What is the Most Useful Certificate?

[brewsterbudgen]

Hello!

You need at least two documents to apply for a Non-Immigrant B visa for teaching

and a work permit in order to be a legal teacher in Thailand.

1 A graduation certificate from your university

2 An academic transcript from your university

This depends upon the school where you teach but you have to speak Thai unless

you have a Thai assistant in class.

Good luck

There is no requirement to speak Thai in order to teach TEFL in Thailand. There's a good chance some of your students will not be Thai themselves! I've had Japanese, Koreans and Russians in my classes in Thailand. Any worthwhile TEFL course will show you how to teach English as a foreign language, using English only. In fact, most TEFL schools have "English only" rules.

[Scott]

Off-topic posts removed.

[SheungWan]

The most direct answer to your question is a Ph.D. The doctoral level, including Doctor of Education, "certificate"/diploma is much desired because language schools can claim such highly degreed faculty as a selling point.

If the earned doctorate is in the field the person is teaching, likely the paperwork justification for hiring will be rather automatic--mine was.

A Ph.D and working in a language school?

LOL.

IMHO, a PhD holder should be looking to work in a university if they are thinking about a career rather than a throwaway gap experience.

Edited March 1, 2015 by SheungWan

[duanebigsby]

Hello!

You need at least two documents to apply for a Non-Immigrant B visa for teaching

and a work permit in order to be a legal teacher in Thailand.

1 A graduation certificate from your university

2 An academic transcript from your university

This depends upon the school where you teach but you have to speak Thai unless

you have a Thai assistant in class.

Good luck

You don't need transcripts. I've been teaching 3 years with work permit and never showed transcripts to anyone.

Why would you need to speak Thai when teaching English?

[casualbiker]

Hello!

You need at least two documents to apply for a Non-Immigrant B visa for teaching

and a work permit in order to be a legal teacher in Thailand.

1 A graduation certificate from your university

2 An academic transcript from your university

This depends upon the school where you teach but you have to speak Thai unless

you have a Thai assistant in class.

Good luck

You don't need transcripts. I've been teaching 3 years with work permit and never showed transcripts to anyone.

Why would you need to speak Thai when teaching English?

You may need transcripts now for khurusapha teachers license waiver. You will most certainly need them if you apply for a teaching license ( presuming you have or will get a teaching diploma)

Speaking a little Thai does help to smooth over a lesson. Numbers etc but it's not 100% required.

[Bernard Flint]

The certificate of life

[Too]

Hello!

You need at least two documents to apply for a Non-Immigrant B visa for teaching

and a work permit in order to be a legal teacher in Thailand.

1 A graduation certificate from your university

2 An academic transcript from your university

This depends upon the school where you teach but you have to speak Thai unless

you have a Thai assistant in class.

Good luck

There is no requirement to speak Thai in order to teach TEFL in Thailand. There's a good chance some of your students will not be Thai themselves! I've had Japanese, Koreans and Russians in my classes in Thailand. Any worthwhile TEFL course will show you how to teach English as a foreign language, using English only. In fact, most TEFL schools have "English only" rules.

Who said that you're required to speak Thai in order to teach English in Thailand? I said, 'This depends upon the school where you teach.' I teach at a primary school now and have to explain the meaning and grammar to the students in P3 - P6 in Thai to make sure that they understand what I teach them.

You might not have to speak Thai if you teach English to students in M1 - M6 or intermediate and advanced students.

I also started to teach at a company last month for a teacher from England. She can't speak Thai so she taught them only in English. On my 1st day, however, some students walked up to me and started to complain about her. They confessed to me that they hadn't understand what she had been teaching them in class. I've been requested by the president of the company to explain the meaning and grammar to them in Thai as well. This makes me feel as if I were an English-Thai interpreter but that's alright because I'm enjoying this now.

Again, it depends upon where and who you teach if you have to speak Thai when teaching English or not.

[Too]

Hello!

You need at least two documents to apply for a Non-Immigrant B visa for teaching

and a work permit in order to be a legal teacher in Thailand.

1 A graduation certificate from your university

2 An academic transcript from your university

This depends upon the school where you teach but you have to speak Thai unless

you have a Thai assistant in class.

Good luck

You don't need transcripts. I've been teaching 3 years with work permit and never showed transcripts to anyone.

Why would you need to speak Thai when teaching English?

I had to submit my academic transcript from my university to apply for a Non-B visa, a teacher's

license waiver and a work permit, too. So did the other foreign teacher at out school.

[jdinasia]

I would totally disagree that you need to ( or should) speak Thai to teach English with any age group.

I also admit freely that I do use Thai in my advanced classes for vocabulary. I never use it for grammar.

The best thing about not working for an OBEC school is not needing a teacher's license.

