ASSIGNMENT 1: INTRODUCTION

[Juhi Choudhury]

Hi my name is juhi, I want to move to Thailand as it seems like an amazing country and would love to teach here. I expect there to be many challenges along the way and I will overcome them in different ways depending on the scenario. I hope to help better young kids lives at schools.

[Frank Curiel]

My name is Frank Curiel and I am a teacher, as well as an athletics coach, in West Virginia USA.

After my second trip to Thailand, my love for the people, culture and country was rekindled. Coming to teach in Thailand will broaden my horizons and offer me a positive new perspective on teaching and working with young people.

My only anxieties are related to leaving friends and family behind, but I am confident new friends await me in Thailand.

[Michele Bernhard]

Hi! My name is Michele and I’m from New Jersey. When I was in high school I dreamed of joining the Peace Corps after graduation, or working on a cruise ship – both of which I felt would allow me to travel the world. Life got in the way, though. First college, then a job, house, children, bills to pay, responsibilities, etc. That was 30 years ago. So, better late than never! I retired at the end of June from a 25+ year career as a high school special education teacher and promptly spent two months roadtripping around the Rockies, where I discovered that while I love to travel, I have to have some purpose in my life other than just “seeing the sights”. My new goal is to work/volunteer my way around the world in my retirement. Hence, this course. I may have a long history as a teacher, but I have no experience or knowledge about how to teach English to people for whom it’s not their native language. I know I could work as a teacher in international schools with the skills and certifications that I already have, but I really don’t want to teach special education anymore, and I don’t want to be bound to any long-term contracts. Plus I really enjoy learning, so taking a course in another country just sounds fun to me. I browsed all the different locations for taking a TEFL course, and chose Thailand partially because I love Thai food, but mostly because I find the idea of traveling around Thailand and southeast Asia very intimidating, and I hope that taking a course there will help me to feel more comfortable (and help me to build some connections). I think my biggest challenge will be the language barrier, but I’m hoping to overcome that by doing my best to learn Thai as fast as possible. I’m looking forward to meeting everyone soon!

[Daniel Hirst]

Hi There,
My name is Daniel, I am 30 from Sydney, Australia. I have studied and worked in the travel industry most recently as a travel consultant and prior to that, the IT industry in business development roles.
I love travelling and experiencing different cultures, it has been a long-term dream of mine to move overseas and teach English, I was originally organised to do this in Peru in April, 2020 before COVID-19 shut the world down. I was lucky to somewhat fulfill this dream by volunteering as an English teacher in Nepal for 6 weeks last year which was very rewarding and cemented the idea of teaching full time overseas as something I want to pursue and think Thailand (the land of the smiles) would be a great place to experience.
New cultures all come with a certain degree of challenges, by embracing change, being open minded and willing to adapt to new surroundings I hope to overcome any culture shock that comes my way.
Hoping this experience give me that same sense of fulfilment I received previously whilst volunteering.
Looking forward to it!
Daniel

[Arianna Brizzi]

Hello! My name is Arianna I am 29 years old, I am Italian but for the past 5 years I have been living in London. In Italy, I completed my bachelor’s degree in Translation and I can fluently speak 4 languages (Italian, English, Spanish and French) and I am currently learning Indonesian Bahasa! When I moved to London in 2019 I took another bachelor’s degree in Music Performance because I am also a recording artist. While studying in London I also worked as TA from reception to YEAR 6 class, so I can say I have quite few experience with kids 🙂 As you can see I have many hobbies, and I am not scared of starting new careers and moving from country to country because I want to achieve many goals as possible. I love languages, especially English, and this is also the main reason why I have decided to take part in this program. I want to have the chance to teach to kids and to learn new things as well from this experience. I do not know Thai but learning a new language is only a new opportunity for me to learn more about this country. Furthermore, I am excited to meet new people and to travel the world, learning new teaching skills and just enjoy summer for 365 days considering I am coming from the UK, and we barely have summer days! I cannot wait to move to Thailand

[Keotshepile Leboko]

Hi, my name is Keotshepile, but everyone calls me Tshepi. I obtained my communications science degree in 2018. I am from South Africa, and I have tutored English in my home country for over 3 years.

