ASSIGNMENT 1: INTRODUCTION

[Becca Juytong-Gray]

Make your introduction

• Background information about yourself
• Why are you deciding to travel/move to Thailand?
• What challenges do you expect to face along the way and how do you expect to overcome them?
• What do you hope to get out of your experience?

[Anonymous]

Hi Everyone,

My name is Becca and I am the Marketing Manager of CultureRoute. Originally from Scotland in the UK I have been in Thailand for nearly 10 years. I have spent time teaching English as well as working with and managing volunteers in several animal sanctuaries around the country. I have also spent time working with and training teachers, camp counsellors and volunteers from all over the world.

I have travelled extensively since taking my first gap at 17 when I taught maths and science in a small Amerindian village in the Amazon rainforest. One thing I have learned in my years living overseas is that there is always an adjustment period. Knowing that language barriers and cultural differences can be some of the largest roadblocks when transitioning to a new country and trying to immerse yourself in your new surroundings I try to prepare myself ahead of time. I believe it is important to be as prepared as possible before heading overseas as this can help to manage the culture shock you experience.

Thailand has a lot to offer and I hope that this course will give you an insight into what to expect before you arrive!

Best of luck with the course everyone!

Becca

[Atthachai Khongkamnoed]

Hi,
My name is Atthachai, I study Philosophy and Politics at the University of Kent. Born in Bangkok, Thailand and moved to Norway with my family when I was 7 years old. I started my education in vocational studies as a chef in Norway, acquired the degree when I was 20 years old and am currently continuing my educational pathway as an Undergraduate in the UK.
I have decided to partake in the English teaching programme via Gotoco in Thailand because I wish to give back to the country where I was born, but most importantly to help children be better prepared to integrate themselves into our ever-changing globalized world.
The challenges that I am most likely to face are personal hurdles for me to overcome, since this will be a whole new experience of being a teacher, the increase in responsibility for myself and other people depending on me to fulfil my duties. I will have to learn how to bear these responsibilities and the mental and emotional challenges that comes along with it. The motto which I abide by everyday has consistently helped me to where I am today: take one breath, one step, one day at a time. I have struggled with being confident in myself and what I have to offer, so I will continue to improve my confidence whilst traveling abroad.
Excited to be taking this course. 🙂
Atthachai

[Kate Dudman]

Hi my name is Kate, originally born in Germany but I have lived in the UK since I was 4. I have been really lucky to travel a lot, work abroad and have had some amazing work opportunities. I studied fashion journalism in London, moved to Bristol to help set The Wave surfing lagoon and have since been back in my hometown of Exeter. Language is one of the most important things to me, it connects people all over the world and creates so many lifelong relationships.

Since my little nephew was born I realised how much I enjoy teaching children and being a part of that learning process. I feel ready to learn about the cultural differences and embrace being in a new country.

I want to improve my confidence and show myself I can do this, but one of the difficulties will be being away from family, but I know they are just a phone call away. My main goal is to help people achieve something that will help them for their future, the same way I remember a lot of my teachers being so helpful and supportive of me.

Very excited to start teaching and fell prepared to take on such an incredible experience!

[Emma Kuhnen]

Hi,
My name is Emma, and I’ve just completed my second year at the University of York, studying Education. I grew up around Geneva, but on the French side. Due to all the international organisations that are based in Geneva, I lived surrounded by people from all over the world. Being mixed myself, this global community has always been very important to me; seeking out different cultures and getting immersed in them is an important activity that makes me feel fulfilled.
This is why when I was looking for summer opportunities this year, going abroad called to me. Being an Education student, I wanted to try applying all of these theories that I’ve been writing about to actually help students achieve their goals. I’ve been slowly diving into Thai entertainment and series, so combined with how delicious Thai food is, my choice for Thailand was made.
I’ve never left Europe before, so I know this is going to be very different from what I’m used to, and definitely the most challenging thing I’ve ever done, but that’s exactly why I’m grateful we get this course beforehand. I have a feeling this is going to be very useful to soften the shock of entering a completely different lifestyle.
I am at a stage in my life where I am unsure what lies ahead, but I hope this experience will allow me to gain confidence in my ability to define and walk my own path.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 11 months ago by Emma Kuhnen.
• This reply was modified 2 years, 11 months ago by Emma Kuhnen.

