Do Teachers from Your school Translate The Students' Fancy Names For You?

[lostinisaan]

Hello,

Just being in the middle of a divorce, suicide, or manslaughter. The usual midterm "grading" for the kids.

It only happened once that all their names were given to me in English, but i usually sit in front of the PC screen, got wife and son next to me to translate the students' names into English.

( Besides posting some stuff on this forum, that mostly gets me suspended for a few days/ weeks/ months.)

It usually works this way. Wife and son sitting next to me, read their names in Thai and I try to write their names down, which sometimes leads to huge misunderstandings.

My wife always reads the names differently to my son, which can be dangerous for anybody's health, involved. So a kid with the name "Supachughornaporn" could also be read as "Sperchagornporn", eventually "Spajungoraporn", " Seepajooghonporn: etc.....

I only have about 800 names to translate and stopped after only 10 minutes doing so. Wife packed her stuff and is leaving to her mom's village soon.

Our son took off, because it's his birthday today and he doesn't want to be lectured by his mom.

The joke is that i could ask them ten minutes later to read the same name again and a different sound comes to my ear.

Here's my question. Am I the only one who has to do such self crucifying stuff, or are there others with a similar problem?

Is the language so difficult that each and every Thai read a name different, or should my family have some Thai tutoring lessons? I'll pay for it.

Why can't the Thai English teachers do that nasty job for you, as they are the ones who should be aware how to spell their names in Roman letters?

Glad that we don't have a loaded gun in our house now.........

[aidenai]

I'm teaching M1-M3. At the beginning of the school year I give the students the Thai name list and ask them to write their first name, last name and nick name in English behind their Thai names.

Edited October 13, 2014 by aidenai

[brianp0803]

Have you been taking attendance?

If you teach on a bilingual program then the students should know how to write their names in English.

The students are probably used to farang butchering their names.

Also they know their order on attendance list.

Unlikely you will say their names correctly with the correct tone.

Ages ago I taught English at a language school and had a student named "Ae" and "Tee" and I always was corrected when I said their names.

I guess I had the wrong tone.

I like to use their formal Thai name because I am their teacher and not their peer.

Don't worry

The students are forgiving and understanding.

Laugh with them if you accidentally butcher their name.

Accept their names in the context of a Thai culture. (I had a student wrote his name Kittyporn) Perfectly normal name in Thai culture.

The word "porn" written in Thai is a nice word.

[brianp0803]

Learning to read Thai helps a lot with pronunciation and tone.

I feel strongly about saying their names correctly. My style.

Most students accept my pronunciation but I tell them I want to say it correct.

It is easier for me when they write it in Thai.

Lostinissan:

800 students.

WOW

Good Luck.

I have 150 students and it is difficult, but possible.

I get frustrated if my class size exceeds 28 students.

[lostinisaan]

I'm teaching M1-M3. At the beginning of the school year I give the students the Thai name list and ask them to write their first name, last name and nick name in English behind their Thai names.

Please try to do that with grade one students. They wouldn't even understand what you're on about. No problem with the 39 EP kids I've got in grade one..

Most of the "ordinary" grade one kids can't even write their first name in Thai. Some only know their nicknames, etc.....

But then i also have the ordinary grade ones, threes and sixes.

Many of these grade six students can't write their name in English, which shows the quality of their Thai English teachers.

The "smart" ones copy their own names from their notebooks......

I posted this, as i always have a huge fight with my wife and son. They always pronounce their names much different, which makes me sometimes upset.

How would you write "O@%$?/่ไทีะ้ภะะถีระ C%^*R$_$+|+__><><><M,./,./,./.,,n:;u " down in Roman letters that YOU can read their names.

That's very similar to what they're telling me.

Okay, I have to learn hot to read Thai.

Edited October 13, 2014 by lostinisaan

[lostinisaan]

Learning to read Thai helps a lot with pronunciation and tone.

I feel strongly about saying their names correctly. My style.