[Too]

I would totally disagree that you need to ( or should) speak Thai to teach English with any age group.

I also admit freely that I do use Thai in my advanced classes for vocabulary. I never use it for grammar.

The best thing about not working for an OBEC school is not needing a teacher's licens

You wouldn't even need to speak Thai to teach English if I didn't think you would.

แล้วแต่! (It all depends!)

Edited March 1, 2015 by Too

[casualbiker]

The fact that you're having to explain grammar is a problem.. That's about the only thing that Thai learn at school in their English classes!

[duanebigsby]

Thanks to those who said they needed transcripts.

I've never been asked, but will get them sent over just in case.

Never known anyone who was asked either. Weird?

[casualbiker]

It's a fairly new thing

[SlyAnimal]

A TEFL Certificate shouldn't be required if teaching at a government school, however what he learns from a TEFL/CELTA/DELTA course would assist him if it's a good course (e.g. not just online).

In response to the comment about Thai being required when teaching English:

Speaking Thai isn't necessary when teaching English in the classroom, and ideally shouldn't be used (And if so, then not often), although it is sometimes helpful for saving time.

Understanding the Thai language structure can be very beneficial in the classroom though, as then you will understand why a lot of students make the same mistakes, and can potentially explain the difference to them between the two languages (Although some common mistakes, like "I play swimming", still don't fit into either Thai or English lol).

Understanding Thai can also assist with improving your general "Quality of Life" while living in Thailand. Particularly while outside of the school, but also within the school, as it helps to reduce misunderstandings and with allowing you to feel a little more "included" in what the rest of the staff are doing (Since if you speak Thai, more staff will come and ask you what's happening, also you'll be generally less frustrated since life is simply easier when you can understand what people are saying to you, which will mean you'll enjoy working at schools more, be less "grouchy" and have less problems with the Thai staff).

Regarding the need to show your transcript:

I've never been required to show my transcript (I don't even have an official transcript in Thailand), instead I just provide a copy of my degree itself (Which looks dodgey when I put it onto A4, since the original is A3 and didn't fit onto my scanner, so I had to scan it in two halves then join them together lol).

But my school, when reviewing recent applications, does usually ask for a transcript. I think this is more of a delaying tactic though, since although they'd of course prefer well qualified applicants, most of the Farang teachers who have worked there, haven't had degrees, so they're probably not going to reject an application on the basis of not having straight As.

However, Krusapa released a statement last month, that when applying for a new provisional/temporary teaching licence (waiver), teachers should have their university send a letter + copy of the applicant's degree/transcript (I can't remember which) directly to Krusapa.

[MikeDK]

His options are TEFL, CELTA, PGCE(i), B.Ed.:
(Note 1: DELTA is not an option)
(Note 2: I have omitted TESOL, M.A. TESOL and comparable options due to their similarities to the above-mentioned ones.)

The PGCE and the B.Ed are the most worthwhile options if he is certain that he wants to teach for many, many years. They take longer time to complete and are much more expensive than the other options, but will give him much better qualifications and options.

The TEFL and the CELTA can be completed in a month and will give him two things; first, experience in teaching. Second, a nice certificate to show off at job interviews. It will give an edge over NES teachers that haven't got any kind of certification.

Finally, there is the option of not getting any certificate. He already meets the legal requirements. However, a lot of employers prefer teachers with certificates and a lot of foreign teachers have certificates, so it may be tough to get a job without one. Furthermore, if the course provider is good, the course will actually give a lot of valuable experience.

My advice is:

I would immediately rule out the B.Ed. With a degree already, the PGCE would be a faster and probably cheaper option unless he is set on teaching younger kids. As your friend has no teaching experience at all, specifically in Thailand, I will rule out the PGCE as well. The time and money investment is too big considering that the job might not match his expectations. It may turn out that he doesn't like to teach, he might get homesick, there could be a million reasons to cancel the "teaching abroad" project - in this case, it would suck to have invested so much time and money in a teaching qualification. Additionally, these qualifications can usually be gotten from reputable universities as online part-time studies, done while working at a government school with a relatively low workload. Even if he, after a year or two, decides that this is really what he wants to do, getting these qualifications while working should not be a problem. Until then, he should check out the reality of teaching and see if its what he really wants.

This leaves us with the TEFL and the CELTA. As for reputation and quality, the CELTA is generally seen as superior due to the fact that it is held to specific standards by Cambridge. TEFL courses can vary widely in quality, and a lot of research on course providers will have to be done if you want a good one. On the other hand, depending on where you apply for work, your employer may not know the difference between a TEFL and a CELTA - I have experienced this myself. In these cases, it feels bad to have invested more time and money into something that is not always recognized as superior.