[Madeline Holl]

Hi, my name is Maddie.
I have just completed my second year at university studying history. I study at the University of Bristol, but for the past five months I have been on exchange at the University of Hong Kong. I was born and raised in England, but I am lucky enough to have family living all over the world so have had much experience travelling and experiencing new places and cultures.
I decided to join this programme as I have a great interest in different cultures, languages, and their history and wanted to go somewhere completely different to what I have experienced before. Having only been to Asia for the first time on my study abroad programme, as well as recently watching Thai series and videos on the language, I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to learn about the culture first-hand. Additionally, I feel like gaining this teaching experience will aid my direction towards a career path. Although I have not decided what I wish to do in the future, I know I want to be involved in a community and helping those around me, so I feel the opportunity to teach will be a perfect way to begin my search for future work.
Although I have looked after children before, it has only been for short periods and doing small tasks for teachers at my school. Therefore, I feel that teaching will be a welcome challenge for me to increase my confidence and social skills in a community and embrace the new experience and responsibilities I will face. Furthermore, it will start to prepare me for my future in the workplace, learning how to effectively manage my time and prepare for the days ahead.
One of the key things I hope to gain from this experience is the sharing of my culture and language, as well as learning about Thai culture and language. After going on my exchange, I realised how enriching it is to be immersed in another way of life and learn about people’s values and history. I hope that I will be able to share this through teaching, as well as learn about the country’s history and customs.
I know this will be a challenging experience, but I know the outcome will have many rewards for not only my personal aspirations, but also for the people I get to meet and work with, as we share this experience together.

[Justin Brockmann]

My name is Justin Brockmann, and I am from New. Orleans, Louisiana in the USA. After spending most of my life there, I decided to make a change and moved in with some family in New Hampshire so I could save money for this journey. I have a degree in Environmental Biology and I specialized in amphibian research. After graduating, I taught children ranging from preschool through high school (ages 5-18). While in New Hampshire, I worked for an Emergency Residential Treatment facility for adolescents needing respite from crises. I have taken two cruises to Central American countries before, but otherwise have not left the country.

Now, I am ready to move out of the country to expand my knowledge in an effort to truly learn about various people and cultures. I have wanted to leave America since I was young, and this has been a highly recommended opportunity from friends who have done the same. I am very interested in learning many languages as fluently as possible so as to connect with people deeper around the globe. That coupled with a large interest in the spiritual practices of Thailand is what made the choice for me.

I believe one of the biggest challenges for me would be knowledge retention. It has been a few years since I have been in an educating environment and I noticed it’s becoming more difficult to memorize things as readily as I used to. For example, I took six years worth of Spanish language classes and immersed myself while working in Hispanic Restaurants for three, but at this point I can only recall basic conversation mixed with some random syntax. However, being immersed in it again and with assistance from peers I am confident I’ll pick up on the teachings strongly as time moves on.

I am ready to open my mind further and learn much about everyone else as well. I look forward to achieving that with this program.

Thanks and I wish you all the best

• This reply was modified 2 years, 11 months ago by Justin Brockmann.

[James Tovey]

Hi Everyone,

My name is James and I was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia. I’ve been in education and training for 5 years, progressing from a trainer to a training manager. I have a passion for imparting knowledge and helping others achieve their goals. My mother was born in Thailand but I grew up only learning and speaking English. This is why I have chosen Thailand as I would love to connect with my roots and learn more about the language, people and culture.

I’ve only ever lived in Melbourne so adjusting to the unforeseen differences of life in Thailand will be an ongoing challenge. I believe building a good support network through these courses and with future co-workers will ease my transition. Additionally, I will have to adapt from training adults to teaching children. I will trust in my training, seek advice from future co-workers and transfer my experience to the best of my ability.

I really hope to expand my knowledge of Thai culture and skills in educating others, particularly children. I’m looking forward to going through this journey and continuing to give it my best shot.

Thanks for reading and meet you in the flesh soon!