Most students accept my pronunciation but I tell them I want to say it correct.

It is easier for me when they write it in Thai.

Lostinissan:

800 students.

WOW

Good Luck.

I have 150 students and it is difficult, but possible.

I get frustrated if my class size exceeds 28 students.

Sorry, I lied to you. Wanted to type 500. In the ordinary classes from grade one to M3 are between 25-35 students.

In the only EP grade one class are 39 of these little monsters. Does that make any sense?

You might know the answer.

Edited October 13, 2014 by lostinisaan

[lostinisaan]

Have you been taking attendance?

If you teach on a bilingual program then the students should know how to write their names in English.

The students are probably used to farang butchering their names.

Also they know their order on attendance list.

Unlikely you will say their names correctly with the correct tone.

Ages ago I taught English at a language school and had a student named "Ae" and "Tee" and I always was corrected when I said their names.

I guess I had the wrong tone.

I like to use their formal Thai name because I am their teacher and not their peer.

Don't worry

The students are forgiving and understanding.

Laugh with them if you accidentally butcher their name.

Accept their names in the context of a Thai culture. (I had a student wrote his name Kittyporn) Perfectly normal name in Thai culture.

The word "porn" written in Thai is a nice word.

There’s no way in the ordinary classes, to even try with attendance. Once you’ve started your lesson, some others show up. Would you wait a few minutes, some of them would be gone, without telling you so.

The one and only EP class is easier to handle, as I’ve got them for nine hours /week and sit next to their classroom all day long, when I don’t teach.

Their names, when translated are sometimes written down in a way that you’d have to use the German language, when reading them.

The only reason why I’m always doing is that I don’t want to call them by numbers….

“Hey you, number two. Come and sit down, and listen to your clown.”

Who knows what Kittyporn’s parents had in mind when she gave her the name? Or him? Or himshe?

To be honest, I hate I love Kitty stickers on cars…….

[brianp0803]

Even 500 total students is a lot

How many names per class?

How many different classes in a week?

After class size exceeds about 27 then dynamics change. My largest class I ever taught had 33 students.

Also depends if you are teaching English or a subject.

A class you teach 9 hours a week is probably easier to remember their names.

Don't forget "porn" means some thing nice in Thai.

I have also had a student named "Titiporn". I use her nickname.

I am also careful talking about the "key" concepts in math to use a low tone or the student start repeating the word "key" with a high tone.

[Scott]

I work in a system that stresses English, we have mini programs, bilingual programs and international programs. With the young children the Thai teacher often transliterates the name and then it is double checked with the parents -- actually the parents are asked to write the name in English when the child is enrolled. For some reason this doesn't always make it onto the name list.

Altogether I have to help with preparing the grades and report cards for several thousand students. It drives me up a wall that the names are so frequently wrong. Many of our students have a passport and they do know how to write their name. Usually it's a Thai teacher who decides it should be spelled differently.

In the end, I often have to collect the notebooks and get the spelling straight off that. But, of course, with the young un's, it's a little harder and more complicated.

Best of luck.

[KhunBENQ]

You transcribe the names?

How old are the children?

I am not sure about the age limit, but Thai children need to have an ID card which contains their name in English as it has been translated by a government office. The surnames are definitely on their fathers ID card.

Our 14 year old has one and as far as I remember all children older than 7 should have one?

Transcription: an endless chaos between "official" rules (RTGS) and "English" style(s) and utter nonsense like "Suvarnabhumi".

The grandchildren in our family came up with ID cards containing three versions of the surname which is identical in Thai script.

One following the RTGS rules.

A lot of online tools are available. The best one only works on PCs with a special unicode setting (fully Thai).

2nd best, fairly useful but not 100% error free:

http://www.thai-language.com/?nav=dictionary&anyxlit=1

select RTGS for the "official" transcript".

You as an native English speaker will probably be "surprised" about some results.

