{mosimage} Seven years of teaching English as a Second Language in Thailand: a few months in a Christian secondary school; a year in teaching college students; two years at a big university; and currently working at a public secondary school and in the graduate school…  

Rightfully earned a Master’s degree in ESL and now coping with the challenges of achieving the highest academic excellence…

Five feet and seven inches…straight black hair…brown eyes…brown skin…and yes, a Filipino !

I would like to share an inspiration that I have with me for the past years as one of the Filipino teachers who came to Thailand not just as a breadwinner but as a dedicated educator as well.  The inspiration starts with questions intended to bring hope to an ordinary Filipino teacher in Thailand who is regarded as a very important force yet treated as a second-rate surrogate educator… an eye-opener to those who doubt the sincerity and dedication of a Filipino teacher.    

How does a Filipino view the English language education in Thailand? How does a Filipino truly feel towards language teaching in a neighboring country whose culture is closely similar to his amidst the threat of stereotyping in the field of English language education?

There are certain adjustments needed to be made which require flexibility and open-mindedness like polishing up your social, physical and cultural state in congruence to what is acceptable in a foreign country.   Among these changes, working in another country is the most intriguing.

A language teacher, no matter how experienced and brilliant he is, goes back to the state of being a neophyte when confronted with a new teaching environment and a different culture.  However, an experienced language teacher may easily make the necessary pedagogical adjustments. It took me at least a year to truly understand how Thai people regard the English language and education as a whole. And it took me two years to gradually change my teaching and working style. I believe I am still in the process of mastering the art and craft of teaching Thai students without compromising what I think is relatively standard.  As a full-fledged language teacher, I regard education as a long-time humble career, a means of inspiration and an arduous yet heartwarming community work.

I view the English language education in Thailand as fast-growing but lacks coherence and independence. There are more than 3,000 Filipino teachers added to the rest of thousands of other nationalities who take advantage of the boom in the English language teaching industry.  Almost every school in big cities and provinces has foreign teachers helping their Thai counterparts in teaching English and other content subjects. The sudden increase of private language institutes all over the country signifies the eagerness of Thai societies to make their workforce and businesses globally competitive.  Parents oblige their children to learn English for their future career.   Meanwhile, the big number of foreign tourists and high-confidence of foreign investors even pushes the need to bring the status of English in Thailand in the next echelon. With this revelation, English is steadily used not just as a foreign language but now as a second language.

In the future, Thailand’s use of the English language will soon become a new well-developed variety…an addition to the many and different varieties of the English language.  And it is evident that Thai people are using the English language distinctively. The issue whether it is native or not is no longer significant.  I believe this supports the claim that the “nationality” of a foreign teacher teaching English as a second language bears minimal effect on Thai English. Instead, a more positive view should be generalized that Thai students are being prepared in dealing with language barriers as they are exposed with different varieties of English, native English included. The Filipinos complement the strengths and weaknesses of other foreign and Thai teachers by effectively integrating music, arts and literary appreciation techniques in language instruction. Indeed, English language teaching in Thailand has a lot to offer not only to its students but to the language teachers as well.  With the different “nationalities” of foreign teachers, they bring a piece of globalization realities in the school.

Unfortunately, the English language instruction needed more special attention. In comparison, the Philippines is faced with the issues on maintaining its English literacy among the youths.  Thailand, however, has not yet reached such level but is still coping with many concerns affecting the English language education which include teacher-training, comprehensive and effective framework, classroom instruction, material preparation, school policies and even the more complicated social acceptance of the target language.

I have to say that most of the Filipinos teaching in Thailand are equally equipped in ensuring positive transfer of learning compared to other foreign and Thai teachers. This is where the point of reality that many schools have overlooked. Unless the “commercial” attitude of many schools is brought to an end, English language education will remain a business hub and an illusion especially in small provinces.  Unless school administrators and even the Ministry of Education take all confidence in making decisions without the fear of disapproval from the parents and students, English language teaching will remain a form of discrimination in the employment arena. Qualifications based on academic achievement, trainings and experiences, skill and most importantly a genuine heart of intention in truly educating should be highlighted in hiring teachers rather than be fascinated with the color of their skin or their amusing accents.

As a result, the quality of English language education is compromised because of the parents’ misconception towards language education, the schools’ love of money, the heartless, unskilled and uneducated foreign individuals who enjoy being the schools’ façade and bait, the inconsistency of school’s language education framework and policies to actual classroom instruction and evaluation, and those Thai teachers who allow themselves in becoming more inferior to their foreign counterparts and those who stubbornly stay stagnant with what is traditional in English language teaching.

Moreover, many schools are becoming dependent to foreign teachers. Many Thai teachers are also ignored and that they too depend on what these foreign teachers do in the classroom.  Most Thai schools are enslaved by commercial textbooks and workbooks. Hundred of thousands of funds is wasted on the constant replacement of English textbooks. In addition, without overhauling Thai universities’ training and curriculum in the college of teacher education, the Thai teaching force in the language education will remain helplessly dependent to the business world.

Many Filipino teachers realized these threats to education. To a Filipino, teaching English as a second language is not all about accent or mastery of pronunciation, idiom and colloquial…it is all about the ability of a student  to express what he feels and use his knowledge to appreciate the humanities and most importantly to use the language to further educate himself. To a Filipino, there is something happening more than teaching English to students, it is the desire to give them encouragement no matter how difficult it may be.   Although some are not well compensated; overloaded with many teaching hours; discriminated in getting employed; and ridiculed as inferiors in using the English language non-native, they will remain to be trusted of having the best intention of developing not only the language skills of their students but inspiring them to be productive and creative citizens in the future.

The Philippines, known to be one of the primary exporters of professionals and skilled workers worldwide, is grateful to the Kingdom of Thailand for recognizing the Filipino teachers as a strong backbone on its educational program.  

As one of the Filipino ESL teachers who is looking forward for  professional growth, it would be more inspiring to see a network of Filipino teachers come together for a nationwide conference to share testimonials, resources, plans and suggestions in order to make  our presence in Thailand stronger.

Together we can make a difference! After all, we are no “farangs”…we are Filipinos!

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