TEFL Phuket News

This article discusses the kind of people who are learning to be teachers of English - becoming TEFL Teachers. In a coming post, we will discuss some of the kinds “English language learning” types of students we have.

Why do this? Sharing stories is fun and maybe you could use a smile. Better yet, maybe you’ll see how almost anyone can become an English teacher. The people who take a TEFL course in Phuket are a varied and wonderful bunch and maybe knowing about them will help you take the plunge.

Let’s start with Pat. He is 27, from the Rocky Mountains in the US and is quite the outdoors man. He has worked as a raft guide and enjoys telemark skiing, rock climbing and now is getting into sun and surf ocean sports. He has done some sea-kayaking and scuba diving during his course and is loving the leisure time in the tropics. When asked about his experience, he said: �You would have to be crazy to want to do your TEFL training anywhere else! This place (Phuket) is awesome…� OK, maybe a typical American comment with that �awesome� in there, but from Pat, it seems genuine � he has a lot of enthusiasm � a great quality for teaching and he’ll do well.

Deb is �retired from America!� She’s in her 50s and enjoying travel all over Asia. She loves touring all the Buddhist sites and is eager to head on to Angkor Wat in Cambodia. She doesn’t have a plan to settle on a location, just yet, but does want her TEFL completed so when she finds �the place� she is ready to settle in and begin her teaching. She is having a great time and is involved with a local meditation group and is eager to get all of us into meditation.

Next up is Jennifer. She is 22 and already a world traveler, having backpacked in Europe for a summer. She graduated from K State and is taking a year or two to travel and work in Asia before she begins a career in the states. After a couple of days here, she remarked �maybe I can postpone that career for more than a couple of years.� She has finished her course and is on track to work with children in a local Government school beginning this fall term (May!).

You would smile within thirty seconds of meeting Stu. He is an Aussie, 34, and his good attitude is virally infectious. In his spare time here, he has been volunteer teaching with some locals who work with Farong (Thai: foreigners). They are delighted to have their own private tutor and Stu is just delighted. Period. All the time. Even in Grammar class. He is that good. I have also seem him take over a food cart on the street and make Phad Thai. Even the local Thai people enjoyed his fried noodles.

Last is Ellen, retired from the UK and in her �later years.� That is as close as she’ll pin it down for me. Definitely a grandmother, she did her TEFL a couple of months back and mainly volunteers with kids. She doesn’t have to work, but is very generous with her time in helping others and simply enjoys living in Thailand. She does receive a bit of compensation, mostly in the form of delicious Thai food and free massage. One child she assists has a mom with a massage business, so there is a nice �thank you� there for her.

As you can see, we have students from all walks of life and many countries. They are all amazing people and spending some time with them here at the school is a wonderful way to live my life. I feel blessed to have made so many good friends and now feel like I know folks from all over the world. I look forward to meeting you! If you are thinking about earning a TEFL Certification in Asia or becoming an English Teacher abroad, please drop me a line with any questions you may have.

You can get more info at TEFL Phuket or, check out our sister site for a different angle at TEFL Thailand.

Thanks for stopping by � see you in paradise soon. - Thomas

People always ask me what it is like teaching in Phuket, so here is an average day.

I wake up early, usually about 6 am. Never an early riser in the States, it is surprising how easy it is to get going each day. In Phuket, life is good, and I feel happy for each day spent in paradise. Sometimes, there is a stroll down to the beach for sunrise, as the beach is only 5 minutes from my doorstep. The colors in the sky are amazing, and it is never tiring to look, as the hues of the sky are always shifting & melding and the ocean is usually smooth and calm.

Maybe a quick coffee and danish at a beach side cafe is next, or I can pop back to the house and make a fresh fruit smoothie. There is always fresh fruit in Phuket: mangoes, papaya, Thai kiwi, pineapple and even bananas from my own backyard. Sometimes I do 20 minutes of yoga, sometimes I just sit on the porch and watch the neighborhood wake up � usually with another coffee.

I have my first class at 8 or 9 in the morning. The type of class is usually varied. Some days it is a one-on-one private with a Thai student who is preparing for higher education. Other days is is a small group of Thai who are interested in improving their English conversation ability. I also teach small groups of up to 8 or 10. Working at a private school, there is an emphasis on small class sizes to ensure quality of teacher to student interaction. The majority of my classes have less than 3 students.

After 2 or 3 hours of teaching, there is usually free time until my next class, so lunch is a leisurely affair. Thai food is incredible - the subtlety of flavors and exotic spices are always an adventure. My tongue grew up on pretty plain American food! I love Thai fried noodles sauteed with fresh shrimp or chicken. A close runner up is Tom Yum Koong � a spicy soup with shrimp, fresh Thai vegetables and chillies, of course.

I have rediscovered the lost art of napping and a light afternoon siesta is a wonderful thing. Generally, there are a couple more hours of teaching in the afternoon or evening and then, dinner. More delicious Thai food or occasionally a hamburger or some fried chicken. The chicken is fresh here and the flavor is dramatically better that back home in the States.

At some point during my day, I review each class asking � what I have been able to teach each student, what do we still need to work on and where we might go next? For 5 hours of teaching, this takes about an hour, so you could say work time is about 6 hours each day. Each classroom hour gets me about 300 baht. I teach only 5 days a week and earn about 30,000 baht a month. That is about $1000.

Maybe it does not sound like much, but my rent is only 6000 baht a month with utilities, and it’s a sweet place. Meals run me 100 baht on average � and that is top notch fresh food. So there is about 15000 baht each month to play with. I can rent a motorbike and explore the island, go out and have a few beers with friends or take the occasional scuba trip to some of the best diving on the planet, with money left over each month. There are western movies here, an Apple store (so gotta get the latest ipod) and the night markets are a true adventure � so much to be had for a song!

It would be difficult for me to explain how fortunate I feel to have made the change and created a new life for myself here in Thailand. Earning a TEFL certificate was the key to a wonderful and relaxed life. The Thai people are the best on Earth. They are friendly, generous and always ready with a huge smile. But that is another post…

See you soon -

Thomas