E.g.:

ภูมิพลอดุลยเดช (the short name of Her Majesty) transcribes to:
Phumiphon Adunyadet

which is much closer to the pronounciation than the often seen:

Bhumibol Adulyadej

There is not final "l" or final "j" prounced in a Thai language syllable!

In RTGS neither "j" nor "v" (also often seen) are used and so and so on...

Edited October 13, 2014 by KhunBENQ

[brianp0803]

When they write in English you loose tones.

Wrong tone wrong.

name.

"G" (as in chicken) is written as "K'

"L" at the end is pronounced with "n" sound.

Two students had short name- noon.

One was a girl (with high tone meaning soft)

One was a boy (low tone) meaning young man)

Translation into English characters might give you a 50% chance of saying their name even close to how a native Thai speaker will call them.

I am amazed when I hear the Thai teachers call students names. I try to imitate.

There is no "v" sound in Thai but I see names with the letter v.

Again - students in English program are forgiving.

Sorawit and Sorawis are pronounced the same in Thai. Since both were in the same class one Sorawit accepted the"s" sound at the end of his name (but not possible pronunciation in Thai)

No way to write the "Gua" sound with a smile.

Edited October 13, 2014 by brianp0803

[lostinisaan]

You transcribe the names?

How old are the children?

I am not sure about the age limit, but Thai children need to have an ID card which contains their name in English as it has been translated by a government office. The surnames are definitely on their fathers ID card.

Our 14 year old has one and as far as I remember all children older than 7 should have one?

Transcription: an endless chaos between "official" rules (RTGS) and "English" style(s) and utter nonsense like "Suvarnabhumi".

The grandchildren in our family came up with ID cards containing three versions of the surname which is identical in Thai script.

One following the RTGS rules.

A lot of online tools are available. The best one only works on PCs with a special unicode setting (fully Thai).

2nd best, fairly useful but not 100% error free:

http://www.thai-language.com/?nav=dictionary&anyxlit=1

select RTGS for the "official" transcript".

You as an native English speaker will probably be "surprised" about some results.

E.g.:

ภูมิพลอดุลยเดช (the short name of Her Majesty) transcribes to:

Phumiphon Adunyadet

which is much closer to the pronounciation than the often seen:

Bhumibol Adulyadej

There is not final "l" or final "j" prounced in a Thai language syllable!

In RTGS neither "j" nor "v" (also often seen) are used and so and so on...

Yep, I see it as part of my job, even knowing that their Thai English teacher should have at least their names in English as well.

My kids are between six and 12 years old. We’re a tiny Anuban school in the sticks, located somewhere between Sisaket and Surin. Lower northeast.

I’m the only farang at this school and they just assume you know everything up and down. I have to admit that I made a huge mistake when I started learning how to read and write, when our son came to Anuban one, I could have learned with him.

But then I got bored, as the writing is more drawing for me. Now I just feel too old and busy to spend my time learning something where many grade six students are still struggling with. The Thai language.

You wouldn’t believe how bad this system sometimes is. A lot of those with an ID card always have to pull out their card when it comes to write their names.

Our Thai English teachers blame me for each word I mispronounce, but they can hardly spell their own name in English.

I do have several good language translation programs, which I sometimes use to have new vocabulary in Thai as well.

But when it comes to names, just forget about it. It doesn't work, similar to the simultaneous language translation to teach English to their students.

It just doesn't work to translate an English sentence into Thai and Vice Verse, for example:

“Some people on Thai Visa Forum write many things about topics, where they obviously don’t know much about it.”

Now please say that in Thai and even the best English speaking student would have a different outcome, when you tell him the Thai version.

The different sentence structure, word borrowed words, etc., make it impossible.

I’m sometimes making some translations for some high tech companies from English into German and I can sometimes choose between ten different words in German, I could use for the word in English.

That on the other hand depends on the whole sentence, what the meaning should be, the right tenses, etc…

I just finished up all the names, only translated their first names, as all of them also have their student ID.

