BGU TET

Thailand English Teaching Programme 2015 -2016 New placement opportunities for English Language Assistants: The British Council and the Ministry of Education in Thailand are once again running the ‘Thailand English Teaching Programme’ in 2015 to help improve the English language skills of children in Thai schools and develop cultural links between Thailand and the UK. This is a great opportunity for students and recent graduates from participating Universities in the UK to come to Thailand for placements in schools and colleges in order to gain valuable work and life experience and learn about the unique culture of Thailand.

The Thailand English Teaching (TET) Programme now runs throughout the autumn/winter periods and places students on assignments as ‘English Teaching Assistants’ or ‘ETAs’ all around the country.

New placement opportunities for English Language Assistants: The British Council and the Ministry of Education in Thailand are once again running the ‘Thailand English Teaching Programme’ in 2015 to help improve the English language skills of children in Thai schools and develop cultural links between Thailand and the UK. This is a great opportunity for students and recent graduates from participating Universities in the UK to come to Thailand for placements in schools and colleges in order to gain valuable work and life experience and learn about the unique culture of Thailand.

The Thailand English Teaching (TET) Programme now runs throughout autumn/winter periods and places students on assignments as ‘English Teaching Assistants’ or ‘ETAs’ all around the country.

Role of English Teaching Assistants As an ETA in Thailand, students will work with Thai teachers to: • support the development of English in the classroom •

contribute to extra-curricular programmes and school and community life

•

enhance Thai students’ understanding of the UK

•

help increase student interest in studying English

•

help Thai teachers to develop their own English language skills

What do students need to bring to the TET Programme?

Students are not required to have any teaching qualifications, but should have an interest in languages and excellent English language and interpersonal communication skills.

To join the programme, they will need to be adaptable, flexible and determined. Individuals will need to come to terms quickly with a different culture and overcome the challenges of living and working in an unfamiliar environment where English is not always widely spoken.

Training The British Council’s Starting Teaching online teacher training course will introduce students to English language teaching and offer practical ideas for use in the classroom. It is a compulsory element to the TET programme and must be completed by all ETAs prior to travelling to Thailand. In addition, face-to-face sessions in the UK and Thailand will provide support so that students can start out with confidence when they step into a Thai classroom.

What will students gain from TET? They will: Learn first hand about Thailand’s unique and fascinating peoples and cultures Develop English teaching skills and gain valuable international work experience Enhance their employability in the UK and overseas

What is included in the TET Programme?

The TET Programme package provides: Pre-departure briefing and Training Exclusive and full access to the online, trainer-moderated English Language Teacher Training course, ‘Starting Teaching’ One-day face-to-face training in the UK and Thailand Resources and materials and online classroom support during placement Full day TET Programme pre-departure briefing and training at one of 5 locations in the UK Full day orientation event held on arrival in Bangkok before travelling to placement [Venues and dates to be confirmed] Welfare Support Welfare support from British Council Thailand’s Welfare Team for the duration of placements in Thailand Orientation Programme 1-day orientation programme in Bangkok Airport pick-up at start and end of the programme Accommodation in Bangkok for the orientation programme and farewell reception Transportation from Bangkok to placements and back to Bangkok at the end School Placement A Thai mentor teacher will support and guide students during their placement at the school Accommodation at or near student’s school for the duration of their placement Transportation to school, where required, and lunch at school on working days.

An allowance of 10,000 Thai Baht per full month of work completed, on a pro-rata basis, payable at the end of each calendar month – e.g. 20,000 Thai Baht payable in instalments at the end of each calendar month.

What does it cost?

Students will need to cover costs as follows: TET Programme placement fee as follows: 4-month placements - £250 Return airfares UK-Thailand-UK Thai visa and related travel costs Criminal record background check and related costs Travel and medical insurance Any vaccinations recommended by applicant’s GP Travel to a UK pre-departure briefing and training session Personal expenses for the first month of the placement in Thailand Eligibility criteria Students are eligible for selection if they meet ALL the criteria below: Currently a student or recent graduate (2013 onwards) from a participating UK university A native speaker of English or They hold an IELTS certificate band 7.0 or higher 18 years old or over at the time of application In good overall health and have no medical condition that would seriously affect their ability to carry out this role Available for the full period of the placement type for which they have applied Hold a UK, Irish or other EU passport Are able to apply for a Thai visa at a Thai Embassy or Consulate in the UK or Ireland Successful applicants will also need to complete the British Council online course, Starting Teaching prior to arriving in Thailand.

