TEFL Thailand Blog

People decide to take the TEFL course for a multitude of reasons. They may want a break or change in their career, they may have travelled to Thailand before and like so many others before them feel compelled to return, some students have had teaching English as a foreign language recommend to them by friends and family, others simply understand that it’s the adventure that awaits.

We recognize that for some people, moving to Thailand is a bit like stepping into the unknown. You may have some conception of how your life is going to progress once you set foot in the ‘Land of a Thousand Smiles’, but most people have some questions they must put to us before their journey can begin, and even though everyone draws on different life experiences’, there are a few general questions that pop up again and again and it’s our job to set the record straight.

The majority of people coming through our TEFL course want to find work in Thailand or throughout Asia after they’ve graduated. Although this is one of people’s major concerns it is the easiest question to answer – there are lots of jobs in Thailand, our jobs board is swamped with opportunities for our current students. If you are diligent in your job search you’ll find opportunities to teach almost everywhere, to almost anyone. Wages received, in relation to the cost of living in Thailand are excellent, and with the current economic climate as it stands you might well discover you have more disposable income than you did in your home country… so enjoy your free time.

Coming from a western society most of us are accustomed to a certain standard of living and we often find students anxious about their accommodation options – concerned that they’ll be living in a manner they can not adapt to. Please allow us dispel this common misconception. Thailand has a wide range of housing options to choose from and you’ll find there’s something to suit your particular requirements. While becoming TEFL certified at the School, and when you go on to teach elsewhere, you’ll find a range of cozy housing options, bungalows and serviced apartments – all with modern amenities at a very reasonable price.

English teaching is something the Thai people are in need of. Everyone is keen to learn and you’ll come across the Thais going out of there way to speak with you, one of the reasons for this is it’s just their nature and culture to be friendly, the other reason is because they want to practice their English on you. Give them a chance to do so… come and join in!

Here is an example of why Thailand is a wonderful place to spend some time teaching English.

We have a student, Johnny, who earned his TEFL certificate with us and is teaching in one of our schools, and he shared a lovely story with me.

He had a minor motorbike accident – he slipped out in some loose sand on the road – and scraped up a knee and foot. Johnny did the standard “no insurance” thing, washed his wounds and put a small bandage on them.

Later that day, several new Thai friends were visiting him – he had met them once or twice before. They saw what he described as his “amateur attempts” at being his own doctor. Without prompting, they pulled his bandages off, checked his injuries, pronounced them no good, and as he said: “one went this way, one went that way, and the third went another way.” His Thai friends returned with an assortment of medicines, cleaned his wounds, applied some various salves and bandaged him up correctly. All of this was done without request or compensation.

Later, when he was out and about, his landlady cleaned his apartment, changed his bedding, and left his home spotless. Again, without prompting by Johnny.

He has healed perfectly, with only some minor scars and a beautiful story.

Simply put, the Thai people are incredibly compassionate and caring, unlike anything you may have ever encountered.

Do yourself a favor and come to Thailand when you can. Your spirit will be refreshed and your heart will be touched by the gentleness and beauty of Thailand and her people.

Thanks to Johnny for the story and to the Thai people for being ambassadors of kindness to the world.

Many of our potential students wonder: Is it possible to teach English in Thailand without speaking the Thai language?

YES you can teach as knowledge of Thai is not necessary to teach English in Thailand.

In fact, speaking Thai in your classes can be a hindrance to the progress of your students.

TEFL is Teaching English as a Foreign Language. This means the language spoken locally, outside of the classroom, is not English. This is different than EFL or ESL and sometimes TESOL which are generally taught in an English-speaking country. The difference is that your class time may be the only time that your students are easily and safely (without risk of embarrassment) able to practice their English. To speak Thai with them, or to rely on their mother tongue for instruction, would mean they lose valuable English practice time and opportunity.

We view the classroom as a safe place in which errors in English are welcomed as opportunities to learn. Your role as teacher is pronunciation coach and usage adviser. As a native speaker, you have a natural “ear” for what sounds correct. English is highly irregular in some situations, and a native’s knowledge is irreplaceable for students learning to speak well.

Thai may sometimes be used to clarify a point or as an aid in definitions, but the absolute majority (99%) of your classroom time should be speaking English with your students. It is possible to use an online dictionary or translation service to give a general idea of meaning, as well. Plus Google image search can help with pictures of things, emotions or activities. There are also online videos from YouTube and other sites, which can be beneficial, but these should be pre-screened.

In our training, we emphasize maximizing student talk time (STT) rather than teacher talk time (TTT). You can speak English, your students cannot. So we engage our students, teach them a bit of new English, then set up a safe “free practice” opportunity. Thus, they learn with confidence and in an enjoyable manner, so they learn better and more quickly.

