How to Get an EFL Teaching Job in Thailand Via Skype For many teachers who want to teach EFL in Thailand, interviewing for a teaching job via Skype is something they may have to eventually do, as more and more schools use the internet service to recruit new employees who aren’t able to be in…
Do You Need to Speak a Foreign Language to Teach in Asia? During my years in Thailand, I’ve lost count of the number of potential teachers who have e-mailed me to ask if they need to be able to speak a foreign language to be able to teach English in Asia or speak Thai to…
What Will Start-Up Costs Be Teaching in Thailand or Elsewhere in Asia? Twelve years ago, I hopped on a plane in Los Angeles and flew to Bangkok, Thailand to look for a job teaching English. Although I had a job within days of beginning my search, I still had to live for just over a…
Is a TEFL Certificate Necessary for a Teaching Job in Thailand? As a former English teacher in Thailand, I have always recommended any new teacher arriving in the country should get a TEFL certificate before they look for a job, So, I’m still astounded by the amount of people I meet who seem to think…
There’s a huge EFL teaching market in Thailand to teach both children and adults but, most western EFL teachers choose to teach children, thinking the opportunities are better. If you’re trying to decide if you should teach EFL to children or teach adults instead, there are actually several pros and cons to consider before you…
Getting most EFL students to say more than a couple of words in class can be a challenge. In Thailand, EFL students are often shy, so getting them to speak is often nigh on impossible. That’s why I designed an Oprah-style in-class talk show to help with conversation. Most EFL students have seen Oprah…
If you’re planning on teaching EFL in Thailand, you’ll need to get TEFL certification. One of the requirements for certification is passing an EFL teacher evaluation which some people find easy, others do not. If you plan on taking a TEFL certification course anywhere in the world and are nervous, when your EFL teacher…
Every EFL/ESL teacher, no matter which country they teach in, comes across badly-behaved children eventually. Some are easy to handle, some are not but all should be dealt with quickly before the bad behavior spreads to other kids in the class. In my years of EFL teaching in Thailand, I discovered with most kids in…
I was an English teacher at a Thai school for five years and during this time learned quickly how bad the education system in Thailand really is. Plagued by inadequate funding, huge class sizes (more than 50 students to a class), terrible teacher training, lazy students and a system that forces teachers to pass…
When I was getting ready to teach my first week in an EFL classroom abroad, I must admit I was terrified. Not having much experience teaching non-native English speakers and living in a foreign country, everything suddenly seemed stressful. Luckily, a fellow teacher with several years experience in Thailand gave me some tips about how…
One of the things many first-time English teachers in Thailand worry about when they start to teach English is not being able to speak Thai. Do you need to speak Thai when teaching English in Thailand? Do you stand more of a chance of getting a good job if you do? Will you be able…
Many non-Thais wanting to work in or being offered jobs in Thailand wonder about one question. Do they need a university degree to get a Non-Immigrant B visa in Thailand? After all, without access to a Non-Immigrant B visa, they cannot legally work in the country. So, do you need a university degree to get…
Freelance English Teaching in Thailand Can Be a Lot of Fun — You Just Need to Know These Things After a few years of teaching English in Bangkok or other Thai cities, a lot of teachers start thinking about freelance English teaching in Thailand instead. For most teachers, freelance teaching means giving private lessons to…
If you have decided you want to teach English in Thailand, you may not want to teach kids but may be interested in teaching adults instead. Is it possible to do that and make a full-time living at it and, what is it like teaching English to adults in Thailand? My background teaching English to adults…
During my many years teaching English (EFL) in Thailand, I taught many private students. EFL students like having private lessons as, while shy in a big group, many will speak English more if it’s just one-on-one. Some teachers, who want to move into the private student world of EFL though, are not always sure what…
Many students of EFL/ESL (English as a Foreign Language/English as a Second Language) who have fairly good English skills still want to improve their English skills but they don’t know how. There are however tried and true ways to improve your English skills. Whenever a student asks me how they can improve, I give them…
Over the last 20 years, I’ve sponsored several children through different sponsorship organizations like ChildFund and Children International. I also sponsored five children through PLAN International USA and one of them was in Thailand. While I was sponsoring her, and before I moved to Thailand to live, my parents and I took a one month…
When I was in my mid-30s, it suddenly dawned on me I was bored with my life. I lived in Santa Monica, California, a few blocks from the beach. I rented a fabulous apartment, drove a nice car, had a great job and loved my boss. But, even with all these things, something was missing….
I moved to Thailand to teach English 14 years ago. Initially intending to stay for a year, I’m often surprised I’ve been here so long and that I’m not planning on leaving. Sure, Thailand is a great country, it’s beautiful, it’s exotic, and it’s interesting. But what is it about Thailand that keeps somebody like…
How to Save Money While Teaching English in Asia: Tips for Living Cheaply If you are moving to Asia to teach English, saving money from your job may not be foremost in your mind. That’s because you’re probably teaching English in Asia for the experience, as well as to learn about another culture. If, however,…
Thai Consulate in Hull wants cash, money orders or bank checks to pay for travel visas A few weeks ago, I was getting my usual visa application ready to mail to the Thai Consulate in Hull when I noticed something odd. Instead of accepting a debit card or credit card as they have always done,…
I’m writing this as I’ve spent part of my week trying to help a western woman who wants to stay longer than just a few weeks in Thailand. For some reason, she seemed to think she could easily stay long-term in Thailand, without doing the things most of the rest of us have to…
The British Ambassador to Thailand, Asif Ahmad, has criticized the Thai government for its handling of last year’s devastating floods. The Thai government’s management of the floods was not only abysmal he intimated, but that they even refused help from foreign governments in the midst of some of the planet’s worst ever floods was ridiculous….