I came to teach in Thailand because I wanted a chance to help underprivileged people and have the experience of living in another country. What I was surprised to find was a place that felt more like home than I ever could have expected or imagined. The Thai people are amazingly hospitable and friendly towards foreigners, even if some of the younger children can't stop staring at you every chance they get. Being a volunteer English teacher from another country automatically gives you near-celebrity status in a small Thai community. Everybody wants a chance to talk to you and practice the English they have been learning since primary school. The Thais are so generous with food and gifts that I hardly had to spend any money (outside of traveling) after arriving at my homestay.
The most refreshing thing about teaching English here is the students' incredible respect and willingness to learn. In four months of teaching, I never once had a discipline problem with a student. On the contrary-pupils would magically appear to erase the chalkboard or bring me a cool glass of water. After I taught one lesson at a primary school, the students actually returned to the classroom early after their lunch break and asked me to start teaching again. They love to play English games, some of which I learned during Dragonfly's introductory training course. If you are considering teaching here but don't have a degree in English or education, you shouldn't worry at all. I studied engineering, which is about as far from those disciplines as you can get, and had little trouble offering help to the English teachers and teaching classes.
It is hard to express just how valuable my experience in Thailand has been. It would be a tragedy for anybody who has just a little extra time and money not to consider doing something like this. Here is an excerpt from the journal I kept the first week, before I realized there was simply too much to write about:
13 Jan 2006 -- So much has been happening, I don't even know where to begin. Every hour of every day could fill an entire book. What is there to say? I ride to school on the back of a motorbike driven by a Thai student nicknamed "Pump." On the way, we see the sun rise over the misty rice paddies. There are WATER BUFFALO less than a hundred meters from our house. Yesterday, I watched a small ELEPHANT pull into a parking spot. I have spoken to crowds of well over a thousand Thai school children and important social figures 3 times in 3 days. I have helped train students for an English speech competition. I have had a female Thai student say "you are lovely" to me. I have eaten unimaginable fruit, watched a teenage boy absolutely rock out on some sort of piped instrument (actually called a "khaen"), and heard a teenage girl sing a PERFECT rendition of the song from "Titanic" ACAPELLA. I have seen a secondary school pull together and pass an examination from a district judge after 6 months of hard work and preparation. I have seen students literally jump for joy and hug one another. I have seen teachers cry in each others' arms. THIS IS THE THIRD DAY.
I hope your Thai experience will be as memorable as mine was.
Jeff C.
