Jonathan Green is a South African educator who has lived and worked in Asia for 17 years, primarily in Thailand. He teaches academic literacy and communication at Mahidol University International College, where the student population is diverse. Green is interested in how culture influences language and literacy. He has recently accepted a new job in Australia that will require his family to relocate next year.
2. Who Am I?
I am a South African educator who has
spent the last 17 years working and living
in Asia, chiefly Thailand.
I have a keen interest in language and
literacy, and in the way culture influences
these key elements of education.
My experience is very multicultural: I have
grown up in Africa, lived and worked in
Asia, and been educated through
Australia. My wife Orie is Japanese, and
my two sons, Joshua (6) and Nathan (4)
were both born in Thailand
[Photo: A recent visit to Hong Kong.]
3. Where Do I Live
I have lived in Thailand for the last 16
years, the last eleven of these in a
suburb on the outskirts of Bangkok,
which is near the main campus of my
place of work, Mahidol University
International College. Life out here is
much quieter than in the often chaotic
city, and our campus is very green.
I have just been offered a university job
(in tertiary preparation) that will see me
and my family relocating to Australia
next year.
[Photo: A small section of our
backyard in suburban Bangkok]
4. What Do I Teach?
I am a lecturer in academic literacy and
communication in an international
college in Thailand (Mahidol University
International College). English is the
medium of instruction for all classes in
the college, and often students need
help in the literacy skills that will help
them succeed at the college level.
Although most students are Thai, the
student population is very diverse, and I
have witnessed how different cultural
expectations and values impact the
literacy knowledge that is transferred
from secondary school to college. My
interest in the CAGS in Literacy stems
from my interest in this, and in the fact
that we so often have to provide
support for students in fulfilling the
literacy expectations of college.
Photo: One of the cultural expectations in
Thailand is that even college students are
required to wear uniforms.