My move to Thailand is motivated by the Working Abroad Initiative – Educators programme (courtesy of Anglo American – Kolomela Mine). I applied for the programme, and I was selected to participate. I received a call that my application was successful and that I would be based in Thailand. You should have seen how excited I was. I am elated to be coming to Thailand.

The challenge I expect to face is the language barrier. However, as a language enthusiast and someone who is eager to immerse themselves in a new culture, I am sure that I will take it within my stride to learn the Thai language, engage with community members and I believe learning from Thai people will help me navigate the country better.

I hope to gain growth out of my experience teaching abroad. I expect growth both in my professional and personal capacity. Education is interchangeable, I want to impart my English language skills to my students, beyond that I want them to use the English language to express themselves with confidence and ease. I also want to learn from them, their dreams and what they hope to achieve.

[Geoffrey Sherman]

Hello, my name is Geoffrey and I’m from the US in near Tampa, Florida. I’m 55 and I’m a practitioner of Chinese Medicine and acupuncture. I wanted a change of scenery and pace. Numerous people have asked me why I don’t teach, as I’ve helped people across a number of topics in my life, so I decide to teach English in another country. I chose Thailand because I visited around the turn of the millennium and found it to be a beautiful country. 2 of the challenges I expect to face are language and culture, and the only way I can think of facing those challenges is do the best I can to learn the language, pay attention to the world around me with the culture and immerse myself in the culture to learn as much as I can. I’ve had a few careers in my time on this planet, and hope to share what I know with others, and learn from them as much as I can. Everyone brings something to the table and I hope to absorb what I’m able to learn.

[Geoffrey Sherman]

Hello Geoff, I love your first name, it feels familiar. If we work together while in Thailand i hope they don’t mix up our classes due to confusion. It’s going to be an adventure in Thailand and I hope yours is filled with success. Namaste.

Geoffrey

[Geoffrey Sherman]

Hello, my name is Geoffrey and I’m from the US in near Tampa, Florida. I’m 55 and I’m a practitioner of Chinese Medicine and acupuncture. I wanted a change of scenery and pace. Numerous people have asked me why I don’t teach, as I’ve helped people across a number of topics in my life, so I decide to teach English in another country. I chose Thailand because I visited around the turn of the millennium and found it to be a beautiful country. 2 of the challenges I expect to face are language and culture, and the only way I can think of facing those challenges is do the best I can to learn the language, pay attention to the world around me with the culture and immerse myself in the culture to learn as much as I can. I’ve had a few careers in my time on this planet, and hope to share what I know with others, and learn from them as much as I can. Everyone brings something to the table and I hope to absorb what I’m able to learn.

[Robert Evans]

Hello my name is Robert Evans I am a 32 almost 33 year old, from a small town right outside of Gainesville called Bronson. I am defense contractor who wants to change career fields and go into teaching, so why not immerse myself and hop into a TEFL course. The reason why i chose Thailand to obtain my TEFL was the cost of living and culture. I love Thai food and watching the Muy Thai events. The biggest challenges I believe i will face is the language barrier. I do not have any experience with any Asian Languages and feel slightly intimidated about maneuvering around. What I hope to gain from this experience is clarity, I am in sort of a cross point career wise and what to see if I actually like doing. I am excited to get into the classroom and just start. Thank you TEFL for this wonderful opportunity.

