JVPhoto

I was curious if anyone had some personal experience (or a first hand account of someone they know) regarding Teaching English as a Foreign Language courses in Thailand.

I've gone through online and figured enough the difference between CELTA/TEFL and what not. But, I've spent several hours on google trying to come up with reviews and some programs and I'm glad I did because I was able to knock out a few places that I thought seemed good but were just all marketing driven and fell apart once you got there.

Right now from what I gathered of the 3 main places to do it the most reputable ones being:
See TEFL in Chiang Mai
ITTT in Phuket
California Teacher's College in Bangkok

aBroadAbroad

Isn't it customary to obtain the TEFL certification in your home country and then obtain a teaching position in your desired destination country?

Also, my niece has been looking into this, and remember her saying that pretty much the whole process can be done online now. She's already a qualified high school English teacher in the USA, so I don't know if that makes a difference.

Tchiowa

Yes, they should get it in their home country. There are courses in Thailand for Thai nationals to get certified.

Teaching positions at international schools for properly certified teachers provide a pretty good living for ex-pats. Unfortunately there are a lot of less reputable institutions that hire without worrying about certification. IMO those companies do a lot more damage than good.

transpac

I think you'd get a better response in a forum like:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/forum/...hailand-forum/

http://www.ajarn.com/


There are many private, and collegiate, TEFL courses offered here specifically for foreigners planning on teaching English in Thailand - a TEFL certification may be required to teach any subject here in English (?), and elsewhere. Reputations probably wax and wane, and one school may not offer any better prospects than another.

Text and Talk used to have a fantastic reputation.

http://www.teflteachthai.com/

JVPhoto

Thanks Transpac, I had found some reviews and weeded things out on the Ajarn site. I wasn't hoping to join another forum but rather in the widescope of people on FT if anyone had any personal experience.

seanthepilot

TEFL is not a teaching certification, but it will help with the basics, depending how many teaching hours you pick up during the course.

This is one of the betrer TEFL courses in Thailand, http://www.phuket-languageschool.com/programs/tefl/
run by PLS, http://www.phuket-languageschool.com/
If you don't use a referral, they will often give you 30% off the rate too.

Do NOT get an online TELF if you want a decent job in Thailand.
Do not expect a decent job without at least a Bachelor's degree (TEFL is not a teacher's certification).

PGCE and higher will help you get into the better paying schools.

There are plenty of jobs in Bangkok.
It will be tough to find good paying work in Chiang Mai.
Expect to make about 40,000THB /month and up with a work permit, unless you don't have a degree.


Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions.

ksandness

I have never been an EFL teacher, but I did research the possibility, and the reputable schools will not accept an online TEFL course as a qualification. There's a good reason for that: the only way to learn how to teach is in an actual classroom with a mentor. If a course doesn't include practice teaching, it's just a piece of paper.

I used to be a university-level foreign language instructor, and no online simulation can duplicate the experience of standing in front of live students and making sure that they stay engaged and actually learn something.

Tchiowa

Excellent points. If you want to teach English in Thailand have a College Degree, a teaching certificate and a TEFL or ESL certificate.

There are plenty of "English Teachers" (note the quotation marks) in Thailand without these credentials. They earn next to nothing and they are overpaid. And, as far as I'm concerned, they do a lot of damage to their students.

JVPhoto

I was not thinking about doing an online course simply because I don't see how you could properly learn something like that.
There are TEFL/CELTA courses here in NYC but if the idea is to ideally spend some extended period of time in S.E.A. to me it makes sense to do it in a local culture.

I have a BA in Political Science w/ an emphasis in International Relations and Italian Language & an associates degree in Merchandise Marketing. After a 8 year career in fashion in LA/NY I went on to do a conservatory program in photography which I have been working in since including for 2.5 years working in classes at a photography school in New York.

My end goal is to have the connections and skill set from this to go forward and with my background PLUS spending the 4-5 weeks in Thailand doing the course towards the end of the year with the possibility of coming back in early 2016 for a few months on some sort of visa to possibly teach part time and work on my own stuff.
While nothing is set in my mind some ideas I am tossing around are running photography workshops/tours, teaching English (paid or volunteer) and see what comes out of it. I've spent 10 years in New York and I need a change of pace.

I am going to be in Bangkok & Chiang Mai and going to go check out the See place in March.

braslvr

I needed a change of pace after 10 hours in NY. Sorry, couldn't resist. True though.

Tchiowa

My advice: Check the international schools. Not for the ESL but after you get the ESL check the for job opportunities. They pay 5-10 times more than the language schools and they are much more reliable for long term employment.

seanthepilot

First, this poster does not qualify for an international school, unless they are only teaching in the subject they got their Bachelor's degree in.

Second, the international schools do not pay 5 to 10 times more. Up to, and more than double, sure. 5-10?

Third, they mention only getting the TEFL/CELTA, not teaching. All our info on teaching doesn't appear to even be part of the OP's intention, as mentioned again in their latest post.

seanthepilot

Great! You can get a good TEFL here, and a terrible one. Look for previous student referrals.

FWIW, CELTA is more highly rated and looks better on a resume.

If Phuket interests you, also take a look at the one I linked to above, at PLS. I took this course, and it was great.

Tchiowa

I have a friend who teaches at an international school and makes ~200k THB / month. Part time teachers at the fly-by-nights make 20-50k. But you're right. He has to have the degree in the subject he's teaching plus a teaching certificate or degree. Plus, usually, some extensive experience. The jobs pay well so they can pick or choose.

There have been discussions before about salaries for ex-pats in Thailand. It shocked a number of people to find out just how much a fully qualified ex-pat can make. Consultants and ex-pat manager in the big multi-nationals earn well over a million baht per month.

whackyjacky

IIWY, I'd do I-House not in Thailand, but VN. The pay in Vietnam is way better, no visa problems, & the students more diligent. It has to be Celta or Trinity to get a decent job. If it has to be Thailand, I'd go w/ECC. They're hooked up w/the Education Ministry & guarantee you a job in BKK or CM. + they give you 10% off for early payment. LINK: http://www.eccthai.com/ This is mostly all 2nd hand, I drink with a lot of teachers.