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Professional TEFL Teaching in Thailand

Godfree Roberts — Sat, 19 May 2018 04:25:48 +0000

[This post is a continuation of Teaching English in Thailand]. There are special requirements for TEFL teaching in Thailand, but professional TEFL Teaching in Thailand can be much more lucrative than casual classroom teaching. Most professional TEFL instructors teach teachers in Thailand have advanced degrees in the subject. This is a quick survey of the possibilities if you’re thinking of becoming a professional TEFL teacher and moving to Thailand.

Most countries have a standard requirement for authorizing teachers, both in the public and private sphere. Typically they require you to take a post-graduate diploma in teaching, which includes internship. It really varies from one country to the next; some are called certificates, others licenses. In the United Kingdom you are expected to first pass the Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), then spend a year or two as a trainee teacher before you are fully qualified with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

In Ireland, Australia and New Zealand they each have a similar standard referred to in each as the Post-Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE). In the United States it is administered on a state level, with most local education departments expecting prospective teachers to sit exams which are presently administered by the Education Testing Service (ETS) or Pearson’s Education. Courses exist to guide you through this.

In Thailand the TCT maintains a worldwide database of authorized institutions to award degrees and diplomas. A teaching certificate from one of these will satisfy the teacher license application. The database is published online but it is not up-to-date so it’s necessary to enquire directly with the TCT (Khurusapa). In recent years a number of local universities or colleges have begun offering diplomas or education degrees. Unfortunately, several have been withdrawn after it was discovered that Isarn University was apparently selling certificates.

PGCE is the international version of the UK, offered by distance learning at several British universities and is the most likely choice for those wishing to do things properly, and not restrained by budget. However, its relationship to the full PGCE is quite vague and those universities offering it are clear that it’s specifically for teaching abroad and offer no guarantee that credits can be converted to the official PGCE.

Presently, there are four approved programs that I’m aware of that can be studied by correspondence, with exams sat in Thailand; this is not a definitive list but based on widely confirmed online forum feedback.

Nottingham University TEFL

They offer a popular PGCEi program in many centers around the world including Bangkok (with an orientation in Oct 2014); application deadline however has past (20 August). You need a second class degree minimum to apply. 60 credits towards an MA Education at the same university are awarded. Hitherto this seems to have been the only route in Thailand to study towards a recognized diploma where exams can be taking locally, and their recent intake included two dozen or more.

Full price: £3,170 (165,000thb) may not include local exam fees.

Website contact: Helen.l.smith@nottingham.ac.uk

Keele University TEFL

Their PGCEi is far more thorough and expensive with variable fees according to your prior teaching experience. It’s now run from their Southeast Asian center in Malaysia with enrolment for the forthcoming year now closed (course started 11th August). You will need a good second class degree to apply. For future courses you will need to make three trips to KL for lecture sessions. This is more suitable for those serious about a career in international schools.

Full Price: £4,500/208,000thb for teachers 2 year experience in teaching, otherwise £6,000), may not include local exam fees.

Website contact: mshaw@keele.co.uk

Philippine Women’s University TEFL

This is not a PGCEi (which is a diploma specific to the United Kingdom), but a Certificate in Teaching Practice, licensed by CHED, which oversees all tertiary level education in the Philippines. It is the standard qualification for becoming a teacher in that country and I understand many Filipinos now work abroad in international schools with a similar certificate on top of Masters degrees in other subjects. It’s been offered in Thailand for a year now with UniTEFL in Chiang Mai appointed as the enrolment and examination representatives. However, it appears to only be available for Filipinos at this stage. Credits count towards their MA education. You need to have completed a degree to apply. Enrolment for August Trimester has passed, next enrolment is January.

Full Price: $3,790/121,000thb, all inclusive, payable in three trimesters.

Website contact: pwu-enrolment@unitefl.com

New Era University TEFL

A similar course offered by PWU, known as the Certificate in Professional Teaching, which is open to all nationalities, and has just been launched, so has no track record. Also located in the Philippines, this university is well established and has a large distance learning program apparently. The course grants credits to their MA in education online. It’s significantly cheaper than the others and once proven to be of good standing is likely to be popular with Thailand teachers on a budget. It’s also administered in Thailand by UniTEFL, with exams sat in Bangkok or Chiang Mai. You need to have completed a degree to apply. Enrolment deadline for forthcoming semester is October 17th.

Full price: $3,360/108,000thb ($300 less for Filipinos), all inclusive. This will be slightly more if paying by semester.

Website contactneu-enrolment@unitefl.com

All four programs are offered by universities listed in the OCSC database of recognized institutions according to the TCT for approved qualifications. I have met people who have graduated from each of these programs except the New Era one, claiming to have gained their teaching license once qualified. A representative at UniTEFL assured me that someone from CHED had met with the TCT to validate the two Philippines programs they are involved with, and a photograph on their website seems to support this. As a side note, The Philippines was ranked 42nd in the world for tertiary level education standards in the recent Times Supplement on Higher Learning. Thailand was 82nd and Malaysia 17th.

