Yomps, Adventure Travel Experiences

Teaching English in Thailand TEFL
Full Itinerary

Volunteer on this programme to earn a reputable TEFL qualification and teach English in Thailand for five or ten weeks. Teaching in Thailand gives you the chance to experience the customs, traditions and culturally rich areas of a unique and distinctive country, whilst contributing towards the community development and education of its people.

Thaliand

Week 1 to 4 - Become accustomed to the new culture; get to know the other expedition members; familiarise yourself with Thai values, customs and beliefs; and work towards your TEFL qualification.

Your volunteering experience begins in Krabi, on the west coast of southern Thailand. It is here that you will meet up with the project staff and the rest of your team to be transported to the project base. The base is located about a twenty-minute walk from the centre of small agricultural town Ao Luk (population: 4,000) where services like internet cafes are easily accessible. Being located in the diverse Krabi Province means you will be ideally situated close to a number of natural attractions including mountains, waterfalls, caves, mangroves and white sand beaches.

Accommodation at the base is basic but comfortable, and is equipped with all the necessary amenities, including running water, electricity, a kitchen, dormitories with bunk beds, bathrooms, a small library and an outdoor communal area. Expedition members will take it in turns to fulfil their duties within the group, getting involved in things like cooking and household chores. As you will be busy on the weekday evenings, a local Thai cook will prepare dinner, usually consisting of authentic Thai food. The base serves as a local English language training centre, which has the overall aim of creating a pool of qualified English language teachers who can meet the needs of the community and the various local organisations who are dedicated to community development and community-based tourism.

A typical day starts early, yet this varies depending upon the volunteer’s assigned duty. Our main focus will be to teach English in Thailand in the local non-formal education centre, as well as in local workplaces and within the local schools. You will take part in input sessions where you will learn everything that needs to be known about the methodologies and techniques for classroom teaching. The majority of the teaching classes take place in the evening so you will generally have all the afternoon for the preparation of lesson plans, with the assistance and support from both other expedition members and highly experienced TEFL trainers. Though the developed curriculum will provide you with a basic guideline to follow, the content of your lessons and your presentation techniques will be your own responsibility. This allows you to be as creative and imaginative as you like in classes.

Depending on whether you decide to aim for a 50 hour or 100 hour TEFL qualification (your own choice), the amount of requirements that you need to fulfil will vary. However, an example of what expedition members can expect to be doing on a day-to-day basis is outlined below:

A Typical Day – Monday to Thursday

Please note that this is only a rough guide to give you a better idea of what to expect during your stay:

0730 – Wake up
0800 – Breakfast
0900 – Input session (learning about teaching techniques and methodologies, for example)
1015 – Feedback sessions to discuss your observed lessons with your peers and trainers
1130 – Time to work on lesson plans
1245 – Lunch
1315 – Have optional basic Thai language lessons
1400 - Plan the evening’s class, with assistance from trainers and other expedition members
1700 – Early class (what time you have dinner depends upon which class you are teaching)
1900 – Late class (what time you have dinner depends upon which class you are teaching)
Bedtime is at your own discretion.

Typically, Thursday night is when you will be able to kick back and relax with your fellow volunteers and project staff with a well-deserved party to celebrate another successful week of teaching.

Fridays differ from the rest of the week as you will be able to participate in community development projects, either on base or out in the local area. You will take part in a variety of activities, depending upon the needs and requirements of the local community at the time. These will generally be in areas outside the field of teaching and range from maintaining the grounds of local temples to contributing towards nearby reforestation initiatives.

On Saturdays, trips are arranged to explore some of the amazing cultural and natural spots in the region, including activities such as exploring caves, kayaking, swimming, visiting temples, going on long-tailed boat rides, relaxing on white sand beaches and much more.

Sundays are designated free-time, during which you can decide what you do. You can choose to chill-out at the base and recuperate from an active week or maybe explore further afield and discover more about this mesmerising region by organising your own excursions.

At the end of the fourth week, you will graduate to become TEFL NQT’s (Newly Qualified Teachers!). Now you will be able to relax and feel proud of yourself, having the knowledge that the past four weeks of development has led you to gain an internationally recognised and respected teaching qualification.

Week 5 onwards - Use your newly acquired skills to help the needs of the locals, continue to teach English in Thailand, work towards community development in this stunning tropical paradise and visit some of the surrounding areas that are rich in cultural significance.

After the first four weeks you should be a high-quality teacher, capable of implementing your newly acquired skills to teach English in Thailand in a range of environments, from communities with few resources to commercial TEFL posts. The partner project company in Thailand, who are listed as an Institutional Member of the International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language (IATEFL) as well as Thailand (TESOL), will assist TEFL graduates in finding placements in local communities around the world or paid positions in the TEFL industry.

