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**shieclulaweew** · 09-21-2012, 09:52 AM

Quote[/b] ]Seeker and Sally, I know from reading your blogs that both of you have taught english in thailand. Did you guys have a degree in secondary Education or did you have a degree in a whole other field?

Whoopsie... Sorry for the rather late reply, Frightened_Farang; this thread somehow escaped my attention.
I got my degree not in Secondary Education, but in Biology, specializing in Microbiology. As you could see, this did not hinder me at all in getting teaching jobs in Thailand.

I have to mention though that I had teaching experience prior to accepting the Thai job. I taught at an American university until I came here.

Like Sally, I didn't do the TEFL either. I agree with her that it would have helped us to understand how people learn English, but I already got this knowledge first-hand.

The fact that I learned English from scratch just like my students helped me tremendously. It bridged the gap between us; I was not a remote observer, but one of them, someone who already reached the goal that they strived for.

What was my advantage in teaching English became my disadvantage when it came down to business decisions. There is no need for non-native English teachers when hundreds of unqualified backpackers roam Thailand, eager to earn a few quick bucks by yapping in the classroom for a few days.

For advice, just read Sally's. I couldn't say it any better. I guess I could just paraphrase what she wrote, but why waste your time?

Good luck, and let us know how things turned out!

09-21-2012, 09:52 AM	#1
shieclulaweew Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 436 Senior Member	Quote[/b] ]Seeker and Sally, I know from reading your blogs that both of you have taught english in thailand. Did you guys have a degree in secondary Education or did you have a degree in a whole other field? Whoopsie... Sorry for the rather late reply, Frightened_Farang; this thread somehow escaped my attention. I got my degree not in Secondary Education, but in Biology, specializing in Microbiology. As you could see, this did not hinder me at all in getting teaching jobs in Thailand. I have to mention though that I had teaching experience prior to accepting the Thai job. I taught at an American university until I came here. Like Sally, I didn't do the TEFL either. I agree with her that it would have helped us to understand how people learn English, but I already got this knowledge first-hand. The fact that I learned English from scratch just like my students helped me tremendously. It bridged the gap between us; I was not a remote observer, but one of them, someone who already reached the goal that they strived for. What was my advantage in teaching English became my disadvantage when it came down to business decisions. There is no need for non-native English teachers when hundreds of unqualified backpackers roam Thailand, eager to earn a few quick bucks by yapping in the classroom for a few days. For advice, just read Sally's. I couldn't say it any better. I guess I could just paraphrase what she wrote, but why waste your time? Good luck, and let us know how things turned out!
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