Assignment 1: Introduction

Hello everyone. My name is David. I am looking forward to meeting you all in person.
I live on the Sunshine Coast in Australia. I love my job as a registered nurse and I really enjoy the adventure of traveling. I have lived in Australia, New Zealand, UK and some other European countries. I enjoy experiencing other cultures and languages. A few years ago I went to language school in Brazil to try and learn Brazilian Portuguese which was a valuable experience. I have four grandchildren and I have worked with children in the past. I enjoyed spending some time at an orphanage in Nepal. I helped in a children’s hospital in South India and I ran a Health Assessment Clinic for children in Niger, West Africa. I also volunteered in an English language school for refugees and asylum seekers in UK. I have also enjoyed helping English learners online with their English learning journey over the past few years.

I believe in lifelong learning and this program was a perfect solution. I have previously only transited Thailand so wanted to experience more of this country. I think this program will be a foundation to build on and help me grow personally. I hope to enjoy some very different cultural experiences there, form some lasting international friendships and have some fun.

Hello, my name is Lynsey and I’m from Baltimore, Maryland. I’m currently a Kindergarten teaching assistant and an after-care teacher. In the past I’ve also spent several years teaching ESL online to Chinese students. They won my heart, and I immediately knew the path I wanted to take in life would be teaching. I enjoy traveling and hiking, and have spent the past 8 years on and off thru hiking long trails across the US.
I decided to move and teach in Thailand because it’s a place I traveled through in the past and loved. It’s a familiar place which may help me ease into the transition of becoming an expat, and starting my ESL teaching career abroad.
I think a challenge I may come across will be the language barrier, especially between co-teachers and students. I plan on learning the language and practicing daily, but a lot of patience, smiles and charades will get me through as I get my bearings.
I hope to gain experience teaching groups of children ESL in a brick-and-mortar setting. I’ve been working with large groups of American children for a while now, but as far as teaching ESL, my experience has been limited to virtual, one-on-one teaching. I’m hoping this experience will help me gain the skills and techniques that will make me a better ESL teacher.

Hi, my name is Ben, I am 25 from England (Lincolnshire). I would probably describe myself as an extrovert to be honest. I love to meet new people and learn various things about everyone I meet. Last year I worked in Australia and travelled Central and South America. I had the time of my life and could not recommend visiting there enough!
I am moving to Thailand as I would love to learn more about the culture and to push myself out of my comfort zone, as I believe this is the best way to grow. I have never really worked with children as I come from more of a farming background, so this is a challenge in itself. Not only this, at times I feel as if the language barrier may be difficult when teaching, however, with prompts and enthusiasm, I think I will be able to overcome this. The culture shock may come as a surprise too, but the fact I have recently travelled India and Sri Lanka too this year, this may help!
I hope to grow as a person by the end of this experience. As I said, by pushing myself in a situation such as this, I will be more confident and willing to put myself into similar or even more pressured scenarios. Most importantly I wish to enrich some children’s lives by making school a happy environment for them, as well as thoroughly enjoying the experience myself. I also wish to travel Thailand and surrounding South East Asian countries to enrich myself further on the culture and different practices to that of the Western world.

Thanks!

All the best everyone!

Hi! My name is Tracer, I am 27 and from Texas. I have been a superintendent of a production home building company, and also a soccer coach for the past 4 years. My reason for moving to Thailand is my desire to explore more of the world and understand different cultures and indulge myself into it. Also, hearing so many wonderful things about Thailand like the scenery, kind people/hospitality, and the history/culture made it an easy decision to start my journey. I feel the United States is very limited and doesn’t allow you to see what the rest of the world has to offer.
For me, the challenge I would be facing the most would be the language barrier. But also some luxuries and conveniences I might be given in the States compared to other places in the world. To overcome these challenges I believe my strong minded mentality and determination to want to learn and grow as a human will be to my advantage. Also be as kind and respectful to others and repetition and practicing the language as much as I can.
I hope to gain confidence in my ability to overcome challenges such as teaching in a different country and learning a new language. I also think this would be a great opportunity to live in a new place and maybe make it my home.

Hi! My name is George, I’m 21 years old, and I’m from a small town in the southeast of England called Chippenham. I have just completed a three-year degree where I studied psychology. I’ve decided to teach in Thailand because I’m passionate about helping people and love adventure; therefore, by teaching in Thailand, I can do both. Thailand has always been a place of interest for me, so I wasn’t going to miss the opportunity to work and live there. The biggest challenge will be adapting to the culture and understanding the language. I plan to overcome this by immersing myself in the culture to learn all about it and embracing it at every step. I also plan to learn as much Thai as possible before departing and while there. Throughout this experience, I hope to become a better version of myself, learn all about Thai culture, become more confident and outgoing and take on challenges that my previous self wouldn’t.

Hi Mike! I wanted to mention I also lived in Jacksonville FL for a year, though at the time I didn’t stay in the best area (they called me Moncrief girl haha). Still the cost of living was cheaper than where I am now and of course the weather was always nice. One of my peers also taught in the American school system – 3rd graders for a while and then ESL for adults so I am a little familiar with some of the challenges you mentioned. Hoping for a great time in Thailand and good luck with your endeavors!

Hi. My name is Michael. I’m 57 and live in Sydney. I have lived in Australia all my life, but have been lucky to have had the opportunity to do a reasonable amount of travelling, mainly in Europe, U.S, Central and South America and a little bit of S.E. Asia and Hong Kong. I have just retired after a 30 year career as a doctor, most of that time treating patients with skin cancer and melanoma. It’s time for a change. I’ve always had an interest in learning languages- French and German since school and, more recently, Spanish and Italian. I have a partner of Italian heritage and she and I plan to live in Europe for a time, starting next year. I envisage teaching English, mainly to individuals, in Italy and perhaps in France. I don’t plan to teach English in Thailand but, having had two holidays in Thailand, including a stay in Hua Hin about 30 years ago, I decided Thailand would be a wonderful place to do my TEFL course- the Thai people are generally warm, welcoming and lovely people and I have good memories of Hua Hin. I might find being back in a classroom environment for four weeks a bit of a challenge after having graduated from university over 30 years ago, but I have been used to continuing education in the field of medicine. So, my hope is to learn how to teach English as a foreign language, in a lovely part of the world. After the course, my partner and I will travel for a month in Thailand and Laos, then for a further month in southern India.

Hello. My name is Sam, and I am from Liverpool. I have spent the last few years working in sales and I have finally decided to put my English degree to use by teaching in Thailand. Asia in general has always been a captivating place for me with its rich culture and fascinating architecture. I have always been interested in visiting Thailand after researching myself and after speaking with friends who have lived there in the past. It has always been an interest for mine and I am really looking forward to learning more about the people and the culture. As I have never really traveled for this long before I know there will be a big adjustment period. The language barriers and different customs will take some getting used to but by learning as much as I can beforehand and immersing myself in the culture, I know I will be able to overcome it. Taking on a whole new job role with added responsibility will also be a big challenge but by applying myself to the course fully and preparing myself as much as possible I will be able to adapt and overcome this. I’m looking forward to experiencing a new culture and way of life. I am also looking forward to improving myself and starting a new chapter in life by meeting new people, taking on more responsibility and tackling new challenges.