Assignment 1: Introduction

Hello my name is Alex, I am 27 years old and I am from the north west of England. I am moving to Thailand to teach English. I don’t have much experience teaching and this will be my first time being an actual teacher. I have never been to Asia before so this will be new and different but I lived abroad before so this aspect doesn’t worry me. I expect to experience some culture shock but I welcome the new experiences that I will have. I am hoping to get some good teaching experience while trying new things and meeting different people.

Hello James!

I wanted to let you know that I also share your adaptation. From teaching adults to teaching young learners. It’s going to be a whole, new, exciting journey. What you mentioned in your post, about seeking advice from future co- workers and having faith in our training- I felt that!

Thank you!

Hi everyone, my name is Shaw and I am 22 years old. I’ve completed my bachelor’s degree just last year and before I kept studying I wanted to travel and see the world while also getting real world experience that will help me see if I might be interested in pursuing a career. As for why I chose go to Thailand, I have to confess I bent a little to fomo haha! I think I always knew that I would want time after my undergrad to switch gears from studying for a while and around the time I was set to graduate I saw tons of my friends on vacation, teaching, or for whatever other reason being in places all over Southeast Asia. And after seeing some more media on places like Instagram and Youtube, I fell in love with Thailand and that’s when I booked my course!. One challenge I’m certain I will come across during my time in Thailand, although I hope it never comes across as intentional, is doing things that might be frowned upon in Thai society. Although I am doing my best to learn what I can about Thailand, I would be surprised if I could learn every subtle nuance of the country’s rich culture. To overcome this challenge, I think the best approach is to lead with an open heart & mind to learn about a new culture while also understanding my position in it as a respectful visitor to the country. What I hope to get out of my experience is a better appreciation for Thailand, its culture, and how people live in Thailand.

Hello everyone. My name is Beth and I currently live in South Wales, United Kingdom. I attended Cardiff Metropolitan University and I hold a degree in Educational Studies and Early Childhood Studies. I have done a lot work experience within Primary Schools and family settings throughout my time in University and when I was in High School. However, since graduating, I have been working full time in administration – I never followed my dream of teaching full time. I have visited a few beautiful countries already but I have always wanted to travel and explore Thailand. I have a passion for continuous learning, travel and culture and I finally feel as though I have the confidence to begin my career as a teacher. I know that this will be an incredibly emotional journey for me and I am nervous about moving abroad for a year. I have lived in Greece but only for two months, I am ready to challenge myself and step out of my comfort zone. I feel as though this opportunity will be a life-changing experience for me and although I have a genuine passion for education, I feel this opportunity goes beyond the classroom. I hope to gain more of an understanding of Thai culture. I am hoping to make new friends, I am excited to try new food, visit local markets, visit Temples, explore a country I have never been before and learn about traditional Thai culture. I wish everyone the best on their journey and I look forward to sharing this experience with you all!

Hi Everyone
My name is Luthando I was born and raised in Vryheid , KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. I studied Animal Science and graduated at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein with a Bachelor of Agriculture Degree Majoring in Animal Production Management in 2020. I have spent most of life in the same town of Vryheid and I have worked at a neighbouring town before ,being born and raised on a farm to some extent felt overwhelming at times but I have always embraced and held it with gratitude. Since the beginning of last year I was doing research on what I could do to improve my way of life and try a new challenge and I heard about the teaching English abroad opportunity from a close friend of mine. That made all the difference because I enjoy working in a group and helping others achieve a certain goal. For me giving back puts a smile on my face and being able to have an impact on the lives of other people has always been part of my upbringing. The first time I heard about Thailand was from my high school Mathematics teacher who is a seasoned Thai tourist ,he spoke about the beautiful culture ,food and religion. This is one of the reasons why I chose to teach in Thailand. I am excited about this journey and as much as there might be challenges but this is an opportunity to elevate my career and explore another country, whilst changing lives.

Hi my name is Luthando I was born and raised in Vryheid, in the province of KwaZulu-Natal ,South Africa. I studied Animal Science at the University of the Free State and graduated in 2020 with a Bachelor of Agriculture degree in Animal production. I have experience in Farming management and crop farming ,I am also the founder of LLG Farming. Farming has always been part of my life and at times it became overwhelming. I do not hold much teaching and facilitating experience and the teaching English in Asia programme sparked a lot of interest in me. I saw this as an opportunity to get out of my comfort zone and explore another country whilst making an impact and changing the lives of kids in Thailand. Thailand is a country with rich history and the people there are deeply rooted in their culture and religion. The country offers beautiful views and travel destinations which I look forward to visit especially the Phi Phi Islands ,the Elephant forest in Phuket not forgetting the street food markets which seem to offer some of the best food. I am so excited about the journey and moreover I want to utilise this opportunity for self discovery. I am aware of the challenges that come with being in a foreign country like being homesick and having to adapt and I plan on overcoming these by spending my free time connecting with the locals and learning the Thai language. Teaching English in Thailand will help me grow and embrace the spirit of humility.

Hello! My name is Emily. I’m currently 23, turning 24 next month, and I am from England. I first visited Thailand 2 years ago with my friend for 5 weeks and loved everything about it. Since a young age, I have been interested in teaching and working with children but decided not to pursue a career in England as of yet as I would like to travel first before working on a long term career. Teaching in Thailand is ideal as it means I get to live in a country I love, whilst also working in a job I am passionate about.
I think the main barriers for me will be missing my family and friends. 2 months is the longest I have been away from home previously and I am currently coming up to already being away from home for the last 2 months as I have been travelling Thailand and Sri Lanka. Keeping in regular contact via facetime and messages will be the best way for me to overcome homesickness, as well as making new friends so that I feel I have good people around me that I can rely on.
From the experience, I hope to make a difference in other peoples lives, make new friends, and create life long memories.

Hello everyone

My name is Myrtle, I’m 53 years of age. I was born in Soweto – Johannesburg (South Africa). I was raised by my grandmother until the age of 11yrs. What a beautiful soul she was. She had so much confidence in me and my number one cheerleader in achieving my dreams and aspirations.
I have a postgraduate degree in Public Management from the University of Pretoria. I’ve worked for the government of South Africa for 16 years and retired in the real estate industry as a Property Practitioner.
I’ve always loved traveling within South Africa but never had an opportunity to travel overseas. When I was exploring the countries I could find work and travel, Thailand seemed very welcoming
I used to say take me anywhere in the world and I’ll be able to adjust. This was because of my background learning at boarding school when I was in high school.
The main challenge I guess would be on the language in the beginning, but I’m excited in learning the Thai language as I also teach English. It would be a fun experience for both teacher and learner as we both learn from each other.