The Department of English
Faculty of Liberal Arts
Thammasat University
Rangsit Campus
Information for Applicants/FAQ
Formal qualifications and experience requirements
In order to be eligible for consideration, we require that you have all the
following qualifications and experience:
- English native speakers or native speaker competence
(See FAQ for further explanation) - Applications from Thai nationals will NOT be accepted for foreign
instructor positions - Bachelor’s degree or above
- A TEFL certificate or 2 years college teaching experience
- Not more than 59 years of age at the time of application
(See FAQ for further explanation)
Application Procedure
An applicant should prepare the following documents:
- An application form(obtainable from the website: http://www.tuenglish.org
or http://www.english.arts.tu.ac.th) - A curriculum vitae
- A current passport size photo
- Copies of transcript(s) and degree certificate (s)
- Two letters of reference, including telephone number and e-mail of each
referee
Submit all of them to the department either by post or in person.
(Note: We do not accept applications by e-mail, so please do not send them
-see FAQ. We cannot process the application without receiving ALL the required
documents.)
The administrative address is: Miss Kannika Meesak
Administrative Office
Faculty of Liberal Arts
Thammasat University (Rangsit)
99 Moo 18 Klong 1 Klong Luang
Pathumthani 12120, Thailand
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PLEASE NOTE: Although we are happy to deal with e-mail enquiries,
the actual application and copies of the relevant documents must be in hard copy
(on paper).
E-mail enquiries may be sent to Mr. Martin Perenchio at tuengjob@gmail.com.
We are unable to acknowledge receipt of applications.
The Department of English has a commitment to maintain the highest academic
standards and respect the duty of care which we owe our students. In order to do
this, applicants should note that we shall confirm the validity of qualifications
submitted with the issuing institution of each qualification. Contracts will be
terminated immediately if any qualifications are subsequently found to be
invalid, incorrect, or fraudulent.
Applicant Test and Interview
Each applicant is required to take a straightforward test of their English skills,
followed by teaching demonstration and interview.
Written test (1 hour)
Teaching demonstration (30 mins.) Please note, this is intended to be
a skill-based sample lesson pitched at around the 3rd year undergraduate
level. Teaching of a simple grammar point would not therefore be
appropriate. In addition, the point is for the interview panel to view
a sample of your actual teaching, rather than a commentary on what you
would teach. In other words, pretend the panel are your students for
the purposes of the teaching demonstration. Purpose of the lesson,
teaching strategies and similar points can be discussed after your lesson
concludes.Interview (30 mins.)
Test Results
Each applicant will be informed of the screening results about three weeks after
he/she has taken the screening tests.
The Contract
The initial contract is one year. After satisfactory completion of this contract,
the instructor will be offered a further one or two-year contract, depending on
performance during the previous contract.
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Teaching Load
The basic teaching hours required by the contract are only 12 hours per week.
However, overtime is paid for any teaching over 10 hours per week. This leaves
plenty of time for additional teaching to generate further income. Instructors are
appointed to work fulltime, from 8 am to 4.30 pm Monday to Friday. Other than
teaching, the instructors may be assigned to perform other duties, such as making
up tests for organizations that have asked for our services, interviewing
candidates applying for teaching positions in our department, organizing English
Club activities, developing instructional materials of various types, and
proofreading papers and exams.
Basic Income
- Starting salary 20,780 Baht/month
- Accommodation allowance 8,000 Baht/month
- Overtime pay 2,400 Baht/month
(for teaching over 10 hours per week) - Top-up budget 5,000 Baht/month
- A one-month bonus after a one-year- contract
or a two-month bonus after a two-year-contract
Thus, including overtime, each foreign instructor in the department will receive
at least 36,180 Baht per month, not including the bonus or additional income
described below.
Additional Income
The Department of English and other departments at Thammasat University offer
numerous additional courses which are paid at around 900-1,500 Baht per hour.
It is therefore not uncommon for instructors to earn a total income in the region
of 30,000-50,000 Baht per month, depending on the available courses, the teacher
performance and willingness to work flexible hours.
Instructors who volunteer to teach any of those classes will be chosen on
a rotation and teaching performance basis.
In addition, a gratuity of one-month basic salary is paid on successful completion
of the contract.
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Health Insurance
The Department of English provides foreign instructors with a comprehensive
health insurance package, at no cost to the instructor. For administrative reasons
this does not begin until after successful completion of a three-month
probationary period.
Accommodation
Many foreign instructors prefer to find their own accommodation in the
numerous different areas of Bangkok which are interesting and pleasant places to
live in, depending on their personal preference. However, should instructors
enjoy a campus lifestyle, we are able to arrange modestly priced accommodation
within our new campus in the Bangkok suburbs.