But enough is enough. I’ll tell them (our Thai superiors) in the friendliest Thai way that I need these names in English for the second term. This only works well, if you make it in a way, that they believe the idea came from them…..

It’s not just that they do not pronounce a j, or l at the end in Thai, they do the same mistakes when they “teach” English.

It’s always ten dog, never dogs. Even when I spend some time to correct our English teachers, it might last for only one day and they fall back into their Pidgin English.

I’m trying hard to make them understand that they have to “think” in the language they want to speak, especially when they’re English teachers.

Sorry, for going so off topic now, just thought it was important to understand.This stuff gave me a terrible headache. Time for a cold one now.G'day.

[brianp0803]

My last school (EP program )asked me to pass around the list of students names in English to the students for correction.

I think someone mentioned their name card or passport should have the official English spelling. This should be done at enrollment by parents.

Today I was suprised to see my student because she said she came to resign from the school. I went outside school to get a banana shake and she was getting ready to get a cab home.

Shocked a student can resign without a parent.

Many words in Thai that don't follow normal rules. The answer is always - that's Bali sans critical word.

It sounds like you don't get much support at your school but live in rural area with few opportunities.

Also the question if you could get another waiver if you wanted to change.

I caved into the pressure and decided to get my M. Ed. In Bangkok. A lot of work but I plan to keep teaching in Thailand.

[lostinisaan]

My last school (EP program )asked me to pass around the list of students names in English to the students for correction.

I think someone mentioned their name card or passport should have the official English spelling. This should be done at enrollment by parents.

Today I was suprised to see my student because she said she came to resign from the school. I went outside school to get a banana shake and she was getting ready to get a cab home.

Shocked a student can resign without a parent.

Many words in Thai that don't follow normal rules. The answer is always - that's Bali sans critical word.

It sounds like you don't get much support at your school but live in rural area with few opportunities.

Also the question if you could get another waiver if you wanted to change.

I caved into the pressure and decided to get my M. Ed. In Bangkok. A lot of work but I plan to keep teaching in Thailand.

I made a commitment by signing this contract. Unfortunately did I not know of the constantly raising teaching hours, responsibilities besides teaching, which includes three other different grades to keep me really busy? And so on.

I did sign a contract with 20 contact hours, then they increased it to 21, but I finally have around 30 hours, without the preparation for three subjects, plus the other grades.

Oh, they tell me on a Friday evening that I have to hold a seminar for the whole educational area two office, the school belongs to. Takes about an hour to find out what sort of seminar they’d like to have. Then a short night, as the seminar starts the next day.

Only two weeks later, the same situation. Another seminar, this time for Thai high school English teachers, how to teach English. Please don’t be too hard on them, as most of them didn't graduate in English, please, is the usual phrase.

So when you’re really happy and ready for the coming weekend, they tell you that there’re various competitions and I have to judge ASEAN quiz and speeches for primary, lower level.

My “office” I share with a Filipino is right next to the only grade one EP classroom we've got. So I’m constantly confronted with noisy kids. It’s finally a sort of a holiday when I “may” go and teach other grades.

My wife comes from this area and I’m really highly respected by all the so called his o Thais. I really get along quite well with most of my colleagues, but my Thai co-teacher at this EP program informed me that most of the other teachers would be jealous, as they might believe that we’re only sitting around in an air-conditioned classroom, equipped with a PC (where I have to take care of) and a screen.

Which they consider high tech. Reality is that we've got the most stressful job at this institution. Please try to be a teacher, mother, father, doctor, psychologist, babysitter and quite a few other occupations at the same time.

Teechaaa……Naam has a wound and is bleeding. Nong Lek had a fight with a much bigger girl and is crying, while Nate, the guy who just came from the UK after four years living there, has huge troubles, as another guy’s annoying him.

You’re on your own there. Okay, I had three semester of medicine back in my country of origin, but I couldn't handle a let’s say cardiac arrest.

