Teaching tests near to here

[Gerry]

In the future, maybe next year but depending on the virus situation, a member of my UK family is hoping to come to Buiriam. Whilst here they are hoping to get into teaching English.

Qualifications are not a problem as a quick search has come up trumps about requirements. However they dont have a Tefl so was hoping to complete a course. Phuket, Bangkok and ChonBuri has loads. Was hoping there might be something nearer to here. Buriram, Surin, Korat or maybe Khon Kean.

I know there are some teachers on here. Hope you may be able to help.

Thanks.

[Starman]

In the future, maybe next year but depending on the virus situation, a member of my UK family is hoping to come to Buiriam. Whilst here they are hoping to get into teaching English.

Qualifications are not a problem as a quick search has come up trumps about requirements. However they dont have a Tefl so was hoping to complete a course. Phuket, Bangkok and ChonBuri has loads. Was hoping there might be something nearer to here. Buriram, Surin, Korat or maybe Khon Kean.

I know there are some teachers on here. Hope you may be able to help.

Thanks.

Firstly. contrary to popular opinion, a TEFL is not a requirement to teach English in Thailand. The course providers like to make you think so but those in Thailand are nothing more than cash cows.

In your post you mention Phuket, ChonBuri and Bangkok. The main reason the course providers operate in these places is to serve tourists that would like to stay longer in Thailand and chose teaching to prolong their holiday. That said, there are others that use these providers to get the course as they believe it will enable them to get a job even though they do not have the correct qualifications. A bachelor degree is a must now. The idea that cash under the table is an option has passed since the creation of the Teachers' Council of Thailand. This is a government body that was set up about 15 years ago to ensure teachers, both Thai and foreign have the correct qualifications. You may have seen the many reports in Thai news of fake degrees being issued and the holders and issuers being caught and punished.

There are jobs that one can get without a degree but they really are bottom of the pile. Mainly they will be language centres or low end universities. These jobs usually require a lot of evening and weekend work. The pay is usually poor too. These jobs still remain attractive to some as they are not controlled by OBEC and therefore qualifications are either not needed or not checked.

When I was looking for a teaching qualification to boost my career and give me more options I decided to look else where. The idea of a "Thai" TEFL did not fill me with confidence. Also, these TEFL qualifications are rarely recognised outside of Thailand. At the time that I took it I was not 100% committed to staying in Thailand and did have thoughts that I may like to go and teach in other countries. That idea never came to anything but I felt it was better to go for a course that would have me covered in case.

There were a few offered in USA but the colleges did not look good when searched on Google. In the end I chose to take TESOL courses with a college in London. TESOL is s step up on TEFL and on a par with the CELTA courses. The qualification is recognised by GovUK and can be found on their website on the list of qualifications that they approve. As I was already teaching I was also able to add classroom experience to my thesis to gain higher grades. If you are not teaching at the time of taking the tests this is not a problem as a further course, Graduate Diploma,is also offered. I ended up taking both the Diploma and Graduate Diploma and have been very please that I did ever since.

At the present time, with travel restrictions in place and the near future of teaching in Thailand a little hazy, these courses are a good option. They are done online with support from the college. You can pace your studies as you wish. The costs are good and I feel very good value for money. Also they are recognised world wide. If your relative did decide that they liked teaching English to speakers of other languages they would not be tied to Thailand but could travel the world knowing that their qualification would be accepted, along with a university degree, almost anywhere. The courses could be studied now. That way, when your relative arrives in Thailand they are ready to go.

Hope this helps. Good luck to your family member with their next steps. Despite no longer teaching English in Thailand I do still have a few contacts and would be happy to help with possible placements. Please feel free to drop me a PM if you need help. I can give you my email address so that your family member can contact me directly.

[Gerry]

In the future, maybe next year but depending on the virus situation, a member of my UK family is hoping to come to Buiriam. Whilst here they are hoping to get into teaching English.

Qualifications are not a problem as a quick search has come up trumps about requirements. However they dont have a Tefl so was hoping to complete a course. Phuket, Bangkok and ChonBuri has loads. Was hoping there might be something nearer to here. Buriram, Surin, Korat or maybe Khon Kean.

I know there are some teachers on here. Hope you may be able to help.

Thanks.

Firstly. contrary to popular opinion, a TEFL is not a requirement to teach English in Thailand. The course providers like to make you think so but those in Thailand are nothing more than cash cows.

In your post you mention Phuket, ChonBuri and Bangkok. The main reason the course providers operate in these places is to serve tourists that would like to stay longer in Thailand and chose teaching to prolong their holiday. That said, there are others that use these providers to get the course as they believe it will enable them to get a job even though they do not have the correct qualifications. A bachelor degree is a must now. The idea that cash under the table is an option has passed since the creation of the Teachers' Council of Thailand. This is a government body that was set up about 15 years ago to ensure teachers, both Thai and foreign have the correct qualifications. You may have seen the many reports in Thai news of fake degrees being issued and the holders and issuers being caught and punished.

There are jobs that one can get without a degree but they really are bottom of the pile. Mainly they will be language centres or low end universities. These jobs usually require a lot of evening and weekend work. The pay is usually poor too. These jobs still remain attractive to some as they are not controlled by OBEC and therefore qualifications are either not needed or not checked.

When I was looking for a teaching qualification to boost my career and give me more options I decided to look else where. The idea of a "Thai" TEFL did not fill me with confidence. Also, these TEFL qualifications are rarely recognised outside of Thailand. At the time that I took it I was not 100% committed to staying in Thailand and did have thoughts that I may like to go and teach in other countries. That idea never came to anything but I felt it was better to go for a course that would have me covered in case.

There were a few offered in USA but the colleges did not look good when searched on Google. In the end I chose to take TESOL courses with a college in London. TESOL is s step up on TEFL and on a par with the CELTA courses. The qualification is recognised by GovUK and can be found on their website on the list of qualifications that they approve. As I was already teaching I was also able to add classroom experience to my thesis to gain higher grades. If you are not teaching at the time of taking the tests this is not a problem as a further course, Graduate Diploma,is also offered. I ended up taking both the Diploma and Graduate Diploma and have been very please that I did ever since.

At the present time, with travel restrictions in place and the near future of teaching in Thailand a little hazy, these courses are a good option. They are done online with support from the college. You can pace your studies as you wish. The costs are good and I feel very good value for money. Also they are recognised world wide. If your relative did decide that they liked teaching English to speakers of other languages they would not be tied to Thailand but could travel the world knowing that their qualification would be accepted, along with a university degree, almost anywhere. The courses could be studied now. That way, when your relative arrives in Thailand they are ready to go.

Hope this helps. Good luck to your family member with their next steps. Despite no longer teaching English in Thailand I do still have a few contacts and would be happy to help with possible placements. Please feel free to drop me a PM if you need help. I can give you my email address so that your family member can contact me directly.

Thanks for that. I have sent you a message.