Blogs

Essential Classroom Kit

Steve's Blog - 5th May 2010

Things I have to have in my lesson

I was reading a magazine the other day. I don’t really do that often because I don’t like magazines. Worse, this was one of those magazines about making your home beautiful, a-la Martha Stewart. My wife (among others) would have laughed herself into a stupor if she had seen me reading an article on cooking, but fortunately I was safely tucked away, alone in a traffic jam. No harm done: traffic jams are great.

What should I take with me?

Sunee's Blog - 24th April 2010

Packing to Work in Thailand

Deciding to take the plunge and head out to Thailand for a new career in teaching English is a big decision. New culture, new climate, new career. But once you have decided to take the plunge and head for a new life working in Asia, another problem arises. You have a 20 kilo baggage allowance, so – “What should I pack?” If you have been to Thailand before, it's a little easier; but only a little. Starting a new life with only a suitcase makes for some snappy decisions!

Thai New Year

Sudsawad's Blog - 3rd April 2010

What is Songkran?

We are fast approaching that very exciting holiday time that the locals call Songkran. Songkran marks the beginning of a new solar year and literally means to “move into”. (referring to the movement of the sun into Aries in April) These holidays start on April the 13th every year with Maha Songkran day, and lasts for 3 wacky and fun filled days. Days of making new friends, acting like carefree kids and having a great time. The best way to describe it, is an annual nationwide party that has to be experienced to be believed.

Learning or Teaching? Or both?

Steve's Blog - 16th March 2010

Can I really become a teacher in 4 weeks?

If you are looking into doing a TESOL course, there is no doubt that you are planning on becoming a teacher somewhere in the world. Have you heard people say silly things like “People who can, do, and people who can't, teach”? Well, I don't believe that. As conscientious teachers, we are concerned to teach well. And by doing a TESOL course, that is what you will hopefully help yourself to do!

Making a drama out of a crisis – or any other situation for that matter...

Kevin's Blog - 4th March 2010

Using drama to teach English.

Mention the word drama and many people shudder; acting, learning lines, directing, making a fool of yourself! It’s not everyone’s idea of a fun lesson. However, if you think what ‘drama’ can achieve, then there are several benefits for you and your students.

So they want you to do a demonstration class?

Troy's Blog - 28th February 2010

How to be prepared for an interview

Completing your TESOL certificate is an excellent first step to getting yourself a teaching position just about anywhere in the world. The demand for qualified, dedicated teachers keeps growing and there are schools that are looking for someone like you! But how do the schools know that you will be a good teacher? Well, one way is for them to ask you to teach a 'demonstration lesson' so that they can see you in action. That sounds fair, but it can be daunting teaching a group of strange students while you are being watched by a potential employer!

Teaching pronunciation

Steve's Blog - 10th February 2010

What accent should a teacher have?

As a teacher of English as a foreign language in Thailand, schools that employ you and the students you teach are aiming, above all else, to learn how to pronounce English words like you do. Of course, our students need to learn more than just pronunciation – they also need to learn grammar, vocabulary and how to put everything together to communicate. But what many of our learners in Thailand would really like very much is to sound English – and that is why they need you!

Learning Thai

Steve's Blog - 7th January 2010

How difficult is it really?

Driving, buying and being a passenger - Cars in Thailand

Neil's Blog - 12th December 2009

What a nightmare – Or is it really?

We’ve all taken (or you’ll just be soon to take) that taxi, tuk-tuk or motorbike taxi ride from hell. I’ve had them all. Taxi rides – from the driver who insisted on singing Elvis ballads through 58 minutes of traffic jams. I didn’t give him a tip. I just pretended I was from Memphis and promised him Priscilla’s autograph. Also there is an infamous taxi driver who picks up near my school who has tourettes syndrome and twitches and jerks whilst mumbling expletives’ to himself between indicating and changing gear with his chin. The tuk-tuks ( I think this translates to cheap-cheap, though not really) are the noisy three wheelers that Bangkok is famous for. The last tuk-tuk I rode was for the benefit of friends that came to stay with me from England. The driver insisted on doing “wheelies” at every change of green light much to our horror and his hysterical amusement. This was dangerous but fine up until the point he laughed so much at one intersection he spat out his false teeth and spent at least two minutes fumbling about near his clutch pedal with only tertiary glance at the traffic whizzing around him. Motorbike taxis I only take for a short ride down minor roads. After I’ve smelt their breath for alcohol and made them walk ten paces in a straight line.

