Learning Thai In Chiang Mai

[ThaiPauly]

After 4 years of living here and the odd leson or two I think its about time I got off my ass and learnt to speak Thai properly.

Although She has not said as much I am sure my Wife would appreciate it if I fought my own battles instead of relaying everything though her.

So can anyone recommend anyone who does one 2 one teaching...preferably at my home, but that is not set in stone.

Thank you in advance

TP

[itsgottabedone]

I've tried out quite a few private teachers in CM and here are my experiences:

Easy Study Thai (0866594532) I found them to be the best value for money. 180bhat an hour and lady teacher (forget her name) comes to you (no she's not cute!!). I don' think she was a qualified teacher but she certainly had some teaching experience. She used the James Higbie Essential Thai book which i find quite useful for beginners. She adapts to your own pace of learning and one of those teachers who constantly motivates and pats you on the back when you've made progress (actually if i had stuck with her i think her constant bubbliness would have got on my nerves!). The focus in my lessons was purely conversationial and i found myself progressing fairly fast. She was fairly flexible with times, ideally a days notice.

AUA - lots has been written about the group classes at the AUA but they also offer one to one lessons at their centre or at your place depending on teacher availability. I only went for one lesson here. Qualified professionial teacher and overall was good. Found them to be the most expensive and there was a surchage if they come to your place.

Lah (0861938768)- a freelance teacher. I ended up settling with Lah as i found her technique to be the best. She's a qualified teaching with years of experience teaching farangs. She's so good the only downside was here availability as she was so popular- she likes to setup lessons for the week ahead and she predominately teaches from a temple forecourt area in the old city (if she's not fully booked she would be prepared to visit). 200bht an hour and its your loss if you dont turn up. Small discount for longterm study. She starts you from scratch whether you like it or not, which at the time i found annoying because i could speak some basic thai, but in retrospect i'm glad she did it that way. We spent a few lessons getting the tones write which was frustrating but well worth the time and effort. We moved on to using the same Essential Thai book and she has her own picture cards as well as unique techniques. She constantly adapted her technique based on how well (or not!) i was doing. She knew exactly at which point to start reading and writing lessons or to simply vary the technique is something wasnt working. Professionial but friendly. Her experience definitely shows. If you're taking thai seriously and prepared to study for more than just a few weeks, i would definitely recommend her.

I tried out a few other independent teachers who had advertised but found most to be uni students looking to make some extra money. Perfectly nice and enjoyable but their inexperienced started to show.

Of course everybody is different and i would simply suggest you setup up trial lessons with a few teachers and see which one suits you the best.

Hope that helps :-)

[Dr. G]

Phyap Uni + James Higbie's Book Essential Thai

will give you a good grounding in both spoken and written Thai

g

[ThaiPauly]

Thanx guys, and thanx to those that have PM'd me as well

TP

[Flat World Traveler]

I have been studying Thai for the past year and a half using Yai from Easy Study Thai. I have been very happy with her approach and ability to teach me Thai in the way that I process learning a language. I can now read and write a little bit and speak enough to have basic conversations with Thai strangers. The most difficult thing for me to learn is to understand what Thai people are saying to me. I learn visually and have a very difficult time picking up Thai words and processing them into sentences. Yai has been very patient and helpful with me on this. The other thing I really like is that she will use whatever textbook you request and she is familiar with most of them as well as having her own study materials. I have used four different books and have been able to adjust to what works for me.

Having studied other languages this is the first time I found a teacher where I felt I was really learning. Now if I would just study and practice more.

I believe Easy Study Thai has a website under its name.

PM me if you have further questions.

[Robert555]

Me and my friends learning Thai with Yai , she is an outstanding teacher.This was another great course.khun Yai has boundless enthusiasm and is great fun to study with.We cover a lot on the course,including revising material covered in previous stages,and many things not in the book,Really useful and great fun.Most important and enjoyable for me is that khun Yai makes learning the difficult language of Thai not seem like work or study at all.I would reccommend Easy Study Thai.

