Rheno747
- 2005-07-29
In Thailand, students are discouraged from actively participating in class. This is viewed as 'showing off' here. As a result, most students in my classes appeared to be slackers. I, like Sap, concentrated on the slackers most because that was by far the largest group. If I had pidgeon-holed MY slackers into the category of 'hopeless basket cases', I'd have taught maybe 5 out of 535 students all year.
My point is you can never tell from simply teaching kids an hour or two a week who will succeed later in life and who is bound to spend the rest of his life as a motorcycle-taxi driver. That's true ESPECIALLY here.
Like Sap described in his post, I have also encountered what he calls 'closet scholars'. There were lots of closet scholars in my classrooms simply because of the Thai culture. I had to exert tons of effort on the slackers to find the 'diamonds in the rough'--and I did find a few, so it was worth it to me.
I didn't come to Thailand to change Thailand. I came to change perhaps ONE person's life (besides my
own)--that's all I hope to do. After a year in the trenches, I think I've changed the life-courses of many of my students. Students who would have always doubted their own abilities, or students who would have never tried in the first place if I would have never set foot in the land of Thai. I just wish I could have reached more. Yeah--it's aggravating to think back on those days and wonder what could have been.
R747
SiamSap
- 2005-07-28
BD, you're right on the money. I've had the posers in all my classes, sure. I've also seen the students who really want to learn English. However, there is a THIRD group I've been pulling my hair out over since I started teaching--the 'fence dwellers'.
You know the students I'm talking about.....those who are in the 'slackers today/serious tomorrow' group. Most of my students were in this group. I concentrated on them the most because they had to most to gain. If they gave up the slack, they learned. If they learned, at least some usually wanted to come back for more, so the cycle's period became longer for them. Others simply withdrew farther into the dark reaches of slackness the more I pressed them to perform.
Unfortunately, my contract term ended and my time with these students came to an end. If I had more time with them, I'd press the slackers even harder to shake out the remaining 'closet scholars'.
I think they'd been worth it.
NEVER give up on students.
BD
- 2005-07-27
You folks have to remember something very important. You are not at home in North America or Europe. There is a completely different outlook on education -- and you are not going to change that fact!
Too many newbies show up in countries around the world with an, Im going to make a difference and save this poor country from poverty attitude. STOP! You are going to crash and burn so hard! ESL is a business. The school owners are out to make money. The parents have paid for their little angles to have English classes -- and expect a good grade (regardless if the punk deserves it). The school owner will always side with the paying parent -- ALWAYS. You, as a teacher, are a completely replaceable middle man. And recruiters do the words human trafficking come to mind? They should -- especially since you are the product.
Ladies and gentlemen, teaching ESL can be a good and fulfilling job, whether its done for a few months or as a career. But there are rules to the game and regardless of how you feel, you need to realize this and make some adjustments. Be the best teacher that you can be. You will realize very soon that some of your students actually want to learn. Concentrate on them! Teach them! Screw the slackers! They will end-up with low paying menial jobs anyway, and that will happen even if you bust-your-butt trying to teach them. The slackers are trying to get you to waste your time on them and take time away from your serious students. DONT PLAY THEIR GAME! You are the teacher. Its your class -- teach it! If that means letting the slackers fall between the cracks -- so be it. And what ever you do -- dont take it personally. This crap goes on in every class, not just yours.
If you cant make adjustments -- dont teach! Anywhere.
SiamSap
- 2005-07-27
Yes, I agree with you, Rheno. If anyone wants to enter the TEFL industry, he or she should 'test drive' teaching first. This means getting a fake certificate instead of paying through the nose for a real one. I spent my hard-earned money on a certificate, and a good one, too. But I've learned one hard-core reality the last year.......TEFL teaching has two sides--teacher and student. Getting a fancy, overpriced certificate may make you a better teacher or give you the skills to even BE a teacher. However, much must still be done on the student side of the coin. Only when your students CARE enough to learn English in the first place should you plop down your hard-earned greenbacks or Euros on a little piece of paper that 'proves' you can teach them.
