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Happy Summer
2008-04-03 19:06:00
I want to ask an apology to the readers for not updating this blog. Last month was a busy month for me. I wasn’t able to post anything, that’s why I am feel guilty. I make it sure that this month of April will be full of topics and issues for our Filipino TEFL teachers. By the way, summer has started and many of our kababayans are going for a summer vacation in Philippines. I wish them a safe trip. About me, I will stay  home with my family and enjoy the summer heat in Thailand.
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American TESOL Institute is Calling all Non Native / Asian teachers to tea
2008-03-06 04:24:00
Special Project for Asian Teachers , as the name suggests is a course designed especially for teachers and students in Asia. There are innumerable teacher training courses and various organizations and institutions offering such courses but at the end of the day the Asian student is still at a loss when it comes to learning. Most TEFL courses are designed and structured for a universal classroom but the 30 hour on site TESOL/ TEFL Course by American TESOL Institute , one of the most respected TEFL course providers in the world, is made especially for Asian Teachers and their students, keeping in mind their problems and needs. In this “Special Thai Project” you are expected to complete a 30 hour onsite TESOL program which will make you aware of the practical aspect of teaching and earn your Introduction to TESOL Certification including accommodation during the course. Completion of this will certify you as a TEFL trained teacher and immediately you will be placed in schools in Tha...
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2nd Filipino Teacher’s Conference in Bangkok
2008-03-04 05:17:00
I recieved an email from Ajarn Hedda,one of the organizers of the said event. Below is the content of her email and the information of 2nd Filipino Teacher ’s Conference in Bangkok . Ajarn Alfred, Hi! This is Hedda. We want to invite you on March 16 for a teacher’s conference in Bangkok. The objective of which is to explore the idea of starting an organization of Pinoy teachers in Thailand for the purpose of representation as well as empowering teachers by way of professional development activities/projects. The first conference will be in Chiang Mai this weekend, to be attended by Master J and I from BKK and teacher reps from Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. For the BKK conference, we are gathering reps from different provinces and districts around BKK, but would very much welcome you and 3-4 more, if it is at all possible for you. This project has already been given blessings and support by the ambassador himself. SiamPinoy,together with the Association of Cordillerans in Thai...

Att: Filipino teachers in Thailand -Teacher’s education course to be
2008-02-29 04:41:00
For those who are interested in studying the courses required on application for teacher’s license: Here is the good news. The Central Luzon State University (CLSU) can offer the courses required starting this summer. The details are below: Warm greetings from the CLSU Open University! The education courses you are required to take, 3 are exactly the same as those we currently offer under our MS in Education program. These are Course nos. 2, 4, & 7. Course no. 5 is offered under our Certificate in Teaching program. Course nos. 1, 3, 6 & 8 are not offered by CLSU and no modules have been developed for these courses so far. The good news is that we can offer course nos. 2 and 4 starting summer 2008 and course nos. 5 & 7 First Sem 2008-2009, while we are developing the modules for course nos. 1, 3, 6 and 8. By second semester, SY 2008-2009, we will be ready with modules for the other courses. Ok, we will offer MS in Education online focusing on the 8 courses you need....
More About: Thailand , Teacher , Filipino , Teachers

Teacher’s license exemption in Thailand
2008-02-22 17:22:00
Below are two pictures of scanned documents handed to me. This is to avoid confusion among Filipino educators in Thailand about the issue of teachers license exemption. Below is an excerpt from the scanned document: No one shall practice a licensed Profession without a License under this Act, except in any of the following cases: (1) Those occasionally providing knowledge to learners in any Educational Institution as guest educational lecturers; (2) Those whose primary Profession does not relate to the teaching and learning process, but has the occasional duty to teach; (3) Students, trainees or those with a practical training license apprenticing or training under the supervision of Professional Educators, subject to the criteria, procedures and conditions set forth by the Teacher s Council of Thailand Board; (4) Those arbitrarily offering educational courses; (5) Those teaching in any learning center under the law governing national education or learning establishments arbitrar...

