Post
Thailand
Required Skills
Competitive candidates will have one or more of the following criteria:
• Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) 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 (M.Ed.) with graduate or undergraduate concentration in English, TEFL, TESOL, ESL, TESL, or foreign language
• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary Education with concentration in English, TEFL, TESOL, ESL, TESL, or foreign language
• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any discipline with secondary 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 at the secondary level in English, TEFL, TESOL, ESL, TESL, or foreign language
• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any discipline with classroom teaching experience at the secondary level in English, TEFL, TESOL, ESL and TESL, or foreign language
Desired Skills
• Masters of Arts/Science 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 or higher
• Experience or an interest in curriculum and resource development
• Classroom teaching experience, tutoring experience, and/or teacher training experience
Living Conditions
Nearly all Volunteers will be working and living in rural Thailand, located in all provinces except the southernmost four. During Pre-Service Training (PST), Trainees will stay with Thai host families identified by Peace Corps staff. Once at their two-year assignment, Volunteers will live in one of the villages in their assigned municipality. Volunteers will live with a host family for a minimum of 3 months, and situation dependent, might live independently. All Volunteer housing must meet Peace Corps’ safety and security requirements.
Volunteers typically live in a basic single house, school dormitory, two-floor house, or one-story house. The bathroom may have a squat toilet and a cold-water shower. The kitchen area is usually partially open-air. Volunteers who stay with host families have their own bedrooms and share common space in the house. All Volunteers in Thailand have electricity and some form of running water. While it is possible to maintain a vegetarian diet, strict vegetarians or vegans may find it difficult to maintain diets that don’t allow for flexibility, especially within some social contexts.
Most towns have internet available at schools and offices. Volunteers are strongly encouraged to bring a laptop to carry out reporting requirements.
While Peace Corps prohibits you from driving vehicles and riding on motorcycles, you can use a bicycle or travel by car. Public transportation is sometimes inconsistent, so you will need to be patient and flexible. All invitees must be willing and able to ride a bicycle for at least six miles in very hot conditions. Trainees will be provided a bicycle for the entirety of their service. Be aware that some individuals will find the heat and humidity in Thailand to be a difficult adjustment.
Thais take great personal pride in appearance so dressing professionally as a Volunteer will increase your effectiveness and credibility. Appropriate professional dress at school for men includes slacks, collared short-sleeved shirts and clean neat shoes. For women, collared blouses, slacks, and skirts or dresses reaching below the knees are appropriate. Some schools where Volunteers work may only prefer skirts or dresses be worn.
Volunteers should understand that many Thai schools and offices ask their staff to conform to certain norms of dress and appearance, and it is often gendered. For both men and women, tattoos are often required to be covered and body piercings, excluding the earlobe, may need to 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 workplace. 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.
Volunteers who are of an American racial, ethnic, or national minority or whose religious or spiritual beliefs differ from the majority of their country of service may find they experience a high degree of curiosity or unwanted attention from host country nationals. While this is usually based in ignorance rather than malice, it can be taxing and frustrating. During Pre-Service Training (PST) and well into your two years of training, multiple sessions will be held to discuss safety, security, how you can stay safe, find common ground with people different from you, and serve as an ally for your peers and community members.
Language Requirement
None
Language Skills Additional Information
All Volunteers will be provided with comprehensive and intensive Thai language training during their 10.5 weeks of Pre-Service Training (PST). Trainees will dedicate 4 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 5-6 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. 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 goes a long way towards earning respect in your community.
Primary Sector
Education
Accepts Couples
Yes
Couples Comments
Peace Corps Thailand can accommodate couples teaching the same or different subjects. Therefore, your partner must apply and qualify for one of the following positions:
• English Co-Teacher
• English Co-Teacher and Teacher Trainer
• Youth in Development Volunteer
Couples live and serve together throughout their service. This includes living with a host family during the 10.5-week Pre-Service Training, as well as a Host Family in a village for the 2 years of service with the possibility of independent housing after 3 months. Housing requirements stipulated by Peace Corps for couples are the same as those for single Volunteers because it would be unusual to find houses that are much larger than the standard small house.
The Peace Corps works to foster safe and productive assignments for same-sex couples, and same-sex couples are not placed in countries where homosexual acts are criminalized. Because of this, same-sex couple placements are more limited than heterosexual couple placements. During the application process Recruiters and Placement Officers work closely with same-sex couple applicants to understand current placement opportunities.
Up to five couples:
• 1 TESS couple (Can be same sex)
• 3 YinD couple (can be same sex)
• 1 Cross Sector (can be same sex)
Language Requirements Information
There are no pre-requisite language requirements for this position.
Country
Thailand
Assignment Length (months)
24
Accepting Applications?
No
Program
PCV
TEFL certificate program
No
Post to LinkedIn?
No