ASSIGNMENT 1: INTRODUCTION

[Tommy Boyd]

Background information about yourself

Hello / Sawatdee Krab / Kia ora,
My name is Tommy. I’m 25 and I was born and raised in Wellington, New Zealand. After completing a Master of Arts in History in 2021, I spent two years working as a research assistant in history at my home university before deciding to embark on the adventure of teaching English in Thailand.
As a keen traveler, I have always been enraptured by Thai culture, including its rich history, unique traditions, beautiful scenery, delicious cuisine, hot climate, and its friendly and welcoming vibe. I also have a background in teaching and tutoring high school and university students, so when the opportunity to teach students in Thailand arose, I decided to take it.
While I enjoy travelling, adapting to Thailand’s unique way of life may take some time. Rather than retreat from challenging situations or experiences, I will strive to embrace them and seek advice when needed.
I hope to enrich my understanding of cultural sensitivities, enhance my teaching and communication skills, and meet new friends from Thailand and beyond.

[Natalie Joseph]

Hello Everyone,
My name is Natalie and I live in New York City. I am currently a Kindergarten Teacher and I have been teaching for 13 years. I am deciding to travel to Thailand because I would like to learn about new cultures while also working with children. I never had the opportunity to study abroad and I think this would give me a similar experience. I expect there to be challenges in learning a new language and culture. I expect the time difference to affect how I communicate with my family. To over come these challenges, I plan on keeping an open mind and learn more about the culture and language from others. I will also work on coordinating a time to speak to my family. I am hoping to learn meet new people, have new experiences and learn a new language.

[Anna Sanderson]

Hi! My name is Anna, I am 19 and I am from England and Ukraine, and was brought up in Manchester. I have just finished my first year studying Human Social and Political Sciences at Cambridge University (specialising in Social Anthropology). I decided to take part in the programme because I really wanted to get more teaching experience. Following working as a music teacher I decided I really wanted to work with children in the future, and have been wanting to enrich my teaching experience. I also want to learn a lot myself through travelling and being immersed in new cultures and languages, so the opportunity to teach in Thailand felt perfect. I think the main barriers for me will be navigating a language that I am unfamiliar with and not letting that impact my confidence when teaching Thai children. I hope to overcome this by being willing to challenge myself and also taking up as many opportunities to be immersed in the language and culture that I can. I really hope to become a better teacher, learn from fellow teachers and students as well, and also learn lots about Thai culture. I really look forward to meeting local people in the area that I will be staying in.

[Amelia Bradshaw]

Hi everyone! My name is Amelia and I have just finished studying Politics & International Relations at the University of Bristol. I am currently working part time in London with a hospitality agency, whilst volunteering as a mentor for IntoUniversity once a week; a charity which helps children from underprivileged backgrounds access higher education or apprenticeships.

I grew up in London, so have been lucky enough to be surrounded by people from all different ethnicities and cultures for my whole life, and I love that there are so many different cultural influences in my city. There’s actually a delicious Thai food store really near my house that I often go to as my family love Thai cuisine. Although Thailand’s food definitely had a part to play in my decision to visit, I also am desperate to see the beautiful country and immerse myself in Thai culture. I have never visited Thailand before, although I did spend two weeks in China 7 years ago. I lived with a Chinese family in Beijing who were so welcoming and happy to introduce me to their culture. I also love working with children (I’ve been a nanny and tutor in the past), and when I’m working at IntoUni it really warms my heart to see my mentee’s confidence and academic ability improve.

I think that language will definitely be a challenge for me when I arrive in Thailand, especially given the different script to Western languages, but I hope to learn as much Thai as I can! I also think there will be some culture shock for me, as this was the case when I went to China and certain other places, however I will always keep an open-mind. I can’t wait to meet lots of like-minded, adventurous people and immerse myself in a totally new culture for an extended period. I also hope to improve my teaching and make a difference to the kids’ lives by helping them with their English. Even if it is a very small difference, I will still be happy!

[Yusriya Abdullatif]

Hi, my name is Yusriya, I am 21 years old and born and raised in London! I have just completed my third year studying History and Economics at the University of Oxford and wanted to do something really exciting this summer. Throughout sixth form and university, I was involved in a lot of children mentor programmes or tutoring schemes and have always generally enjoyed teaching young kids and so when I had heard about gotoco, I knew I had to do it. Thailand is a stunning country with an amazing culture and has definitely been on my bucket list for a while and I cannot wait to experience it in such an authentic way.