The A in CELTA is short for adults, and the CELTA is aimed at teachers who wish to teach this age group. Some CELTA providers will offer an add-on course aimed at preparing the teacher to teach younger students. The TEFL, from what I understand, may cover a wider target group depending on your course provider.

This is not to say that a CELTA teacher can not teach younger students: Ive got a CELTA and I teach students aged 13-18. The TEFL/CELTA will give you an initial amount of experience and theory, but eventually your own experiences in the classroom will be more valuable than what you learned at the course.

TL:DR
Tell him to get a CELTA or a TEFL. He should choose one of these based on the age group he wants to teach and the money he is willing to spend. If he decides to go with a TEFL, he will need to do some research as some TEFL courses are better than others. Particularly, he will want to focus on getting many hours of observed teaching practice.

I hope this helped.

Edited March 5, 2015 by MikeDK

[Phatcharanan]

My advice is:

I would immediately rule out the B.Ed. With a degree already, the PGCE would be a faster and probably cheaper option unless he is set on teaching younger kids.

Additionally, these qualifications can usually be gotten from reputable universities as online part-time studies, done while working at a government school with a relatively low workload.

Are you referring to the PGCE(i)?

[MikeDK]

My advice is:

I would immediately rule out the B.Ed. With a degree already, the PGCE would be a faster and probably cheaper option unless he is set on teaching younger kids.

Additionally, these qualifications can usually be gotten from reputable universities as online part-time studies, done while working at a government school with a relatively low workload.

Are you referring to the PGCE(i)?

Both the PGCE and PGCEi would be faster than the B.Ed., but only the PGCEi can be gotten online. Its worth to note that the PGCEi does not give qualified teacher status.

[Phatcharanan]

My advice is:

I would immediately rule out the B.Ed. With a degree already, the PGCE would be a faster and probably cheaper option unless he is set on teaching younger kids.

Additionally, these qualifications can usually be gotten from reputable universities as online part-time studies, done while working at a government school with a relatively low workload.

Are you referring to the PGCE(i)?

Both the PGCE and PGCEi would be faster than the B.Ed., but only the PGCEi can be gotten online. Its worth to note that the PGCEi does not give qualified teacher status.

Yes I'm aware of the PGCE(i). I had to clarify your earlier post as you only mentioned PGCE and then went onto mentioning online part-time studies etc.

[puchooay]

My advice is:

I would immediately rule out the B.Ed. With a degree already, the PGCE would be a faster and probably cheaper option unless he is set on teaching younger kids.

Additionally, these qualifications can usually be gotten from reputable universities as online part-time studies, done while working at a government school with a relatively low workload.

Are you referring to the PGCE(i)?

Both the PGCE and PGCEi would be faster than the B.Ed., but only the PGCEi can be gotten online. Its worth to note that the PGCEi does not give qualified teacher status.

Yes I'm aware of the PGCE(i). I had to clarify your earlier post as you only mentioned PGCE and then went onto mentioning online part-time studies etc.

My application to study PGCEi at Nottingham University is under consideration. The fee is around 150 000 baht. Just before I hand over the first half......as of today is this qualification still good for a TL? Thanks.

[Scott]

An off-topic post has been removed.

[BobbyL]

There are so many people doing a PGCEi nowadays that within a few years it'll almost become redundant. It doesn't test your teaching skills in the slightest, all it's testing is can you write four essays.

Get a real one and then you will have no issues in the future.

[casualbiker]

There are so many people doing a PGCEi nowadays that within a few years it'll almost become redundant. It doesn't test your teaching skills in the slightest, all it's testing is can you write four essays.

Get a real one and then you will have no issues in the future.

How do you get a "real one" while working and living in Thailand?

[aidenai]

There are so many people doing a PGCEi nowadays that within a few years it'll almost become redundant. It doesn't test your teaching skills in the slightest, all it's testing is can you write four essays.

Get a real one and then you will have no issues in the future.

It seems to be good enough to get a teacher license from the teachers council of Thailand so what's your point?

Redundant? What the hell are you talking about?

A real one?

[MikeDK]

There are so many people doing a PGCEi nowadays that within a few years it'll almost become redundant.

Are you actually arguing that popularity equals redundancy? Hilarious.

[SheungWan]

His options are TEFL, CELTA, PGCE(i), B.Ed.:

(Note 1: DELTA is not an option)

(Note 2: I have omitted TESOL, M.A. TESOL and comparable options due to their similarities to the above-mentioned ones.)

The PGCE and the B.Ed are the most worthwhile options if he is certain that he wants to teach for many, many years. They take longer time to complete and are much more expensive than the other options, but will give him much better qualifications and options.

