Jaap and Ineke Vermooten, Netherlands
jt.vermooten@tiscali.nl
We were very happy to have asked Volunthai to arrange our stay in rural North East Thailand, also called Isan-region. Our meeting in Bangkok with the organization was exactly on time, the meeting in Chaiyaphum with the family too and the next morning we met our host teacher. She turned out to be a very reliable and dedicated lady, who kept us under her surveillance, but only from the background and we felt very safe with her activities. Her school, the BanKwaoWittayayon school was very nice.
We focused on teaching pronunciation, which appears to be the main problem for Thailand: to communicate with the rest of the world in correctly pronounced English. The schoolbooks for English are excellent, the teachers are dedicated enough, the students are diligent enough but they never heard the right pronunciation, because most of the teachers have not heard it themselves during their study. So only when there will be a generation of teachers who had their study in an English speaking country they will solve this problem. Until that time we, as volunteers, have very much work to do. And that is a great pleasure, believe us!!!
We went to Thailand initially to teach in a high school, but after about a week there came phone calls from other schools which had heard that there were a couple of Europeans who were teaching pronunciation and they asked us to come and give lessons at their school as well. In the end we taught at one high school and 4 primary schools. The children there were without exception very gentle and sweet and we loved to teach them.
Our hosts were also very gentle people who took care of us as if we were a part of the family. They took us to a number of interesting events and we felt that the ‘real Thailand’ came closer and closer. In the Isan region there were no tourists at all, and we loved it.
Location: Kaset Sombun, Thailand
Elaine & Charlie Fettig, USA
efdaylily@comcast.net
My husband and I taught at NongKha Kurupracha Witaya School in Kaset Sombun for the month of Feb. 2010. There are 226 students in the school and we taught English to grades 1 to 6. My husband and I taught together, 2 classes a day, with about 12-14 kids in a class. But we also taught informally any time the kids gathered around us in our 'teacher lounge', and that was many times! At first we were unsure what to do because the teachers didn't know much English and the kids didn't speak much English, so we forged ahead using whatever we could find or make ourselves! We made our own bingo games and 'go fish' too, and used the flash cards, colored pencils, crayons and 2 Richard Scary books ("Best First Book Ever" and "Best Word Book Ever") we brought from home. It was interesting, fun, difficult, satisfying, frustrating, enjoyable and I WOULDN'T HAVE MISSED IT FOR THE WORLD! It was one of the best experiences of my life! Our personal experiences at school were great. The teachers were very friendly and the kids were adorable. On the last day, we received a lot of cards the kids made saying "I Love Teacher", as well as little gifts, mostly key chains, and they tied on the 'good luck' strings too.
The home stay was perfect for us. The house was old and very 'rustic' but we loved it because we had the whole second floor to ourselves and there was a 2nd story back porch that overlooked the pond and mountain..beautiful! (suai). We ate breakfast and dinner outside looking at that lovely view. Our hostess couldn't have been nicer! We enjoyed the Thai food she prepared
or bought (delicious: arroy or better to say sep in Issan). We enjoyed activities with her; we went to 2 weddings, a funeral and also went swimming at the pool at the 'farang' motel about 10 minutes away (especially fun when there were kids in the car with us singing 'Jingle Bells'!)
We think the kids learned some English, and also they became less shy. We were really happy when they would say things to us in English, like "teacher go home" when they saw us leaving at the end of the day. The only thing I don't miss about our stay are the sugar cane trucks going past the house in the night! But even that was part of the whole 'rich' experience.
John Wood, America
My homestay was in Tambol Sai O, a tiny rural township of 5,800 people. My school was the largest one in the area serving more than 800 students from kindergarten to high school. On the first day I was terrified and exhilarated. Would I adapt to the culture? Would the students accept me? How would I teach kids who don’t even understand English? What was to become the adventure of my life began. I was met at the bus stop by Yai, the school’s head English instructor, a pleasant young man who, despite his calm exterior, was perpetually stressed out and worried about his students’ studies and future. “Please, this way,” he said as he led me under the school’s enormous gateway entrance on my first day of school. Every uniformed student stopped, stared, and pointed at their new volunteer teacher from America. Smiling, I said, “Sa-wat-dee krup” and bowed with my palms pressed together in the common “wai” greeting that Ae’s family had drummed into me.
