ASSIGNMENT 1: INTRODUCTION

[Jakub Sypek]

Hello everyone! I’m Jakub and I’ve just completed the second year of my integrated masters degree in physics and chemistry at University College, Durham University. I’m volunteering as a primary school teacher for two months in Thailand and I hope to learn as much as I can about their rich culture and history so I can be a better teacher. Also, I don’t want to offend anyone! I’ve heard that pointing your feet at people is considered offensive, as well as touching their heads and I’m sure there’s a bunch of other stuff I should learn to avoid before I arrive and I hope this course will help me in that.

[Chantelle Chambers]

Hey my name is chantelle. Im 25 from the north east of england. Currently im on a gap year from my studies, focusing on travelling. I have worked as an aupair for the last couple years travelling to a few different countries. I want to move to Thailand as I am intrigued by the language and culture. I expect this experience to be rewarding and I’m exited for this to begin. I love a challenge and love learning new things. I’m hoping to meet some interesting people who share the same views and desires to travel.

[Kiyanna Rama]

Hi, my name is Kiyanna, I’m 21 years old and from Wolverhampton. I studied Psychology combined with Philosophy and Ethics at Bath Spa University. I have decided to move to Thailand because it is a beautiful country with a fantastic culture. A few places in Thailand were on my bucket list so this is the perfect opportunity to explore the country whilst giving back. I believe my biggest challenge will be learning the language but slowly learning Thai phrases that I can incorporate into my everyday speech will help me to learn and understand. This experience will help me grow in ways that can help me with self-discovery by immersing myself in an unfamiliar situation which will help me gain some crucial life skills such as resilience.

[Adam Ali]

Hey! I’m taking the teaching course with them. Hopefully, we can both do our best! I am kinda nervous myself because I hear that the language is hard to pick up, but I hope that the course will help us with that.

[Hussain Qozman]

Hello everyone! My name is Hussain and Im 19 and from Manchester, now studying graphic design in the Uni of Huddersfield. As soon as I saw this course I knew it was the one for me. I am half-Moroccan and so every holiday as always been to visit family, and I am so excited to explore such a different part of the world to what I have always expierienced, and this programmes provides such a unique perspective into travelling.
I am excited to meet all of you guys!

[Mia Edwards]

Hello, my name is Mia and I am 22. I’m from the UK living in Wales where I have lived all my life. I
graduated from university last year studying English Literature and since then I’ve been travelling
and working as a lifeguard. In my spare time I love to swim, read books, and making the most of
being outside.
I’m travelling to Thailand in a couple of days to teach English in English camps which is not something I
have done before, so I am very excited to immerse myself in a new culture and experience lots of new things!

[Eleanor Banks]

Hello everyone! My name is Ellie, I’m a 23 year old student living and working in London. I’m currently studying Acting at London South Bank University. I was born and grew up in Gloucestershire, England.

I chose to do this course as I wanted to travel whilst also gaining amazing experiences. I haven’t travelled outside of Europe before and so believe this will be a great first experience for me. Both my parents are teachers, they taught and lived in Thailand for a year in their 20’s and so I think it’s very fitting that I’m following in their footsteps.

One of the biggest challenges I believe I will face is my nut allergy. It’s something I need to be really careful about so I will push myself to learn the language and interact with locals, not only for my safety, but also to learn and explore. Teaching itself will be a challenge for me, I have some experience working with small groups and classes but never to the scale I may experience when in Thailand. I want these students to come away enjoying their classes and most importantly, have learnt some English. Having confidence in myself will help me overcome this.

I can’t wait to meet everyone and to fully immerse myself into everything Thailand has to offer!

[Raye Howard]

Hello guys my name is Jarrod, and I am from Austin, Texas. I have decided to travel to Thailand to experience a different culture and see the lens through an international teacher . The challenges that I expect to face right away is my sense of direction. This will be a daily struggle that I hope to conquer every day. I hope to get more experience in teaching in in an international setting and getting the opportunity to teach students in south east Asia! I also am looking forward to different spice levels in the region.

[Osa Osifo]

Hi everyone, my name is Osa. I have finished my first year at the University of Oxford studying Economics and Management. I was born in Ireland and have lived in Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and London. I decided to travel and teach English in Thailand because I want to make a difference in the lives of disadvantaged kids and teach them to express themself in a different language. It also is a chance to explore another culture, which would be really exciting. My main challenge I expect will be the language barrier, being around completely new people as well as acclimatizing to a new climate and culture. I hope to learn more about Thai culture and the language, and also learn how to effectively teach kids how to communicate with foreigners.

[Kamara Auguste]

Hi Everyone!
My name is Kamara. I`m 24 years old and I am from London, UK. I am a Events Management Graduate from the University of West London with a background in Tourism. I participated in the Erasmus Study abroad programme in 2019 in the second year of my degree and I got the opportunity to study abroad for a semester in Malta studying Tourism Management at the University of Malta. Ever since then, I have been passionate about travel and taking any opportunity I can to study/work abroad to enrich my life and help others.

