Assignment 1: Introduction

Hey everyone, my name is Ava and I’m 20 years old. I just finished my 2nd year studying Modern Languages with Translation at the University of Warwick and will be going on my year abroad this upcoming academic year. As you can probably tell from my field of study, some of my biggest interests are languages and cultures. I grew up speaking English and Polish, and can also speak Spanish and some Chinese. I’m deciding to go to Thailand because it is a country that I know very little about – and that’s exactly why I think it’ll be such an enriching experience! Of course, I’ve heard about the tourism side of things, but the local aspects interest me even more.
I expect that the language barrier will be a big challenge that I’ll face. However, with an effort to learn Thai on my part and the power of online translation tools, I’m sure it’ll be manageable. But during this experience, I’m just really excited to immerse myself in a new culture, learn about different perspectives and ways of life, and hopefully pick up some Thai.

Hello! My name is Bethany, I’m 20 and I am from Scotland. I just finished my first year studying International Relations and Politics with French at the University of Glasgow after taking a gap year to work in Australia. Deciding to teach in Thailand is a mix of personal passion and professional ambition. Thailand’s rich cultural heritage, vibrant traditions, and warm hospitality have always fascinated me, making it an ideal destination to immerse myself in a new culture while contributing meaningfully through education. Teaching English in Thailand offers a unique opportunity to bridge linguistic and cultural gaps, fostering mutual understanding and respect. Adapting to a different educational system, overcoming language barriers, and understanding cultural differences are among the hurdles I anticipate. Students may have varying levels of English ability, requiring tailored teaching strategies to ensure effective learning. I plan to engage in continuous learning and adaptability. Seeking guidance from others, and building strong relationships with my students and colleagues will be crucial. Embracing the local language and customs, even at a basic level, will help me connect better with the community and enhance my teaching efficacy. From this experience, I expect to gain insights into the Thai way of life, broadening my worldview and enhancing intercultural understanding. Living and working in Thailand will allow me to develop a deeper appreciation for diversity, fostering skills such as patience, empathy, and resilience. I look forward to forming lasting friendships and exploring all of Thailand.

Sawat Dee Ka! My name is Leah, I am 30 years old and I have lived in the UK all of my life. I was born in Derby, raised in Northamptonshire and since school I have lived at University in Bath and Nottingham. I have decided to take part in this program as I have always loved travel, travelling many many places since a very early age. I have always found the idea of teaching English as a foreign language very interesting and thought that it is something that I would enjoy. However, I have struggled to find such a supportive and immersive program as this compared to just doing an online course from the UK and then going on to apply for jobs directly. I have chosen Thailand specifically as I have always been drawn to the beautiful landscape, positive and welcoming nature of the tourism, the peaceful Buddhist temples and the delicious food! I have traveled to Thailand twice before; once in 2016 with a friend I had met online, but I made so many local Thai friends that I am still in contact with to this day. The last time I was in Thailand was in November, this was my first solo trip and I can honestly say although there were a couple of setbacks and obstacles, I am now in love with solo travel and am eager to spend a longer duration in Thailand to really be able to take my time to observe and appreciate the culture. I am definitely a slow and immersive traveler and Thailand is so big and beautiful there are definitely more areas I’d like to go on to see after the program. I expect that not every day will be easy. I’m sure the children I may teach might not always be perfect, engaged and hang on every word I say. Or at times I might feel a little out of place, especially potentially being older than many others on the program, but I like to think that I thrive in environments of adversity and in fact welcome it. I am someone that loves to meet and connect with new people from all walks of life, in my professional life, I have worked with people of all levels of professionalism, all ages, different countries of origin and sometimes varying mental health impairments. I love that in all instances I am able to find common ground and build connections everywhere I go. All I expect from this course is to meet new people, make connections, learn a lot more about thai culture and history, enjoy making my way through the course and any challenges I may face.