Then the weekly meetings, usually when you really had a rough day and all you want is to drive the damn 25 km home to switch off.

Nope, I sit in a meeting, where it’s always (to 90 %) about things I've got nothing to do with. Of course is the meeting conducted in Thai and nobody wants to lose face there.Some take their notebooks, update their facebook status and other useful nonsense. But they're there............

The newest shock was when I found out that our director (the same guy who’d forgotten to register his school at the SS office, which created really big problems for me, as I was used to schools that are registered) wants ALL teachers to pray each Tuesday, of course after school hours.

But they’re doing that happily, or not, without me.

I apologize-again- for writing so much that has nothing to do with the topic now, but it does explain why it came up first place.

Finally, I love to live in my “rural” area and I do believe that I can at least show them the right path, before I resign in April.

“My kids”, who’ll be in grade two, EP by next year are my commitment. I feel responsible for them and will give my best that they are well prepared for next year.

I'd also like to live here until the end of my days and will wait what Khurusapha will decide soon.God bless these idiots at the MoE.-

[brianp0803]

I thought about waiting to see if Moe will relax their 2 waiver policy but the risk of saying they were wrong and loose face is too great.

A continual supply of new teachers is available to replace the experienced teachers being denied work permits.

Moe came to my old school to give a seminar about being a good teacher.

They read long PowerPoint slides about being a dynamic teacher. Had errors in the slides from Microsoft auto correction of words.

Their demonstration was boring and no retention of knowledge.

I think they forgot to tell us they were going to demonstrate bad teaching style that we should avoid.

I would not pass probation if I taught ad bad as the Moe teachers.

The school stopped asking them to come

[lostinisaan]

I thought about waiting to see if Moe will relax their 2 waiver policy but the risk of saying they were wrong and loose face is too great.

A continual supply of new teachers is available to replace the experienced teachers being denied work permits.

Moe came to my old school to give a seminar about being a good teacher.

They read long PowerPoint slides about being a dynamic teacher. Had errors in the slides from Microsoft auto correction of words.

Their demonstration was boring and no retention of knowledge.

I think they forgot to tell us they were going to demonstrate bad teaching style that we should avoid.

I would not pass probation if I taught ad bad as the Moe teachers.

The school stopped asking them to come

Experienced teachers doesn’t necessarily mean good teachers. We all had to start somewhere, but there’re people out there who obviously did not get it and just fly under the radar.

A “Ajarn, you look so nice today” here, a “Ajarn, may I sweep the floor today “there, helps quite a few to keep their employment to a certain extend that they get a new contract.

I’m in this business for many moons and I've never seen, or heard that the MoE (I assume you meant those guys from headquarters Bkk.) come to any schools to show some Power Points to some lonely and bored foreigners, how to teach.

If so, then people from your educational area xxx show up and you don’t always have the best English speaking/ writing guys.

I guess you were only invited to a seminar which is pretty common these days, as they know that too many things go wrong at your school. Could be the Thai staff, could be the foreign staff. Or both.

If there’re some errors in a slides, who cares? Why do you think that they forgot to tell you the purpose of this seminar?

Isn't that a sort of common sense for anybody with functioning grey brain cells?

Does that mean that you’re still on probation, first term teaching in Thailand? Or is it just a grammatical mistake that makes me think you are?

However, the superiors of your school will only ask them to hold such a seminar, if things are not going well at your institution.

It’s not that the school can just tell them that they’re not wanted anymore.

Is it possible that you really misunderstood the whole thing? Just curious. Best of luck for your probation period.

[brianp0803]

The school was trying to show TCT their teachers were receiving training to ensure waivers.

It was a couple years ago when waiver required evidence of advancement.

The school also sent teachers (and paid) for the TCT tests.

If you hired someone to provide training about being good teachers would you expect the trainers to read boring slides they obviously have never read before that contained errors.