The PGCEi is specifically designed for teachers wanting to work at the highest level in countries where private schools seem to have one foot in each of two education departments. However, the various international schools, of which there are dozens and dozens in Thailand alone, have quite variable standards for recruiting teachers.

A top notch British Institution such as Shrewsbury almost certainly prefers British teachers with the QVT and an impressive CV of experience. Missionary Christian schools in Chiang Mai, such as Grace International, only accept teachers sponsored by churches in the US. Then there are private schools owned by a Thai family running GCSE O/A levels who will hire anyone suitable. And there are many of these, presenting good opportunities for experienced TEFL teachers who have attained a PGCEi or similar. Since their classroom is multi-cultural, they tend to hire a mix of nationalities to teach, so that a credible teaching diploma involving a rigorous one-year course of study is considered on a case-by-case basis.

In discussion with one headmistress from a new international school in Chiang Mai, off the record she said that a recognized teaching diploma from various countries would be considered alongside other strengths on their CV, but that all teachers hired should have the teaching certificate.

The EP is where the greatest opportunities lie for the standard TEFL teacher wanting to advance up the career ladder. This is a good reason why you should get certified as professional teacher. The rise of the English Program (EP) is phenomenal in Thailand, where more and more demand is emerging from the growing Middle Class.

These are private (and some public) Thai schools under the MoE supervision that are teaching the curriculum in English, using foreigners. You will be a homeroom teacher teaching various subjects, not just English, therefore its imperative you are correctly trained and certified as a proper teacher. The salaries are, on the whole, 30 per cent more and many TEFL teachers are now applying for these positions.

If you have been an ESL teacher in Thailand for several years, and will need to invest time and money in getting a diploma in teaching to maintain your license, this is the way to go – stepping up to EP and eventually International School jobs.

In case you’re interested in teaching English in Thailand, here’s some food for thought: a VERY experienced teacher discussing TEFL courses:

Teach English In Thailand 12 Tips

Godfree Roberts — Thu, 17 May 2018 03:52:41 +0000

Twelve Tips About Teaching English In Thailand

For anyone wanting to teach English in Thailand, here are seven useful tips about Teaching English in Thailand. There have been some significant changes in how the Education Department is certifying English teachers. A client asked my advice on the changes, I forwarded her email to the headmistress of an international school in Bangkok and asked her advice on how to get started teaching English in Thailand. With the permission of both of them, here’s her reply:

Dear Beth,

I heard you were looking to teach in Thailand, however, the restrictions have tightened in the Thailand TEFL industry. Teaching English in Thailand just isn’t what it used to be a decade ago. While the demand for teachers has increased, the Teachers’ Council of Thailand has tightened up stipulations to license foreign teachers, and there are many rumors of further restrictions on who exactly can officially work as a foreign teacher here.

I have noticed that there’s a great deal of uncertainty in Thailand in the post-coup environment as careless law-enforcement has become top priority for the Junta government. Visa restrictions are being tightened up, ED Visas are coming under scrutiny and teachers without licenses or waivers don’t believe they will have a job for much longer. However, getting qualified with a proper teaching diploma looks like the obvious way to ensure a long-term English teacher position in Thailand.

Recently there have been new stipulations put into place. Due to some issues with the previous government, some important changes were to be expected. The Ministry of Education may still go ahead later in 2014. In this Bangkok Post article (Sept 2013), the then education minister Chaturon Chaisaeng made it clear that they expect those with intention to teach full time in Thailand need to get properly qualified. He also conceded that some leniency would be needed due to the need to retain ESL teachers.

I read in a more recent article (the Nation – January 2014), that it was announced that approval had been made to propagate stricter minimum requirements for teachers in Thailand. This suggests that everyone would now need a teaching diploma or education degree as a minimum. Full details were revealed on the MoE’s website as minutes of the meeting. From the rumors I’ve heard, they will expect an education degree or masters which is far-fetched and simply unrealistic.

In short, they are intending to move towards licensing only those with a minimum one-year post graduate teaching diploma (in the absence of a degree in education). Obviously you’d need to have a general degree to achieve the diploma but, it is unlikely that such a move can be practically implemented immediately. I believe that without a grace period of at least a year, many schools would lose their ESL teachers. And we both know this would cause a crisis in the industry.

Presently, teachers are given a two-year grace, typically to ‘gain experience’ but mostly to accommodate the many foreigners working as TEFL tutors. Another two years is granted on case-by-case basis if you’ve got a good track record. Most likely they will reduce this to only a single two-year temporary license waiver. This would give ample time for teachers, like you, to get the diploma.