Hi, my name is Olivia, I’m from Edinburgh and have just finished my second year at Glasgow uni studying business and psychology. I have never been to Thailand before but recently it has been at the top of my list of places I want to visit. I am a part of Glasgow unis Muay Thai club with the coaches having lived in Thailand for many years and hearing stories from them has made me want to experience the culture for myself.
Although I am confident in my own ability, having never taught English as a foreign language before, I feel this will be something I need to get used to. I think that gauging my teaching style and adapting this to different pupils and classes may be difficult to begin with but will develop over the weeks by asking questions and learning from any mistakes. I hope that from this experience I will learn more about thai culture and become more confident in teaching English as well as solo travelling.

Hi everyone! My name’s Ashton – I’m 23 years old and I’ve just finished my second year of university. I’m studying Primary Education (with Qualified Teacher Status) which means by the end of my degree I’ll be a qualified Primary School teacher, I also work with an education agency as a Teaching Assistant in Primary Schools! Before starting university I also worked as an Early Years Educator in nurseries and reception classes for roughly 4 years, so I have a lot of teaching experience from the ages of 0-11. I also manage a holiday camp in London in the school holidays for children aged 3-12, which has given me a lot of experience in entertaining children and managing a setting full of staff and children. All of these experiences have allowed me to dive deeper into the understanding of how children learn, how they acquire knowledge and also how they build relationships with those around them, which has proved incredibly helpful as I progress to becoming a teacher. I love to travel, read, learn languages (I’m currently learning Chinese and Italian, and now can add Thai to the list!), I’m also almost always listening to music too.

I wanted to do this teaching experience in Thailand to give me more teaching experience, but in a completely different culture, and environment. I also plan to teach abroad once I am qualified, and have a few years of teaching under my belt. Gaining this experience will help to understand what it takes to teach abroad, and more specifically to teach English abroad. It will also help me to understand and develop better ways to help those children in my classrooms that join the schools with little to no English, and are expected to engage in the learning. It will allow me to develop my understanding and planning to a new level where I can support them more, as well as finding new ways to engage them in the learning.

I expect that the language barrier will be a significant challenge for me, since I speak very limited Thai, but am wanting to immerse myself into the culture and try my best to communicate with the locals with the limited knowledge I have, but hope to acquire much more skills and knowledge through the lived experiences I will be having in Thailand. Also adjusting my classroom presence, and behaviour management strategies to fit the cultural norms of Thailand is something I suspect will take some time, but hopefully through observation of other staff members, and the experience of teaching, I will be able to adjust accordingly.

Hi! My name’s Muhammed, I’m 20 and im from Lancashire in a small town called Burnley. I’ve just finished 18 months working as a supply teacher in the Lancashire area across 15+ different schools. I’ve decided to take part in the programme as I want to expand my career and also have that experience of teaching abroad! Thailand has always been on my bucket list and I thought why waste such an opportunity of teaching and also living there! I would definitely say that main barriers would be the Thai language as I know next to nothing but definitely willing to learn! The Asian culture really inspires me and im excited to learn more about their culture and way of life! a lot of my family and friends have travelled to Thailand and every time they come back they just want to go back again. I love travelling and visiting different parts of the world and I feel as though that visiting Thailand and also teaching there would add onto my experience of travel. im excited to capture great memories of this incredible adventure and cant wait to meet my team! I look forward to teaching in Thailand, meeting new people and helping the students learn the English language. Thanks and I wish you all the best

Hi,
My name is Leah, I’m 19 years old studying English Language, Linguistics and TESOL at York St John University. I’ve decided to travel to Thailand to get some TESOL experience whilst getting to explore a new culture and country. Whilst I know this is an incredible opportunity and will be very exciting, I also know there will be challenges. I anticipate to struggle with the heat, which I can overcome by keeping hydrated! I hope to learn more about Thai culture and the Thai education system as well as giving myself an idea of what sort of age group I’d like to teach in the future.

Hi my name is Emma, I am 23 and live in the north of Scotland. I have always dreamed of travelling but never knew how to start. I chose to take part in this course because I love the idea of teaching and it allows me to travel. I am really interested in Thai culture and think it will be an amazing experience.
I think the the biggest challenges for me will be adapting to the new culture as it is very different to what I am used to and learning a new language.
I am super excited and can’t wait to emerge myself into this experience