[jAlfredPrufrock]

After 4 years of living here and the odd leson or two I think its about time I got off my ass and learnt to speak Thai properly.

Although She has not said as much I am sure my Wife would appreciate it if I fought my own battles instead of relaying everything though her.

So can anyone recommend anyone who does one 2 one teaching...preferably at my home, but that is not set in stone.

Thank you in advance

TP

Re: http://www.easystudythai.com

I studied with both Khun Yai and Khun Ting for more than a year and a half. And they rocked. For the guy who was unclear on their qualifications, they both have Master's degrees from CMU. I think pretty much all the staff have undergraduate or probably grad degrees.

I mostly studied with Yai, who I might add is cute as a button. [ATTENTION: Horny old farts looking for a little *extra* with your Thai lessons. If that's your game, LOOK ELSEWHERE, then get a life, as they say.]

Once she even translated two of my favorite Thai rock songs for me, handwritten in Thai and phonetics. Stellar.

(Both of which, I hasten to add, I've managed successfully to pull-off more than once at Karaoke. Silly, yes. But a chick-magnet nonetheless.)

And let me tell you, I've learned a lot, and incidentally kicked back a few, with Ting. Occasionally at the same time. (Just ask him about the Mammoth fish-bait venture. I dare you.)

good people.

[madcatlady]

I preferred group classes as you get more chance to bounce conversations around.

I studied 3 levels of Thai conversation at AUA with Ajarn Boonmark. He is the greatest living language teacher - IMHO! Extremely good fun, and provides relevant language for everyday situations. I can't rave about him enough.

And the James Higbie book is excellent too.

Good luck and, most of all, enjoy the journey. Learning the language brings immeasurable pleasure and a raft of new experiences.

MCL

[chuchok]

Little Chiang Mai Co., Ltd.

Little Chiang Mai Learning & Training Hub

Little Chiang Mai Animation & Sound Studios

Tel. 0 5311 0123, 08 1366 3258

Run buy a very nice Thai Lady ;Everybody calls her Ajarn,so I don't know her real name.She also teaches English to the Coppers and Government people etc.

Very nice premisis too.Parklike setting about 10 mins north of the city,close to the Ping river.

The amazing thing with her,is that her children use English as a first language at home.

[lotus eater]

Though the OP has extended his thanks for replies and pms, please continue to make suggestions or tell of experience with teachers and learning. I - and surely others - am noting the information.

What has been the consensus advice of the teachers as a sensible, even if not optimal, pace - days/hours a week etc. I imagine that leaving reasonable intervals for homework, revision, preparation would enhance the learning at lessons. Moreover I'd certainly take off from CM from time to time - sometimes for days sometimes for weeks.

Dr G.: What is the start date, duration and cost of the Phiyap University course?

In the case of the couple of commercial names recommended, should I insist on the teacher I want (eg the names mentioned in this thread)?

Not bbeing lazy, and I will make my inquiries directly - but it often helps me to make the most of that if armed with practical advice and info gained beforehand.

[Puwa]

Ajaan Piyaporn, who teaches at Payap part time in addition to her own private practice and regular gigs like the US Consulate, is probably the very best teacher in Chiang Mai. Education degree from CMU, been teaching for 15 years, developed her own method and materials, taught Thai in the USA for the government, and has a near cult following among her former students. Doesn't advertise because all new students come through personal recommendations. Not cheap, but why should it be?

[Crow Boy]

After 4 years of living here and the odd leson or two I think its about time I got off my ass and learnt to speak Thai properly.

Although She has not said as much I am sure my Wife would appreciate it if I fought my own battles instead of relaying everything though her.

So can anyone recommend anyone who does one 2 one teaching...preferably at my home, but that is not set in stone.

