Type of Schools in Thailand
TEFL programs in Thailand are directed to get English teaching jobs mainly,
world wide. English teaching jobs in Thailand are confined to the three
types of teaching schools prevalent in Thailand :
Thai Schools: Spread all over Thailand, these schools have few or no English
teachers and hence there is a lot of freedom for TESOL teachers to opt for
what they aspire to teach. The focal point is more on general uses of
English which is a beneficial factor of getting a TEFL qualification.
Commercial Schools: Numerous chains of Commercial Schools, such as ECC
Thailand, ELS International, and CBC are located in big cities such as
Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Other places that hire TESOL certified foreign
teachers to teach in Thailand are The International School and Chulalongkorn
University in Bangkok. These schools are more valued places to teach English
and may require part-time English teachers for weekends. All the upcoming
ESL teachers with a TEFL or Teaching English as a Foreign Language
certificate can expect these schools to pay fairly well. Chulalongkorn has
an evening extension program for business English. Classes are held in the
evenings to accommodate work schedules of students who are mostly adults
with specific job-based need for English in the fields of construction,
banking, food services etc. However there isnt remarkable liberty on what
to teaching matter.
Private Tutoring: The 120-hours TEFL program in Thailand can give one the
advantage of private tuition or freelance teaching option which in Thailand
pays the most. The private tutors having TEFL qualification or certification
generally visit the students at their home during evenings to assist them
develop certain skills or strengthen certain weaknesses. Single students are
often joined in by their family members to learn.
Schools of Chiang Mai
Teachers with accredited TEFL certificates can find that altogether there
are about a dozen schools and the level of professionalism among them
varies. Some of the schools are run strictly as profitable businesses with
little concern for educational standards. The TESOL certified teachers
should look for those schools that have some international endorsement and
foreign management as they tend to have a much more favorable environment
for effective teaching.
Since the schools are inundated with backpackers hoping to hang around in
Chiang Mai for a few months earning money, the schools can be quiet sticky
with applications. However, the more effort it takes you to secure a job,
the better the language school is likely to be, providing decent course
books and resources, placing the students at the right levels, monitoring
your class preparation and paying on time. In such cases getting qualified
with TEFL TESOL courses surely help a lot.
AUA Language Centre In the old town on Ratchadamnoern Road. The American
University Alumni is the oldest language school in Chiang Mai and serves
over a thousand students each term. The school hires before the beginning of
each six-week term after conducting a two-week trial, so don't expect a
quick start here. They expected a degree and a TEFL qualification. In many
cases schools choose students with TESOL qualification over CELTA as TESOL /
TEFL covers all age groups while CELTA deals with only adults. So it can be
said that TEFL programs are far better than CELTA certification.Wages are
300-350 baht an hour, with regular hours, a full time contract and usually a
work permit. They are extremely professional and quite strict with their
teachers.
Chiang Mai University On the outskirts of town on Suithep Road, west of the
city. Supposedly the best university in Northern Thailand, with thousands of
students, and located in beautiful surroundings, the university is a pretty
decent place to work. They have all kinds of pay scales that can seem a
little confusing. Starting salaries are 300 baht an hour. If you are
qualified with TEFL teaching certificate and wish to work full time, then
you'll be paid about 20,000 30,000 THB monthly.
When you add it up, you actually get less per hour working full time. The
bonus is you get long paid holidays and a work permit if you decide to sign
up as a full time teacher. CMU has a large English teaching staff and hires
at the beginning of each semester. There are plenty of summer courses, so
it's possible you could work most of the year. Being a Thai government
institution, they won't hire you if you don't have a degree, although they
don't care either way if you have a TEFL or not. Jobs are plentiful here,
though some teachers have expressed frustration in dealing with the Thai
department managers.
The British Council Out of town on Bamrungrat road, east of the moat. The
council is well known throughout the world for its superior quality. They
hire native English speakers of all nationalities if you have a TESOL
certificate and some experience, paying 300-450 Baht an hour (depending on
seniority and volume of teaching). The council has excellent resources and
facilities and very good students. There's also a good opportunity to work
elsewhere in the world for this organization. They have a strict hiring
process, taking only those with degrees and TESOL qualifications.
NIS / Baan Pasa Also known as the New Zealand school of English, they are
reasonably professional and fairly busy at their Nimmanhemin branch but the
other school on the northeast side of the moat struggles. Sometimes they
hire, paying 200 baht per hour with no guaranteed hours. The school has
decent students and some useful resources, and aren't too strict with their
teachers. So non-native English speakers can try and find jobs here.
CEC Nimmanhemin road / main branch, soi 13 Srimankalajarn rd. A busy, Thai
run school with a heavy Christian theme, focusing more on kids and
activities. The owner, Khun Amporn, is very professional and dynamic, though
they tend pay little attention to syllabi and neglect to use decent course
books. They are always hiring for bit work, preferring well presented and
mannered people regardless of whether you have a TEFL or not. Pay is 180 -
250 baht an hour depending on class size. Three branches, including one near
Payap University.
ECC Huay Kaew road, near CMU This is a national franchise, with individual
ownership of each branch, resulting in mixed quality among the schools.
Chiang Mai branch is better than most, and is busy with university students.
Newcomers often have success finding a job here, though part-time and at 200
- 250 baht an hour. Little direction is given to teachers and course books
are often quite unsuitable.
London House This wholly Thai run outfit is located in the old town near Wat
Phra Singh and is quite new. Some consider this to be a last resort and
teachers are paid modestly. Worth a try nonetheless. There are other smaller
independent schools, especially for young kids.
In Phuket, teaching English qualification or TESOL qualification can be
useful for the upcoming ESL teachers as the city has good number of primary,
secondary and international schools. There are various nurseries and
kindergartens available throughout Phuket and all you TESOL certificate
holders can teach children aged 18 months to 6 years. These nurseries or
kindergartens have English speaking staff and cater mainly to expat and
mixed children.
Buds Kindergarten
Child Development Centre
Horizons Learning Center
Kids World Pre-School and Nursery
Thai Primary schools in Phuket are innumerable and are both government and
private. A few of the private schools have bilingual programmes like:
Anuban Phuket School
Darasamut Phuket School
Kajonkietsuksa School
Phuket Thai Hua School
Rawai Progressive International School in Phuket
Wittayasathid School
The secondary schools in Phuket are government schools and have Thai
language curriculums. Chalermprakiat and Satree also offer optional English
Program curricula.
Chalermprakiat Somdet Prasrinakarin Phuket School
Phuket Wittayalai School
Satree Phuket School
International schools are also available in plenty in Phuket and offer as
great platforms for the EFL or ESL teachers to start their English teaching
stints with.
