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Types of Teaching Jobs
Chiang Mai has a large foreign community, people from all over
the world—France, Germany, England, Japan, Korea, Australia,
Canada, and the United States of American—who are working and
living in this great city.
Both trained and untrained teachers are in demand at the city of
Chiang Mai where the competition for work is less, compared to
Bangkok. Many schools would accept teachers without a recognized
certificate and often without a degree, but to secure a job at
the more reputable and better paid schools the two
qualifications are a must.
A Bachelors degree in any subject is considered basic criterion
for recruitment in most of the private language schools. A TESOL
certification further opens access to higher quality jobs.
To get a work permit, the Thai manpower department will also
demand the proof of a degree (or equivalent), but in reality not
many positions here offer full time contracts with work permit,
preferring the convenience of a larger staff of part-time
teachers. Most teachers here thus occupy several positions
simultaneously.
Hints for landing an English teaching
job in Chiang Mai
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Look and act professional, arrive with
all your documents ready, and be dressed for a possible
immediate interview.
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Thais are sticky about appearance,
dress conservatively, wearing a tie or conservative skirt.
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If you don't have a TEFL certificate,
then show some proof of previous teaching experience.
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Bring a CV (of relevant experience
only), copy of your degree/tertiary diploma (this is
considered a pre-requisite for permanent positions).
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Be genuine with your intentions to stay
in Chiang Mai for a reasonable time.
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Be flexible, often openings are for
part-time weekend staff.
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While there are some fulltime
positions, most are part-time and newcomers on the scene
can expect to spend some time juggling part-time jobs
while waiting for a fulltime one to become available.
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The teachers on lookout for job are suggested
to visit every language school in town and leave a copy of their
CV with them, besides proactive campaigning of their job needs.
Regular follow-up yields best result with the employers.
Thai culture is built on the principle of
sanoook, or fun and woe betide the teacher who is deemed serious
or labeled boring. Chiang Mai to any perspective teachers is an
inspiring choice as Thai learners are enthusiastic and polite
and a great introduction to a TEFL career.
Teaching Thai students is ideally fun and rewarding experience.
Female teachers by the virtue of their controlling ability are
preferred for younger students. The majority of students are
teens, though some schools also have outside contracts for
corporate evening work. Considerable command over Thai language
comes handy while giving instruction and drilling. Ability to
entertain is the best quality a teacher should have while
working in Thailand, because students are prone to get bored
very easily and seek for fun. It is necessary for the lessons to
be interactive and game based. High educational results are
impossible to reach without imposing the play conception.
A teacher’s role can vary from teaching elementary pupils colors
and numbers to conducting debates on political issues with
advanced students. However, the fun and enjoyment factor is
constant across all the batches.
A full-time teaching position in the English Department of the
Prince Royal’s College for instance, would ask for a Bachelor
degree. The work week here is from Monday – Friday, 7:30 to
17:00, and occasionally a Saturday for a special activity.
Teachers are supposed to teach between 16 to 22 contact hours
per week with the remainder of the time split between office
hours, meetings, tutoring, and training.
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