Thailand embarks on program to ensure citizens speak English

[Plutojames88]

5 hours ago, lostinisaan said:

 

 

     My suggestion to let the kiddies at Anuban one and two at our sachool watch a funny English cartoon every day wasn't understood by the superiors. Even offering free DVD's wasn't welcome. Okay, forget it then.....

 

But why English cartoons?

 

    1. They'll be familiar with the English language and its sounds, without always looking into a hangovered face.

 

    2. They want to know what's happening in the cartoon and soon understand certain words.

 

    3. Replaces many foreign and Thai English teachers who're basically wasting the kiddies' time. 

 

 

 

 

 

     

 

  

 

      

 

           

 

      

 

       

Just for the record ...

This idea was very practical and proven .

After 20 hours of saturation of a language children begin to learn associations.

 

Babies learn Dada by the sound .

Dog .etc.

 

The Thai teachers see themselves as far superior to us.

When I sent a note (corrections for an English paper ) to the school the boy was punished.

These people are messed up in general

[metisdead]

Posts containing profane and inappropriate language have been removed:

 

8) You will not post disruptive or inflammatory messages, vulgarities, obscenities or profanities.

[hookedondhamma]

9 hours ago, Winniedapu said:

 

Might be the case sometimes but imho, it's far from the general rule. Many Thais are just not convinced that a good education is necessary to help Mum and Dad in the fields. Also, plenty of unskilled work available in Bangkok, so why worry? Tomorrow will look after itself. personally, I think instilling Buddhist principles is a part of the problem - I'm poor and uneducated today because I was a bad person in the last life. Therefore I should accept karma and just be poor and uneducated as the Lord Buddha (or someone) wants.

 

Winnie

 

[Rorri]

On 31/08/2016 at 4:40 PM, oilinki said:

I'm curious how many hours do other non-English speaking countries teach English in primary and secondary schools? 

 

I don't know about all countries, but my philippine friends say that when you start school, grade 1, all lessons are in  English, quite a contrast to Thailands  meagre attempt. Guess which country is more serious, about English education. Am waiting for a Thai apologist to put a good spin on this.

[LannaGuy]

11 hours ago, Winniedapu said:

 

Might be the case sometimes but imho, it's far from the general rule. Many Thais are just not convinced that a good education is necessary to help Mum and Dad in the fields. Also, plenty of unskilled work available in Bangkok, so why worry? Tomorrow will look after itself. personally, I think instilling Buddhist principles is a part of the problem - I'm poor and uneducated today because I was a bad person in the last life. Therefore I should accept karma and just be poor and uneducated as the Lord Buddha (or someone) wants.

 

Winnie

 

No you have misunderstood the Buddhist teaching of karma... it is dynamic and NOT fatalistic as you have described. It's a common misconception to view a poor circumstance as 'fate' and not do something to change it.

 

Karma teaches change is constant and it focuses on self-responsibility not the 'Thai version' of fatalistic, animalistic, 'mai pen rai' stuff

[kekalot]

On 2016-08-31 at 3:40 PM, oilinki said:

I'm curious how many hours do other non-English speaking countries teach English in primary and secondary schools? 

 

 

coming from the French part of a province in Canada, if my memory serves me well they start teaching English at age 8 (2nd grade) and it's either a class every day or 2-3 times a week (sorry it's been 16 years, can't recall if they switch classes around while in grade 2-9, before high school) and then all the way up to grade 12.

 

in my case I don't feel that I have learned all that much from school as I was always wayy ahead of classes since I learned it by myself for playing videogames (yep.)

 

we all went through the same classes but I have a few friends that are the same age as me and quite crap at English.. one of my friend can not even order a pizza over the phone in English, always wants me to call.. I forced him a few times and it was laughable at best.

 

my other friend practically did all he could to avoid learning English, including only buying/watching movies that were dubbed in French at walmart and stuff like that..

same guy is now practically confined to either the French part of New-Brunswick in Canada, the province of Quebec or France (right!) because he couldn't live anywhere that is not French at this time.

 

not sure if it's still the case but a lot of people from Quebec used to be that way.. actually used to be quite prejudiced/hateful against English people

 

nice guy but.. not very smart, he is currently living in welfare homes with 3 kids, always broke and with a big gf.

it's sad because you can tell that his children will not learn English already. all that comes to mind is "history repeats itself!"

 

 

[Moti24]

On 03/09/2016 at 9:21 PM, Scotwight said:

Anuban is kindergarten - English starts there.  It starts younger than in the West.   Anuban kids are not lazy and no one in any country flunks kindergarten (you may know of an exception).  Thai kids learn from good teachers.  Thai kids are lazy learners because of lazy teachers. 

Well Scotwight, you are very cynical.  Are you one of the general's puppets?  There are no lazier teachers than the Thai teachers; I speak from experience.  If I were to give examples, I would be writing all day; once I start, I wouldn't be able to stop.  I retired one year early because I was working with some real lazy foreign teachers, who never marked books, and watched movies in the office between lessons, and sometimes, didn't even go to lessons.  But, the Thai teachers take the biscuit; take my word for it.

[soalbundy]

On 9/3/2016 at 10:25 AM, debate101 said:

 

IQs and education levels are an all-time high across the world. Young people develop different language patterns and new slang words because they don't want to sound like their parents. We typically associate this kind of language with lower levels of education, because younger people tend to be less educated and knowledgeable since they haven't been around as long. Linguists say their language choices are in no way objectively inferior, and will one become standard. It's a natural process.

 

What i meant was one cant hold a conversation even at basic levels with most young students (that i have met anyway) but older people (not Somchai) can and want to speak and improve their English. A old bank teller for instance at my local bank always calls me over to chat in English when he see's me in the bank but my step daughters and their friends who i have known and coached for 10 years will only speak Thai with me, despite 'learning English' for many years at school they are hopeless and wont practice with me, they ask my 9 year old son for help with their English homework (he speaks fluent English and can read it,after a fashion) I have had many impromptu conversations in English with older people on trains even though i have started the conversation in Thai but never with younger people,they can manage,'How are you' or Good morning' and that's it.

[Uncle Bob]

I learned English in Dutch secondary school: 4 hours a week for 6 years + homework. So appr. 1000 class hours and 500 homework hours. You really have to put in the hours/effort to get somewhere. You can't just ask some agency to teach you fluency on an English camp or some special course lasting a week!

[kannot]

On 8/31/2016 at 4:07 PM, soalbundy said:

I read an article in an English newspaper that said 20% of British adults had the reading ability of 8 year old's, the worst in Europe, their inability was only surpassed by the USA so perhaps we shouldn't be too hard on the Thai's

13.1% of  UK citizens were foreign  born

[kannot]

On 9/4/2016 at 9:06 AM, LannaGuy said:

 

No you have misunderstood the Buddhist teaching of karma... it is dynamic and NOT fatalistic as you have described. It's a common misconception to view a poor circumstance as 'fate' and not do something to change it.

 

Karma teaches change is constant and it focuses on self-responsibility not the 'Thai version' of fatalistic, animalistic, 'mai pen rai' stuff

guess all that's  "overlooked" in Thailand  then