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fpshangzhou
Joined: 13 Mar 2012
Posts: 280
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 Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2012 8:42 am Post subject: Learning the Thai language necessary or useful????? |
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Hello, I'm currently in China working as an English Trainer/Guest Services Manager in a multinational hotel company. I am trying to find an opening for one of our hotel properties somewhere in Thailand, preferably in Phuket, Bangkok or Chang Mai regions. Either way, I am considering learning the language or getting a head start on the basics prior to landing that position. For those long-time expats and newbies residing in Thailand, is it necessary or useful to get a leg up in the Thai culture and community by picking up the language? If anyone has done so, can you refer me to some resources I can buy or download that will help me in the journey to learning more about this mysterious and unique culture of the Land of Smiles? I look forward to any and all feedback :0 )
Cheers from China,
Aaron |
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plumpy nut
Joined: 12 Mar 2011
Posts: 1652
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| Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2012 1:48 pm Post subject: |
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| If you are serious about making a life teaching in Thailand, learning Thai is a must. Speaking Thai will be useful for classroom management and will probably in general make you have face in the eyes of the students. Also it will help in English - Thai translations, which I think is very underated in ESL teaching. However don't speak too much Thai to the students, because I have actually heard of teachers getting fired for speaking too much Thai all the time in class. |
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fpshangzhou
Joined: 13 Mar 2012
Posts: 280
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| Posted: Thu Mar 28, 2013 5:34 am Post subject: Learning Thai |
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Hi Plumpy Nut,
Sorry it took so long to reply. I appreciate the feedback. Anyone interested in learning the language I recommend getting Pimsleur Thai and Thai for Beginner's by Poomsan Becker.
Cheers,
Aaron in China |
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ldragon
Joined: 01 Jan 2011
Posts: 32
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| Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 6:30 pm Post subject: |
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| When I first arrived in Thailand, someone told me, "Don't bother learning too much Thai because you'll only find people talk about two things: food and you." Ha ha. That's a little true. But seriously, you'll definitely want to know survival Thai. Hello/goodby. Thank you and excuse me. Numbers and "How much?" The basic verbs. And the more you understand about Thai and Thai grammar, the better you'll be at teaching English to Thais. People rave about Becker's book. It's definitely one of the better Thai language books out there. But for language books as a whole, I think it's fairly average. If you're serious about learning the language, learn how to read Thai. It makes things a lot easier. And try to spend time w/ locals. They're happy to teach you Thai. |
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plumpy nut
Joined: 12 Mar 2011
Posts: 1652
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| Posted: Fri Jun 14, 2013 10:41 am Post subject: |
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Something else that is very important when teaching Thais, actually most foreigners wouldn't even realize it. When Thais speak they speak mono-tonal, because changes in tone are used for denoting different words. When you teach or speak to Thais, unless they are advanced speakers, you should try to keep your speaking close to a monotone. Especially when teaching younger learners. If you use a wide range of tone in speech, it will sound odd and funny to the Thai learner.
As superficial as Thais are anything odd will affect the respect you get from them (and will accelerate your firing, when the lovely Thai start doing whatever they do to get teachers fired). The successful teachers that I have seen usually use a mono-tone when speaking to Thai students, except advanced learners. |
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MaiPenRai
Joined: 17 Jan 2006
Posts: 390
Location: BKK
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| Posted: Fri Jun 14, 2013 10:52 am Post subject: |
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| 10 years in THailand. worked in a variety of schools. Worked with a variety of companies. Met hundreds of THai teachers/directors/etc. Talked with thousands of foreign teachers. Never once did I hear anything even close to the above comment. Learn Thai for yourself and to make you daily life in THailand more enjoyable. Dont speak THai in the classroom. Use in to your advantage in the classroom but dont speak THai. |
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plumpy nut
Joined: 12 Mar 2011
Posts: 1652
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| Posted: Fri Jun 14, 2013 3:10 pm Post subject: |
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Speaking Thai would be very useful for using direct explanation of words and maybe grammar when teaching English. In Thailand there is a very good chance you are going to be teaching classes where 80 % of the students lack readiness for the material that you are teaching. English only classrooms work only if the material is on the level of the students in the classroom. So you will have a huge mass of students totally alienated from the material you are teaching, whose only hope for any progress is explanation of the vocabulary and explanation of some of the grammar if possible.
Direct explanation appears to be extremely useful with immigrant children going to school in Native English countries that lack the reading skills that other students have. I actually would apply that as well to ESL teaching. Thai students that lack the readiness for the material being used quickly become apethetic with vocabulary that is presented using pictures and miming. They can't relate to it or anything that is presented in the classroom. It might be vice versa with high level students. It would also be better for the ESL teacher to explain words rather than the students using dictionaries to find out what the word means due to the fact that the definition may not be the right definition. |
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MaiPenRai
Joined: 17 Jan 2006
Posts: 390
Location: BKK
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| Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2013 12:38 am Post subject: |
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| Direct explanation appears to be extremely useful with immigrant children going to school in Native English countries that lack the reading skills that other students have. |
This is a very specific and narrow field and one that it is rare to find in Thailand. Vast majority of the students this teacher is likely to see will not be going to school in Native English countries.