Thank you in advance

TP

Thai Pauly, I did the full set of courses at Payap (or as we use to call it Pay UP). I then continued with their full time course which was part of their post grad program. I have had classes with all their teachers but most with Ajaan Ray and Ajaan Noi. All of their staff are post grad qualified in teaching Thai either from CMU or Bangkok (Chulla). There are advantages and disadvantages to group and single teaching. In my opinion you benefit best from a combination of both, the group for getting the basics and then a set of 1-1 sessions to really hammer out any problems. I found the 1-1 sessions very usefull and did a series between classes with Ajaan Ray at her home. The work load is much higher than in group and I found that after an hour my ability to assimilate the material dropped off dramatically. Also she gave me a lot of home work to do.

Other that that you can tell your partner to stop speaking to you in English or be like me and get one who can't speak any English and see how quickly you learn. Harder and more frustrating but works.

Good luck with the classes and have fun

CB

[neilrob]

After 4 years of living here and the odd leson or two I think its about time I got off my ass and learnt to speak Thai properly.

Although She has not said as much I am sure my Wife would appreciate it if I fought my own battles instead of relaying everything though her.

So can anyone recommend anyone who does one 2 one teaching...preferably at my home, but that is not set in stone.

Thank you in advance

TP

Thai Pauly, I did the full set of courses at Payap (or as we use to call it Pay UP). I then continued with their full time course which was part of their post grad program. I have had classes with all their teachers but most with Ajaan Ray and Ajaan Noi. All of their staff are post grad qualified in teaching Thai either from CMU or Bangkok (Chulla). There are advantages and disadvantages to group and single teaching. In my opinion you benefit best from a combination of both, the group for getting the basics and then a set of 1-1 sessions to really hammer out any problems. I found the 1-1 sessions very usefull and did a series between classes with Ajaan Ray at her home. The work load is much higher than in group and I found that after an hour my ability to assimilate the material dropped off dramatically. Also she gave me a lot of home work to do.

Other that that you can tell your partner to stop speaking to you in English or be like me and get one who can't speak any English and see how quickly you learn. Harder and more frustrating but works.

Good luck with the classes and have fun

CB

I enjoyed the course at Payap. The only, and it is a significant one, problem with Payap is that they rarely have enough students to run an upper level class. I took the intermediate course and waited months for the next, until I finally gave up. It is easy for them to find students for lower level courses, but these students tend not to continue on and they will not run a class without at least six students.

I am currently taking an advanced spoken Thai (but not very advanced) small group class at EFL. The teacher, Ajaan Ying, is very good. If you might be interested in joining the class, go along and try it. The school is near the Nakornping bridge, right opposite the entrance to Prince Royal's College.

Neil

[Crow Boy]

I enjoyed the course at Payap. The only, and it is a significant one, problem with Payap is that they rarely have enough students to run an upper level class. I took the intermediate course and waited months for the next, until I finally gave up. It is easy for them to find students for lower level courses, but these students tend not to continue on and they will not run a class without at least six students.

I am currently taking an advanced spoken Thai (but not very advanced) small group class at EFL. The teacher, Ajaan Ying, is very good. If you might be interested in joining the class, go along and try it. The school is near the Nakornping bridge, right opposite the entrance to Prince Royal's College.

Neil

You are absolutely correct and the way I got past that was to assemble sufficient numbers of students to make a class and then give it to Ajaan Noi to provide a teacher. We all continued through from Intermediate and finished at Advanced 2. Two of us then followed on with the full time classes which were excellent, however we both finished up and are now working so as far as I know that program is on hold pending sufficient numbers of students. The problem for Payup and in fact any school is that they can fill 5 Beginner classes of 8-10 for a single Advanced class of 5 students. Simple economics makes the outcome simple for them to choose what classes to run. I pretty well blackmailed A. Noi by making her promise if I got number of people needed would she run the class. In the eternal desire of Thais to please in an impossible situation she agreed. Two days later I gave her the list of names and she had to then reschedule everything to run it. Then she got stuck with running the higher levels of classes for us. The teachers enjoyed it, including her but they had to get in two part timers to fill in the lower levels while they ran our courses.

CB