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Teanull Ennullisnull in Tnullilannull
Susan Griffith catches up with the constantly changing TEFnullscene in Thailand.
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educed by images of powdery beaches, attract foreign teachers willing to work for
renull tnulle
swaying coconut palms and smiling around 30,000 baht per month (CAD$950).
The complex rules for visas and teacher
people, English teachers in search of Potential teachers have been further discour-
licensing change frequently and are enforced
adventure often look to Thailand. For a long aged by Thailand’s political turmoil, the
inconsistently—always check with reputable
time, anyone who wanted to teach English ongoing instability that resulted in the week-
employers as well as your local embassy. At
to Thai children or business people needed long closure of the main Bangkok airport at
the time of writing, the official procedure for
only English-speaking parents and a pulse, the end of 2008.
but things have changed. The government is There are many teaching vacancies,
people who have already obtained a job offer
trying to improve the quality of English teach- especially with children aged 7 to 11 and
is to apply for a non-immigrant “B” visa from
ing in Thailand and, according to the Ministry 12 to 16. The busy recruitment season falls
any Thai Embassy. For this you’ll be asked to
of Education, to ensure that “fake” teachers in March and April—in time for the new
provide, among other things, a copy of your
cannot easily infiltrate the expat community. term, which begins around mid-May and
degree certificate, various documents from
Stories no longer abound of semi-literate or lasts until the end of September. The second
your prospective employer in Thailand, and
perpetually hungover candidates working as term starts in November and goes until late
police clearance.
“conversation teachers.” A university degree February or early March. iW th luck, vacation
ith W this visa, you can enter Thailand for
has become compulsory—a TEFL certificate periods will be paid. Competition for work
90 days and obtain your teacher’s license and
alone is generally not enough. is much less intense in provincial cities like
work permit. In order to stay longer you need
At the same time, the government wants Nakhon Sawan, Khon Kaen, Udon Thani,
to bring your documents to Immigration to
to extend the instruction of English in state Ubon Ratchathani and Pathum Thani; it’s
request an extension.
schools. Some government schools have intro- harder to get work in Bangkok, Chiang Mai
For a teacher’s license you’ll likely need a
duced “EP,” or English Program, a bilingual and the islands.
four-year university degree plus a TEFL certifi-
stream within Thai schools that involves the While the government has been endeavour -
cate. A new requirement is to attend a 20-hour
teaching of English and other subjects, prefer- ing to raise standards, learners of all ages are
course on Thai culture and professional teach-
ably by native-speaking teachers. According to more concerned with personality than profes-
ing ethics.
a March 2009 article in the Bangkok Post, Thai sional qualifications. Thais tend to be exuber-
Some job-seekers have been choosing to
schoolchildren are now entitled to 15 years ant and fun-loving people. The Thai word arrive on a double-entry tourist visa valid
of free education, which means that schools sanuk means to have a good time, to enjoy for 60 days, renewable at a Thai embassy in
are no longer allowed to charge parents for oneself and to derive pleasure and joy from a neighbouring country. Though it’s technic-
additional English classes. This has naturally something, and this is what they expect in ally against the rules, this gives them time to
depressed wages for teachers, and schools in their lessons: fun and games rather than drills find employment and start the paperwork. It’s
some regions are finding it more difficult to and grammar. more difficult to teach illegally now because
12 : verge winter 2010
v.null i.2
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