Chiang Mai University & TEFL

During the month of February, I was enrolled in a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course at the University of Chiang Mai in (you guessed it!) Chiang Mai, Thailand.  The TEFL certification is a popular one for those interested in teaching English abroad, though it is not an absolute requirement.  Because I was new to teaching, I was interested in enrolling in this course to gain a basic understanding for teaching English to speakers of other languages, as well as to begin my life as an ex-pat in Chiang Mai.

My TEFL class included English natives from all over the world, though I was the only American.  Everyone was from diverse professional backgrounds and had different goals in approaching teaching English, but we all quickly became friends, both inside the classroom and out.

TEFL Classmates & Professors

For the course, we had TEFL classes Monday through Friday with our professors, and then taught the English classes at the University's Language Institute in the afternoons and evenings three times each week. 

Our TEFL classes focused on the various techniques employed for teaching and learning a new language, lesson planning, and how to more clearly communicate using "teacher language" when managing a classroom.  

To assist the TEFL trainees with determining the age group that they would prefer to teach or work with in the future, CMU coordinated a "Young Learners" field trip to a local elementary school.  To say it was challenging is an understatement, but it gave us insight into a normal day in the life of a lower level English language teacher in a government school in Thailand.  

Making friends at the local school

It was a lot of fun to sing songs, play games, and shadow the elementary English teacher, but I don't know if I could have that much energy and enthusiasm in the classroom everyday - it was definitely exhausting!  The CMU Facebook page has more pictures from our trip.

Teaching at the Elementary School

Between the lesson planning for teaching English at CMU, studying and preparing for our own TEFL exams, and exploring Chiang Mai in general, the month flew by.  

Graduation Day with Richard, one of our TEFL professors

Before we knew it, we were wrapping up our time with our students and getting ready for our graduation from the course.  It was a great experience overall, and I will continue to keep in touch with my peers and professors from this course.

Me, Carol and Lozan (TEFL Trainees) with our CMU students

 The TEFL course at CMU also included a week-long Thai language course, which I will be taking the first week of April.  I think that learning Thai (or at least attempting) will allow me to reflect on my own teaching style developed from the CMU TEFL course, and will serve as a great reminder of the importance of patience, consistency and fun in the classroom.