TEFL Algonquin Indiana

I have chosen to research and discuss the problems faced when teaching students in thailand. To help with my research I have interviewed a number of experienced teachers in thailand and asked them for some insight into the problems they face when teaching learners in this country. The other information is from my own personal observations, discussions with friends that live in thailand and internet sources that discuss such matters as thai culture and etiquette. The very first problem a learner in thailand will face is learning the english alphabet. Whereas the english alphabet has 26 letters (21 consonants and 5 vowels), the thai alphabet has 44 consonants representing 21 distinct initial sounds and 8 final sounds. That means some letters actually change their sound when they move from the front of a word to the end. There are also 32 vowels (of which only 32 are used). Added to this there are many sounds in the english alphabet that simply do not exist in the thai alphabet (such as the ‘shj' sound as in television). Learners will also struggle greatly with the two ‘th' sounds in english. On top of all this, there are also 5 tones which will change how you say a thai word and also its meaning! If a teacher is faced with teaching a student with no exposure to the english alphabet then the task is near impossible. Most thai people have been taught the english alphabet in school. Although this does offer some assistance, in thai language spellings is done very differently to english and english words are often not written phonetically. The phonetic alphabet is a very useful tool in thailand and most teachers recommend introducing it as early on as possible. Grammatically, thai language is also very different indeed. It is common in thai language to drop the pronoun in a sentence and sentences are often abbreviated to their shortest possible form. The grammatical forms in english (especially the more complicated forms relating to such things as phrasal verbs or the relative clause) will need to be taught very attentively and revised regularly. Another problem faced in thailand is the size of the classes. In language schools the classes tend to be small so this is not an issue. In primary or secondary schools classes average 40 - 50 students. This can be a substantial problem for students who are falling behind and are not able to get the one-on-one assistance they require. Special consideration must be given to the students at the back of the class and by writing in large clear letters, making eye contact with as much of the class as possible and projecting ones voice; speaking clearly and concisely, one can try to ‘reach' the whole class. Finally we come to matters related to thai culture and etiquette. In thailand the profession of being a teacher or ‘ajarn' is highly regarded and as such it is important for a teacher to understand this to maintain the respect of their students no matter what their age group. In order for the students to be receptive to ones lessons one must understand and respect certain rules of etiquette. Students may become angry, humiliated or even embarrassed on your behalf without you knowing. In thai culture they will simply smile and say nothing. A significant factor in thai culture is that of ‘loss of face'. This can apply to many issues within the classroom. thai culture is one of non-confrontation in which public dispute or more importantly criticism is to be avoided at all costs. To show anger or impatience or to raise your voice is a sign of weakness and lack of mental control. When disciplining a student or a class it is very important to bare this in mind or one is likely to lose the respect of the entire class. Once this happens it is very difficult to get that respect back. For many students loss of face also relates to their shyness. Students may not wish to attempt to answer questions in case they are wrong and appear ignorant or are criticized. Positive reinforcement is essential to thai learners so that they can overcome their wariness of making a mistake and participate as much as possible in class. Another example is that in thailand, the head is the most sacred part of the body, so should not be touched. Some games may involve throwing a ball around the class as a question and answer activity, or some teacher enjoy throwing out workbooks to students to hand back homework or even patting students on the head to show appreciation for their efforts; all these activities should be avoided at first, until the students get used to the idea of a western approach to teaching and behavior in the classroom. On the other hand the feet are the least sacred part of the body, so learners will quickly become offended if a teacher accidentally points at something with their foot or even sits on an elevated platform and has the bottom of their feet showing. Less significantly, in thailand people do not shake hands and an issues relating to younger learners is that one does not ‘wai' to them (a gesture made with the hands raised together to the chest) even when they give this gesture to you. In summary there are many problems that face the thai learner. The most significant relate to alphabet, pronunciation, grammar, class size and lastly cultural differences and misunderstandings.