Volunteer Opportunities in Thailand
English teaching certification courses in Thailand or TEFL course Thailand
opens the scope of voluntary teaching projects in Thailand at various
schools ranging from nurseries, primary schools, secondary schools, high
schools, etc. TEFL qualified volunteer teachers can eapect to teach children
as young as 3 years old in nurseries while in secondary schools, students up
to 22 years of age are being taught. Most volunteers work in primary schools
where children are of the age from 4 years to about 11 years. Inevitably
class sizes are big , some with up to 50 students, although these can be
divided between two volunteers. Volunteers are expected to teach for about 4
hours per day depending upon placements.
One good thing about the TEFL courses and teaching English in Thailand is
that if you are a qualified teacher with TESOL, then in whichever school you
may work in, you would be very much needed. The volunteer teachers generally
teach grammar and structure of English language.
ESL or EFL certified teachers with no prior work experience can benefit
fromvoluntary teaching initially as they can get some good practical
exposure by teaching in various schools voluntarily. Thailand has a
well-deserved reputation of the country where tourists from all over the
world may throng in and get some voluntary teaching experience in numerous
schools. Tourists who want to volunteer during gap year, career break or as
a part of an extended holiday have a great role to play as volunteer
teachers and their work is highly appreciated. Sometimes, they are given
free accommodation and food allowances as a token of recognition for their
work catered. Generally, they work free of cost and help poor children study
English language and others.
TESOL qualified teachers who are willing to do voluntary teaching are
expected to be in the Thai schools between 8:30am – 3:30pm. One should have
approximately 18 hours of classes a week. Singing the national anthem and
respecting the national flag are important. You should encourage the
students to develop knowledge about every subjects according to their
liking, teach them about foreign culture or discuss about various sports and
raise their interest level to interact with you and take joy in the
voluntary classes.
Teaching English as a Foreign language courses (TEFL) or Teaching English to
Students of Other Language courses (TESOL) prove beneficial to Thai students
to learn English through primary and secondary school, but in rural areas
with few or no foreigners, students seldom get any chance to practice the
language. Unfortunately for rural Thai students, having poor English skills
means reduced education and job opportunities in the future. By placing TESL
qualified volunteers in rural schools, can really help redress the imbalance
and situation, where native or near-native English speakers can really help
Thai students with their listening and speaking skills. Not only that, but
having a foreign volunteer at their school is a very fun and exciting
prospect for Thai students who will have an opportunity to learn from you
about foreign people and culture!