Open Universities and Distance Learning Schools in Philippines
2008-02-22 16:06:00
Last Tuesday I received an email from my friends in Bangkok – asking me what universities in our country that offers distance learning courses. I did some research on the Internet and the result was quite good. Let me share what I found. 1. University of the Philippines Open University (www.upou.org) This is a well known university in the Philippines including abroad. The Open University was founded on February 23, 1995. It is located in Los Banos, Laguna. The university offers undergraduate program, Post-Baccalaureate Diploma, Master’s program, Doctoral Program, and non-formal courses. Below are the lists of degree programs: Undergraduate Program Associate in Arts Bachelor of Arts Multimedia Studies Post-Baccalaureate Diploma Diploma in Social Work Diploma in Computer Science Diploma in Research and Development Program Diploma in Environment and Natural Resources Management Diploma in Science Teaching Diploma in Mathematics Teaching Diploma in Language and Literacy Education ...
More About: Schools , Learning , Distance Learning

1st CHIANGMAI-CHIANGRAI FILIPINO EDUCATORS CONFERENCE
2008-02-20 04:45:00
1st CHIANGMAI-CHIANGRAI FILIPINO EDUCATORS CONFERENCE  “Empowering the Community of Filipino Educators in Thailand through Renewed Commitment, Courage and Competence”February 23, 2008 / 8:30 am – 5:00 pmAnuban Chiangmai School, Chiangmai, Thailand  Goal:  Establish a federation of Filipino educators in Thailand.  Objectives:  Discuss the pressing issues on employment and classroom instruction faced by Filipino educators in Chiangmai and Chiangrai. Come up with a resolution of the concerns and issues related to the foreign teaching industry. Share effective teaching strategies and resources, desirable school management relations, and other valuable information to enhance the Filipino educators’ community.  Rationale: The need for a strong representation of the Filipino educators in Thailand is seen necessary and beneficial. Teaching is one of the main job opportunities which Thailand could offer to the world.  Filipinos and other non-Asian nationalities grab thi...
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Filipino English Teachers Take Language Proficiency Examinations
2008-02-11 06:31:00
MANILA, 4 February 2007 — Some 14,503 English teachers in the elementary and high school levels took the language proficiency exam in testing centers nationwide as part of a campaign to make the English language proficiency as the “flagship program” of the Department of Education. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo recently told her officials to pay particular attention to teachers in English, science and mathematics in low performing schools culled from the 2007 National Achievement Test (NAT). Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said that the government wants to make Filipino s experts in the English language as it is the “”building block” to learning. President Arroyo earlier expressed her fears over the deterioration of the use of this foreign language in public elementary and secondary schools, even among teachers. The test is expected to measure the teachers’ aptitude on the structure of English. It mainly includes reading comprehension, written expression as well as g...
More About: Language , Teachers

Latest information of Thailand Teacher license requirements
2008-02-11 04:16:00
This is taken directly from a memo that I submitted to my Principal: I have met with 2 university professors in Bangkok that work directly with Thailand ’s Ministry of Education and Teacher ’s Council. They explained the current laws regarding Foreign Teachers in Thailand. 1. Once you obtain your Work Permit, you must obtain a Teacher’s License (500 baht) within a reasonable timeframe from your date of hire (takes 1 to 2 years to obtain). 2. In order to obtain a Teacher’s License, you must first attend a 20 hour Thai Culture and Teacher Professional Code of Ethics course. This is a 4 day course carried out by various universities in Bangkok over 2 weekends (costs approximately 4,000-8,000 baht). 3. Please note that in order to attend this 20 hour course, you must have taught at least 1 year in Thailand and possess a University Degree (in any field). 4. If you have a BA degree in Education and a TEFL certificate, you only need to attend this 20 hour Thai Culture and Teacher Pro...
More About: Information

S. Korea to hire 23,000 more English teachers
2008-02-09 08:42:00
South Korea ’s incoming government will recruit 23,000 qualified English teachers by 2013 and increase the number of classes in elementary and secondary schools, the presidential transition committee said yesterday (Jan 30). The plans, expected to cost 4 trillion won (US$4 billion), are part of President-elect Lee Myung-bak’s drive to revamp public English education and reduce spending on private learning. The goal is for everyone to be able to speak English freely with a high-school education, Lee said. The new government plans to spend 1.7 trillion won on hiring 23,000 teachers with TEE (Teaching English in English) certificates between 2009 and 2013. Of them, 10,000 are to be posted to elementary schools and 13,000 to middle and high schools. Eligible TEE teachers are individuals who have completed English education programmes at home or abroad, including those with TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) certificates; those with master’s degr...
More About: Hire , Teachers , S Korea

Details of 20-hours Thai Language, Culture, and Professional Ethics Trainin
2008-02-09 07:45:00
Herein are the details of the Training Course Certificate 1. Principle. The Teachers and Educational Personnel Council Act B.E 2546 (2003) prescribes that teaching profession is a licensed profession, and the second paragraph Clause 5 of the Regulation of the Teachers Council of Thai land Governing Professional Practice License B.E. 2547 (2004) prescribes that any foreigner applying for a license to practice the teaching profession shall have passed the testing and evaluation of knowledge in accordance with the rules and procedures as specified by the Teachers Council of Thailand Board. This Thai Culture and professional training course is established by the Teachers Council of Thailand for foreigners having education degree and applying for licenses to practice the teaching profession, provided that such foreigners shall have completed training in this course: 2. Objective. To ensure that persons who have completed training in this course understand Thai society, professional ethics...
More About: Ethics , Language , Details