[Victoria Barnhill]

Hi, my name is Victoria, and I’m from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. I’ve lived here for 22 years, but now I’m about to embark on an exciting adventure to Thailand! I went to Acadia University in Wolfville Nova Scotia. I recently graduated in May 2024 with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. I’m looking forward to exploring so many new places, experiencing a completely different culture, and meeting incredible new people. One of the most exciting parts of my journey is that I’ll be teaching English through a wonderful program, and I can’t wait to start this new chapter of my life.
I’m so excited about everything I’m going to see and do in Thailand, and I know there will be plenty of opportunities for growth along the way. While there will be new things to adjust to, I’m looking forward to embracing every experience with an open heart. I’m confident that I’ll adapt to the changes smoothly, and I’m excited to face any challenges that come my way with a positive attitude and a determination to learn and grow from them. This adventure is going to be such a rewarding journey, and I can’t wait to make the most of it!
This trip is not just about travel; it’s also about growth. I’m hoping to gain new skills, both as a teacher and as a person. I’m excited to learn from my students, from my fellow teachers, and from the rich experiences that Thailand has to offer. I want to meet lots of new friends, build connections with people from different backgrounds, and improve my teaching abilities so that when I return home, I’ll be more prepared for a permanent teaching position.
I know this journey will challenge me in ways I can’t predict, but I’m ready to face whatever comes my way and come out the other side with new insights, skills, and memories that will last a lifetime.

[Elizabeth Leidecker]

Hi, my name is Elizabeth. I am from Dallas, TX. I have a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s in conservation archaeology. I am taking a gap year in between my initial master’s and my training for my field. I wanted to stay abroad after finishing a year of studying in London and am very excited about being placed in Thailand as it is a place I have always wanted to go. I am used to the completely starting over and having to learn everything new, but this is the first time I have done it in a country that doesn’t speak my native language which I expect to be my biggest hardship. I am looking forward to learning the language and hope to be fluent by the time that I leave. I have moved to several different places before, and each place brings new experiences and learning opportunities. I can’t wait to see what Thailand will teach me.

[Sean Haley]

Hello Lovelies,
I am Sean Haley from the US. I currently work in the entertainment industry for the past 20 years, specifically in Costumes. I am fortunate to be good enough at my job for companies to take me with them on all sorts of projects globally. I find myself attracted to certain places, Thailand being one of them. I love the food, the people and training Muay Thai Boxing. What makes me believe I can teach English? English is the only language that I do speak, considering how much I have traveled in my life. I find myself always teaching English to a degree with so many of my foreign friends and foreign colleagues abroad. This has led me to understand how dominant English is globally. I adapt fairly easily anywhere. Children seem to like engaging with me. I believe my challenges will be recognizing how best to teach different age groups and assessing where their problems lie in their progression of the English Language.
, without being able to communicate in their native tongue. I feel excited after reading everyone’s introduction and look forward to engaging with all of you. See you soon.
Sean

[Florian Vallecillo]

Hello my name is Florian, I was born in the Philippines and have been raised in Texas, USA, since I was 3. I have a Business Marketing degree and I decided to join this program in Thailand because I am interested in working with nonprofits and would love to learn how to use my degree to help organizations that work with underserved communities. The biggest challenge I foresee would be the ability to connect with the locals since there will be a language barrier, so I will try my best to prepare myself by learning common phrases and understanding the culture. I believe most people appreciate effort rather than accuracy when it comes to embracing your surroundings. I hope that I can learn how to be a better and conscious marketer so that I can continue to help communities in a positive way.

[Autumn Whalen]

Hello,

My name is Autumn, and I am currently a toddler preschool teacher. I graduated from Acadia University in May 2023 with a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology, and I hope to return next May to pursue a Bachelor of Education.
I am traveling to Thailand to push myself out of my comfort zone and experience a completely different culture and environment. This journey feels like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to immerse myself in a new setting and develop as both a teacher and individual before beginning my career. Along with personal growth, I believe this experience will expand my teaching skills by exposing me to diverse educational approaches and strategies for working with young children in an international context.

While I’ve never traveled outside North America or been away for longer than a week, I’m ready to meet the challenges ahead, especially managing the time difference while staying connected with my family. For now, I’ll be in Thailand for just a month of training, which has eased my anxiety about stepping out of my comfort zone. I hope this experience will give me stories to share with my future students, along with the chance to learn a bit more about myself while traveling solo across the world.

I hope to return from this experience with memorable stories to share with my future students, new insights into global education, and a deeper understanding of myself through the adventure of solo travel across the world.

[Author]

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