Program Profile
Many people know Thailand for its beautiful beaches or Bangkok's temples and shopping on Khao San Road, but few people have ventured off the beaten trail to the more rural areas of Thailand. Whereas in the tourist destinations, many people speak English and have a global perspective, people in the rural eastern part of Thailand have rarely seen foreigners, let alone had a chance to speak English with a native speaker. Students in the eastern Isan area have difficulty competing with the more privileged students in the cities for enrollment in universities or for jobs.
In our brand new Thailand program, volunteers will be working in the Nakhon Phanom Province, in Northeastern Thailand, with Elementary and High School students. This program will focus on English language education, mostly in underprivileged, countryside schools. Volunteers will give these students a chance to interact with foreigners and be introduced to different cultures.
WorldTeach will accept up to 25 volunteers for the 2011 school year. The volunteers will be placed in elementary schools and high schools in rural towns in Nakhon Phanom.
volunteer role
Classroom life in Thailand varies greatly between schools. Most volunteers will teach the majority of a school's students over the course of a week. Two or three classes a week with each grade level is a normal schedule, averaging about 12 to 16 classes total. Some schools will ask volunteers to teach out of a specific text book, and others will ask the volunteers to create their own curriculum. Classroom logistics also vary, with some volunteers having a set classroom and others requiring the volunteer to move between classrooms each period. Even the number of students in a class varies -- some classes have only 5 or 6 students, others have 35. While each individual school is quite consistent, placements shape the Thailand experience far more than most other WorldTeach programs.
Volunteers also engage in extracurricular activities appropriate to their grade levels. Most lead an English club or another optional class where they have more freedom to teach about subjects they or their students find interesting, such as English songs and dances. Volunteers with older students m
ay start a drama club while elementary teachers may focus on drawing pictures from English words.
Volunteers in Thailand will be eligible to receive WorldTeach TEFL certification. Please note that for all departures leaving on or after July 1, 2012, an additional $50 is required by volunteers to participate in the TEFL Certification program.
Placements & housing
Volunteers are provided housing by their schools. This usually takes the form of either a host family placement or teacher housing on the school grounds. Regardless of the type of housing, living in rural Thailand will be rustic. Bucket showers are the norm in Thailand, and many houses have a porch with a burner as the kitchen. Internet is usually available but some sites will not have access. Volunteers always have a room to themselves, but local people do not think anyone should live alone, so most volunteers share their housing.
Financial information
The current volunteer commitment is US$4990. This covers round-trip international airfare, health insurance, in-country orientation,transportation to your site, meals and housing during orientation and throughout your teaching service, and 24-hour field support. During the year, volunteers will receive a monthly living stipend of 5,000 Thai baht (roughly US$150). Many volunteers are able to successfully fundraise all or a significant portion of their volunteer commitment. Please refer to our fundraising guide for more information about fundraising possibilities. Additionally, please read more about costs and services.
requirements
- native-level English ability
- hold a bachelor's degree by the start of the program
- between the ages of 21 and 74
- highly flexible, mature, willing to live and learn in a different culture, genuine interest in teaching