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South-east Asia students extra language - Thai or French?

 
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simon44



Joined: 15 Mar 2013
Posts: 118

PostPosted: Tue May 22, 2018 4:49 am    Post subject: South-east Asia students extra language - Thai or French? Reply with quote

Rather off-topic, (but still related to teaching).

I teach ESL and Science to secondary grade students at a private 'international' school in Myanmar, where 95% of those students are Myanmar citizens.

For the coming school year, I have also been asked to also teach either French or Thai language on a non-curriculum basis (paid of course).

I have an MA in Thai and my home and family are in that country for about 15 years. I can read, write and speak Thai to an advanced level. The same is true for French language (I studied that language from 5 years old and lived/worked in France for several years).

So I'm happy in my abilities to teach basic/intermediate level Thai or French.

But which language would be more useful for my students? They are likely to go to foreign universities, but where the language of study is English.

I'm tending towards French, because that is a Roman language and hence understanding of written Italian, Spanish (and Romanian!) is relatively easy. (I can read Italian and Spanish novels with ease).

On the other hand, if one understands Thai, then understanding spoken and written Lao is also relatively easy (I can read/write/speak Lao without too many difficulty).

Which language to teach? Perhaps Mandarin is more important in Asia, but my Mandarin is very basic.

What do you think?
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scot47



Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343

PostPosted: Tue May 22, 2018 2:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This must depend on what the future needs of your students are. Can you predict that ?

Knowing nothing of the area. of the students or anything else, and basing my choice largely on snobbery and jacobin sentiments. I would go for French, the Language of Robespierre, Napoleon. Hugo and Zola !
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sigmoid



Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 1276

PostPosted: Tue May 22, 2018 4:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Survey the students to get their opinions?

Offer both?
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simon44



Joined: 15 Mar 2013
Posts: 118

PostPosted: Wed May 23, 2018 5:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:

Nice to see that you're still getting on well in the school in Myanmar,


Thanks. I just renewed for another year and have been asked to teach Science as well as English because I am an ICT guy (MSc Satcomms, amateur radio guy, code writer etc), as well as an English teacher.
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getbehindthemule



Joined: 15 Oct 2015
Posts: 712
Location: Shanghai

PostPosted: Wed May 23, 2018 7:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

simon44 wrote:
Quote:

Nice to see that you're still getting on well in the school in Myanmar,


Thanks. I just renewed for another year and have been asked to teach Science as well as English because I am an ICT guy (MSc Satcomms, amateur radio guy, code writer etc), as well as an English teacher.



My Chinese students are very interested in Science for the most part so it's a pleasure to teach, using vids and doing loads of hands on stuff also makes it a lot of fun! I teach across 5 grades covering a multitude of units from Life cycles to Robotics. Best of luck with it.
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Mr. Kalgukshi
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Mod Team


Joined: 18 Jan 2003
Posts: 6613
Location: Need to know basis only.

PostPosted: Wed May 23, 2018 6:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Two insulting and off-topic postings have been deleted.

Makers of any future such postings will be permanently banned along with ISPs.
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