They read theory but no practical suggestions for a real class.

They suggested each student should have homework and tests tailored to his learning style and ability. Great idea but not practical.

No feedback if learning was occurring.

The slides had some good information but I think the presenters did not implement the material in their slides into their teaching.

I thought they were from Moe. With more than 100 foreign teachers they came to our school. School has a lot of money and power.

All the teachers joked after the seminar that if our teaching and preparation was as bad as the presenters in the seminar we would be fired.

I guess some schools might feel that all their teachers are excellent and the best in their field and no room for improvement.

Or they may be blind to deficiencies.

Or too cheap to try to spend money to improve the quality of teachers.

It sounds like all the teachers at your school are already perfect teachers and wouldn't benefit from additional learning. Congratulations.

[brianp0803]

They did not forget to tell us the purpose of the seminar. It was not intended as a demonstration of bad teaching techniques.

The statement "if I taught as bad" is a hypothetical statement which is false. Difficult to fire teachers unless on probation.

"Isn't that a sort of common sense...". What does "that" refer to?

Purpose of seminar?

Errors on slides?

Reasons for sending teachers to seminar?

"Functioning grey brain cells"

Can you help teaching math grade 12 calculus?

A school that regularly observes teachers classrooms, checks the grade sheets of teachers, sends teachers to seminars, pays for the teachers to take the TCT

Your conclusion is they do this because the school has problems.

Correct?

[Eliot Rosewater]

Have you been taking attendance?

If you teach on a bilingual program then the students should know how to write their names in English.

The students are probably used to farang butchering their names.

Also they know their order on attendance list.

Unlikely you will say their names correctly with the correct tone.

Ages ago I taught English at a language school and had a student named "Ae" and "Tee" and I always was corrected when I said their names.

I guess I had the wrong tone.

I like to use their formal Thai name because I am their teacher and not their peer.

Don't worry

The students are forgiving and understanding.

Laugh with them if you accidentally butcher their name.

Accept their names in the context of a Thai culture. (I had a student wrote his name Kittyporn) Perfectly normal name in Thai culture.

The word "porn" written in Thai is a nice word.

If they are going to have contact with native English speakers; they better get used to the way we pronounce their name.

Put the shoe on the other foot; if my name was Larry; should I insist that Thais pronounce it correctly?

I actually had a Thai tell me once that the "s" on the end of my name wasn't important to pronounce; as it is "only one letter." They also mentioned that Thai doesn't have the "s" sound at the end of the word, so not important either.....

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Accept their names in the context of a Thai culture. (I had a student wrote his name Kittyporn) Perfectly normal name in Thai culture.

'TurdSack" was my favorite, nice boy.

[brianp0803]

At my last school we had a teacher Harley and Holly.

The students pronounced both the same.

Today students asked me for extra math help for SAT style math exam.

When they told me the name of the students that wanted to study their pronunciation of their friends names was very different from what I had been calling them (and they respond when I call their name).

Difficult but I will keep trying. I do want them also to get close to pronouncing my name without a rising tone.

[brianp0803]

Accept their names in the context of a Thai culture. (I had a student wrote his name Kittyporn) Perfectly normal name in Thai culture.

'TurdSack" was my favorite, nice boy.

Made me laugh

But I can guess at the Thai spelling and pronunciation.

They don't say the "k" at the end or very soft.

Probably the"d" very soft almost missing and Thais like to skip the "r" sound.

They butcher their own names (based on OUR rules for pronunciation)

[puchooay]

This thread has left me with a grin on my face.

1. They are not "fancy" names. They are christian names.

2. If you can't write the name by yourself then write it using the Thai version and get used to it.

3. Failing that, do the simple thing and learn to read Thai. Just as I did.

4. Why make fun of the meanings any name might have in English? They are Thai names and every name in Thai has a good, strong meaning in their own language. Anything wrong with Teacher Jim's name? Not to us but I guess the students would have a laugh.

