Thailand Project background
2. Key features of the context
1. Description of the partners Lila* is a medium-sized independent language school situated in the centre of Liverpool. Prior to COVID, Lila* operated with an average of 18 teachers, which has been reduced to six permanent teachers at the time of writing. Primarily, Lila* operates as a school for General English and exam preparation classes for adults and as a CELTA teacher training centre. ETA Members of Thai TESOL Chair: Kenny Nomnian Thai TESOL is a non-profit organisation that was established to support and strengthen English language education in Thailand. They also promote networking with other ELT organisations both nationally and internationally. Thai TESOL members share the common goals of the association in enhancing the teaching and learning of English throughout the nation and disseminate academic information useful for ELT development. Thai TESOL was quite specific about the requirements of the teachers in terms of days, times, content, etc., and our initial suggested timetable and syllabus was amended to better suit the needs of the CPs enrolled.
The project’s primary aim is to raise the confidence of English teachers in using English within their classrooms, to ultimately improve the quality of English language lessons in the target country. To do this, it was determined that a combination of synchronous and asynchronous lessons would best make use of the time available. Thailand has a solid infrastructure surrounding the internet, with the majority of those surveyed reporting that they have a strong Wi-Fi connection and are comfortable using Zoom as a platform for the synchronous lessons. Target CPs Because of the large volumes wishing to attend the course, it was limited to teachers with a language level ranging from A2 to B1. On top of this, it was determined that those most in need of language development (i.e. those with least access to professional development, funding and resources) are those living in more remote and rural areas of the country. Finally, the teachers for whom a lack of linguistic skills has the greatest impact on their teaching and, therefore, their learners, are those teaching at a secondary level. Some reported having a lower language level than their own students.
Partnered Remote Language Improvement (PRELIM) project report
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