Teaching in Thailand - A Teachers Expectation

Expectations of Teachers

Teachers in Thailand are revered. They must dress decently. Expectations will vary with the type of school, the curriculum, and previous exposure to native English speakers. In Thai schools the objective would be to give the students a brief introduction to listening and speaking English rather than developing specific language skills. Commercial schools have more severe expectations of teachers since the students are there to learn English for Specific Purposes.

Regarding teaching materials, some schools would prefer a few good "desert island" drill books. Commercial schools provide decent teaching materials. Some Thai schools have pretty good instructional texts for conversation, such as the Side-by-Side series. Others have old editions of language and vocabulary workbooks that are entirely out dated. There are plenty of English bookstores in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and other big cities, but it may be difficult looking for good texts in the countryside.

Class size and curriculum ascertain the work load though the average teaching load is 15 hours a week. Commercial schools have regular schedules, but Thai schools have a lot of split schedules, which can really extend. There may be four hours of teaching a day, such as a two-hour class from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and another one from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Despite the fact, that there are four hours in between the classes, one will be required to hover around the office for the entire time. Split schedules are troublesome, but if one teaches in the evenings at government schools, overtime pay is involved.