Same same but different: Distinguishing what it means to teach English as a foreign language within the context of volunteer tourism

摘要

This work highlights a popular form of volunteer tourism in Southeast Asia - Teaching English as a Foreign Language Volunteer Tourism (TEFL VT). Given the limited literature on this niche form of tourism, the purpose of this paper was to gain a better understanding of and differentiation between TEFL VT and TEFL jobs in Thailand based on analyzing the content of position advertisements. TEFL jobs were found to be predominantly long-term paid positions located in Bangkok that preferred college-educated native English speaking Western expatriates with teaching experience, whereas TEFL VT programs were primarily short-term, outside of Bangkok, and did not require teaching experience nor formal education beyond high school. TEFL VT programs were also less restrictive than TEFL jobs with regards to who could apply, required payment, involved activities outside of teaching, and focused not solely on students but also volunteer benefits while distancing themselves from the mass tourism industry.