One common horror story is the housing situation. Teachers might be promised a decent place to live but end up in a run - down, dirty apartment with lots of problems like leaky roofs or no hot water. It's really a nightmare.
A lot of teachers have horror stories related to discipline. In some Thai schools, there are different cultural norms about discipline. For instance, students might be more used to a laid - back approach, and when a foreign teacher tries to enforce stricter rules, it can lead to a lot of pushback. There can be conflicts not only with the students but also with the local teaching staff who may not understand the foreign teacher's methods. This can create a very stressful teaching environment.
Well, one horror story could be about the extreme heat in some of the classrooms with no proper air - conditioning. It made it really difficult to teach and students were often distracted and grumpy. Another might be dealing with unexpected changes in the curriculum midway through a semester without much notice, which threw off all the teaching plans.
One common horror story is about housing. Some teachers were promised nice accommodation but ended up in really small, dirty, and poorly maintained apartments. Another is related to work hours. Teachers were made to work long hours beyond what was initially agreed, with little extra pay. And there were cases where the cultural differences led to misunderstandings and uncomfortable situations at work, like being criticized harshly in front of students for minor mistakes due to different teaching styles expectations.
One common horror story is getting placed in a school with no teaching resources. You might expect basic things like textbooks or a whiteboard, but end up with nothing. Another is having to deal with extremely unruly students who have no respect for the teacher. For example, students constantly talking over you or even throwing things in class. And then there's the issue of cultural misunderstandings. You could do something innocent, like pat a child on the head, which might be offensive in that culture.
One common horror story is getting scammed by tuk - tuk drivers. They might take you to overpriced shops instead of your intended destination. Another is food poisoning from street food. Sometimes the hygiene standards aren't great and tourists end up with a really bad stomachache. Also, some people have had their belongings stolen on the beach while they were swimming.
Well, a lot of the horror stories involve misinformation. Some clinics in Thailand advertise very cheap surgeries to attract foreign patients. But when those patients arrive, they find out that there are a whole bunch of hidden costs. In terms of the actual surgeries, there have been cases where the wrong procedures were carried out. Maybe the patient asked for one type of liposuction, but the surgeon did something else entirely. And the facilities in some places are not up to standard. They might look nice on the outside, but inside, the equipment is old or not properly maintained, which can be really dangerous during surgeries.
Biggest challenge is the cultural gap. Western teaching concepts don't always fit in Vietnam. For example, group work which is common in the West may not be as effective due to different social norms.
The story of 'The Ring'. It has a simple yet spooky plot. There are key phrases like 'curse' and 'haunted video' that can be easily taught. Students can be made to summarize the story in English.
The language level can be a problem. Japanese horror stories may contain complex language or expressions that are above the students' current English level. Also, there might be a lack of suitable teaching materials. Most horror stories are not designed specifically for English teaching, so teachers need to adapt them on their own, which is time - consuming.
In Thailand, there are stories about beauty scams. Some tourists are lured by very cheap beauty packages. They go to a salon or a so - called 'beauty retreat' thinking they'll get a great deal. But once they're there, they are pressured into buying expensive additional products or services. If they refuse, the quality of the service they initially paid for deteriorates. For example, a girl went for a simple facial but was then pushed to buy a whole line of skincare products she didn't need. When she declined, the facial was done so hastily that it left her skin looking worse than before.
A really scary Thailand horror story is about a doll. There's a particular doll in a small village that is said to be possessed. It was found in an old abandoned house. People who have looked into its eyes claim to have had nightmares and felt a sense of dread. Some even say that it moves on its own at night.