slang, etc. Speaking good English is more a reflection off up bringing and education. I’ve found that many university educated Thais are able to speak English well, but are either too shy or timid. They probably never spoke to a native English speaker and feel they will be criticized. 

Your method of learning is call the audio-lingual approach. The level of proficiency depends on whom the English speaker is.

This is also how Thai bar girls learn. 

[uncle]

8 minutes ago, LoongFred said:

Is this based on personal experience

Some native English speakers don’t pronounce words correctly and use a lot of slang, etc. Speaking good English is more a reflection off up bringing and education. I’ve found that many university educated Thais are able to speak English well, but are either too shy or timid. They probably never spoke to a native English speaker and feel they will be criticized. 

Your method of learning is call the audio-lingual approach. The level of proficiency depends on whom the English speaker is.

This is also how Thai bar girls learn. 

When my wife first visited USA a friends wife was giving her informal lessons... after the first one, my wife asked me what 'like-a' meant... her teacher would say - this is 'like a' table... it can make things difficult but is still a fun way to learn. My Thai is street learned over the course of 20 years... my pronunciation is mostly pretty good, but there are holes in my vocabulary... and comprehension.. but I am pretty functional on a conversational basis... 

[JamesR]

6 hours ago, LoongFred said:

Is this based on personal experience

Some native English speakers don’t pronounce words correctly and use a lot of slang, etc. Speaking good English is more a reflection off up bringing and education. I’ve found that many university educated Thais are able to speak English well, but are either too shy or timid. They probably never spoke to a native English speaker and feel they will be criticized. 

Your method of learning is call the audio-lingual approach. The level of proficiency depends on whom the English speaker is.

This is also how Thai bar girls learn. 

You said, "Some native English speakers don’t pronounce words correctly and use a lot of slang, etc. Speaking good English is more a reflection off up bringing and education. "

Not at all true, quite the opposite in fact.

I can speak standard English as most other English people do, I have worked in many overseas countries where the first language of that country was not English and I never had a problem being understood,  educated to master degree level (oxon) as some of my friends were and we have a great time in the pub sometimes choosing to speak slang or in various accents to just have a laugh or to emphasise a point.

Do you think all Scottish people, Welsh and Irish are not educated as they do not speak English the way  educated English people do?

Edited October 14, 2021 by JamesR
typo

[LoongFred]

4 hours ago, JamesR said:

You said, "Some native English speakers don’t pronounce words correctly and use a lot of slang, etc. Speaking good English is more a reflection off up bringing and education. "

Not at all true, quite the opposite in fact.

I can speak standard English as most other English people do, I have worked in many overseas countries where the first language of that country was not English and I never had a problem being understood,  educated to master degree level (oxon) as some of my friends were and we have a great time in the pub sometimes choosing to speak slang or in various accents to just have a laugh or to emphasise a point.

Do you think all Scottish people, Welsh and Irish are not educated as they do not speak English the way  educated English people do?

In the UK there are many regional accents that are difficult or impossible to understand. We also have this in the US but not to the same degree. Pub English must be quite a thing, with a bunch of old drunk men slobbering in their ale. Like it or not, UK English isn't the standard form of the language anymore.

A requirement for teaching English in Thailand is having a BA/BS degree, 

[LoongFred]

10 hours ago, uncle said:

When my wife first visited USA a friends wife was giving her informal lessons... after the first one, my wife asked me what 'like-a' meant... her teacher would say - this is 'like a' table... it can make things difficult but is still a fun way to learn. My Thai is street learned over the course of 20 years... my pronunciation is mostly pretty good, but there are holes in my vocabulary... and comprehension.. but I am pretty functional on a conversational basis... 

There are big differences in spoken Thai as there are in English. The Thai you pick up in the market or street may be viewed a vulgar or rude in some settings. The problem is that most Thais will not tell you so and you go on looking foolish. Its knowing what's appropriate to say and how to say it. English is the same if you only heard people talking trash in the mall, how would you know. Growing up in an English speaking hosehold your mother will correct (hopefully) your rude language so that you would know what's appropriate or not. 

I had some dental work resently done. The dentist, who spoke excellent English, told me she really like speaking Thai with me because I knew how to speak proper Thai. I don't show off or speak down to others but always show proper respect. How you speak depends on your enviroment (like English). What's OK in one enviroment is not in another.

[JamesR]

9 hours ago, LoongFred said:

In the UK there are many regional accents that are difficult or impossible to understand. We also have this in the US but not to the same degree. Pub English must be quite a thing, with a bunch of old drunk men slobbering in their ale. Like it or not, UK English isn't the standard form of the language anymore.

A requirement for teaching English in Thailand is having a BA/BS degree, 

I suppose French is not the standard form of the language anymore, I suppose German...........etc

You do not seem to have been brought up properly if you indirectly accuse me of being a drunk old slobbering man without even knowing me, very nice manners.

I used my opinions, you revert to insults. 

Teaching in Thailand, true you need a BA/BS, I know a guy who did the TOFL I think it is called on an eight week course in Thailand to teach English to Thais.

The only problem after he finished the course was he needed a degree so the school he went to told him where to buy a fake one on the internet, a week later he was teaching English in Thailand.

