A Working Vacation in Wat Suan Dok, Chiang Mai.

I came to Chiang Mai in June as a volunteer teacher with The Chiang Mai University Language Institute Volunteer Program.  Now as the program finishes, I am congratulating myself again for finding the perfect way to spend my summer vacation.  Some people might question why a person should pay to volunteer.  I was in Florida teaching English to international athletes, immigrants and migrant workers in three different programs.  The Volunteer Program Director, Carmen Rademaker, set up the courses for me in Chiang Mai, assisted me with my visa application and answered all of my questions.  She even arranged my apartment at Le Chalet Suites, which turned out to be another very enjoyable aspect of my stay.  When she told me that she had found a placement in a monastery teaching monks I was elated. I could never have arranged that on my own, so the service of setting up this summer job for me was well worth the small fee.

Teaching at Wat Suan Dok has been pure pleasure.  I have four groups of students ranging from Beginners to Intermediate.  They are novices and monks in the first and second year of their university education to earn a BA in Buddhism.  There is a Thai program and an English program.  Most of the students I teach are in the English program but desperately need stronger English language skills to understand their core classes.  They came from Thailand. Myanmar, Bangladesh, Laos, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Vietnam.  They are sponsored by their local communities or their families to study at MCU, Chiang Mai Campus.  I guessed that the students had already had a lot of bookwork on English grammar, so I brought materials that would loosen their tongues.  The classes include practical vocabulary units, Bingo games, pronunciation lessons, adapted Asian folk tales and conversation topics.  I have received a great deal of assistance from Mr. Wisuttichai Chaiyasit, better known as Ajahn Trong.  He is a lecturer and the Assistant Secretary of International Study Program at MCU.  He tested the students, set up groups and rooms, and has been available for day to day issues such as schedules and equipment.  It requires a dedicated person at the local institute to make a project like this work properly.  The whole staff has made me feel very welcome.

Another plus was the placement of Marti Andrews from Hungary and later Sebastien d’Harveng from Belgium as my assistants.  For them, it was a chance to get some teaching practice in conjunction with their training at the Chiang Mai University Language Institute TEFL teacher-training program.  With two teachers in the room, we could give the 15- 25 students more practice and guidance in smaller groups.  There are a few things to remember about teaching monks.  Shoes are left outside, clothing needs to be conservative, and women must not touch the monks or their robes. When I arrived, I was a little in awe of monks, but my students have behaved quite naturally in the teacher-student relationship. They have been friendly, relaxed and polite.  Our class discussions often help me to understand more about Buddhism, and the conversations give them an opportunity to talk about their beliefs and training.  My respect for the life they lead and the training they receive has grown as I learn more about them and listen to them.  It has been nice to see their improvement and increased self-confidence speaking English.  Quite a few of my students are already English teachers and others aspire to become teachers.  They have been generous with words of appreciation for our work.  They respect the fact that we are all volunteers.

For me, the experience of teaching or volunteering in a foreign country is an excellent way to learn more about the people and the culture.  It gives me a feeling of contributing and belonging which I wouldn’t have as a tourist.  Fortunately, there is plenty of time to see the sights and enjoy the new culture.  I have made good friends during this working holiday and have learned a great deal. I have already shared my experiences with family and friends back home through weekly newsletters.  They have heard about the classes, the students, life in Chiang Mai, my new friends, the beautiful temples, the fun trip to Ao Nang, the elephant camps and the hill tribes.  When I return to Florida you can be sure that my church and my students will have the chance to hear my stories and see my pictures.  I don’t believe in keeping such a good thing a secret.

Chris MacCormack is a 61 year old teacher from Bradenton, Florida who now takes an overseas job every summer to keep good balance in her life between her career, family time, and new adventures.  She has taught in the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Ecuador, Peru, Mexico, Turkey and Thailand.