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English Co-Teacher and Teacher Trainer

Peace
Corps

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COUNTRY
Thailand
REGION
Asia
SECTOR
Education
LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT
None

ACCEPTS COUPLES
Yes
POSITIONS AVAILABLE
7

APPLY BY
July 1, 2018
KNOW BY
Sept. 1, 2018
DEPART BY
Jan. 3, 2019

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Before You Apply

You can only have one active Peace Corps Volunteer application, so choose a
position that best fits your skills and interest. You have the opportunity to tell us if
you’d like to be considered for other openings and more about the ones that interest
you most! See application process

Project Description
The Teacher Empowerment for Student Success (TESS) project aims to build the capacity of
Thai English teachers through co-teaching, collaborative planning, and periodic teacher
training. Volunteers will work closely with 1-3 Thai English teachers, spending approximately
20 hours/week co-teaching at schools focusing on grades 1-6 in medium to small sized towns
or villages. The project focuses on incorporating participatory learning approaches and
encouraging the integration of TEFL techniques. Volunteers will be seen as school staff and
will work with their co-teachers to develop lessons and classroom resources.

While classroom teaching is the primary work of TESS Volunteers, they will occasionally
provide teacher training to other English teachers in neighboring communities. Experienced
teachers may be assigned to organize regular teacher trainings in coordination with other
Volunteers in their province. Volunteers will conduct community outreach activities aimed at
increasing parental engagement in their children’s study of English as well as support overall
English language learning in the community through teaching and tutoring interested
community members. In addition, Volunteers are encouraged to initiate projects identified as
needed by their students and communities. These may include clubs, camps, art or fitness
activities, or other community development projects.

All Volunteers who accept an invitation to serve as an English Co-Teacher and Trainer
Volunteer will participate in Peace Corps’ TEFL training program which allows them to earn a
Peace Corps TEFL Certificate upon successful completion of program requirements. This
program provides 120 hours of standardized training and practice teaching along with two
years of supervised teaching experience. The Certificate program is validated by the Center
for Applied Linguistics in Washington, DC. Those that earn the certificate will find it a
recognized credential for teaching both in the U.S. and abroad. Participation in this TEFL
Certificate is required for all English Co-teacher Volunteers; even those who already hold a
TEFL certificate will be required to participate.

Required Skills
Competitive candidates will have one or more of the following criteria:
• Master of Arts in Teaching in English, Teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL),
Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), English as a Second Language
(ESL), Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL), foreign language, or Applied Linguistics
• Master of Education with graduate or undergraduate concentration in English, TEFL, TESOL,
ESL, TESL, or foreign language
• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in Education with concentration in English,
TEFL, TESOL, ESL, TESL, or foreign language
• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any discipline with education state
certification in English, TEFL, TESOL, ESL, TESL, or foreign language
• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in English, TEFL, TESOL, ESL and TESL, or
foreign language with 6 months classroom teaching experience in English, TEFL, TESOL, ESL,
TESL, or foreign language
• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any discipline with classroom teaching
experience in English, TEFL, TESOL, ESL and TESL, or foreign language

Desired Skills
The most competitive candidates will have several years of classroom teaching experience at
the primary level, experience teaching English as a second language to any age, and/or a
degree in TESOL, TEFL, primary education, or related subject.

Required Language Skills

There are no pre-requisite language requirements for this position.

Additional Language Information

All Volunteers will be provided with comprehensive and intensive Thai language training during
their 10 weeks of Pre-Service Training (PST). Trainees will dedicate four hours a day, 5-6 days a
week to language learning as well as informal learning with host families and community
members. Trainees will be placed in a small language class of up to 4-5 trainees who are at a
similar language level to themselves for focused learning. The Peace Corps Thailand staff will
assign you to a language group at the beginning of PST taking your skills and knowledge in
your primary assignment area into consideration. Trainees must demonstrate intermediate
proficiency in Thai by the end of PST. Periodic language training is offered throughout your
Peace Corps service as well as tutoring as needed. Language learning is critical to your success
as a Volunteer as there will be very few English speakers in your community and speaking Thai
facilitates your successful integration. Showing that you are making an effort to learn the
language shows respect and goes a long way towards earning respect in your community.

