Anyone else going to be there? I'm just going to be beach bummin' it for a couple weeks before I start a CELTA course to teach English in Thailand, and would love to know some people to meet up with! I'm a very laid back Californian, just wanna chill and have some fun....diving, drinking, and general shenanigans :p
Give me a shout if you want to meet up.....
Brent
Make the most of the beach time, because after that it's a month of very hard work!
Where are you taking your CELTA?
That's the idea Dom! Haha. I'm trying to get into IH in either Bangkok or Chiang Mai; I should know by the end of the week which one. I've been reading up on IH, and I'm well aware how much of a challenge it'll be... But I'm ready to work, and work hard! I have both a bachelor's and a master's degree, as well as having done an exchange program in Cambridge, England during undergrad. In the last two years, I've opened two restaurants in the LA area from the ground up, so working 16 hours a day for two months straight has prepared me well for long hours and challenging work.
B
I did mine at IH in Chiang Mai, last November. It's a really good set-up there, with excellent tutors, and a nice resort too.
Good luck!
Nice! I'm really looking forward to it...anything you wish you knew beforehand?
Are you still in Chiang Mai, or have you moved onwards?
B
I'm teaching in Taiwan. Better money than Thailand!
One tip for the course is to get written assignments 2 and 3 out of the way as soon as you are set them. I got them both done during the second weekend. That frees up a lot of time in week 3 for lesson planning, and believe me you will be grateful for that extra time :-)
If you get a place on the course at IH Chiang Mai, be aware that the resort is a long way out of town. I rented a motorcycle for a month (for about 2,500 baht), which was really useful because I could come and go when I pleased in the evenings, or even to the 7-11, without having to rely on the expensive resort taxi service.
Well done! I thought I'd give thailand a shot, and work my way around SE Asia from there....I'm hoping to one day land in Australia and own a scuba diving charter business, but I've got a ways to go before then! :)
I've heard that getting those assignments out of the way early is the wise choice...what are they, exactly? Essays? Lesson plans?
I looked up where the course is being offered, and you're right...it's wayyyy out of town! So thanks for the motorbike tip. Any recs on which place to rent from?
Also, on the rare evening I get to let loose, what parts of town are best for meeting people, hanging out, etc etc?
B
Where are you from, by the way?
What was the demographic breakdown of your class? Class size?
The 4 assignments are basically 1,000 word essays, IN ADDITION to your lesson planning. The first one - grammar analysis - is the hardest, and the last one is the easiest. The grammar analysis took me more than 8 hours, and some people worked on it for more than 11 hours! You will need to refer to the books on the reading list; a few copies are available on site but it's easier to have your own.
Rent a motorcycle from Mr Mechanic. They have 3 branches in Chiang Mai old city. I recently wrote an in-depth report about motorcycling in northern Thailand, lots of info you may need can be found here.
There are two classes, of slightly differing ability levels, at IH Chiang Mai. Aged 14-60, male and female, variety of backgrounds. You'll teach each class for 2 weeks (4 classes with each group, consisting of 3x40 minute classes and 1x60 minute class).
I'm from England, there was a mix of people on my course from the UK, US and Australia .... hope you get a group as good as mine, we gelled really well.
In Chiang Mai, popular backpacker hangouts include the bars and guesthouses inside the SE corner of the moat, also near Moon Muang Soi 7 (UN Irish Bar and others). Also the Rooftop Bar, near Tha Phae Gate, is a popular hangout.
Good luck, let me know if you have any further questions!
Cheers