After graduating, you will spend your time teaching English in Thailand to a variety of students of all ages. Students of all backgrounds will attend your classes with the aiming to improve their English so they can progress in life. Every day, expedition members will get the opportunity to interact with the Thai people and not only teach them English, but also learn from the students firsthand about their rich culture. This truly unique aspect of the volunteering trip is something not available to your typical Thailand traveller. You can even choose to participate in structured Thai lessons where you can learn the fundamentals of how to get by in Thai, provided by qualified teachers and native Thai speakers!

In addition to the teaching and community development aspects of the volunteering project, you will also get the chance to go on a number of excursions so we can fully explore this spectacular region, which are included in the project price. Explore Than Bok Khorani National Park – a jungle paradise just minutes away from the Ao Luk base and kayak through Bor Thor mangrove lagoon where we can then climb up to a hidden cave containing 3,000 year old cave paintings in Tham Phii Hua Tow (‘The Big-Headed Ghost Cave’). You will take a weekend trip to the famous Khao Lak resort town and get a chance to exploring the sun-kissed beaches. Here, you will get an eye-opening chance to visit Rajaprajanugroh 35 School, which houses 1,000 of the regions poorest children affected by the notorious tsunami disaster. Either embark upon a long tailed boat ride visiting a small fishing village surrounded by mangroves, monkeys, emerald grottos, towering karst formations and unspoilt beaches ending with a demonstration of sustainable farming or visit the Tiger Temple Cave which includes a hike up 1,237 steps to a giant Buddha image providing an amazing 360 degree view of the surrounding province and take a stroll through a 1,000 year old forest filled with various surprises.

Throughout your remaining weeks, you will continue to work towards community development by teaching English in Thailand. You will benefit from this unique cultural adventure by immersing yourself in a traditional Thai community, surrounded by a stunning tropical paradise. Upon completion of your time on the course, you will be awarded with a formal certificate and letter of reference, detailing your experience and qualification level for you to take with you on your future travels.

- Why is my teaching so important?

There is an increasing amount of international tourism within the area of Ao Luk, with new developments such as ports and tourist spots giving rise to future opportunities for the locals. Therefore, there is an organic need for volunteers to teach English in Thailand and you will aim to help the local communities to take control of their own inevitable development, instead of being forced to depend upon that of internationals. Your task will be to help equip the locals with community development and prepare them with the knowledge, skills and experience that they are becoming increasingly in need of if they want to sustain and promote their standards of living.

- Aims of the project:

• Supplying free communicative English language lessons to the local communities
• Training local teachers in English language teaching
• Supplying free English language lessons to local partner staff, guides, rangers and researchers
• Supporting Thai culture and the efforts of the organisation and communities to preserve it
• Supporting community environmental awareness
• Supporting tourist environmental and cultural awareness
• Increasing the capacity of the local community to benefit from an increase in English language skills that will offer them opportunities for experiences and employment.

- Arrival Information

Volunteers must make their own way to Krabi, where you will be met by a project staff member. You will receive more information when we send you your Field Manual after making your booking.

- Expedition Skills Required

No previous experience or foreign language skills are required to join this project, as it is included in a comprehensive training programme designed to give volunteers all the necessary skills needed. The course is open to anybody of at least 18 years of age, as long as you have an interest in languages, strong verbal and writing skills and have an educational background equivalent to that required to gain entrance to a higher education institution. We require that non-native English speakers have a high proficiency of the English language in order to meet the course demands effectively. All volunteers must be willing to work hard as part of a team and learn throughout the experience. Pre-existing background knowledge in teaching techniques is an advantage, although not essential as there is the opportunity to learn from whatever level.

The TEFL course is to the highest standard and everyone must be enthusiastic, adventurous, have a good sense of humour and be respectful towards the host country’s culture and environment.

- Internship

An internship is open to all those who volunteer for ten weeks and at the five week stage you will be given the opportunity to apply. An internship allows you to stay on the project for a further ten weeks at no cost to yourself. If you are successful in your application to become an intern, in effect you become an unpaid member of staff, assisting the permanent staff with the day-to-day running of the project and training new volunteers.

- Costs

	Pound sterling (£)	US Dollar ($)	Euros (€)
5 weeks	1450	2,900	2,030
10 weeks	1950	3,900	2,730

- Malaria Awareness

Travelling to long-haul destinations can be a wonderful and exciting experience. Before you go, make sure you take the right travel advice about visiting Malaria risk countries. At Yomps we are committed to stopping traveller deaths from malaria which is why we support the campaign being run by Malariahotspots.com. Click here to download our free guide about Malaria Awareness (opens in a new window).