I would get the fake TESOL and test drive TEFL first. You can buy bunch of SCUBA lessons with the 1600 you'll want back later if you don't like teaching, and you probably won't like it.
If you can accept the fact that most students, at least in Asia, will view your English classes as 'play time' or 'sleep time' and view you as their babysitter for an hour a day, go ahead and spend, spend, spend.
After a year in Thailand doing the thankless TEFL thing, I know now there is NO WAY I should have dropped 16 DOLLARS on a certificate, let alone 16 HUNDRED dollars.
Rheno747
- 2005-07-22
I assume that you are thinking of getting a TESOL or TEFL certificate, so I'll give you some advice:
1. Make sure it's from a good program IF you lay down your money for a course. A 'good program'
is 120 total hours / 6 OBSERVED teaching hours. Forget the 'TESOL by mail for only $199.95' shams you see on the internet.
2. Some schools in Korea offer FREE TESOL training. Look for them on the internet. They're out there. Most of the schools in SK don't even require a cert, though, so you'll be fine IF you have a bachelor's degree.
3. If you want to 'test drive' TEFL teaching first, fly to Bangkok, Thailand and get a fake TESOL certificate made in an area called Koh Sahrn Road. This will run you about 3700 Baht (about 85 USD) at the vendor near the Himilayan Kitchen restaurant. If you've never done the TEFL thing before, I highly recommend you go this route. You may jump in, drop 1600 USD on a cert, then find you don't like teaching after all and want that 1600 back (like I want MINE back). You can learn in a weekend in a hotel room what you need to know for the classroom during your 'test drive' phase. After getting the fake you can get a job in Thailand or go elsewhere. I'd go elsewhere, as you'll make more money, get reimbursed for your airfare at schools in many countries, and you'll get a ticket back home when it's all over.
If you DO like TESOL, you can always go for a cert later.
It's all up to you.
Good luck!
BD
- 2005-07-21
Sara,
I have only heard of a few instances where someone was turned down for a job because of the wrong alphabet soup on their certificate.
Example: Madam Wongs House of Whoopee and English Language Academy runs a TEFL program for soon-to-be teachers, as well as a school to teach English to the natives. They will only hire their own TEFL certified teachers. The academy will blab about how TEFL is the superior certificate, but in truth they will not even take TEFL certificates from other schools. They need the teacher openings at their academy for their own newly trained teachers. Do you see the circle here?
Overall, I dont think anyone cares what acronym is on your certificate. What is your background? Do you have experience teaching? Whats your education? These certificates are not even needed in many jobs, contrary to what the teacher training programs will tell you. Dont get me wrong these certificates will only help you, if for no other reason than to look good on a resume/CV. But they are not always a requirement. You have nothing to lose in trying to find a job without a certificate. All they can say is no. If they do then you take a certificate course. Hope this helps.
Sara
- 2005-07-21
Sorry if this has been covered before but so if a job qualification says TEFL as a requirement, they would also accept TESOL certification?
Thanks for the help 
BD
- 2005-07-20
Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) Teaching English to non-native speakers of English, in a country where English is not the main language.
Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) Teaching English to non-native speakers of English in a country where English is the main language.
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) No real different than TESL, only it is usually adult students.
Overall, there is no difference. Its just a bunch of acronyms. Most of the programs are not bad, but listening to the My certificate can beat-up your certificate, stuff between the various camps can be annoying. Also, the certificates are NOT required in many places.
Everybody sing!
Old McDonald had a farm, T-E-S-O-L. And on his farm he had a kid, T-E-S-L. With a Qu, Qu here, and a Che cosa, Che cosa there, here a Ce qui, thee a Ce qui, every where a Was, Was. Old McDonald had a farm T-E-F-L! 
What is the difference between TEFL/TESL vs TESOL? Which is required for the jobs and are there benefits to one or the other?
[Edited by Administrator (admin) Sat, 14 May 2011, 06:10 AM]