Living Conditions

Nearly all Volunteer will be working and living in rural Thailand. Some communities will be
quite isolated and others closer to larger towns. All Volunteers live with a Thai host family
during Pre-Service Training (PST) and for the first month in their community after PST. After
the first month of service, Volunteers may rent a house on their own or continue living with a
host family, depending on what is locally available. Volunteers’ houses typically are small 3
room homes in a compound near other community members. Volunteers' housing conditions
will vary depending on the site and availability. Volunteers will live in communities where
electricity and indoor plumbing (bucket showers and squat toilets at a minimum) are available.
Drinking water must either be boiled or purchased but is readily available. Most towns have
internet cafes and schools and offices are very likely to have regular internet service.
Volunteers are strongly encouraged to bring a laptop to complete required assignments off-
line and upload them at a later date. While Volunteers may also complete the assignments
through local internet cafes or other access points, having a laptop will facilitate successful
participation in training. Please note that tablets and smart phones are not an effective
alternative.
 The primary mode of transport within and around communities is by bicycle. All invitees must
be willing and able to ride a bicycle for at least 3 miles in very hot conditions. Be aware that
some individuals will find the heat and humidity in Thailand to be a difficult adjustment,
especially during the first few months in country.

While it is possible to maintain a vegetarian diet, strict vegetarians may find it difficult to
maintain diets that don’t allow for flexibility, especially within some social contexts. The most
successful Volunteers are those who are flexible and open to accepting the culture where they
will be living.

Thais take great personal pride in appearances so dressing professionally as a Volunteer will
increase your effectiveness and credibility. Volunteers will be seen as a community leader and
role model for youth. Appropriate professional dress for men includes slacks, collared short-
sleeved shirts and neat shoes. For women, collared blouses, slacks and skirts or dresses
reaching below the knees are appropriate. Some schools where Volunteers work may prefer
skirts or dresses only be worn. Volunteers should understand that many Thai schools and
offices ask their staff to conform to certain norms of dress and appearance. For example, for
both men and women, often tattoos are required to be covered and body piercings besides in
the ear lobe must be removed. Also they may prefer that males not have long hair, beards, or
earrings. As one of Peace Corps Thailand’s core expectations is to respect Thai culture, it is
important that you are willing to learn about and follow the norms of your work place. You
may find that these norms differ from community to community so you will need to learn the
particulars of your work situation and adjust accordingly.

Thailand is known as "The Land of Smiles" and Thai people are generally patient, tolerant,
warm and friendly. Social norms promote harmony and the preservation of Thai values.
Importance is placed on hierarchy, status and position, and respect for those who are older or
have seniority. Concepts of time, punctuality, and communication styles may be different from
American cultural perspectives and norms but with patience and flexibility, Volunteers find
they are able to adjust and work successfully with their communities.

Regardless of where they live and work, as a foreigner in a small community, Volunteers will
get a lot of attention. This attention is often seen in both a positive and negative light. It is
usually the result of genuine and positive interest, but it can be taxing and challenging to
manage on a daily basis.

Learn more about the Volunteer experience inThailand: Get detailed information on culture,
communications, housing, and safety — including crime statistics [PDF] — in order to make a
well-informed decision about serving.

Medical Considerations in Thailand

Thailand may not be able to support Volunteers with the following medical conditions:
ongoing counseling.

The following medication(s) are not permitted for legal or cultural reasons: none identified.

Volunteers who should avoid the following food(s) may not be able to serve: gluten, peanuts
and shellfish.

After arrival in Thailand, Peace Corps provides and applicants are required to have an annual
flu shot, to take daily or weekly medication to prevent malaria, and to receive mandatory
immunizations.

Before you apply, please also review Medical Information for Applicants to learn about the
clearance process and other health conditions that are difficult to accommodate in Peace
Corps service.

Does this sound like the position for you?

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to these needs and to the Peace Corps’ mission.

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