I can understand needing a BA/BS to teach 'A' level English (High school) but as it has been shown by my example above, English can be taught to beginners without one. 

[uncle]

On 10/15/2021 at 8:10 AM, LoongFred said:

There are big differences in spoken Thai as there are in English. The Thai you pick up in the market or street may be viewed a vulgar or rude in some settings. The problem is that most Thais will not tell you so and you go on looking foolish. Its knowing what's appropriate to say and how to say it. English is the same if you only heard people talking trash in the mall, how would you know. Growing up in an English speaking hosehold your mother will correct (hopefully) your rude language so that you would know what's appropriate or not. 

I had some dental work resently done. The dentist, who spoke excellent English, told me she really like speaking Thai with me because I knew how to speak proper Thai. I don't show off or speak down to others but always show proper respect. How you speak depends on your enviroment (like English). What's OK in one enviroment is not in another.

Thanks. I am totally street learned having lived in a small village outside a rural provincial city. I can usually speak properly in more formal situations, I assume, na Krubp. Some common sense helps and I have been at it for a long time. 

One interesting progression is that less often do people tell me I speak well - - because conversation flows so freely that it doesn't enter their mind. 

[Vince]

On 10/10/2021 at 7:37 AM, whitesnake said:

I love the way they show a smiling black teacher from Africa!

She wouldn't be smiling like that if she knew that racism against black foreign nationals (including teachers!!!) is rife here in Thailand!

I KNOW!! We had a black teacher in our school who was paid 20,000 baht to teach English... great teacher.. no concerns over his ability! We, as westerners, were all receiving 38,000 + for doing the same job as he was!! SHOCKING!!! JUST BECAUSE HE WAS BLACK!!!  

Did you take a stand and quit your job?

Or donate the balance of your salary - 18,000 baht - to the other teacher? 

[Vince]

On 10/14/2021 at 6:10 PM, LoongFred said:

There are big differences in spoken Thai as there are in English. The Thai you pick up in the market or street may be viewed a vulgar or rude in some settings. The problem is that most Thais will not tell you so and you go on looking foolish. Its knowing what's appropriate to say and how to say it. English is the same if you only heard people talking trash in the mall, how would you know. Growing up in an English speaking hosehold your mother will correct (hopefully) your rude language so that you would know what's appropriate or not. 

I had some dental work resently done. The dentist, who spoke excellent English, told me she really like speaking Thai with me because I knew how to speak proper Thai. I don't show off or speak down to others but always show proper respect. How you speak depends on your enviroment (like English). What's OK in one enviroment is not in another.

Apparently Japanese is similar, and even new college graduates in Japan find they have to master formal respectful business Japanese they're not familiar with, once they get a job. 

[Vince]

On 10/14/2021 at 6:50 AM, LoongFred said:

I’ve found that many university educated Thais are able to speak English well, but are either too shy or timid. They probably never spoke to a native English speake

Lack of confidence is common in all countries. "Fear of public speaking" is listed as the #1 fear by many people, but speaking a second language seems to be similar. 

Developing confidence even in small or weak skillsets is difficult and language instruction is often more focused on grammar and syntactical forms that practical use is secondary.

It's like kata training or knowing your animal style movements in Kung Fu, but whether it works "in the street" is ignored. 

 

[Pinetree]

On 10/11/2021 at 12:57 AM, JamesR said:

how do you teach a foreign language if you can not speak the native language?

In 2 years of being taught French at my school, i never heard our French teacher speak English to a class, it was all French. . We all learnt accordingly.

[Pinetree]

19 minutes ago, whitesnake said:

That's got feck all to do with it!! (idiot!) I'M JUST COMMENTING THAT RACISM IS PART OF THAI CULTURE WHEN IT COMES TO THE COLOR OF YOUR SKIN!! ...AS IT IS IN MANY NATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!

No need to shout

[Pinetree]

On 10/15/2021 at 3:07 AM, JamesR said:

"Some native English speakers don’t pronounce words correctly

Sorry to upset some people,  but correct pronunciation is almost unknown in what the Americans incorrectly call their 'first language English'. It should be referred to as 'American', not English. 

[Vince]

1 hour ago, whitesnake said:

That's got feck all to do with it!! (idiot!) I'M JUST COMMENTING THAT RACISM IS PART OF THAI CULTURE WHEN IT COMES TO THE COLOR OF YOUR SKIN!! ...AS IT IS IN MANY NATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!

A great point Mr Snake. I was not aware of that. Thank you!!!!

[JamesR]

1 hour ago, whitesnake said:

That's got feck all to do with it!! (idiot!) I'M JUST COMMENTING THAT RACISM IS PART OF THAI CULTURE WHEN IT COMES TO THE COLOR OF YOUR SKIN!! ...AS IT IS IN MANY NATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!

"AS IT IS IN MANY NATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!"

I know what you mean, here in the UK all white people are automatically deemed racist due to the colour of their skin, if we say anything at all even the smallest thing about people with non-white skin we are told we are racist. 

My non-white friends think it is funny, they can say whatever they like about anybody.