Continue Reading »

Dressing the part

Troy's Blog - 6th December 2009

The Asian fascination with appearance

Last week I wrote about society's expectations for teachers. Making the decision to teach English in Thailand, and take a TEFL/TESL course is an important step in any person's life, and to make the most out of living and working in Asia it is helpful to know where to start. Below is some guidelines that I have given countless times to new and trainee teachers when asked what to wear to in their new lives.

Building a social network

Kevin's Blog - 27th November 2009

Getting involved and staying sane

In a previous blog I wrote about what to do socially whilst undertaking the Chichester College TESOL teacher training course in Bangkok. But let's imagine you've completed the course and popped out of the other end armed with your TESOL certificate and you've just secured your first job. What now in terms of a social life? Whether you remain in Bangkok or venture further afield, you're going to need a social network of friends and acquaintances. Why? Because it's very important to have a social support network. You're in a foreign land – we're like newborn babies; kind of helpless without all the gooey bits.

Looking the part

Troy's Blog - 25th November 2009

What does a teacher look like anyway?

Anyone who has been to Asia will have noticed a preoccupation with dress and manners. Whilst customs and practices may differ from country to country there is one thing that remains true: teachers in Asia are immediately afforded a degree of respect and status that has all but disappeared in many 'Western' countries, and as such are expected to behave and dress appropriately.

How much Thai do I need to be able to speak?

Steve's Blog - 14th November 2009

Teaching English - in English!

Living and working in Thailand as an English teacher means that you get the opportunity to live in parts of the world that tourists never get to see. In fact, some of Thailand’s best sites are away from the hustle and bustle of the tourist trade. This is the real Thailand of sweeping tropical landscapes, gentle people and fascinating cultural idiosyncrasies.

Managing your money in Thailand

Neil's Blog - 6th November 2009

How to avoid a financial crisis between paydays

Making your own flashcards

Kevin's Blog - 31st October 2009

Get our your scissors and glue - it's time to get creative

Do you have any experience?

Steve's Blog - 16th October 2009

That ominous and inevitable question we all have to face

Dealing with stress on a TEFL course

Troy's Blog - 28th September 2009

Three simple pointers to avoid becoming a nervous wreck

Time out in Bangkok

Kevin's Blog - 13th September 2009

What to do when I've got a few hours respite from teacher training

Coping with coursework

Troy's Blog - 5th September 2009

Ten easy pointers to reduce stress during your TESOL course

Taking a TEFL course in Bangkok from a student's perspective

Student Blogs - 6th August 2009

Anna shares her experiences from training to starting work in Thailand

The top 5 best things about living in Thailand

Joseph's Blog - 31st July 2009

An alternative to the usual tourist brochure things

The Notebook Hunt

Sunee's Blog - 30th June 2009

To live with or without a computer when teaching in Thailand

I decided to move to back to Asia and had a teaching position in Thailand all lined up. I was not even a week in the country, when I started feeling the empty dark void of being technologically deprived. I paid extortionate amounts to phone family and friends back home and had to brave the internet café’s with shouting teenagers playing war games on the net. I didn’t have a computer.

Excursion to Northern Bangkok primary school

Steve's Blog - 28th June 2009

A valuable insight into what goes on during a TESOL course excursion

The great thing about taking a TESOL course in Thailand is the huge number of practical excursions we are able to take everyone on. I find that excursions to schools in Bangkok and the surrounding area really do provide an excellent opportunity for everyone involved to gain exposure to living and teaching English in Thailand.

Wai Khru Day in Surat Thani

Student Blogs - 25th June 2009

Rowan's first experience of this amazing "Respect Teacher Day" in Thailand's idyllic southern province of Surat Thani

At the school I work at located in Surat Thani on the southern coast of Thailand, teachers' meetings are held weekly, supposedly to keep us up to date on forthcoming events so we can plan better. In reality, however, it's an opportunity for the boss to drop bombshells on us; leading to massive changes in the week's teaching schedule. It's at times like these that I am glad for the warning provided by one of my trainers on the TESOL course who warned of classroom management issues that fit into the 'other' category - unexpected cicumstances beyond the teacher's control.

