English Language Teaching in Thailand

The purpose of this program is to give students professional training in teaching English to foreign language college students while surrounded by an amazing culture, breathtaking scenery, and incredible food. For six weeks, students will be visiting instructors at Ubon Ratchathani University (UBU). They will receive limited survival Thai language and culture classes in the first week of the program. In subsequent weeks, students will work together to prepare lesson plans, activities, and assessments for two hours of ESL instruction a day, Monday through Thursday, for motivated university students, and will observe additional classmate instruction. BYU students will receive direct instruction and support in all teaching endeavors and will emerge as competent English language instructors capable of creating lesson plans on nearly any topic (not just English) which will serve them in any career or life situation involving teaching, whether that’s a classroom, a boardroom, a living room or a C-suite. Students will complete six credit hours of TESOL courses, which make up one-third of all coursework needed for a professional TESOL certificate (offered through BYU) that qualifies individuals to teach English all over the world.

During our six-week stay, we will additionally visit regional and national areas of interest to better understand cultural perspectives on learning and knowledge. This includes an elephant preserve in Chiang Mai, a forest monastery, a unique glow-in-the-dark temple, and the world’s largest Buddhist candle celebration. We will tour other English language programs in the area, visit famous night markets, and feed giant turtles and hippos in the Ubon Ratchathani zoo. Students will also have opportunities for additional local exploration on many weeknights and some weekends. Undergraduates (and graduates) from any department are encouraged to apply. Previous experience teaching English as a second language is a plus (maybe you did this as a missionary) but not necessary for this program. Similarly, no knowledge of the Thai language is necessary.

More information can be found at ling.byu.edu/tesol-in-thailand.

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