I have been interested in teaching abroad since my friend told me about her experiences teaching abroad in China for 9 months via the TESOL programme where she obtained her qualification and immediately I was interested. I always wanted to visit Thailand as I had heard from some many people about how beautiful it is. So I finally get to go and also make a difference along the way.

I think the main barrier for me is to adapt to a different culture and way of life as well as travelling- since I haven’t been abroad by myself since 2019. But I am looking forward to it all the same. as it gives me the chance to have a new adventure, overcome big challenges and meet new people.

I look forward to meeting you all!

[Destiny Rama]

Sawadeeka, my name is Destiny I am 24 years old and from a England. I have completed a an LLB in Law at Birmingham university. I have been in full time employment for 3 years since finishing university.

I started to find that in work environments everyone was taking life way to seriously and didn’t enjoy the beauty of life enough. I find so much joy in travelling and that is what lead me here. I have chosen to travel to Thailand for an exciting and enriching experience, captivated by its vibrant culture, beautiful landscapes, and warm hospitality.

While aware of potential challenges such as the language barrier and cultural differences, I am determined to overcome them. By learning basic Thai phrases and engaging in potential programs, I aim to communicate effectively and embrace the opportunity to learn a new language

I will approach cultural differences with an open mind, respecting local customs, seeking guidance, and immersing myself in the local culture. As a teacher in Thailand, I am excited to contribute to the community, inspire students, and promote cross-cultural understanding. I anticipate engaging with diverse students, collaborating with fellow educators, and creating an inclusive learning environment. Through this journey, I seek personal growth, cultural immersion, and the chance to make a positive impact as a teacher in Thailand.

[Angel Harnedy]

Hi, my name is Angel. I’m 18 and I’m from England. I have just finished my first year at University studying psychology. I am looking forward to travelling to Thailand to teach English as a foreign language. I was looking for something valuable to do with my summer holiday and I thought this was an amazing opportunity and very rewarding. I have previous experience volunteering in a primary school helping children with their speech and language so I know that I definitely enjoy working in this field. This will be my first time abroad so I expect that there will be a lot of challenges but I am very open to asking for help from those around me and adapting to a different culture. I am looking forward to meeting likeminded people and exploring a new country whilst also volunteering and gaining teaching experience.

[Kasey Lyons]

Hi! My name is Kasey Lyons. I’m 25 years old, and I’m from a very small, rural town in the state of Iowa in the United States. I was born and raised in Iowa, and teaching in Thailand is my first time every travelling outside of the United States. I decided to teach in Thailand for multiple reasons. The first, and biggest, is that teaching abroad has been a childhood dream of mine. My mom has always worked at a college my whole like, so all of my babysitters were college students, and they always told me about their study abroad and teaching travels, I even had a sitter that was in the Peace Corps. Second, Thailand checked a lot of the boxes I wanted in a new home- expenses, travel, food, etc. I was always the “creative kid” growing up, so when I research Thailand and all the great travel and cultural opportunities I immediately new it was where I wanted to be. I think my biggest obstacle with my move will be in adaptation. Of course, I’m travelling with an open mind, but I have only every experienced the United States, so I’m sure there will be many unexpected shocks that I will end up coming across. I knew this was a big transition in life and I’m hoping, as long as I keep my head clear and my motivation up, I’ll have a great time in Thailand. Honestly, I hope to get the most out of my teaching experience! Teaching has really become a passion of mine, and eventually I want to go to grad school for something like TESOL or Ecology, so I’m excited to learn more about international teaching and gain more experience in that.

I’m excited to meet you all!

[Cory Palmer]

Hi! My name is Cory.
I’m 19 and I am from England. I have just finished my first year at King’s College London studying Biochemistry; next year I have decided to take a module learning Japanese alongside Biochemistry.
I have always wanted to travel to Thailand and after watching many travel videos seeing the different adventures I could experience made it even more exciting. Moreover, I have experience with volunteering and working with children, which is why this programme seemed like the perfect opportunity to combine both.
I have never lived outside of England for an extended amount of time and I am aware that the adjusting period may be challenging. I also expect their to be challenges with language barriers and cultural differences, however I will still try to immerse myself in the new surroundings and trust that with patience and supportive co-workers it will be a smoother transition. Furthermore, public speaking/ teaching large groups will be difficult at the start as I only have experience with one to one tutoring.
I hope to make life long memories out there, meet new people and explore Thailand!

[Joanna Smith]

Hi everyone, I’m Joanna and have just finished my final year studying Economics and Management at Oxford and I am extremely excited for an adventure in Thailand!
I was immediately drawn to the rural programme as I want to experience true Thai culture and give myself the best chance to start learning the language. I have never visited Asia so I think travelling to Thailand for 2 months to teach will be the perfect stepping stone to the next chapter of my life in which I hope to move abroad long term – maybe Thailand will be my new home some day!
I think the biggest challenge will be the language barrier, however, one of my ambitions for this trip is to put maximum effort into learning the language so that I can travel around Thailand with the confidence and excitement to speak to locals.
I hope to make lasting friendships and have fun, but most importantly I hope to learn as much as possible on this adventure.

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