Charlie's story from Africa

Student Blogs - 20th June 2009

Charlie looks back over the last three years and reflects on how dramatically his life has changed. From leaving England, to taking the course in Thailand and now teaching in Tanzania

Just over three years ago, my marriage was coming to a painful end. It hadn't been great for a few years but now it was near breaking point. I had always promised myself that when my children were old enough to cater for themselves, then I would go overseas to South East Asia and teach English for the remainder of my life. So when my marriage finally snapped, I decided to take a TESOL course as far away from home in Britain as possible. I found a few TEFL sites on the internet but was drawn to Chichester College UK TESOL certificate run by Spencer International in Bangkok. Firstly because it was a million miles away from home; secondly because it seemed a well planned course and guaranteed a job placement on completion. I flew out and spent some time in Thailand exploring this beautiful kingdom and met a lovely Si Sa Ket girl called Anna. On my arrival at the college, the head tutor Steve, came and very patiently answered all my questions about life as a Tesol teacher in Thailand. I felt reassured and quietly confident.

The First Job

Troy's Blog - 18th June 2009

Getting started in the teaching game

A question that often arises during a TEFL course is the inevitable: “How did I get started?” So, let me outline to the best of my memory how I began my life as an English teacher, and how I worked my way from some very humble beginnings into a career EFL teacher, and by default, an expatriate living and working in Asia.

The Drama of Being a Teacher

Kevin's Blog - 6th June 2009

The show isn't over 'till the class bell rings

Many years ago, some guy named Shakespeare, who was pretty good at writing the odd play, wrote:

“All the world's a stage,

And all the men and women merely players:

They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts...”

How did you get here?

Troy's Blog - 29th May 2009

My career as an EFL Teacher

At the beginning of each TESOL course, and at several points during it, trainee teachers ask me how I got started teaching English in Asia, and how long I have been teaching in Thailand.

Finding work anywhere in Thailand

Student Blogs - 1st April 2006

Francois and Sanru Jansen van Rensburg, a young couple from South Africa, joined Chichester College's TESOL course in Bangkok in February 2007

My husband and I came to Thailand on holiday in 2006 for a month and at that time we fell in love, not only with the place, but also with the people and the culture. In 2007, We decided that we just had to come back, and not just for a holiday, but to stay!

Experiences from Wat Sra Kaew

Student Blogs - 1st March 2006

Lindsay looks at how her life has changed over the 2 years since she took the course in September 2004

I have been in Thailand since September of 2004, when I arrived in Bangkok to enroll in a Chichester College TESOL (TEFL/TESL) training course. While teaching, I have continued to assist in the activities of the Training Centre. I have seen many exciting things happen as the Centre has extended it’s arm and influence to the community, providing both support for the local Thai people and teacher development opportunities for course participants.

Chichester College receives royal seal of approval

News Blog - 24th February 2006

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have presented a prestigious award to Chichester College at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace

The Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education recognises the highest quality of work taking place in higher and further education and prizewinners have to demonstrate outstanding work at world-class level. Chichester College won the award “for developing the College and its community through International student intake and integration”.

The end of my first school term as a rookie

Student Blogs - 1st January 2006

Darren, a participant on the TESOL course in August 2005, looks back at the the past few months

Well, what can I say? From that dreadful, stomach-wrenching feeling, wanting it all to be a bad dream, when I walked into my first class room a few weeks ago, to now, when I think it’s a dream but I don’t want to wake up. It’s amazing how things have changed in such a short time. I am not the same man I was a few weeks ago. If I’m truthful, I’ll tell you that the children in my five classes a day have changed me. Everyday when I walk into that classroom, I learn so much from them; I sometimes wonder who is teaching who! I have had to learn the names of 150 students in only a few weeks, and slowly but surely they’re all falling into place. It’s strange to think how you start to remember them: first I remember the little DEVIL’S; then come the little angels; and the rest drift in ever so slowly - the bright and the not so bright.