[SlyAnimal]

The school should have, as part of their database, all of the students' names in English characters. If you talk to a person in the admin department, they can probably give you a CD or similar in excel with all of the names on excel. Although of course, communicating what you want, and getting it done how you want, might be difficult lol, but if you can it'd probably be useful.

Although often their names in English characters don't give an accurate representation on how their name is pronounced, so if you read out their names you might end up with the class rolling around on the floor laughing lol.

What I would usually do, was pass their list of names around on the first day of class, and ask the students to write their nickname (in English) next to their name. I'd then use that for their names when calling the roll.

Prior to that, I used to just use their numbers when checking names, as it was simply easier (and with 400+ students, and only 1 lesson per week each, I really didn't have the time/inclination to learn their names). But once I started getting more classes 2x per week, I changed to nicknames.

I used these methods, rather than their real names, as although I can read Thai, when I started I could only read very slowly, so numbers were faster. Also I usually did have the English versions of their names, but I decided that it made a mockery of me if I read them out, as I would say a lot of names which were clearly nothing like their actual name (e.g. English versions of students' names, are often quite far from how it's actually said). Although I think I'll try and use their real names when I go back to teaching again, as I can read Thai a bit faster now (And the more I practice, the better I'll get at it).

You could also maybe get their homeroom teacher to write their nicknames next to the students names, if the above options don't work for you.

[puchooay]

Does anyone not think that it is important, whilst teaching the students the importance of learning a foreign language and sharing cultural ideas, to just show a little effort at their language?

Why should the students "get used" to someone saying their name incorrectly?

Edited October 15, 2014 by puchooay

[lostinisaan]

The school should have, as part of their database, all of the students' names in English characters. If you talk to a person in the admin department, they can probably give you a CD or similar in excel with all of the names on excel. Although of course, communicating what you want, and getting it done how you want, might be difficult lol, but if you can it'd probably be useful.

Although often their names in English characters don't give an accurate representation on how their name is pronounced, so if you read out their names you might end up with the class rolling around on the floor laughing lol.

What I would usually do, was pass their list of names around on the first day of class, and ask the students to write their nickname (in English) next to their name. I'd then use that for their names when calling the roll.

Prior to that, I used to just use their numbers when checking names, as it was simply easier (and with 400+ students, and only 1 lesson per week each, I really didn't have the time/inclination to learn their names). But once I started getting more classes 2x per week, I changed to nicknames.

I used these methods, rather than their real names, as although I can read Thai, when I started I could only read very slowly, so numbers were faster. Also I usually did have the English versions of their names, but I decided that it made a mockery of me if I read them out, as I would say a lot of names which were clearly nothing like their actual name (e.g. English versions of students' names, are often quite far from how it's actually said). Although I think I'll try and use their real names when I go back to teaching again, as I can read Thai a bit faster now (And the more I practice, the better I'll get at it).

You could also maybe get their homeroom teacher to write their nicknames next to the students names, if the above options don't work for you.

C'Mon. The director of my school didn't even register "his" institution at the SS office yet, which surprises everybody involved. There's no database, with names in English.

Even some grade 9 students can't remember their names in English, but all have an ID card, where they sometimes pull them out in an English lesson, to copy their names in English onto a worksheet. What amazes me is that they don't remember them..............

Unfortunately, I've done all the writing, sent it to school and had a good laugh when wife and son had some "little arguments" which got louder and louder, how to pronounce certain names IN THAI, when reading it from their students' list from school. Son left, so nobody lost face. Lol.

I make my own jokes with their nick names and one ladyboy in grade six with the funny name "Ganja" is just called "Thai stick" by me.

Just wanted to let you know that I;m NOT jealous that you can just :"take one year off teaching", to study Thai.

I'm completely lost, as I don't know if I speak Isaan, or Thai. It's always funny when I have to go to Bangkok, tell a cab driver where I want to go to and some guys from Isaan tell me: Oh, you live in Sisaket, right?"