The TEFL and the CELTA can be completed in a month and will give him two things; first, experience in teaching. Second, a nice certificate to show off at job interviews. It will give an edge over NES teachers that haven't got any kind of certification.

Finally, there is the option of not getting any certificate. He already meets the legal requirements. However, a lot of employers prefer teachers with certificates and a lot of foreign teachers have certificates, so it may be tough to get a job without one. Furthermore, if the course provider is good, the course will actually give a lot of valuable experience.

My advice is:

I would immediately rule out the B.Ed. With a degree already, the PGCE would be a faster and probably cheaper option unless he is set on teaching younger kids. As your friend has no teaching experience at all, specifically in Thailand, I will rule out the PGCE as well. The time and money investment is too big considering that the job might not match his expectations. It may turn out that he doesn't like to teach, he might get homesick, there could be a million reasons to cancel the "teaching abroad" project - in this case, it would suck to have invested so much time and money in a teaching qualification. Additionally, these qualifications can usually be gotten from reputable universities as online part-time studies, done while working at a government school with a relatively low workload. Even if he, after a year or two, decides that this is really what he wants to do, getting these qualifications while working should not be a problem. Until then, he should check out the reality of teaching and see if its what he really wants.

This leaves us with the TEFL and the CELTA. As for reputation and quality, the CELTA is generally seen as superior due to the fact that it is held to specific standards by Cambridge. TEFL courses can vary widely in quality, and a lot of research on course providers will have to be done if you want a good one. On the other hand, depending on where you apply for work, your employer may not know the difference between a TEFL and a CELTA - I have experienced this myself. In these cases, it feels bad to have invested more time and money into something that is not always recognized as superior.

The A in CELTA is short for adults, and the CELTA is aimed at teachers who wish to teach this age group. Some CELTA providers will offer an add-on course aimed at preparing the teacher to teach younger students. The TEFL, from what I understand, may cover a wider target group depending on your course provider.

This is not to say that a CELTA teacher can not teach younger students: Ive got a CELTA and I teach students aged 13-18. The TEFL/CELTA will give you an initial amount of experience and theory, but eventually your own experiences in the classroom will be more valuable than what you learned at the course.

TL:DR

Tell him to get a CELTA or a TEFL. He should choose one of these based on the age group he wants to teach and the money he is willing to spend. If he decides to go with a TEFL, he will need to do some research as some TEFL courses are better than others. Particularly, he will want to focus on getting many hours of observed teaching practice.

I hope this helped.

Although some institutions in Thailand may not know the difference, you do and that can boost self-confidence. Secondly, from a longer term perspective it will stand in good stead if returning to one's home country and able to put on one's CV. Someone say in their 20s with a good degree plus CELTA plus a couple of years teaching experience in Thailand looks as if they know what they are doing when they return home to embark upon a career. On the other hand those with scrappy no-name certification just look as if they have been drifting about. There is a world of difference between what one has to do and what one should do. Those who do not appreciate and act upon this difference can repent at leisure. And they do.

Edited April 12, 2015 by SheungWan

[lostinisaan]

Might not be THE most useful certificate, but it means a lot.

[aidenai]

Might not be THE most useful certificate, but it means a lot.

Same as the one below, lostinisaan?

[lostinisaan]

Might not be THE most useful certificate, but it means a lot.

Same as the one below, lostinisaan?

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1429331888.082570.jpg

Honestly, it means a little bit more. The certificate states that I supported His Majesty the King's Rain Making Project.

[aidenai]

Might not be THE most useful certificate, but it means a lot.

Same as the one below, lostinisaan?

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1429331888.082570.jpg

Honestly, it means a little bit more. The certificate states that I supported His Majesty the King's Rain Making Project.

Thanks. I can't read Thai.

[Jimdandy]

My two cents is he should consider either the TESL/TEFL or CELTA that is at least 120 hour of instruction in a brick and mortar (not online) program with a teaching component. The TESL/TEFL is an American/Canadian based credential where the CELTA is through the British Council. BOTH do the same thing as far as qualifications go. You can even get a CELTA in North America as I recall or a TESL/TEFL in other countries.

I work in Saudi Arabia side by side with CELTA instructors, and I have the TESL/TEFL. If he just wants to stay in Thailand then take the 60 hours training. I have a suspicion that in the not too distant future Thailand is going to fall inline behind other ASEAN countries that want to have better qualified instructors so their students can compete in the global academic market. if he really wants to make a difference get a full on 120 minimum certificate. Why 120 hrs? That is what many schools and universities have determined to be the minimum number of hours of instruction it takes to learn the basic concepts of second language teaching before they will consider hiring an instructor.

I can tell you the view from the Middle East is that the ASEAN countries are becoming more attractive to foreign investment and as weird as it might seem, Thailand wants to be a major player. Yes imagine that.