My typical day began at 7 with a morning wake-up serenade of dogs, roosters, tuk-tuks , scooter beeps, cling-clinging bicycles, laughing children, and Thai ballads played over the community loudspeaker. Although annoying at first, I gradually learned to accept the cacophony. By the time I left, I craved it. I still miss it to this day. At school, it was always the same mixture of delights and oddities: the sudden, bold “Hello!” from packs of girls, followed by giggling shrieks and the constant looking down, averted eyes, and wisecracks from the boys. Their school uniforms concealed their poverty. Walking into my first class of first-graders let me know what being a rock singer or superstar athlete must be like. The children literally bounced off walls with delight, surrounding me before, after, and sometimes during the lesson, and they shrieked when I gave them American coins or stickers after their games and lessons. After one week, one teacher began to use me as a disciplinary measure. (“If you’re good, Teacher John may visit you today.” YAAAY!!) I bought badminton equipment and started games after school for kids who had to wait several hours to be picked up. It became a huge hit. Soon a small army of them gathered every afternoon, waiting for me to arrive. My biggest joy was convincing the girls to finally join in (they wouldn’t at first, letting the boys play). By the time I left, the games were coed and hotly contested. My saddest moment was on my last day when the sweet boy who always fought to be my partner stuck his fingers through the school’s fence and asked me why I wasn’t playing that day, and I had to tell him I was leaving for America that evening.
Location: Khonburi - Nakhonratchasima, Thailand
Hi. I am Laurene, a French girl of 22 years old. I am teaching in the North-East of Thailand in Nakhonratchasima province, most commonly called Korat, in Khonburi (a small town, one hour and a half from the capital city by bus). I arrived at the beginning of July and I will go back to France at the end of September, so this is 3 months of teaching in Thailand for me.
My school, Khonburi School, is quite big with about 1800 students and 70 teachers. This is a secondary school (from mathayom 1 to mathayom 6) so students are between 12 and 18 years old. I teach about 3 classes per day, 5 days a week. There are about 30-45 students per class.
I love teaching at Khonburi School. The students are nice and respectful (most of them!). They always ‘wai’ me and say ‘Hello, good morning, good afternoon…’ when they see me. In class I teach them essentially listening and speaking because Thai English teachers teach them a lot of reading and writing already. They listen to conversations and answer questions, make conversation in front of the class, and play games divided in teams… They love games with competition. At the beginning students were shy to speak English with me but now everything is OK and they enjoy having classes with me. I learned some Thai words to use in class to make sure they understand what I say. At school teachers are warm and friendly with me. I have good laughs with them and they always help me when I need something. I have lunch with English teachers every day and some of them invite me to have dinner at their house.
I live with a Thai family whose house is 2 kilometers from the school. My family sends me to school every morning by car or motorcycle and a teacher sends me home after school. My family speaks some English, and they teach me some words of Thai, it is funny. I am like a member of their family. The mum cooks very good Thai food so I have already tried many things and I love Thai food. Moreover, Khonburi is a small city so I can find anything easily: internet coffee, supermarkets, markets … don’t worry about that!
During my free time, I visit Thailand, which is a very beautiful country, or I join Volunthai English camps. It is a good way to get to know other volunteers and Thai people in other parts of Thailand. At English camps it is very fun: we play games, sing songs and laugh a lot during two days. If you're lucky there will be a camp during your homestay.
Volunteering in Thailand is a wonderful and unforgettable experience! If you're thinking about volunteering with Volunthai in Thailand, don’t hesitate! Volunthai is a very good association and everything is well planned before you arrive there.
Laurene (laurene.couronne.35@gmail.com)
Location: Nongnakam, Thailand
My sister and I recently returned from teaching for 2 weeks at Nongnakamwitayakom in Northeastern Thailand and it was a truly fabulous experience! We stayed with a wonderful teacher, Suwatt, and were warmly embraced by all the teachers at our school.
Suwatt and his family live close to the school. They were wonderful hosts. Suwatt's wife, who we called "Mom", was the cook for the school and made the most delicious breakfasts and dinners for us. They also arranged for us to go on bike rides, play soccer with other teachers and students, play basketball with the kids, go visit silk and cotton fabrication in town, and took us on fun adventures during our weekend with them. Over the next weekend we went to an English Camp with other volunteers, which was fun, and during the down time Suwatt took us to Buddhist temples where we were able to talk to the Buddhist monks. Then we went to a market and Non Muang, an archaelogical dig site of an ancient village where they had recently discovered new bones. On Sunday we participated in a farewell ceremony and then set off for more adventures. We went to a gorgeous natural fountain where we had a picnic by the water, eating gai yan (roasted chicken), blaa (fish), som tom (papaya salad with baby shrimp, truly yum!), and delicious Thai desserts. After lunch, we went to a temple in a mountain and learned about Buddhist prayer, and then we went to the bat caves where we lounged around until dusk when millions of bats left the cave in spiralling lines, it was breathtaking.
We loved teaching English at Nongnakamwitayakom. The students were very respectful, always wai-ing and saying swatdikah when we approached. They greeted us eagerly when we came into class and were always attentive and participated in the activities. We started off reviewing body parts by singing Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes, quizzing them on spelling, and playing games. They really enjoyed when we didvided the class into teams and had them come up one at a time to write a body part on the whiteboard. The team with the most correctly labeled body parts won. Simon Says was another big hit. We enjoyed teaching together and taught around 4 classes during the day and everyday we taught Matayom 1/1 (the youngest kids in the school)afterschool for an hour. 1/1 was so smart and energetic, they caught on quickly to all the games and activities and we enjoyed getting to see them regularly. We also had fun doing Mad Libs as a class, playing games with questions, and singing songs. At the end of our two weeks we both wished we were able to stay longer with the kids.
