Prasanee Sinlapanawin
DaF-Promotion/German Teachers Support Services
Prasanee.Sinlapanawin@goethe.de
German Assistants Program
Gain teaching experience in Thailand
German assistants offer Thai students glimpses into German culture not found in any textbooks. We interlace this valuable motivation for learning German with the possibility for prospective German teachers to immerse in Thai school system for 3 months and concurrently acquire work experiences.
What is “DAS”?
Through German Assistants Program (DAS), Thai Ministry of Education and Goethe-Institut Bangkok enable German students studying Teaching German as a Foreign Language (DaF) or Education to stay in Thailand for three months, in order to teach in one of the 51 schools nation-wide. For the German students, it is a great opportunity to gain first time working experience abroad. Through the presence of young language assistants, Thai students will be motivated to learn German.
During the stay, the assistants will be guided by Goethe-Institut through trainings and will be supported by the German teachers on site. The schools will organize accommodation and provide grants.
Goals of the program
- gain teaching experiences
- expand skill sets relevant to the profession: intercultural competence, organizational and communicative ability, working independently, as well as in a team.
- gain insight into the (learning) culture of Southeast Asia
- gain insight into school systems outside of Europe
The assignments at the schools
For Thai students, Germany is but a distant foreign land. Only a few have had the opportunity to come into direct contact with Germans. Encountering a young prospective teacher in German classes is incredibly motivating. They can provide perspectives into German culture that cannot be found in any textbooks. Their assignment is, therefore, to bring this joy in learning German and to arouse interest in Germany. They will encourage students to speak and will, as a result, reinforce confidence of the students.
Concretely, this means:
- shadowing in German classes
- taking over parts of the class (up to 18 hours per week, generally in the 10th - 12th grades)
- partaking in extracurricular activities relating to the German classes
- carrying out activities relating to the geography and the culture of Germany and promoting communicative skills in addition to the classes
- partaking in any other school activities, as long as these pertain to the whole school community.
Testimonies
Emma Müller & Tanyaporn Kraiwongruean
Princess Chulabhorn Science School, Phitsanulok
I encourage the students to speak and improve upon their pronunciation. That, in turn, improves the overall language capabilty of the class. It is nice to witness how the class becomes livelier and how they are brought closer to Germany and its culture.
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Photo (detail): private
Muhammet Ali Doganay & Phichamon Pinsri
Matthayom Watnairong School, Bangkok
Mali: I must say, of all the decisions in my life I am especially proud of, applying for this project would definitely be among one of them! In the first week of the class, the biggest challenge for me was to hold online classes. During studies, we were not prepared for such situations. My biggest joy is to see how a class that were shy at the beginning has, in a matter of weeks, learnt to openly and confidently hold a conversation about a situation or about feelings.
Accompanying teacher: Practicing with native speakers is the best way to quickly become more proficient in German. Learning is a job that never ends, and, thus, I am also improving upon my German skill thanks to the exchanges with the assistants. I find that great!
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Photo (detail): private
Parinaz Fazelian & Supattra Jongchansitto
Pingkarattana School, Chiang Mai
For me, the interaction with the students is a great learning experience, since I am mostly active in the field of adult education. The bustling warm-heartedness in the classes always fills me with joy. By holding lessons together with the accompanying Thai teacher, the students can feel assured, since they can ask the Thai teacher, when they do not understand something. This is especially helpful for shy students. Furthermore, I feel that the students are able to practice their German and English more through my presence by having the opportunity to communicate with me. Generally, I see this as a great boon for me to get to know another school system, as well as Thai culture. Thai food is wonderful and I, fortunately, also have the opportunity to learn about Loy Kratong tradition at our school.
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Photo (detail): private
Carmen Märkl & Natthawut Rattanapirom
Kanlayanawat School, Khon Kaen
For Thai students, listening and speaking are especially difficult in classes. Through conversations with me, a native speaker, they should be able to work upon that. I think that the German assistants bring to the class new motivation to stay on track and to further learn German in higher levels despite the partial online classes.
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Photo (detail): private
Questions and answers
Application procedure
The program takes place once a year from June to August. Applications for the stay from June to August 2026 are still possible until 25 March 2026.
Applications (motivation letter, CV, record of study) can be submitted via e-mail to Mrs. Prasanee Sinlapanawin. She is also available for any inquiries.
Contact
Prasanee.Sinlapanawin@goethe.de
