A mother who beats Thai’s education failure

 

Students arrives at their elementary school in Sendai, northern Japan, Friday morning, Feb. 28, 2020, a day after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s announcement. Abe asked all elementary, middle and high schools nationwide on Thursday to close until late March from March 2 to help control the spread of the new virus in the country. (Hironori Asakawa/Kyodo News via AP)

Salinee Geasee, a native Thai speaker, successfully teaches her children to become bilingual kids. She started to speak English with them when they were 8-month-old, by talking to them only in English every single day. Now Sornsawan Geasee, 5-year-old and her younger brother, Thianravit Gaesee, 3, can verbally communicate in English fluently.

 

A mother-of-two decided to enroll her children in Pei-ing Chinese school, rather than an English progamme or International school. Despite studying at a private school, the tuition fee cost around ฿10,000 a semester, incredibly cheap comparing with other private bilingual schools.

 

“I don’t send my kids to international school because of economic reasons, and I think we do not want our kids to further their studies in international schools as different system of teaching. If they further their studies in Thai, then the different system will cause them problem. When they want to go for higher education from primary school to high school, it is going to be a little bit difficult. And even you don’t send your kids to the international school there are some many ways to put the language learning ability into them”, Salinee said.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/a-mother-who-beats-thais-education-failure/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2020-03-07

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Smart lady, wish there were a lot more like her ????

Does the curriculum of that Chinese school include the little red book? Fot that price, probably yes. Same idea as catholic schools, subsidised brainwashing.

I did a similar thing with my four Thai stepchildren. Only English spoken in the house, and two-hour lessons with the ogre every Saturdays and Sunday morning.

 

They didn't enjoy it much at the time, but today they all have jobs where their English gives them an edge. When they come to visit, they kindly talk to their decrepit old dad (who, to his undying shame, only speaks Thai nit noi) in his native tongue.

 

Another bonus is that in order to tutor them, I had to teach myself the rudiments of English grammar, a subject at which I had been a duffer at school. All round, a win-win!

 

 

Edited March 7, 20206 yr by Krataiboy

Apart from only speaking English to my son since his birth I taught him to read stories in English on the internet, he hated it but now reads English better than Thai so now I am getting him to read Thai with me on the internet. I don't understand it Thais just don't like reading.

Interesting, but where did she learn English in the first place. Not really a general solution is it? What it does indicate is that you might get a snowball effect, if you manage to get a certain amount of the population up to fluent level. Maybe they should be concentrating on individuals, rather than these mass programs that go nowhere.

 

I've been teaching English in Thailand for years. The only way for these students to really learn English is to speak it at home. Three hours a week in a class of 30+ will NOT make them competent.

5 hours ago, DrTuner said:

Does the curriculum of that Chinese school include the little red book? Fot that price, probably yes. Same idea as catholic schools, subsidised brainwashing.

You mean you brainwashing,sorry,education wasn't subsidised?I know my brainwashing was subsidised by the Aussie gubment through tax.

I'm not sure I understand what point this story is trying to make that is in some way a revelation?

 

I learnt English & Spanish as a kid by osmosis from my parents, as did my US daughters from me and their Mom,

My Thai son likewise learnt Thai, Lao & English from me and his Mom, my only regret was that I didn't speak Spanish to him as a child too, then he'd have all four.

 

This is just how all humans learn language, and the younger the better. I can flip between English and Spanish without even thinking, and all my kids can do the same.

 

So what makes this story special?

 

Edited March 7, 20206 yr by GinBoy2

Easily the most confusing article I have ever read.  I actually read the entire thing.  It took me about 15 minutes because I got so frustrated from rereading the poor grammar that I had to lie down and count to ten.

 

I get her point, but couldn't they have just reposted the PM saying that children should have less education and more time to play, and that he looked at the homework 1st graders were doing and couldn't do it himself? 

On 3/7/2020 at 8:49 PM, GinBoy2 said:

So what makes this story special?

Because it allowed you to shine and show that you are special too.