[Connor Cruickshank]

Hi, my name is Connor. I have just finished my second year studying geography at the University of Bristol. All my family is English and Scottish and I have never left Europe, so I’m really looking forward to spending six weeks teaching in Thailand.
I have decided to take part in the programme because I believe it is an incredible opportunity to immerse myself in Thai culture as well as learn new skills and get acquainted with what it’s like to teach English for deciding my future career after university. I know that working with new people from a completely different culture to mine will be a fun and rewarding experience.
I expect the main challenges at first to be related to cultural and language differences/barriers, although these will be overcome with politeness and a bit of patience. It will also be a bit difficult at first getting used to teaching large groups, having only ever needing to speak publicly in front of small groups before.
I’m hoping to become familiar with Thai culture through this programme and expand my knowledge by meeting new people from different walks of life.
Looking forward to seeing everyone soon!

[Kassandra Bailey]

Hello, I’m Kassandra! It is great to meet all of you. I am originally from the USA but I have been traveling for the last 7 years. I have lived in Stirling Scotland, and Prague Czech Republic, but am currently in Chungju South Korea. I have been living and teaching here for the past 2 years. Traveling has always been a passion of mine and I fell in love with Asia when I came here in 2021. I have decided to come to Thailand because it has been a bucket list country to visit and as a child it was always my favorite when it came to history and architecture. I am also very passionate about traditional Thai art so getting to actually visit the country I have loved for so long is very exciting.
In all my years traveling I have noticed that I struggle the most in the first three months I am in a new country, trying to get settled and understanding a new culture usually leads to a bit of homesickness. But I plan to combat this by getting out of my comfort zone and talking with friends wherever possible. Good food is always great medicine for homesickness as well!
I am hoping to meet new people, try new things, and explore a part of the world I have never seen before. I think you can learn a lot about yourself by moving to a new country and I hope to continue to grow and learn as I experience Thailand.

[Kassandra Bailey]

Hello Atthachai! I have always wanted to go to Norway, it’s a beautiful country. I think your reasons for wanting to come to Thailand are fantastic and I hope you have an amazing time experiencing everything you can while you’re there. I can absolutely get behind your motto as well. I think taking each thing one step at a time is a great way to live life and an excellent way to approach this new journey.

[Kholofelo Koko]

Hello
My name is Kholofelo. I am born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa.
I studied law at the University of Johannesburg and a lawyer by profession, but have always had the desire to travel the world and experience different cultures. I have only worked in the legal field so I was pleasantly surprised when I developed an interest for teaching. It all began when I started tutoring my nephew in English and Mathematics, he was not performing well at school and I took it upon myself to help him improve his grades. Since then his grades have improved and he has gained confidence in himself. This has brought me so much joy and inspired me consider teaching as a profession.
I considered teaching in Thailand because it is a beautiful country with a rich culture, and the Thai are welcoming and friendly people.
I look forward to teaching in Thailand, meeting new people and helping the students learn the English language.

[Kholofelo Koko]

Hi James
I like the idea of you teaching in Thailand so you can connect with your roots, I know the importance of knowing your roots and what that does for you as a person, I wish you all the best with that and hope it all works out for you.

[Pierrette Van Der Meulen]

Hi! My name is Pierrette, I’m 22 and live in South Africa, where I lived since birth. I grew up in the coastal little town, Plettenberg Bay and moved to Pretoria later in my life. I completed my Bachelor of Education at the end of 2022. My plan has always been to go travelling after my studies. I combined my passion for teaching and travelling and decided to go to Thailand! The asian culture really interests me and I’m excited to learn more about the Thai culture and community. Although I’ve always wanted to travel, I know that it will be hard to be away from my family and friends for so long and know that it will be something I need to overcome and find my independence. I’ve never travelled outside of Africa and am very excited to experience the world outside of “my” world here in South Africa. I hope to get to know many interesting people and make life-long memories. I also hope to experience the adventure I’ve craved for so long and get to grow as a person.

[Olivia Alice Lola Pryde Belshaw]

Hi! My name’s Lola, I’m 20 and I’m from Scotland. I just finished my first year studying English lit at Glasgow uni, after taking 2 gap years to live and work in France! I decided to take part in the programme because I’ve always wanted to have the experience of teaching english abroad, and I’ve always wanted to visit Thailand so having the opportunity to both at the same time will be amazing.
I think that the main barriers for me will be adapting to the culture and way of life as well as navigating a language that I know next to none of (but hope to learn!), and I hope to overcome this by being open and willing to challenge myself and just immersing myself in every step of the experience.
I hope to meet lots of amazing people and have the chance to travel all over the country, all whilst gaining teaching skills and having a great time!

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