I don't believe some guys on this forum when they blame me for not being able to read in Thai, but they seem to be perfect.

Are they so perfect in Thai that they even top my wife's and son's reading and speaking skills? And they're 100 % Thai........

Time to meet my hottie now and have a cold one..-

Edited October 15, 2014 by lostinisaan

[brianp0803]

Does anyone not think that it is important, whilst teaching the students the importance of learning a foreign language and sharing cultural ideas, to just show a little effort at their language?

Why should the students "get used" to someone saying their name incorrectly?

I agree

The students tell me it's ok but I reply I want to say their name correctly.

Reading Thai helps a lot but often names use unusual spelling.

I see each class 2 hours a week but this is my second year with mostly the same students.

I try to listen when the students call each other.

[Scott]

They should probably get used to their names being pronounced if they wish to understand that someone is talking to them. I most certainly can't pronounce many of the names correctly and they certainly can't pronounce my correctly, but we do have fun trying.

I deal with name lists of thousands of students and numerous schools. The Thai admin simply do not care about the names in English. They are consistently spelled wrong and I have had parents approach me and ask why their child's name is spelled wrong year after year. I tell them to see the Admin where the name list is kept. They usually just laugh.

Here's how I end up doing it. With G. 2 and up I go into the classroom and collect their English notebook with their name. This is the way the student has been taught to spell his/her name. For the older kids, I pass the name list around and have them correct the spelling. It's a lot of work and it takes a lot of time -- and then many students change their names!

If a report card gets printed with an incorrect spelling, I tell the students to bring it back and we will get it reprinted.

I can't pronounce many of their names correctly, but I can see to it that it's spelled to their satisfaction.

[Eliot Rosewater]

Does anyone not think that it is important, whilst teaching the students the importance of learning a foreign language and sharing cultural ideas, to just show a little effort at their language?

Why should the students "get used" to someone saying their name incorrectly?

I agree

The students tell me it's ok but I reply I want to say their name correctly.

Reading Thai helps a lot but often names use unusual spelling.

I see each class 2 hours a week but this is my second year with mostly the same students.

I try to listen when the students call each other.

Again, imagine a Thai teacher hired to work in Britian; the teacher speaks English well enough but struggles with some pronunciation.

Now imagine a British Student named Larry getting offended and INSISTING that the teacher pronounce his name correctly.

What do you think the reaction would be when Larry complains to the headmaster? How would the headmaster respond?

How would the teacher feel? How many Thais do you know who could pronounce this name correctly.

You both seem to have some kind of weird "reverse colonial attitude," you ought to try to be more global in your thinking and realize that in an international environment that perfect pronunciation of foreign names is not always possible.

[puchooay]

Does anyone not think that it is important, whilst teaching the students the importance of learning a foreign language and sharing cultural ideas, to just show a little effort at their language?

Why should the students "get used" to someone saying their name incorrectly?

I agree

The students tell me it's ok but I reply I want to say their name correctly.

Reading Thai helps a lot but often names use unusual spelling.

I see each class 2 hours a week but this is my second year with mostly the same students.

I try to listen when the students call each other.

Again, imagine a Thai teacher hired to work in Britian; the teacher speaks English well enough but struggles with some pronunciation.

Now imagine a British Student named Larry getting offended and INSISTING that the teacher pronounce his name correctly.

What do you think the reaction would be when Larry complains to the headmaster? How would the headmaster respond?

How would the teacher feel? How many Thais do you know who could pronounce this name correctly.

You both seem to have some kind of weird "reverse colonial attitude," you ought to try to be more global in your thinking and realize that in an international environment that perfect pronunciation of foreign names is not always possible.

A bit of a contradiction there. One minute you are telling us to think more globally and then you are saying that it is OK to not bother with pronunciation.

Also...I would imagine that a Thai teacher with poor English pronunciation would not be hired to teach in Britain.