Thus, near-native proficiency in English is the only language skill necessary to be successful Teaching English in Asia.

For more information on registering for the course, please click here.

Thanks for your interest and see you in Phuket soon!

Sawatdee – The Thai equivalent of Aloha!

Imagine that you are the General Manager of a resort in Phuket. 95% of your guests are English speakers but only about 10% of your staff is able to speak English well enough to understand and respond to the most basic of guest requests. The majority of your staff ends up constantly bugging that 10% to ask them to help communicate. Again, this is for simple guest questions about directions, needs or general information. Your number one complaint among your guests is lack of communication with staff. Would you, as the GM be interested in improving your staff’s English?

This is an actual situation we were able to remedy with a 5 star resort in Phuket. We have conducted several classes for them thus far, and they have re-booked our teachers with an aim to improve the English skills of their staff over the long term. Phuket is an international top-ten travel destination. Managers of resorts, restaurants and other businesses know that English = Money.

We currently have 9 contracts of this type of position in Phuket that we can not meet, due to the lack of teaching talent. These jobs are great jobs, working with motivated students and with good salaries & nice benefits in posh settings.

We were recently contacted to provide an English Teacher for a resort on Phi Phi Island. Phi Phi is one of the “can’t miss” destinations for travelers to Southern Thailand. The job included room and board and the schedule was for about 5 hours of teaching 6 days a week – all on an hourly rate of 300 baht each hour. Non-teaching time is free time and there is plenty to do on Phi Phi. They have some of the best full moon beach parties in all of Thailand. This is the type of dream job that comes up all the time in Thailand.

Maybe you want to work at a school. There was a recent article in the Phukette Gazette by the head of Phuket’s Ministry of Education branch. He detailed the over 400-person teacher shortage, primarily in the field of English teaching. Yes, there are plenty of jobs here in Phuket and Thailand at large. We work with a local foundation that has a mandate to fund English education in our local schools, so our school opportunities are among the best in Thailand, too.

The job scene in your home country may not be what it once was, but the job market for English teachers in Asia is extremely good. Consider that it is widely reported that more than a billion people worldwide are attempting to learn English. In China, alone, there are more people studying English than there are American citizens.

Yes, with our help, you can easily find a job. If so, then do you really need a TEFL course? There are several benefits to TEFL:

First – you learn how to be a good teacher. Speaking English fluently does not automatically mean you can teach English. You may have the best of intentions, but you’ll inadvertently end up harming your students without formal training. You need familiarity with the nuts and bolts of teaching English and practice with actual students. Our course is designed to give you both competence and confidence. We have you student teach more than any other course in Thailand, and there is little comparison to on-line only TEFL courses. Would you trust a well-read mechanic who had never held a wrench?

We provide classroom teaching experience which fully prepares you for actual English teaching. Unqualified teachers make the educational process unnecessarily difficult, and at the end of the day it’s the students who suffer. Students and their employers pay well for English lessons and they deserve to have a teacher who knows what he or she is doing.

Second, potential employers are wary of transient types looking only for a quick buck and having no experience or training. They know these people cannot teach and it is a waste of time to hire them. They have probably been burned in the past.

Employers look for a serious commitment to teaching professionalism and proof of qualifications. To gain English teaching employment in Asia, TEFL is a must. A TEFL is required to teach in Thailand and many other Asian countries.

Third, when you register with us, you have a team of experts on the ground working for you. We know about the best jobs, the situations to avoid, how to work out a visa, where to live, and much more. We continually contact our grads about job opportunities.

In short, the students benefit from your professionalism, you benefit by outshining your competition for teaching jobs and your transition to teaching English in Thailand or Asia is smooth. Our mission is your teaching success and we stand behind our graduates. We have a reputation to protect, so will make sure you can teach and that the job you get is a good fit for you – everybody wins.

Our total package of TEFL Course + basic housing comes to US$1400. This is the least expensive TEFL course in Phuket and the best deal in all of Thailand. We have openings in our courses starting this Fall, but our courses tend to fill quickly, as we run smaller class sized to focus on our students’ learning.

Go online to www.TEFLThailand.com, visit our enroll page, submit your details, and use Paypal to send your $400 deposit to info@teflphuket.com. We can also process credit cards, if you prefer to pay that way. Just drop us a line with your phone number, and we’ll give you a buzz: info@TEFLThailand.com

See you in Teacher’s paradise soon!

English Teaching in Phuket, Thailand – here is the latest update.

