List Of English Textbooks Approved By Thai Government

[teacher17]

I was told by my school director to pick out textbooks for the kids to use next year (primary level). But I know that the Thai government only pays for certain textbooks...does anyone know of a list of textbooks approved by the Thai government for government schools online? I know I could go to the bookstore and ask, but I'd like to look at a list first. Also, anyone have any opinions about the best English textbook to use for Thai primary students? Thanks!

[masuk]

If these are original text books from overseas, they'll cost a mint! I can't imagine them being paid for by the government.

"Headway" books are excellent, along with tapes, work books and so on, but at a price.

"Interchange" are also good, and also come with tapes.

Headway was the book of choice for advanced English students at the English school I worked for in Indonesia, but Headway for Beginners was excellent for schools which did not have their company-produced text books.

It used to be that some of the better books were produced under licence for use in Asia, at reasonable prices, but I don't know if they're available in Thailand.

[teacher17]

Thanks! Will look into those books.

Supposedly, the Thai government pays for some books...I don't know which ones though. I want to use the oxford books, but the director at my school said the Thai government wouldn't pay for them? However, at a government high school I worked at previously, they used the oxford books....so not sure if my director knows what he's talking about or not...

My school director also wants me to get books that emphasize speaking....anyone have any recommendations?

[gerryBScot]

I would recommend the Let's Go series which I believe is recommended by the MoE. I think they even produce Thai editions at affordable prices. I would strongly recommend you also invest in the Teachers Manual, audio recordings and other support materials. I believe it is published by Oxford University Press. I recommend this series as a Brit notwithstanding the fact it uses American English. Its strength is in the fact that it was designed for Japanese primary school learners; so it is designed on the premise that Japanese and English have very little in common, and in much the same way Thai and ENglish have very little in common. So I find it really works well in the classroom and covers many subtle points that I would have otherwise missed. I must stress the Teachers Manuals are essential. I also have used English Time which I would also recommend; once more it comes form OUP and was developed for the Japanese market.

[Scott]

I have used the "Let's Go" series for a long time and find it to be very good. The British version is "Get Set Go", which is also quite good. I think GerryB's remarks are quite accurate. The "Get Set Go" series is a little harder and slightly more complicated. Let's Go is probably better for students who are getting limited exposure to English and Get Set Go for those with greater exposure and more intensity.

[billd766]

My son had his last day at school this term yesterday.

The evening before the teacher gave all the children a letter to take home requesting 2,020 baht for school books to be collected at the start of next term in May.

What books they are I have no idea.

[gerryBScot]

My son had his last day at school this term yesterday.

The evening before the teacher gave all the children a letter to take home requesting 2,020 baht for school books to be collected at the start of next term in May.

What books they are I have no idea.

Yeah this is fairly standard practise; the teacher should be able to give you a breakdown of the books that will be provided and individual costs. I would advise you check to ensure your son receives all the books on it. Of course there is no guarantee that all the books will have been received by the school for the start of term.

[teacher17]

Thank you! I have also looked at the let's go books and I think they'd be good for the students. However, my...director, who since I am not naming or my school, is CLUELESS, seems to think that those books are not approved by the MOE....but I think they are?? I also liked family and friends...would that book be approved by MOE as well...? So annoying because I went to the bookstore the other day, and the staff or course, had no idea, but said they were used in government schools, so they assumed they would be ok.

Does the MOE pay for all English government textbooks? Or do the children's parent's normally have to pay for them? The children at my school are fairly poor..so it would be better to get reimbursed by the government than have each child pay for his/her book.

[gerryBScot]

Yeah doesn't surprise me Teacher17 clueless is a good word to describe the people who are responsible for making decisions in schools. I can't refer you to any authority for what is approved and I don't know about who pays for books.

[culicine]

My school uses Jump Aboard and Megaflash Plus, though this is an EP. These books are a bit more difficult that the series from the Thai program (forgot the name of that series, though).

For other subjects we use "Understanding Science", which is the english equivalent of the Thai curriculum. It was translated based on the Thai curriculum. Note the language is quite challenging for most students from this book. For maths, we use New Syllabus Maths, which from Singapore, but quite a good book.

[billd766]

The school that my son goes to is quite a good one but badly let down by the administrative backup staff.

It has a Mini English Program and my son is quite happy there but nobody in the back office speaks any real English which make it hard for me. I am about 30% deaf and almost totally tone deaf so speaking Thai is hard for me.

I cannot even get a start and end of term date nor public holiday info either.

Stuff is sent home with my son needing an instant response for the next day. They used to have a website but that seems to have disappeared.

My wife is not that much help as "they are teachers so I cannot"..... Actually yes you can dear, now go DO IT.

[thaicbr]

i think the English books available at the government book stores are from Macmillan publishing.. But i could be wrong