I think a key challenge will be adapting to a completely new culture but also trying my best to make an impact in less than two months, I hope to overcome this by being open and asking for help when needed and giving myself realistic goals.

I hope to create lots of cool memories, meet amazing people and travel around Thailand, and by the end of it (hopefully!) gain lots of valuable skills.

[Abdulahi Osman]

Hi Everyone!

My name is Abdulahi and I am a recent graduate in Aerospace Engineering from Queen Mary University of London.

I decided to travel to Thailand for various reasons. Firstly, Thailand is renowned for its rich cultural heritage, warm hospitality, and breathtaking natural landscapes. I am really outdoorsy so this was a natural and easy decision to make.
Language barriers and cultural differences may pose initial obstacles, but I firmly believe that these challenges can be overcome through open-mindedness, adaptability, and a genuine willingness to learn from the local community. On this trip I aspire to make a positive impact on the lives of others through my passion for teaching. Thailand’s thriving educational landscape offers a unique opportunity for me to share my knowledge and inspire young minds.

[Joseph McGuinn]

Hi, I’m Joseph, a recent graduate from the University of Glasgow. I was most interested in Biology at School, so I decided to Study Neuroscience at the University of Glasgow. To date, I have experience of working in direct sales and most recently as an administrative service assistant, for a landscaping and pest control company who have contract with clients in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Ayrshire. I have always lived in Glasgow, Scotland. I’m a keen sports fan and, like many Glaswegians, I have a huge interest in football. However, I loved taking up new sports at University. For example, I was heavily involved with Glasgow University boxing Club, participating in GUSA Fight Night, as well has having a role as social secretary on the committee for a year. I enjoyed the social side to the running club too – where, for example, I attended the annual post-covid-19 training camps in Alicante and Albufeira. I decided to embark on a move to Thailand, particularly because of my keen interest and desire to fulfil my enthusiasm for travelling. Besides, I am applying to a PGDE course in secondary teaching (Biology) which would begin in August 2024. So, it is therefore crucial that I gain experience in the classroom and learn the ropes before I can be accepted on to the course.

The main challenges I’ll face in Thailand (besides the heat!) is the requirement to adapt to the social norms here. That is, I will need to gain a clear understanding of the language barrier and the social expectations, particularly of a teacher, from a student’s perspective, to be a successful teacher here. I will overcome the challenges by instilling confidence in myself from previous experiences. For example, taking on challenges at University, curricular or accomplishing new challenges in the workplace provide me with a confidence to go on and adapt well and succeed in my teaching role in Thailand. Firstly, I hope to enjoy the experience. I’m sure I’ll leave with a greater understanding of the Thai people and culture as well as a new-found understanding of a potential new career path which others in my position are chasing or enhancing. Ultimately, I hope this opportunity facilitates and strengthens my application for the PGDE course which I am applying to. I hope the opportunity in Thailand encourages me to pursue voluntary teaching experience in Scotland as well as perhaps, encouraging me to take up another opportunity next summer.

[Anjum Ali]

Hi,
My name is Anjum and I’m currently on a year out from studying Medicine. This year has honestly allowed me to experience and explore areas of life that I would have not normally considered whilst studying my course, and one of them is this opportunity to delve into teaching in a completely unfamiliar setting! Working abroad is one of my dreams and being able to experience this is a great start for what I hope to be many future endeavors.
I’m really excited about a lot of aspects but one of the biggest motivators is the chance to really get to know a culture and people from a more community aspect – I believe this is better than visiting as a tourist by far, and I’m looking forward to meeting and working with everyone! I’m also excited to learn the Thai language as I haven’t learnt any before (beside one or two used in Muay Thai) and know I’ll struggle with this the most, but I aim to work as hard as I can to learn, and can’t wait for the opportunity to learn how to cook Thai food too during cooking lessons!

