Language Classes Begin For Aec

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Language classes begin for AEC

WANNAPA KHAOPA,

MAYUREE SUKYINGCHAROENWONG

THE NATION

Samut Sakhon

SAMUT SAKHON: -- Students at selected schools, some |near border areas, learning Burmese, Vietnamese, Malay in preparation for Asean community taking off in 2015

A Myanmar teacher was greeted "Mingalaba Sayama" - "Good afternoon, teacher" - and a Burmese-language class started for Thai students.

Yesterday, Grade 9 or Matthayom 3/3 students at Samut Sakhon Burana School, in the province of the same name just south of Bangkok, studied Burmese words from passages about Myanmar journalists who called for an end to censorship last week.

Burmese for general communication is a non-degree subject provided for 400 Matthayom 2 and 3 students at this school in an attempt to get them to know Myanmar in preparation for the Asean Economic Community (AEC), which is due to start in 2015.

This is one of dozens of schools in Thailand that are studying neighbouring countries' languages - languages that seven or eight years ago nobody thought Thai people would pay attention to.

Many universities are also promoting learning of neighbouring countries' languages among their students. Kasetsart University, for example, is teaching Malay, while Nation University teaches Vietnamese and Burmese, and Chulalong-korn teaches Vietnamese and Malay.

Asean Day falls on August 8 every year after the Association of Southeast Asian Nations - the regional body - was set up on that day in 1967. At present, "Asean" seems more meaningful to Thais thanks to rising awareness about the AEC.

The Education Ministry has created a plan to prepare for the start of the AEC in 2015. Permanent secretary for Education Sasithara Pichaichannarong said five measures were being implemented to ready Thais, especially students, for the AEC.

"About four million Thais are unable to read and write. So the ministry will be focusing on increasing Thais' literacy. It will work with nine other Asean countries to create basic education curricula with the same standard," she said.

"More higher education institutions will be encouraged to join the Asean University Network so they can transfer credits to help students be mobile within the region. We will exchange vocational and technical students for internships and jobs. We will be using information technology to provide online or cross-border learning among Asean countries," Sasithara said.

"All Asean countries also agree that we will have to get our students to study science and mathematics more."

To learn more about other Asean nations, the Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec) has run its Spirit of Asean project, which has been led by 52 schools in different parts of Thailand. These schools, including Samut Sakhon Burana, have been appointed Asean Study Centres that disseminate knowledge about the region to other schools and local agencies in their provinces, Jarrug Payapanang, the director at Samut Sakhon Burana, said.

The school is also among 30 "Sister Schools" that focus on English plus one of nine other Asean languages.

"We chose Burmese language because our province, Samut Sakhon has a lot of Myanmar migrants. We focus on [pupils getting] speaking skills," the director said.

Myanmar teacher Zun War said she taught her students to say greetings and thanks, how to apologise, express sympathy, as well as talking about shopping, time and dates, the weather, colours, buying medicine, and words used in hospitals, etc. "I want them to understand Burmese language so they can speak to Myanmar people here," she said.

Worakarn Soonthonprasert, 14, a Matthayom 3/3 student, said she liked learning Burmese words about animals, as she loves them. Her parents were happy that she is studying Burmese as they thought she would probably use the language some day.

Phakaphon Putta, 15, from the same class, said knowing a neighbouring country's language helped him understand its people. "It will help me when communicating with them after the AEC comes into effect."

Apart from the Sister Schools, Obec has also named 24 "Buffer Schools" that are near Thailand's borders with neighbouring countries. They have to emphasise English and a language of the countries near their areas. It has initiated partnership program between secondary schools in Thailand and Indonesia.

-- The Nation 2012-08-08

[KireB]

Good alternative of course, but without a complete overhaul of the education system deemed fruitless.

Studying languages is hard work, and without proper and valid incentives (to pass a subject) only a handful of them will develop the intrinsic motivation to master foreign languages.

[SuneeTH]

Myanmar, Philippines, Cambodia, etc teachers are cheaper that Farang.

Hence MoE try to push in as much cheaper labor in as possible, to replace the Frarang Kee Nok currently in Thai schools.

[SouthernMan3]

"Many universities are also promoting learning of neighboring countries' languages among their students. Kasetsart University, for example, is teaching Malay, while Nation University teaches Vietnamese and Burmese, and Chulalong-korn teaches Vietnamese and Malay."

This is all very fine and good but did someone forget about English ?

We ALL know that to communicate anywhere is the world English is the language !

[SouthernMan3]

"Many universities are also promoting learning of neighboring countries' languages among their students. Kasetsart University, for example, is teaching Malay, while Nation University teaches Vietnamese and Burmese, and Chulalong-korn teaches Vietnamese and Malay."

This is all very fine and good but did someone forget about English ?

We ALL know that to communicate anywhere is the world English is the language !

"Apart from the Sister Schools, Obec has also named 24 "Buffer Schools" that are near Thailand's borders with neighbouring countries. They have to emphasise English and a language of the countries near their areas. It has initiated partnership program between secondary schools in Thailand and Indonesia."

Oh, there is is, hidden in the last sentence............

[Scott]

I am sure our school will adopt this policy. Then the Burmese cleaning lady can also be a language teacher--2 for the price of one. Our Director will like that!

[khaowong1]

The common language around the world for business, science and medicine is English. Your Burmese may be excellant but when you need medical help trying to fix your hemorroid problem at a doctors office in Denver Colorado, burmese ain't going to be much help.

[Yme]

Absolute madness and has nothing to do with AEC2015. The language of AEC2015 is English and newspaper story after newspaper story continually emphasis how the Thailand professional sector will be the biggest loser once the AEC comes into effect.

Three percent of Thai engineers are qualified to work outside of the country, the biggest hurdle being their lack of English skills.

OBEC is sitting on a pile of cash budgeted for teaching English to Thai teachers - a so-called Train the Trainer program. However, those who have submitted bids under the proposed program have been told that 30% tea money is required or else the proposals will never get past the secretaries to the minister.

OPEC has a much smaller pool of money available but it is actually spending it on the Train the Trainer program and NO tea money is being asked for.

A large percentage of Thais are not fluent in Central Thai and those living close to Thailand's borders already speak Burmese Vietnamese, or Laotian and have for generations in order to trade. This is simply a pup and pony show and highlights the stupidity of the author in accepting this submission from OBEC pushing this as a "AEC2015 readiness" program.

In just over two years there will be 98 million Filipinos, 29 million Malays, and five million Singaporeans entering the unified AEC job market - the majority of whom speak English. If / when India is admitted to Asean that will see another huge pool of English-speaking workers.

While Indonesia, Vietnam and other Asean members are ramping up English language training, the master of the universe are teaching their kids Burmese and Vietnamese.

The only languages that matter for Thailand are Thai, English and Chinese. This is simply a nonsense.