For more information about the TET 2015 programme, visit our website at: http://www.britishcouncil.or.th/en/teach/our-work/language-assistants-thailand

Declarations

Criminal convictions All applicants must declare any criminal convictions that they possess when applying for a place on the TET Programme. Due to Thai visa regulations and Thai laws governing the appointment of foreign teachers in Thai state schools, we will not be able to offer a place on the TET programme to anyone with criminal convictions, regardless of their nature.

Anyone not declaring a criminal conviction at the time of application, that is later revealed through the issuing of a DBS certificate, and has therefore knowingly withheld such information, will be deemed immediately ineligible to join the programme.

Factors affecting the applicant’s ability to carry out the role The applicant must declare any factors which may affect their ability to live independently abroad and perform their contractual duties, such as a disability, medical condition, special dietary requirements, or a combination of any of these.

Please refer to the British Council equal opportunities and diversity policy Child protection Applicants must declare that they have never been convicted nor had any criminal proceedings brought against them, nor have they been warned either verbally or in writing, in relation to offences involving children or vulnerable people. They must also declare that there are no such proceedings pending against them at the date of the declaration. There should be no reason why they should be considered unsuitable for work with children or other vulnerable people.

Applicants need to declare their awareness of the requirement to obtain a full Disclosure and Barring Service (DSB) check if successful in their application to join the Thailand English Teaching Programme.

Application process for autumn placements 1. Applicants must first register to the TET Programme in order to complete an online application form. The

TET 2015 autumn programme will be open for applications from November 11th, 2014 to April 30th, 2015.

2. References will be requested by the British Council from all applicants’ nominated academic referee at

the time of their application 3. After the application deadline has passed on April 30th, 2015, applications will be sent to their university

representative for screening and selection process.

4. Universities will send their selected candidates, those for placement on a reserve candidates’ list and

those they wish to reject, to the British Council TET team by May 15th, 2015.

5. Provisional offers of placements will be sent to successful applicants and offers for placement on a

reserve list for those selected for the reserve list on May 30th, 2015.

6. Unsuccessful candidates will be notified on May 29th, 2015.

7. Information on placement, school and accommodation, together with an acceptance form will be sent to each successful candidate on June 7th, 2015.

8. Successful candidates will be required to complete the second part of the application form to supply passport details for visa processing by June 26th, 2015.

9. Successful candidates will be required to apply for DBS certificate and supply British Council with the

certified copies of three forms of ID documents as per DBS certificate processing requirements by July 30th 2015.

10. Upon receipt of acceptance form and registration fee for online TET English language teacher training package, via online payment transaction, British Council will confirm the placement and issue joining instructions and official TET programme documentation to the successful candidate.

11. ETAs will be required to obtain a Thai visa to allow them to work on the TET programme in Thailand.

Visas must be applied for and issued to ETAs by August 31st, 2015, by which time all ETAs must have informed the British Council of their visa number.

12. Newly placed ETAs will be required to purchase travel and medical insurance and inform British Council

of details by September 30th, 2015.

13. ETAs will need to confirm details of flights to Thailand by September 30th, 2015.

14. When all of the above is completed, ETAs will be issued with an agreement between the Thai host school and the ETA. Once signed, this will form an official confirmation of their eligibility to join the programme.

British Council Equal Opportunities and Diversity Policy The British Council creates international opportunities for the people of the UK and other countries and builds trust between them worldwide. Working effectively with diversity is an essential part of the British Council’s work.

We are committed to ensuring that there is no unjustified discrimination in the recruitment, retention, training and development of staff on the basis of age, disability, gender including transgender, HIV/AIDS status, marital status including civil partnerships, pregnancy and maternity, political opinion, race/ethnicity, religion and belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, spent convictions, trade union activity or membership, work pattern and on the basis of having or not having dependents or any non-relevant grounds.

We aim to abide by and promote equality legislation by following both the letter and the spirit to try to avoid unjustified discrimination, recognising that discrimination is a barrier to equality of opportunity, inclusion and human rights.

All staff are required to ensure their behaviour is consistent with this policy. We also require that clients, customers, partners and suppliers are aware of this policy and operate consistently with it.

The British Council is committed to a policy of equal opportunity and is keen to reflect the diversity of UK society at every level within the organisation and our projects. We welcome applications for the TET Programme from all sections of the community. In line with the British Council's Child Protection policy, any appointment is contingent on thorough checks. In the UK, and in other countries where appropriate systems exist, these include criminal records checks.

We are committed to employing disabled people.