[Issy Lucas]

Hi Lola,
it is so great to hear that you have finished uni and now you are using your time to do something good for a different country and get to explore the country as you do it! i had the exact same idea in mind and so i though this would be a perfect opportunity to actually fully immerse myself in another culture while being able to give back to them. i agree that adapting to another culture may seem difficult but hopefully during orientation and the first week or 2 of teaching we will be able to become more used to our surroundings and the different temperatures and food, not to mention the language barrier. i am sure they will be welcoming though, so i wish you the best of luck!

[Isabel Horsler]

Hi, my name is Isabel. I am from England, and I am currently studying Law with Politics at Cardiff University. I decided to sign up for this program because I love learning about new cultures and meeting new people and Thailand seems like an interesting place to visit. Additionally, this opportunity gives me the chance to have a positive impact on others through teaching. Initially, I expect to struggle with delivering lessons as I have not had any previous leadership roles. However, by educating myself about effective lesson techniques and practicing my public speaking, I believe I will become confident at leading lessons over time. From this experience, I hope to learn about Thai customs and cultures, develop my confidence and make new friends.

[Eleny Hooijer]

Hi! I’m Eleny. I’m from Australia and currently work at TAFE Queensland in admin for the English Language and Migrant Education team. I originally studied a Bachelor of Media and Communications and thought the perfect career for me would be travel-related. So, I joined the Flight Centre Graduate Program and had hopes of joining their marketing team. COVID-19 cut that dream short but after joining TAFE I absolutely fell in love with education, and more specifically, English language teaching. I was 6 when I moved from the Netherlands to Australia so I still have an understanding of how daunting it is to be in a country where you don’t speak the language – this is one hurdle I’ll have to now overcome as an adult in Thailand. This fear has turned more into excitement as I remember that when I was younger and intimidated by fluent English speakers, I did make it through and made wonderful, supportive friends along the way!
I chose to move to Thailand to bring my experience and excitement for learning to schools that need it most. Sparking joy and inspiration in others is what will make my time feel meaningful. In return, I’m sure I’ll meet a whole range of lovely people and get to journey through some beautiful new landscapes, all while building the crucial teaching skills I can utilise back home in the future. I can’t wait!

[Luca Vaughan]

Hi! My name’s Luca and I’m 18 and from Devon. I’m a first year student at Durham studying Biology. I am moving to Thailand for the first time ever to teach English for a couple of months while studying for a TESOL. I have previously travelled in Europe but this will be my first experience in Asia!
Some challenges will be adapting to a new culture and the language barrier in Thailand, especially as I will be living in a non-tourist part of Thailand, but I hope that during my time there I will be able to pick up some Thai by the end.
I am very excited to see a whole new culture, and I chose Thailand in particular because I was always fascinated by Buddhism and its teachings. I hope to meet lots of new people and open my mind to a new way of life, all while learning how to teach English.

[Hattie Altaparmakova]

Hi, my name is Hattie, I’m 19 from Essex, and I’be just finished my first year studying history at the University of Oxford. I wanted to teach in Thailand this summer with Gotoco because I wanted a way to combine travelling with getting experience teaching as I would like to work in education after my degree. I think that adjusting to the language barrier and cultural differences may be a challenge, but I will overcome this by staying open minded and absorbing as much as I can. I hope to come out of this experience having made friends, gained confidence and knowing much more about Thailand!

[Ayla Hughes]

Hi, my name’s Ayla and I’m 18, from a town called Wrexham in North Wales. I’ve just finished my first year at the University of Oxford studying Experimental Psychology. I have decided to take part in this programme as I’m passionate about Education and I’m eager to learn more about different cultures. I am excited to be able to immerse myself in Thai culture, whilst working in a school setting and meeting lots of new people! I think one of the main challenges I will face is being so far away from home. Although I moved far away from home for university, Thailand will be the first time that I have been so far away for so long. However, I’m excited to tell my friends and family all about my experience when I’m home! From this experience I hope to gain a rich understanding of Thai culture, develop my teaching skills, and meet lots of new people!

[Thaminah Sufian]

Hi, I’m Mina and I’m 21 and from London, but living in Glasgow for university. I’ll be travelling to Thailand to partake in a course to teach English to children in local schools. I do expect to face a lot of challenges as I have never taught a language to someone else before and also because I don’t know any Thai myself, however I’m confident that this course will set a good foundation on the Thai language to help me speak with the students and local! I hope to learn much more about the Thai culture and the history before I arrive!

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