Bilingual Options

[backtofront]

We are looking for schooling options for our two boys. One will be going into Matthayom 2 and the other Prathom 5. They are citizens but barely speak Thai and cant read or write. This will be for a year before they move to the UK to finish school there. Not particularly concerned about academic standards. Cost is more of an issue and we are looking for the cheapest possible option that caters for an English speaking student, as close to Huai Khwang as possible.

 

What we want is for them be able to interact with the other students and hopefully learn a bit more Thai especially reading and writing. They can pick up everything they miss later.

Edited December 14, 2017 by backtofront

[backtofront]

Has anyone had any dealings with Pompan Wittaya school in Huai Khwang. They apparently use teachers from the Phillipines.

[pearciderman]

On 12/14/2017 at 4:45 PM, backtofront said:

Not particularly concerned about academic standards. Cost is more of an issue

 

Good to see that your childrens' education is so important to you.

[MaeJoMTB]

Best to stick them in a single language government school with no English.

Takes about 1 year for kids to pick up a new language.

If you put them in a bilingual school they probably won't learn any Thai language skills.

 

I used to work in a UK comprehensive (high) school, stuck a Portuguese kid in my class (age 11 zero English, parents employed by a local factory,  by 12 he had a local accent and you could only pick him out by his skin colour. Apparently that's normal for kids in total immersion.

Edited December 15, 2017 by MaeJoMTB

[Scott]

There are advantages to a single language, but as children get older, it's probably a huge trade off on what they lose in actual education.   In a bilingual setting they will get everything in both languages, so the learning will progress, as the new language develops.  

 

In bilingual schools, the students generally speak to one another in Thai and everything from morning assembly to lunch time activities are all in Thai, so they will develop a well rounded understanding of the language in various settings.  

 

 

[backtofront]

Our problem is the reading and writing. They need grounding in the basics and that is not happening. They also get special treatment from the English speaking teachers so they sail through their exams. We tried a tutor in the village. But he was an English teacher and it came to a messy end when he astarted teaching them English.

[backtofront]

On 12/15/2017 at 1:35 PM, pearciderman said:

 

Good to see that your childrens' education is so important to you.

We want them to read and write both English and Thai as well as to be able to hold a conversation in Mandarin. Hoping they will finish varsity in Singapore. So you are quite right, education is important. But at their age they are more interested in gaming and right now that is how they are both making Thai friends whilst out doing me on things internet.

 

What more do they need other than reading, writing and maths?