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| I actually would apply that as well to ESL teaching. |
Teaching English to Thai students while in Thailand would be EFL, not ESL which is significantly different. I have done both and with a variety of nationalities, ages and levels.
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| In Thailand there is a very good chance you are going to be teaching classes where 80 % of the students lack readiness for the material that you are teaching. |
Yes and No. In most cases, the students will have a familiarity with the vocab and grammar used. The difficulty is with using it in practical and real situations and conversing with other speakers of English (not necessarily native speakers as the majority of English used by non native speakers is with other non native speakers in the real world).
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| quickly become apethetic with vocabulary that is presented using pictures and miming. |
Perhaps this is more of a delivery issue than a content issue as I rarely experience this issue.
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| It would also be better for the ESL teacher to explain words rather than the students using dictionaries to find out what the word means due to the fact that the definition may not be the right definition. |
This is precisely why NES teachers should not use Thai in the classroom. In the vast majority of cases, a NES teacher will not learn enough Thai and will not be able to speak Thai precisely enough in order to effectively translate vocabulary and concepts that Thai students might find difficult. IN fact many words and concepts do not translate precisely at all so translation will not work in many cases even IF the teacher is capable of speaking the Thai language properly. Dedicated studying of the language and practice in Thailand for a couple of years MAY get you to the point when you can start translating difficulty words and concepts properly. In my years of experience in training and observing NES teachers, when they use Thai in the classroom they use the incorrect tones and often translate words incorrectly which further confuses the students. The most important thing to realize is that Thai teachers can translate; students choose to learn with NES teachers for pronunciation and practical usage of the language.
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| When you teach or speak to Thais, unless they are advanced speakers, you should try to keep your speaking close to a monotone. Especially when teaching younger learners. If you use a wide range of tone in speech, it will sound odd and funny to the Thai learner. |
The above advice is like saying that when a foreigner is learning Thai, Thai teachers should not use the natural tones because it sounds funny to native English speakers.
What you should do is use a natural voice and intonation speaking slightly slower than usual and enunciating more clearly for lower level students. Keep your explanations and concept checking at the same level or lower than the language being studied.
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| only hope for any progress is explanation of the vocabulary and explanation of some of the grammar if possible. |
There are situations in teaching when the CORRECT translation for one word can facilitate progress and maintain flow in the lesson, but this a slippery slope and IME, most teachers slide hard and end up not practicing and honing other more useful EFL skills and resources.
Once again, learning Thai is useful and will greatly increase your happiness in your personal life in Thailand. Use in the classroom should be extremely limited and used only if and when the translation is correct and even then sparingly. The truth is that most lower level learners should be learning the same concepts with a NES teacher as well as a Thai teacher. Thai is useful in the classroom to know when and why students are confused and when they are explaining it incorrectly to their friends. |
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plumpy nut
Joined: 12 Mar 2011
Posts: 1652
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| Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2013 6:35 am Post subject: |
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| MaiPenRai wrote: |
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| I actually would apply that as well to ESL teaching. |
Teaching English to Thai students while in Thailand would be EFL, not ESL which is significantly different. I have done both and with a variety of nationalities, ages and levels. |
My main issue is student readiness for the materials they are using. This overrides more minor concerns such as the difference between EFL and ESL. In Thailand you have schools that many times provide teaching materials that are geared towards the students who have had more experience with English. These students have smarter wealthier families that have put out the money to provide them English training and are willing and able to put out the money to see to it that their children are put in better classes at any school their children are at with appropriate teaching materials. |
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MaiPenRai
Joined: 17 Jan 2006
Posts: 390
Location: BKK
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| Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2013 10:56 am Post subject: |
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| This overrides more minor concerns such as the difference between EFL and ESL. |
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| Teaching English to Thai students while in Thailand would be EFL, not ESL which is significantly different |
This is starting to get off topic, but (as previoulsy stated) EFL is often very different from ESL especially in regards to practicality, motivation and preparation. All of which have been brought up in previous posts.
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In Thailand you have schools that many times provide teaching materials that are geared towards the students who have had more experience with English. These students have smarter wealthier families that have put out the money to provide them English training and are willing and able to put out the money to see to it that their children are put in better classes at any school their children are at with appropriate teaching materials. |
Not sure what this has to do with learning Thai and possibly using Thai for translating vocabulary in the classroom, which is what the thread is about.
Back to the OP,
1. Learn Thai mainly for daily life
2. Use if sparingly in class but take advantage of understanding it to help your students and hone your teaching. Only use it if you are SURE you are translating correctly and are speaking correctly (most don't, including me).
3. Speak normally, but clearly. Slower and with graded speech for beginners |
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