The job market for English teachers is heating up, as local schools attempt to hire qualified teachers to work for their upcoming term. Plus, resorts and restaurants are making use of the slower off-season time to do some staff training in English. In short, it is a great time to be making a nice living teaching English. I have one group from a local AV company and another of friends who are at widely different levels, but want to learn together. Seems like these beautiful, gentle Thai people always care more about having fun than accomplishing. Conversely, they learn more because of the relaxed and open atmosphere. I am blessed to be able to spend some time with them here, and relish their influence on me.

We are through the hot season, and things have cooled off considerably. The sunsets are amazingly colorful with great cloud formations. The beach is quite simply the place to be in the early evening. You’re certain to encounter many like-minded folks who have finished their day and have nothing left to do but enjoy a little chill-out time with the quiet of the evening. Never crowded, always peaceful, our beach is a haven for romance, playfulness and wholesome family time – whatever you are seeking.

The rain has started again, but rainy season may be misnamed – or at least misleading. During peak season there is almost no rain. That we have a little bit each day only seems like a lot when compared to zero rain for months on end. The rains are refreshing and the air is squeaky clean once they have passed through. The surrounding mountains are lush and vibrantly green with wreaths of mist floating through the trees.

The main thrust of the tourist season is over. The pace of life is a bit slower and people are quite relaxed. There are still many foreigners here, but they are more of the long-term type or those who enjoy less of a crowded scene. This means there is ample time to have a conversation and become acquainted with folks from all over the world. I have heard some wonderfully funny stories in recent weeks.

There are also deeper discounts available on shopping and services than in high-season. House rents are cheaper as are those for motorbikes and cars. Most everywhere you go these days, there is a greater chance for success in your attempt to bargain a better price, be it clothes, shoes or jewelry and watches. So the money earned in my teaching job goes further.

The evening fresh market has scaled back to two nights a week. That is enough to load in a few days produce. The fruit is incredible right now: mangoes, dragon fruit, mangosteens, rambutans. You don’t know them? That’s just another very pleasant surprise awaiting you when you join us in paradise for a TEFL teacher training class!

Sign up with us as soon as you are able – there is no reason to wait. You can enroll at www.teflphuket.com/enroll. We have courses beginning on both June 2nd and June 30th, as well as throughout the summer.
Thanks for your time, and see you on the beach!

Let’s assume you wish to relocate abroad and start a career as an English Teacher in Thailand.

You must start by earning a TEFL certificate to teach. All employers will be interested in your qualifications, and a TEFL is the key to demonstrating yourself as seriously focused on teaching and well-qualified to do so.

TEFL Phuket is approved by the Thai Ministry of Education (MoE), and your certificate is registered with them. So anywhere you go in Thailand, you’ll be respected as trained to teach English. This is important for you, as there are many untested and unapproved programs offered online and other places and these are not well received by employers, nor are they certified by the M o E.

Your odds of employment are better than excellent. Allthough Phuket is very popular with foreigners, there remains a large shortage of English teachers here. A recent editorial in the Phuket Gazette by the Chief of the M o E detailed a shortage of some 400+ teachers in Phuket alone – most of them in English. People here wish to learn English – it is imperative for their financial success in their hospitality and tourist businesses. The remainder of Thailand has an even larger shortage. So finding a job, once you are qualified, is almost guaranteed.

As part of a job offer, your employer will help you with the documentation for a one year work permit. Then, you are on track for permanent living in the “Land of 1000 Smiles!”

Go online and make a deposit down on your course – that way, your spot is reserved when you are ready to start. enroll here

Welcome to TEFL Thailand! Your teaching success is our mission.

Teaching English in Thailand is a fantastic way to live your life. The Thai people make wonderful students and are always a lot of fun in the classroom. The only requirement to live a wonderful life teaching in Thailand is that you are a fluent speaker of English. If you are fun, adventurous and enjoy meeting with people, you’d make a great teacher.

Living and working in Phuket, Thailand is a dream come true. The beaches are beautiful with white sand, dazzling sun and cool clear water. The feeling of floating in the ocean is unbeatable – especially when your work day is done and there is little left to do except enjoy the sunset.

All you need to begin this relaxed lifestyle is to complete our TEFL course, thereby earning your teaching credentials. With a TEFL certificate, you are recognized as a qualified teacher and can teach in Asia – anywhere including China, Korea or Japan. The demand for English teachers is higher than even and continues to grow every year.

Now is the time to begin. Our course is competitively priced with anything you might find anywhere. We are very student-centered because many of our students want to remain here in paradise and teach for us. So we have a vested interest in helping people grow as teachers, gain confidence and have fun teaching in the classroom.

We train people from all walks of life to teach English, regardless of age, gender, or nationality.

For more information, please see TEFL Phuket.