teaching english in thailand stories

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.

The most common one is probably the large class sizes. It's really a struggle to manage so many students at once. Another common horror story is the cultural differences that can lead to misunderstandings. For instance, the concept of 'saving face' in Thai culture can make it difficult to correct students in a straightforward way. And the weather can also be a horror factor. The humidity and heat can make teaching in some classrooms quite unbearable.

There are also stories related to the local teaching environment. In some Thai schools, the facilities might be different from what one expects in other countries. But that doesn't stop the students from being eager to learn. I taught in a school where the classrooms were small but filled with students' enthusiasm. We made the best use of the limited resources and had great fun learning English through games and simple role - plays.

Sure. There are stories of teachers facing very large class sizes, like over 50 students in a single classroom. It's a horror for a teacher as it's really hard to give individual attention. Also, there were cases where the teaching materials promised were not provided. Teachers had to come up with their own resources on short notice, which was a nightmare. Some teachers had horror experiences with bugs in the classrooms. Thailand has a lot of insects, and having them crawling around while you're trying to teach can be quite off - putting.

Yes. One challenge is the language barrier not just in terms of students learning English but also in communicating with some local staff who may have limited English proficiency. It can sometimes lead to misunderstandings in administrative tasks.

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.

Some horror stories involve the students themselves. There are cases where students are not interested in learning English at all, and they can be quite disruptive in class. This makes teaching a real challenge. Additionally, there can be horror stories around the lack of support from the schools. Teachers may not have access to proper teaching materials or training, and yet they are expected to deliver high - quality English lessons. It's like being set up to fail in a way.

Adapting to the language is crucial. The teacher can take language classes to improve their Thai language skills, especially for communicating with students' parents or local colleagues. Culturally, they should observe and respect Thai traditions in the school environment, like the way students show respect to teachers. They can also participate in cultural exchange activities organized by the school to better understand the local culture and use this knowledge in their teaching. For instance, using Thai cultural examples in lessons to make it more relatable for students.

Teachers can use small English stories as reading materials in class. Students can read them aloud to practice pronunciation.

When I was teaching English in Spain, I noticed a cultural difference in the learning style. Spanish students were very social in the classroom. They liked to have group discussions and debates in English. It was challenging at first to manage the noise level, but then I realized it was a great way for them to practice speaking and expressing their ideas. I also got to learn a lot about Spanish culture from my students during those discussions.