You may be wondering by now; “Why they are doing this?” From what I have heard, one reason is ‘office politics’. All Thai teachers are expected to be properly qualified and should have a completed degree and sat diploma exams with internships. Ex-minister Chaturon recently said that there’s an oversupply of Thai teachers, with more than 60,000 graduating each year, allowing only 20,000 openings. The main reason for this being their jobs are being potentially taken by foreigners.

The most a teacher can expect to earn in a standard school is usually 15,000 baht or about $469. However, if a young, inexperienced, foreigner with a degree irrelevant to teaching and with no training shows up, they are expecting to get no less than 30,000 baht ($938.00). This makes it difficult since the schools do need foreign teachers. And to me, it’s a logical solution to demand that everyone gets a certificate in teaching. This will get rid of some of the displeasure felt among local teachers. If you’re serious about making a career out of teaching in Thailand you should consider spending a year studying part-time towards this post-grad qualification.

From the TCT site, the qualifications are summarized as follows: to get a permanent teacher’s license you must

be over 21 years of age
have completed any degree
have completed one year of teaching experience
have a certificate/diploma in teaching from a recognized institution as an alternative to an education degree
have completed an ethics and culture course.

However, since this is all new, to accommodate a huge demand for TEFL teachers and trainee teachers, a temporary license is issued if you fulfill the first two requirements. Luckily, this lasts for two years. As I previously mentioned, it typically can be extended for two more years, if you have a consistent record at a particular school.

Being Thailand, there is usually inconsistent information given out, arbitrary implementation of the restrictions, and anecdotal evidence of people being granted leniency. This makes it difficult for anyone to give an absolute guideline. But the message is clear; the Ministry would like all teachers to meet a minimum professional standard according to tertiary level institutions.

To be fully licensed as a teacher in Thailand you clearly need either a degree in education or post-grad teaching diploma. This is the challenge faced by any TEFL teacher who has been in Thailand for four years already. Many are now looking for options to satisfy this. There is, however, an alternative offered: the Professional Knowledge test.

This is a set of five tests which are periodically offered by the TCT, with suggested study material. It is a substitute for a diploma and can, theoretically, be completed in a matter of months. But in truth those who have taken it mostly find it frustrating, incoherent at times, and difficult to pass on the first attempt. Some pass a couple of the tests to satisfy authorities towards an extension. It is not really that useful outside of Thailand however. For the effort involved, it is probably wiser to study for a diploma from one of the institutions abroad offering a distance learning program. If you do pass the PK test you have the right to feel proud – it’s quite a bother. However, it is cheaper than studying for a diploma.

If you’re curious about TEFL, I could explain the standard 120-hour certificate commonly offered in Thailand. It carries no weight. However, recruiters do like to see that you’ve taken the trouble to learn TEFL teaching methods and will usually favor those with a recognized TEFL certificate. This is important especially if you are an inexperienced teacher. At the very least you should enter the profession with this training. The shorter online courses are not recommended since they lack the teaching practicum component.

I know you will do the right thing and do what is best for you, but I wanted to make sure this information was properly given to you. Please feel free to write back if you have any questions about this. Good luck with your endeavors and I look forward to helping you along the way!

Your Friend,

Edwina

Beth replied to this, asking about professional TEFL training in Thailand. Edwina’s response can be found here.

And here’s what a Thai teacher’s day looks like:

Here’s more reading if you want to teach English in Thailand

What Skills Will You Need to Be Able to Teach English in Thailand … – As a former English teacher in Thailand, before I even contemplated moving here to teach English, I researched the country’s education system thoroughly so I had an idea of which skills I would need to have to be able to not …
Teach English in Thailand | JimmyESL – An article about teaching english in Thailand. Finding a job in Thailand, the best time find a job and the cost of living in Thailand. Remarks By
President Obama to the Australian Parliament … – In Thailand, where we’re partnering for disaster relief. In the Philippines, where … History teaches us the greatest force the world has ever known for creating wealth and opportunity is free markets. So we seek economies that …
Why I Gave Up Flipped Instruction – … stone to a fully realized inquiry/PBL classroom. And the flip’s gradual disappearance from our learning space hasn’t been a conscious decision: it’s simply a casualty of our progression from a teacher-centred classroom to a student-centred one. …. She has taught high school English, science and technology, and currently works as a National Faculty member and PBL consultant for the Buck Institute for Education (BIE). Her passion is social justice and helping her …
Teachers@ED: Newton Piper, Customer Service Specialist … – When Newton Piper started out as a teacher in Thailand, he decided he would demonstrate students how plants absorb water by transforming himself into a human root system. So he went out and bought his own supplies—all … Kent spin” to get into a different teaching mindset. The experience required learning to employ a variety of instructional techniques and taught him a lot about how a child’s English ability can act as a fundamental barrier to his or her learning.

Now you know how to pick a course?

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