What Do With A Thai Talent?

[THAIPHUKET]

My wife is more fluent than most Thais I listen to here in Chiang Mai, pronunciation very good. Very quick in responding and cracking jokes, plays on language, which tells me there is a natural talent. Loves to study. Takes private English classes to improve her writing skills.

However, has zero education, a simple farmer girl.

Pure brainstorming= how to nurture such a person?

[Scott]

First, she needs to have a goal. What is it she want to attain?

[Ijustwannateach]

OP, you have hit on the crux of the problem of education in Thailand. So much talent, so little rewarding outlet for it.

I don't know if employment is one of the possible goals in mind here, but Thai companies are literally going begging for Thai workers who have English skills- they just aren't willing to reward people for it (so they wind up giving a lot of those jobs to English-fluent foreigners like Burmese and Cambodians who will work for the salaries on offer). If nothing else but to give her confidence and experience, she could start out making her skills useful in business. The problem is: where to go up from there?

[THAIPHUKET]

She doesn't have goal. Too difficult for a farmer girl to come up with plans. You are right, her natural inferiority complex , I am nobody, no education, is much reduced because of her ability to travel abroad and have meaningful conversations with much older persons. No more shyness.

Anyhow, planning is almost impossible nowadays. W'll see what will happen.

Question= can a Thai with only very basis schooling make use of secondary education systems? Sitting in university classes?

To learn the basics of money would be more important than anything else.

[Kf6vci]

Get her to read, starting with easy books or fairy tales? At school, most students barely practice conversation with predictable consequences

[David006]

goodonya mate..I have found that most Thai people who have "picked up" "English" also have picked up a lot of the "off the wall" expressions and humour, double entendre etc etc....my wife often comes out with stuff I never would have thought and no idea where she got it...usually taking the piss out of me...lol

...her favorites..."you OK mate?" "I pull your pisser" and "..in a bucket" from Mr Creosote/Monte Python

I guess a major part of this development comes from mixing with the expat and tourist community and watching western movies, comedy etc...AND listening to me curse .................certainly does not come from the English language education system

Use everything and anything to enrich her vocabulary and charisma ...make your life together rich and good fun....

Gotta say that most Thais in general share the Brit style of sick, slapstick and subtle humour..even non Anglophones..

[THAIPHUKET]

She reads BKK Post and at times my International Herald Tribune.

Speaks no pigeon English.

[TerryLH]

"Question= can a Thai with only very basis schooling make use of secondary education systems?"

She can get a primary/secondary and/or high school education through the Non Formal Education system. They usually have classes on weekends.

Besides regular schooling, there are lots of vocational training courses available. All courses may not be available at every location.

"Sitting in university classes?"

Probably not an option.

[FWIW]

She doesn't have goal. Too difficult for a farmer girl to come up with plans. You are right, her natural inferiority complex , I am nobody, no education, is much reduced because of her ability to travel abroad and have meaningful conversations with much older persons. No more shyness.

Anyhow, planning is almost impossible nowadays. W'll see what will happen.

Question= can a Thai with only very basis schooling make use of secondary education systems? Sitting in university classes?

To learn the basics of money would be more important than anything else.

I am a bit unclear on what education she does have. If I recall, University is normally called tertiary, while high school etc is secondary?

So, going on the basis that it is her secondary education that is lacking, there are adult classes run in most places that allow "students" to catch up to the high school leaving equivalent which can then equip then to go further in education. If I recall correctly, these are often run over evenings and weekends and last over a few years. It would take a fair bit of determination, but it can be done.

Sorry I am so hazy on the details.

[richard10365]

If she hasn't finished high school, get her back in school. There are Thai government programs that help adults complete their M6 education.

If she has finished high school, sign her up for college. If she's really good in English, ask her if she wants to study in an international program. You can find out how good her English is by having her take an English test. Payap has an English test that students take to qualify them to study in Payap's international programs. It only cost 500 baht.

If she has an M6 diploma and passes Payap's English test then she can study at Payap for an undergraduate (bachelors) degree that's taught totally in English. That might motivate her to want to go back to school.

Edited September 23, 2011 by richard10365

[THAIPHUKET]

She has only 6 y of primary school. Your suggestions are helpful, Payap is actually near by.

Thanks a lot!