Location: Italy
I and my wife Melanie (we're 27 and 22 years old, I am Italian and she is dual Japanese and US) spent nearly two months volunteering in Aranyaprathet, Sa Keow province, at Klongnamsai secondary school, near Cambodia. It was a middle-size, rural school with around 600 students, ranging from 10-years old to 18 years old.
Our experience was wonderful! Not only was the host family very nice (thanks a lot Mrs. Tui and Mr. Nolongchan!!) and treated us like two more members of their family, but all the school's teachers were so warm and nice towards us we were stunned!
And the children! They were the most rewarding element of the whole experience! They always greeted us with their "sawasdee-ka/krap and they always called us teachers! :) Teaching English through games was the most fun, and we must surely thank the English teachers of the school (especially Mrs. Ee and Ms. Nick) for their patience and help throughout!
All in all: a wonderful experience! Do yourself a favor and if you want to go volunteering in Thailand choose Volunthai for a safe, reliable placement!
Roberto and Melanie
P.S.
- Aranyaprathet is a border town, "plagued" by a lot of beggars and poor people. But everybody here is very nice and welcoming, something it will surely amaze you!
Location: Ireland
The school I was teaching in was 2 hours from Khon Kaen city, and was big...1800 students. Typically I taught around 20 hours per week and the students ranged in age between 12 and 18. It must have been quite difficult for them to get used to listening to an Irish girl who talks at 100kph - but eventually I learned how to poo cha cha (speak slower). I stayed with one of the teaching staff, Suwatt and his family, just a kilometre from the school. They provided me with a bike so I could cycle if I wished - which I did - every day, much to the amusement of the students who would fly past me in the morning on their scooters!
The students were quite shy at first, but once they got to see me make a fool I myself (which I did often) they became more confident. The staff were amazing, friendly and really treated my like royalty. I was never short of someone to go to lunch with and every weekend Waen (another English teacher in the school) would take me away to meet her extended family...in fact you could say I became part of her family. Living and volunteering in rural Thailand means you get to see the country as it really is. The people are warm and welcoming, their interest in you is sincere, the experiences are unforgettable, and you're not just another farang (foreigner).
I was able to experience some wonderful once-in-a-lifetime moments...I don't know any other farangs who have been invited to a Buddhist funeral or to sing karaoke at 11am on a Sunday morning after breakfast, or got to dress up as a Thai princess to be part of the parade for the Ceremony of Lights (see pic). I also had dinner with some of my student's families and was taken out to a rice farm to get a closer look at the paddy fields. I even tried my hand at picking some rice myself - but I think they'd agree I should stick to my day job!
I can't deny it was tough at times, like sometimes when I couldn't get a point across and the students stared at me blankly, but then there were the times when we played charades or hangman, or I tried to sing or dance and we'd all have a good laugh. Great memories indeed!
Location: Ban Nongkha, Thailand
Teaching at Ban Nongkha school
Rob van den Bosch, The Netherlands
On the 10th of July I left from Bangkok to Chaiyaphum. Volunthai staffer Oom picked me up from the bus station. The first day she gave me some basic training in speaking Thai and how to deal with the children. The next day the director of Nongkha school picked me up and we went to my homestay. There was a nice room and also another volunteer present so he taught me some things about the culture of the Thai people. The next day we went to our school, 1 kilometer from my homestay, and I began teaching. My schedule was: 4 lessons per day and teaching kids from 12-17 years old. Also I brought some materials with me from The Netherlands, games and stuff, that were helpful. During the 7 weeks I was there we did some grammar training, learned about telling the time, the days of the week, and especially worked on pronunciation. Thai children are really great and they were very enthusiastic and eager to learn. My stay was much too short, but now I have a good idea about living and teaching in rural Thailand.
Many thanks to Oom and Volunthai for their great support!
Cheers, Robbie
Location: Southern California, USA
Sa wat dee kah friends! I recently volunteered at Prangku Junior High School in Si Saket for 5 weeks. Prangku is a large school with around 2000 students ages 12-18. I taught 3 or 4 different classes every day. This was one of the most challenging and wonderful experiences I've ever had! Being the only Westerner living in this small village, I was truly able to embrace Thai culture. I even picked up a bit of the language rather quickly! I was completely out of my comfort zone and it was strange and wonderful. The food and the people are incredible, and I strongly suggest getting involved with after school programs. I played soccer with the kids after class and hung out with the Ponglang (traditional Northeastern music) band at their practices. I even performed in a local parade (see my pic)! The kids just love having a foreigner around and although they seem shy at first, they will take a liking to you quickly. Thailand is a beautiful and amazing country with so much to learn and explore. I can't wait to go back again one day! Email me with any questions you might have: andreamesposito@gmail.com. Cheers, Andrea :)
