Entering a New World of Learning Possibilities: Looking at English as a Foreign Language.

In the Philippines, most people consider English a second language and, at times, even a first language. English is also a medium of instruction in most Filipino classrooms. Hence, it is a completely new world to step inside a Thai classroom that teaches English as a foreign language. One important question that struck my mind: As a foreign teacher, how can you teach English in a classroom where most students’ first, second, or even third language is not English?

Therefore, it was much anticipated that Thai teachers inside the classroom would teach English in Thai and that English classrooms are teacher-centered. The teachers that I have observed employ textbooks as the primary tool for instruction. Interactive activities and student participation are infrequent during formal discussions. Then, the primary approach to language learning in the classroom were often memorization and routine readings which were somewhat effective in teaching foreign languages.

Oral-based activities and exercises featured in textbooks are staples in the classroom used to assess the proficiency of student's memorization, and reproduction of grammar structures and lists. From an outside perspective, the delivery of lessons using this kind of method is effective for Thai students because it enables them to grasp a substantial amount of information within a fleeting time—often less than an hour.

I’ll further elaborate on this. Go to the next part!