SURVEY: 10,000 English Teachers -- a good start or bad idea?

[Scott]

The Minister of Education plans to hire 10,000 English Teachers, there are currently 7,000 English teachers and he wants an additional 3,000.   Which of the following best describes your opinion on the issue?

 

Please feel free to leave a comment.

 

For further reading:

 

[wombat]

it wasn't that long ago they were getting rid of them

[seajae]

our daughters english teacher before she went to uni could barely string a few words together that I could understand, the work she sent home with our daughter was  not even primary school level, how in the hell do they expect to teach english when they do not hire english speakers. They hire the cheapest teachers possible so have no hope of ever teaching thais english because they cannot speak it properly themselves, it really is a huge joke when thais say they are going to improve english speaking when none of them can string a sentence together themselves, after all we all know they believe thai is the most important language in the world and every other language is beneath them

[RBOP]

Its a lie because the education budget is lower (368.7 billion baht, down 0.1% year-on-year). Maybe they expect Farang teacher to pay to work for free R&B. 

[Brunolem]

The truth is that the powers that be don't want the Thai populace to speak or read English, because this might awaken them... giving them access to all of the internet and its "fake" (read non-official and uncensored) news. 

 

As a member writes above, Thai teachers can barely string together a few words of English. .. when I show up at school, English teachers run for cover, and I am not even a native speaker! (maybe it's because of that... my English is not pure enough...). 

 

As for the foreign teachers they recruit, they ensure to make their life as miserable as possible... not only do they face the usual visa obstacles, but they are very poorly paid, and restrained in what and how they can teach. 

 

For example, when my son was in a private school in Pattaya, he had no less than 3 foreign English teachers, one for speaking, one for reading and one for writing... separately of course! 

[alien365]

It doesn't matter how many teachers you throw at the problem, nothing will happen until the culture and environment change.

Edited February 23, 2020 by alien365

[Gandtee]

Pie in the sky. As my old Mum used to say, " I've heard ducks f**t before.????"

[J Town]

You get what you pay for. Teachers at true international schools such as Regent's in Pattaya get more than a decent salary, and as a result attract great teachers. When the rest of Thailand offers 30-35k monthly and little to no pay bumps annually, you get the dregs of the teaching community.

[NE1]

Thailand has had native English teachers for years. There was a forum with hundreds of them on there.

Do they not want to learn  , were the teachers not up to it ?

 

[J Town]

17 minutes ago, NE1 said:

Thailand has had native English teachers for years. There was a forum with hundreds of them on there.

Do they not want to learn  , were the teachers not up to it ?

 

The quality of many of those "native speakers" is horrendous. I personally know two Language teachers (at this school, only Thais are allowed to teach English) and I can't understand about half of what they say due to their thick accents. This school is the largest private school system in all Southeast Asia and the majority of teachers are working illegally because the low wages offered won't attract valid, legal teachers. Starting salary is 30k without a degree, 35k with. As I said, you get what you pay for.

[emptypockets]

Another 10,000? Obviously the previous 10,000 weren't up to the job.

Blame the students, blame the system but never point the finger back at the problem.

Alcoholic expats teaching as a way to keep their visa valid is not the solution. And there are/were plenty.

[BritManToo]

error

Edited February 23, 2020 by BritManToo

[BritManToo]

8 hours ago, RBOP said:

Its a lie because the education budget is lower (368.7 billion baht, down 0.1% year-on-year). Maybe they expect Farang teacher to pay to work for free R&B. 

I'd be prepared to donate a few hours a week in return for citizenship.

[Fairynuff]

I’ve met a number of English teachers over the years but two particular ones stayed in my mind. One was Thai and after about twenty minutes I gave up trying to understand what she was saying. Basically it was gibberish. The other one was an American. She talked about having worked in Vietnam and Cambodia before here. She explained that in the other countries the kids were interested and after school would practice with eachother. In Thailand she said the kids just weren’t interested at all.

[dinsdale]

Probably that many quality native teachers have left here because the MOE is run by people who have had their way to the top paid for. Your son is very dumb. Big fat brown paper bag. Your son pass. And on it it goes 'til they're in a position to show the world the teacher was right. Brainless but rich. 

[dinsdale]

3 hours ago, emptypockets said:

Another 10,000? Obviously the previous 10,000 weren't up to the job.

Blame the students, blame the system but never point the finger back at the problem.

Alcoholic expats teaching as a way to keep their visa valid is not the solution. And there are/were plenty.

There you go. In a nutshell. I'll drink to that and yes I'm an expat teacher. 17 yrs now. My poor liver.

[Janner1]

Could this language problem be centred around the fact that the top dog in this government uses INSAAAATAAAGLAM ???

[sanemax]

6 hours ago, emptypockets said:

Another 10,000? Obviously the previous 10,000 weren't up to the job.

Blame the students, blame the system but never point the finger back at the problem.

Alcoholic expats teaching as a way to keep their visa valid is not the solution. And there are/were plenty.

Is that reference to your own personal alcohol consumption ? 

If not, whatis it based on ?

[lamyai3]

No way the higher echelons of government want the unwashed masses to increase their English comprehension... it would quickly lead to their own demise. English language media reports on issues here in a far more scathing tone than Thai media ever would, and the authorities wouldn't be keen on too many people reading more widely and becoming better informed. 

 

This is aside from opposition within the education system itself, where existing Thai teachers will not welcome any overhaul of things, or threats to their place in the hierarchy.

 

So yes, it will indeed bomb like most programs. 

