Assignment 1: Introduction

Hi everyone! My name is Florence, I have just finished my final year studying biomedical sciences at the university of Manchester. I’m originally from Essex and am very much looking forward to the opportunity to travel further.
I studied Mandarin and visited Beijing on a trip in sixth and have wanted to explore more of Asia ever since. I tutored German in school and combining teaching a language with travel seemed like a perfect option for me.
I expect that the language barrier will cause some difficulties but I will study as best as I can before I arrive in the country and hopefully when I’m there engage in as much Thai conversation as possible to try and improve.
During this trip I’m hoping to learn more about Thai culture develop my teaching skills further. I’m also looking forward to pushing myself out of my comfort zone and engaging with lots of new people.

Hey Joelle,
It’ll certainly be super useful to have some psychological tips on how we can try to remain calm in the transition of all the new exposure that we will be sharing.
Looking forwarding to meeting you all

Hi everyone, my name is Phoenix and I study Social Sciences at Durham University. 20 years old, I have lived in England all my life. However, I have always loved travelling and have been lucky enough to visit over 20 countries so far.

Why are you deciding to travel/move to Thailand?

I am travelling to Thailand to teach English in a rural school. Having done a similar programme last summer in Indonesia and Vietnam, I am passionate about English-teaching and cross-cultural exchange. I think defamiliarizing yourself through travel and working in more rural areas are very powerful ways to shift your thinking and make a social impact.

What challenges do you expect to face along the way and how do you expect to overcome them?

I think it will be challenging to work in remote areas for weeks on end. This is because I will have to adapt my diet and routine to the local area. The language difference will also be difficult, as I currently have no knowledge of Thai. I am to overcome these challenges with an open mind and cultural sensitivity. I think I will be able to adapt to the local customs in a gradual way.

What do you hope to get out of your experience?

I hope to learn more about Thai culture, to develop my teaching skills, and to make lifelong memories. I am sure the programme will not disappoint!

Hi, my name is Katie and I have just finished my second year at the University of Bristol studying psychology. I was born and still live in Wales but have been very fortunate to travel to various places including visiting family in South Africa. I have never been to Asia before, so I am extremely excited to be able to visit and teach in Thailand. I have always loved travelling and learning new things. I took Spanish A level so have always had a passion for languages and learning about culture. In the past, I have worked with a variety of ages from kids to adults, but I am excited to go back to working with younger ages again and being able to learn from them as well as them hopefully learning from me. This brings me such joy being able to help others and see their confidence grow. This opportunity is an amazing experience to immerse myself in the local language, cuisine and culture – I am most excited to be able to learn about Thailand and see whether teaching English would suit me as a career in the future. As this will be my first time solo travelling, I believe there will be several challenges such as language barriers or feeling homesick, but I will immerse myself in the lifestyle, hope to learn some Thai and meet lots of great people. I am hoping to learn about the Thai culture, language and try the cuisine while meeting new people and being able to travel across the country. Hope everyone has an amazing experience and I get to meet you all soon!

• This reply was modified 2 years, 11 months ago by Katie Massey.

Hi everyone,

My name is William and I’m from Manchester in the UK and have just finished my master’s at Durham University studying mathematics. In comparison to each other, the culture and people of Durham versus Manchester are wildly different, especially with Durham being so small in comparison. In coming to Thailand I am excited to experience this transition again by going to a new place, with new people, food, and culture.

While moving to Thailand is going to pose many challenges for me I’m most worried about the sun. I burn like toast and on top of that, I can become unbelievably cranky when I am burnt. Managing this is going to be my number one priority if I am ever going to survive in Thailand. On the contrary to some I think I am most excited to try to spicy food Thailand has to offer. It’s no secret that Britain’s food is… unadventurous… compared to the rest of the world and the interesting ingredients, flavours, and texture of Asian cuisine are something that I’m excited to be living off of for the upcoming months.

I look forward to seeing you all there and eventually calling you my friends.

Hi Everyone!
My name is Kasia and I’m half Polish, half English. I was born in Leicester (England), then when I was 7 years old I moved to Poland where I stayed until I finished high school. Then a few years ago I moved back to England to the lovely city of York to study a music degree at university (I have been playing the violin for the past 12 years). I have since dropped out in order to focus full time on my other true passion – teaching English. I am currently in the process of launching an online English-learning company for foreigners who want to learn English with native speakers!

I have never been to Asia before and have heard only good things about Thailand and the people living there. I’ve been wanting to go to an exotic place and immerse myself in a new culture for ages and I really feel like this programme is made for people like me.

I think my biggest challenge will be teaching children. At the moment I only teach adults because, in my opinion, children are far more demanding – they require constant entertaining and it can be quite physically challenging. I hope to gain invaluable experience along with my fellow teachers and learn useful techniques on how to teach English to a younger audience. The thought of meeting new people and making memories together as well as developing myself professionally makes me incredibly excited for the trip!

Hi! My name is Ethan, I’m 21 and I have just finished my second year at Cardiff University, studying Accounting & Finance. I leaped at the opportunity of the program since Thailand has always been one of my bucket list locations to visit. I am very excited about the beautiful landscapes and delicious cuisine. Combined with the added benefits of giving back to the community by teaching English abroad and immersing myself in the culture. I think my two biggest challenges will be overcoming the language barrier and familiarizing myself with Thai customs. I will overcome these by familiarizing myself with basic phrases and educating myself on social norms. A few of the key things I hope to gain from this experience are making a positive impact, cultural immersion, and continuing to develop my skills!

Hi Mwezi, I like how excited and adventurous you seem. I would also like to get to see and fall in love with different parts of the country, and why not do some diving too if possible!!
Can’t wait to start this experience.
Zakaria