Analysis of motivation of expatriate English teachers in Thailand

**j634** · 3rd July 2012 11:41

Hi all,

I am in the final stages of completing my MATEFL course and would like to enlist your assistance with this questionnaire. If you would like to participate the link is - Expat Motivation click on the name of the survey and it will be launched. The total completion should be less than 20 minutes.

The purpose of this questionnaire is to identify some of the factors that influence, motivate, and empower expatriate English language teachers in Thailand.

The questionnaire concerns both job satisfaction and career satisfaction. There is no known risk associated with participation in this research.

Participation is entirely voluntary. Data from the questionnaire will be anonymous. Names of participants will not be connected to questionnaire information.

This is not an evaluation of any language teaching program, and the identity of the program in which you work will not be connected to the data.

You are eligible to participate if you are currently or have provided direct instruction to learners of English as a second or foreign language, either full or part time, at any institution or in any language program.

If you are interested in finding out the results of this questionnaire it will be posted at Expat Motivation

Thank you all for your help,

James

**THX 1133** · 3rd July 2012 12:33

Your survey is flawed and wouldn't allow me to proceed past the 14 questions, which by the way listed #4 as disagree not agree.

**Thaitanium** · 3rd July 2012 13:06

You'll most likely not get much in the way of truthful data from any such survey of English teaching expats in Thailand...what you will get is a bunch of useless posturing from those unwilling to state the true reasons for their being here and teaching English...

That said you're not looking for the truth are you...you're looking for the posturing as that's what your course requires of you...

Regardless of what people may say...be assured that there is little to no teaching of English going on in Thailand...just a lot of posturing...I spend time in a classroom every day with 2nd, 3rd and 4th year English education majors at an average University in Thailand and I can tell you that these students may have been in English classrooms for the better part of their lives but there's evidently no actual English learning going on in those classrooms...

So, with that said it stands to reason that the motivation of your average TEFLer is not job satisfaction...unless that average TEFLer has an outstanding ability to delude him/herself...

That leaves money...

...uh no...although one can earn a decent standard of living within Thailand...but the money earned within Thailand cannot seriously be compared to other places...

sex...this is probably it for the majority...it's usually the one aspect that will rarely be admitted to that is the most compelling aspect...

lifestyle...this is probably a close second...

For me it's a winning combination of sex and lifestyle...also as I think it may be felt with others...It's not so much a motivation to be here so much as motivation to not be "there"...

So, for me, no, there's no motivation to teach English here in Thailand, but unfortunately it's one of very few avenues left open to me if I want to stay here...I have no delusions about what I'm doing here and I'm ok with it...I'll continue to enter the classroom at the appointed time and give the majority what they expect...and for the less than 5% who are actually teachable?...well I'll spend whatever motivational energies I can muster on them...

**The Perfect Present** · 3rd July 2012 13:12

4 words.

cheap

juicy

Asian

hoes.

**Bubba** · 3rd July 2012 13:43

Couldn't get past the 14 questions.

**The Perfect Present** · 3rd July 2012 13:57

^ I both:

1 = strongly disagree

and

4 = strongly disagree

with that.

**Guy Mandude** · 3rd July 2012 14:16

Originally Posted by Thaitanium

no actual English learning

Hallelujah! You used the word 'learning' instead of teaching. Thank you.

**The Perfect Present** · 3rd July 2012 14:21

^ There's a riddle to be made out of that.

Something along the lines of 'What sound does a falling tree make, if no one is there to hear it?'

'What does a Thai TEFLer teach, if no one there can bother to think outside of Somtam and Doraemon?' or sum-it.

**Guy Mandude** · 3rd July 2012 14:45

Originally Posted by The Perfect Present

f no one there can bother to think outside of Somtam and Doraemon?

I try to understand Thai culture and people. Despite the superficialities of Thai lifestyle, I think I can learn something from everyone - that's how I set out each morning.

I'm tired of grumpy-faced Westerners; I don't want to be part of that club. In my own life, there were few teachers who truly impacted me, so I don't take myself too seriously on the job and enjoy a relatively stress-free life. I have connected to a few students and enjoy the give-and-take nature of working and learning with teenagers.

**j634** · 3rd July 2012 15:04

Thanks for the feedback. I have corrected the problem that would not allow you to move onto the next question group. Sorry for the problem.

The responses about this have been interesting and I have enjoyed reading them.

---Update---

I also corrected the choice 1 and 4 problem.

**The Perfect Present** · 3rd July 2012 15:10

Originally Posted by Guy Mandude

I have connected to a few students and enjoy the give-and-take nature of working and learning with teenagers.

Careful sir, you could be locked up.

**vallient** · 3rd July 2012 15:51

Yeah, sorry it's the sex and the lifestyle. Mainly, that for most expats it's a lifestyle that involves them getting to have sex.

**meand** · 3rd July 2012 16:48

Whatever does motivate people could almost be of no consequence in many situations. There could potentially be people totally unmotivated and only showing up for a paycheck for 35k, and literally be some of the best teachers in bangkok for 90k. Anyway, however rele/irrelevant, that is my comment.

**markle** · 3rd July 2012 19:32

Originally Posted by Thaitanium

You'll most likely not get much in the way of truthful datable blah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahvblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blah fucking blah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blah blah blah .

do the survey or don't do the survey just spare us bs pleeeeease