Courses Offered by the Department
The department offers a variety of courses for both English Majors and students
from almost every faculty. There are five categories of courses available here:
Writing courses: Sentence Writing, Paragraph Writing, Essay Writing,
Creative Writing, Journalistic Writing, Argumentative Writing, etc.Listening-Speaking courses: Listening-Speaking from beginner to
advanced level, Public Speaking, etc.Reading courses: Reading for Information, Reading for Opinions,
Academic Reading, Critical Reading, Reading for Appreciation, etc.ESP courses: English for Hotel Personnel, English for Tourism, English
for Office Personnel, English for Business, Business Writing, etc.Translation and other content courses: Principles of Translation,
Translation (Thai-English/ English – Thai), Interpretation, Arts and
Culture, etc.M.A. and Ph.D. in English Studies. Suitably qualified members of staff
may be invited to participate in this International Program run by the
Department of English, which follows three main aspects of English
Studies: Applied Linguistics, Intercultural Communication and Literary
Studies. For further information see:
http://www.tuenglishstudies.org/index.html
5- The department also offers a wide range of Business English and ESP
courses to the general public. - We also offer postgraduate level courses in English for Business
Management (EBM) and a Translation Graduate Program.
FAQ
Q. Do you have a website?
A. http://www.tuenglish.org/index.html and http://www.english.arts.tu.ac.th/
Q. What exactly do you mean by native speaker of English?
A. Generally, native speaker of English means that (1) English is the official
language of the country of your birth and nationality; (2) English is your first
language, i.e. the language that you learned first; and (3) English is your mother
tongue, i.e. the language used in the home of your parents.
Q. I do not quite fit your description of native speaker, but I have excellent
qualifications and teaching experience. My English is fluent and of native
speaking standard. Will you consider my application?
A. Yes, but you will need to satisfy us that your standard of both written and
spoken English language use is of the same standard as a native speaker of
English. However, you must not be a Thai national.
Q. I am 60 (or older). I am very experienced and a great teacher. Why can’t
I apply?
A. Thammasat is a government university. In cases where teachers will be over
60 at the beginning of a contract, special permission is required from the Ministry
of Finance (MOF) to issue a contract and will only be granted in cases of
exceptional expertise. Being very experienced and a great teacher would not fall
within this exception.
Q. I am 60 (or older). I am a recently retired foreign professor with a Ph.D. and
a long history of relevant publications in the EFL field. Can I apply?
A. Yes, we would welcome your application. However, you must appreciate that
because of the additional requirements of the Ministry Of Finance your
application may not be successful.
Q. Will you acknowledge receipt of my application?
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A. See below. No, we do not have time to acknowledge receipt, but we will let
you know the outcome.
Q. You seem to be taking a long time to reply to my application. Is anything
wrong?
A. Your application will be dealt with ASAP. However, please understand that
it is considered by working academics who have many teaching, research and
other responsibilities. When your application is received, it will be screened
individually by members of a screening committee who will decide whether to
invite you for interview. You will normally receive an e-mail giving a decision
within four weeks of your application.
Q. I have heard that Thammasat University has a historic old campus in old
Bangkok. Can I work there?
A. It is correct that Thammasat University has a rich history and does have an old
campus in an older part of Bangkok. The popularity of the university with
students eventually necessitated a move to the new campus as the old campus
suffered from severe overcrowding. The new campus is pleasant and spacious,
with many facilities like indoor and outdoor swimming pools and teacher’s
accommodation that were impossible to build on the old campus. All
undergraduate teaching is based at the new campus. However, our teachers do
have many opportunities to teach additional courses on the old campus, when
they are available and when schedules permit.
Q. The additional income from extra teaching is important to me. Can you
guarantee it?
A. No, but it is a likely possibility. It can take time to build up a number of
contacts and courses that teachers teach to earn additional income. It will also
depend on your particular expertise, and student feedback. In addition, the
general economy can affect how many external students apply for additional
courses and therefore how much work is available.
Q. I understand that initial contracts are for one year. Will my contract be
renewed after that?
A. Continuity is important to the department. Therefore, contracts will frequently
be renewed. However, this will depend on an assessment of your work
performance, student feedback, good working relationship with colleagues,
contribution to the department and similar factors. If specific problems have
emerged during the first contract (but following probation) either in relation to
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academic performance or professional behaviour the contract will not be
renewed.
Q. Why does the application form ask for information about my mother and
father?
A. In the event that your application is successful, the immigration authorities
require this information.
Q. I have been invited for interview. Will you please suggest what I should teach
for a demonstration lesson?
A. You will be given broad guidelines, but we will not suggest what you should
teach. This is because your selection of a suitable subject is part of the
assessment. For detailed information about the curriculum, please visit either of
the mentioned websites.