[Aspaltso]

Not much enthusiasm based on the results of this poll.

[Billy Bloggs]

Yes it would be a good idea if he got rid of the 7000 first then had a fresh 10000 native english speakers.

[TheFishman1]

Next they tell you there a Santa that comes down the chimney  

[BobinBKK]

I think all of this depends on the grade level of the students. I would prefer to teach on the University level a specialized course in information technology along with conversational English during those course sessions. I have 40 years of experience in information technology specializing as a consultant and absolutely do not need a bachelor's degree in education to teach what I know. I am retired now and don't need the money, but I do have something of value to offer to those who are willing to learn.

[BobinBKK]

On 2/23/2020 at 8:03 PM, BritManToo said:

I'd be prepared to donate a few hours a week in return for citizenship.

Why would you want citizenship? You will always be looked at as a foreigner. Don't ever think the current political climate wouldn't hesitate to yank that citizenship away from you at any given moment.

[englishoak]

Stupid is as stupid does...and round and round we go again... at least Thailand is consistent, at being stupid. 

[bwpage3]

Would you want someone stupid enough to move 10,000 miles to teach for 10,000 bath a month, teaching your kids?

[Yinn]

20 hours ago, englishoak said:

Stupid is as stupid does...and round and round we go again... at least Thailand is consistent, at being stupid. 

Hmmm 

thai bash post.

 

Really. English is useless for 95% of thai people. Not need it, not use it. Waste time learn it. Is difficult. For what? Will never use it. Not have foreigner friend speak English. Not need it for job. Learn for what?

 

For foreigner who decide will live in Thailand. Thai language useful. For 100% of foreigner live in Thailand. Very. Everyday will useful, can speak to everyone, watch real news, listen radio, read road safety signs, menu etc  But most is to stupid to learn it. Illiterate, deaf, mute.

Consistent. 

 

Learn Thai for foreigner who LIVE in Thailand more useful than Thai learn English who will never go to talking English country.

[Number 6]

22 hours ago, BobinBKK said:

I think all of this depends on the grade level of the students. I would prefer to teach on the University level a specialized course in information technology along with conversational English during those course sessions. I have 40 years of experience in information technology specializing as a consultant and absolutely do not need a bachelor's degree in education to teach what I know. I am retired now and don't need the money, but I do have something of value to offer to those who are willing to learn.

Why does everyone think because they may possess a bit of knowledge in some area that they can teach? Because you think teaching is standing in front of 30 young adults and droning on about ip6 vs ip4 or quizzing them on Linux commands for 90 minutes is teaching. Most likely whatever you had going on ten years ago is entirely obsolete even in backward old Thailand.

 

You would be a good teacher of conversational English as much as the next monkey.

 

There are plenty of low paid university gigs. Go grab one. Stand in front of your class and let the magic happen because everyone knows that teaching is so simple anyone can do it.

 

Do you not suppose there are people teaching engineering, networking, telecommunications, programming in Thai? Why would they want to struggle with that in English? With someone who's old and never taught a day in his life.

 

Do you even have a bachelor's? If not even this third world nation won't let you teach colors to kindergartners.

 

Do you have a master's? Almost no uni will touch you without post graduate degree.

 

Teaching is one of the most difficult things I've ever attempted to do in my life and it's not for all the petty reasons many will assume. It's difficult to activate learning in individuals, everyone learns best a bit differently. For a variety of reasons it's difficult to tell when students are learning and mastering the subject material. It's difficult to create meaningful assessments. Difficult to see and gauge real learning and to size up students needs in formative learning activities and processes sespecially being so short on time.

 

Have you thought about how you're going to teach the thousands of words and technical jargon? See they know these words, terms? Can you teach a Thai student with a cefr level B1 what an optical router is and how it functions?

 

I've been teaching six years, largely self taught and some PD with lots of reading both books and blogs. I question what I do often. Coming at this as a second career, minus the two years of pedagogy - learning how children, people learn. It's as important as the content. Maybe more.

 

You might know something about something but you know nothing about teaching and the notion you've expressed that you don't need to know anything just demonstrates how much you don't know.

 

Spare me.

Edited February 25, 2020 by Number 6

[rabang]

1 hour ago, Yinn said:

Hmmm 

thai bash post.

 

Really. English is useless for 95% of thai people. Not need it, not use it. Waste time learn it. Is difficult. For what? Will never use it. Not have foreigner friend speak English. Not need it for job. Learn for what?

 

For foreigner who decide will live in Thailand. Thai language useful. For 100% of foreigner live in Thailand. Very. Everyday will useful, can speak to everyone, watch real news, listen radio, read road safety signs, menu etc  But most is to stupid to learn it. Illiterate, deaf, mute.

Consistent. 

 

Learn Thai for foreigner who LIVE in Thailand more useful than Thai learn English who will never go to talking English country.

Knowing another language is useful in itself. I know because I can speak 5 or 6 more or less. One of the benefits is that it will decrease chances of dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases. It also broadens your mind and shows another way of thinking and a new culture.

 

You seem to think in purely pragmatic way, what is good for a person in their current state of mind and conditions RIGHT HERE AND NOW without thinking in a broader sense what effect it could have on them and the society in a bigger picture and long term.

 

Without knowing other languages Thais will forever be trapped in their Thainess, behind a wall over which they can't see or hear anything. The most ridiculous thing you said however is that it is useless and waste of time to learn something when most Thais will spend their time by some of the most useless ways possible, watching silly shows or playing video games etc.

Edited February 25, 2020 by rabang