Adelfa Amancio: A Well-Respected Filipino Teacher in Japan
2008-02-08 03:35:00
Maybe some people are destined to work abroad that even without looking for a job overseas, an opportunity from other parts of the world just comes unexpectedly and this is something they hate to refuse. Such is the story of Adelfa Amancio. Fate led her to work overseas. Adelle, as what she is fondly called, used to teach at a language school but was not very happy about it. Therefore, she decided to resign and started to be a freelancer while pursuing her graduate studies. As a freelancer, she was more flexible with her students and gave them more freedom to choose where and when to study. Because of this, many students liked her and the number of her clients grew bigger. As a result, she set up her own language school to accommodate all students. Not only did the language school keep her busy but also made her more motivated to work. Moreover, she could apply what she learned in her Master’s studies in Educational Management in her language school’s day-to-day operation. A...
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Filipino Assistant English Teachers (AET’s)
2008-01-28 04:14:00
Teaching English in Japan used to be a tightly guarded domain of the so-called white, blond-haired native speakers. But when public schools opened in April of this year, about fifty (50) Filipino s were hired all over Japan as Assistant English Teachers (AET) in elementary and junior high schools. Filipinos pride themselves on their American-style education which gives most college graduates a claim to native-level English proficiency, especially in the period before the bilingual policy was implemented. This recognition of their English ability, albeit belated, is therefore greeted with optimism. What gave the impetus to this development were the liberalization of the Labor Dispatch Law in 1999, which widened the scope of manpower deployment to non-traditional sectors including teachers, and the kokusaika or internationalization program of the Japanese government which was translated into an education policy of an early start in English lessons in public schools. Giving us an inside...

The Woes of a Filipino English Teacher by Thess Manangan (Pusan, South Kore
2008-01-28 04:07:00
Are native speaking English teachers better qualified to teach English than non-native speaking English teachers? Since living in Korea for more than six years, I have asked myself this question countless times. Non-native speakers of English, especially non-white Asians, face a difficult task finding quality teaching positions. Being Filipino , I have faced many closed doors when looking for teaching posts. It is not easy because Koreans hold certain perceptions of what foreign English teachers should look and sound like. If you don’t fit their perception, then you are simply “not qualified” to teach English. I came to Korea in 1993 to be with my Korean husband whom I tutored at the University of the Philippines. After settling down in Pusan , I decided that I wanted to start teaching again. At first, I started tutoring study groups at my husband’s university campus until a more challenging position was offered to me at an institute. I remember the excitement ...
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Why are there Filipino Teachers of English in Thailand?
2008-01-28 03:52:00
Let me state a fact: The Philippines is the third largest English speaking nation in the world, next to the United States and the United Kingdom. Unlike in India and other third-world English speaking nations which have big population, the Philippines is controlled and compelled to take English with equal importance as the mother tongue. For the less nationalist few, English, in fact, is even more important - it being the Philippines’ official language. This lets Filipino s earn higher knowledge and ability to read, write, listen and speak English. All academic curricula from the low class government school to the most famous private school are loaded with subjects taught in English; thus, a Filipino is always guaranteed of an A-1 English curriculum from Physical Education to Physics subjects. Being a primordial right of the citizen, education is accorded to almost ninety-five percent of all Filipino children from age five. It is basically like children’s blank minds are loaded w...
More About: Thailand , Teachers

Living and Working in Thailand
2008-01-28 03:48:00
The aim of this article is to give a brief overview about Thailand ’s teaching industry. The opinions in this article are based on my long working experience in Thailand as a TEFL teacher. The sources of this information will be included at the end of this article. If you have any questions and comments that would be useful, please feel free to email me at alfredo.j@psu.ac.th. Country InformationThailand draws more visitor than any other country in South East Asia. This country is well known in Western countries because of its unique tradition and culture. Tourism plays a major role in country’s business. Every year, thousands of foreigners came to visit this country.Thailand is quiet a large country that is similar to the United Kingdom, bordering Cambodia and Laos to the east, Malaysia and the Gulf of Thailand to the south, and the Andaman sea and Myanmar to the west. Thailand Fast Fact· Capital: Bangkok· Major Language: Thai· Major Religion: Buddh...
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