Assignment 1: Introduction

Hello everyone, I’m 24 and from England. I am from a town in the south called Lewes. I attended the University of Portsmouth, where I studied Sport and Exercise Science. I was the Vice-President of the University Football Club for 2 years, I was also the Raising and Giving secretary for 1 year. I picked up strength and conditioning coaching experience by running sessions for all sports clubs within the university throughout the week. The closest teaching experience I have to teaching young children is babysitting my cousins (who were no walk in the park). I have decided to take on the experience because I want a different challenge. On top of this my family have left the UK. We spent the last year living in Spain and Thailand. Currently we are scattered around the world with my mum in the USA, my brother in Thailand, and I am back in England. This seems like a great opportunity to continue travelling round the world and a great opportunity to learn something new about myself. I’m looking forward to learning more about Thai history and culture.

Greetings everyone. My name is AJ. I am from Dallas, Texas in the United States. I have a bachelor’s degree in health care management. I served in the US Army as a Health Care Specialist. The only experience I have in teaching is through military classes that I taught and CPR classes in the hospital.
I decided to travel/move to Thailand because I visited the country a couple of times before and I really enjoyed the people and the energy of the country. Everyone is extremely friendly and helpful, and it just reminds me of home in some ways. I’m also drawn to the architecture and culture that the country provides as well.
I do expect to experience some challenges initially upon arrival. I’m sure that I will have to learn some of the Thai language to get some things accomplished as well as to communicate with the locals in the area. Also, establishing a routine with day-to-day life in a new location and a new job will also be something that I will need to get accustomed to. I know it will be difficult at first, but I plan to immerse myself in the community and work on creating relationships with people in the area and asking for assistance when needed.
I’m excited to participate in this new teaching experience and gaining new skillsets in the process.

Hi my name is Tebogo Mataboge. I’m an ICT Facilitator from South Africa. I have a Bachelors of Technology in Economics and a 120 hours of TEFL Certificate.
I have years of teaching and facilitating experience with children and adults.
During my tenure as an ESL Teacher at Thutong Junior Secondary School , I taught English and
Social Science.
Traveling to Thailand would be my first international trip, I’m a bit nervous to be traveling alone but looking forward to the experience, the Thai culture and their cuisine.
I cant wait to learn the basic Thai language and understand their economy better.

Hey Everyone,
My name is Olly, I’m from the Southwest of England and I recently graduated from Exeter University with a degree in Zoology. I have always loved animals and nature and often go on walks in through moorland back at home. In my spare time I produce music, play the guitar, play chess and like to skate.
Last January, after going on a trip to Costa Rica with my university, I knew that I didn’t want to stay in England. However, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do when I left. I then saw that you could teach English abroad and thought that this was a great way for me to see the world, earn money, gain really valuable experience and immerse myself in different cultures.
From this experience I hope to make strong connections, embrace Thailand’s culture, gain confidence in myself and other tools that I can bring with me to my future endeavours.
I expect to face culture shock whilst adjusting to life in Thailand and I imagine that homesickness is inevitable, however, I have a great support network of people around me that I can rely on and talk to whenever I need. I also expect to find struggle in teaching as this is something that I have never done before, especially in a completely different country and culture. But, I am confident that my friends and family at home, the course before teaching, and the community that I will meet in Thailand will help.

Hi, my name is Cory,
I’m 27 and I lived in Manchester, England. I have been working as an engineer for the last 6/7 years, travelling and working all around the UK and sometimes Germany. I spent the last three years training an apprentice in the industry and this is where I found a love of teaching, watching him progress in the working world and becoming confident in his abilities was extremely fulfilling. I decided I would leave the workforce and try teaching fulltime when I became confident he could work on his own as a qualified engineer. I’ve been lucky to work with people from all around the world experiencing the different personalities and cultures of everyone I meet. I think the most important thing I’ve learnt through this is people all want the same thing, a good life, good food and good fun. While this course is in Thailand, personally, I’m moving to Cambodia. With a rich history of the Khmer Empire and Great struggles I’m thoroughly interested in the strong community and cuisines that came from this hardship.
The biggest challenge I can see with moving to a foreign country is the cultural differences from the west and the language barrier, but I feel through immersing myself within the culture and the community these can be overcome. From this experience I want to find good friends, a greater understanding of the culture and people, and eat a lot of good food!
I’m excited to start the course and look forward to what the future brings!

Hi everyone! My name is Aniekha, I am 25 years old and from the UK. I studied a dual honours degree in Maths and Psychology. I enjoy baking, hiking and playing on my guitar. I’m really excited about this opportunity! I decided to do this program because I wanted a challenge that would help my personal growth. I want to make a positive impact on students and travel. I am really interested in different cultures and look forward to learning more about Thailand and immersing myself in the culture. I have not travelled much or taught before, so this is a challenge for me as well as adapting to the new culture with language barriers. I hope to overcome the challenge by learning Thai and staying determined. I hope to make new friends, understand a new culture, gain new skills, memories and experiences. Looking forward to it!

Hi! My name is Sevda. I’m 22 years old and I am from Turkey. I graduated from Baskent University in the previous June and then, I decided to be an English teacher in Thailand because I want to see different cultures and lifestyles and I think Thailand is really different country. There’re a lot of things to explore! Adapting to a different culture can be hard but I believe I can do it because I really love exploring. I hope this experience will be fantastic!

Hi there!
My name is Sofia Maldonado, 35 years young, and I’m a Saggitarius from South Texas with hispanic roots. Originally, I planned to study theatre arts and costume design, but life had other plans! I ended up earning a Bachelor of Science in Textiles & Apparel Design from the University of Texas at Austin in 2012. In 2015, I packed my bags for Los Angeles, where I spent the past decade working across multiple areas of the fashion industry including styling, personal shopping, and luxury consignment account management.
Then, in May 2024, life threw me a curveball. A freak accident nearly cost me my thumb, forcing me to step away from my fast-paced career and rethink my entire life. Instead of diving into another job in California, I decided to follow a long-held dream: traveling and living abroad. My visit to Thailand in April 2023 left a lasting impression, and I knew I had to find a way to make it my home. The people, the culture, the lifestyle, and the affordability all aligned perfectly with the life I wanted to create.
My boyfriend first introduced me to ITA and the idea of teaching English abroad after we returned from Thailand. At that time, I wasn’t ready, so I tucked it away in the back of my mind. Two years, one life-altering accident, and months of healing and self-reflection later, I finally took the leap enrolling in the 11-week TEFL certification course during the final stretch of my medical leave.
This decision wasn’t easy. I’m leaving behind everything familiar; My career, my home, my family, and all my comforts. I know there will be challenges: adjusting to a new job I don’t feel 100% ready for, battling homesickness, and navigating culture shock. But, I also know that growth happens outside of our comfort zones. With an open mind (and a strong support system cheering me on), I’m ready to embrace this adventure, knowing that home will always be there whenever I need it.
I’m excited to learn, teach, and make a difference. I hope to gain new perspectives, meet new people, push myself in ways I never have before, and enrich my life through travel and new experiences. Not everyone gets an opportunity like this, and I’m beyond grateful to have it and take it.
Here’s to the next chapter!