Sometimes there are catchy headlines, but strangely enough, this one is true. Pattaya welcomes TEFL INTERNATIONAL. This school training program not only has course locations in Phuket, Ban Phe, and Bangkok in Thailand, but also in Morocco, Spain, France, Italy, China, Mexico, Egypt and Korea. The primary focus of this training program is to teach native English speakers how to teach English in a foreign country. The course ends in the awarding of a TESOL CERTIFICATE, which is a requirement in many countries (including Thailand) for foreigners who want to teach English.
International Course director Bruce A. Veldhuisen started TEFL International in Thailand in 1998, offering primarily a residential 4 week training program in Ban Phe (near Rayong). The school now trains up to 1300 students per year, and offers on site English language training as well, and a program to train almost 1000 Thai teachers under contract with the Ministry of Education.
The new Pattaya program will begin by offering Thai language classes as well as the TESOL Certificate training course. As the headline says, get paid to attend class. Beginning this year, TEFL International has developed a new training program that starts with four days of intensive classes, followed by placement for practice teaching. During the practice teaching phase, you attend occasional evening classes, and are receive random monitoring. During this practice teaching phase, students receive 15,000 Baht per month (for two months). This 30,000 Baht income during the course exceeds the actual class fee, making taking the course not only net free but you actually come out ahead.
The normal tuition fees for this course in Bangkok are 26,000 Baht, but as an introductory offer for the Pattaya program, course costs will initially be only 20,000 here.
There are lots of reasons to Expats to want to take this training and become eligible to teach in Thailand. Certainly the most important is that it gives a chance to give something back to the local community. Thailand currently has a major shortage of Native English Speaking English teachers, and the needs all over Thailand are immense. Additionally, while not a huge paying profession, teaching salaries in Thailand range from 20,000 to 80,000 per month, depending on the school and the teachers qualifications (see www.ajarn.com ). Also important for many Expats, is that once working in an approved school, schools assist in obtaining appropriate VISA and WORK PERMIT status for the foreigner.
In that TEFL INTERNATIONAL is basically a teacher training organization, it is no surprise that the actual direct language classes offered include state of the art teaching methodologies and materials, including DVD home study materials. Like the TESOL class, the initially offered THAI class will come at a reduced introductory price of only 3000 Baht for a 40 hour class. Unlike random “conversation” classes, the curriculum design for this course is directed at “survival Thai” and focuses on student self access to language that students feel are most essential for them.
Sound good, want to know more? Call the new office at 01-004-0838 or review the entire program by visiting www.teflintl.com .
|
