Family opens doors to tourists to help boys learn English

[webfact]

Family opens doors to tourists to help boys learn English

By MONGKOLCHAOWARAT TANGMANGMEE
THE NATION

 

Sixth-grader Panapat Liamtrakulpanich chats in English with the guest of his family, a 27-year-old Swiss tourist, as he leads her on a visit to a Phitsanulok market.

 

PHITSANULOK: -- A FAMILY in Phitsanulok’s Muang district has opened its doors – with free accommodation for foreign backpackers to expose their two young sons to everyday use of English.

 

The aim is to equip their children with English-language proficiency to benefit their futures. And the move appears to have worked. 

 

The boys – one a Mathayom 1 student and the other Prathom 6 – have gained more confidence, improving their English and are able to lead tourists whom the family meets via the Couchsurfing travel community website to visit a local market, temples and other attractions in the province.

 

Xingmin School sixth-grader Panapat Liamtrakulpanich eagerly led his family’s latest guest, a Swiss woman identified only as Yasmina, 27, through the busy Talad Tai morning market last week to show local people’s lifestyles and cuisine, and sample the fruit and delicious snacks. 

 

Speaking English with confidence, the boy explained interesting products for sale to the Swiss woman while local merchants observed the interaction with awe. The boy said he was happy to explain things to a foreign guest, as it had helped him improve his English and confidence. 

 

Monchai Liamtrakulpanich, 48, the boy’s father also walked with them to give advice to his son and their guest.

 

Coffee shop owner Monchai said he and wife Pentip wanted their sons, Palapat and Panapat, to speak English fluently as it would help their education, academic performance and career. The family had encouraged the boys to speak English at home since they were very young and sent them to English tutoring classes taught by foreign teachers. 

 

Monchai learnt of the Couchsurfing community that can connect foreign tourists visiting Thailand with Thai residents who are happy to allow them to stay at their homes – and thought it would be a good opportunity for cultural and language exchange that could boost the boys’ English skills. 

 

He offers free accommodation and meals to foreign visitors in exchange for their companionship and willingness to help the boys practice their English. 

 

Over the past year, he has welcomed 20 such tourists, mostly people travelling alone on a budget, who generally stay with the family for one or two days before moving on, he said. 

 

He encouraged the boys to take the visitors to the market and to see the local neighbourhood on weekdays and to temples and attractions on the weekends. 

 

Monchai said it was essential that Thai children learn to speak English, as it is the universal international language. While enrolling the children in bilingual schools was expensive, connecting with tourists via the travel community was an good option to help them improve their language skills, he said.

 

The family’s Swiss guest said she was travelling alone and planned to visit Thailand for two months before heading to Myanmar. She said her stay with the family and their hospitality, especially Pannapat taking her around to visit local places, had been enjoyable and helped her to learn more about Thai culture. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30317795

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-06-12

[Thaiwrath]

Great to see these people so eager to learn English.

With some of the Westerners I know (myself included), it would be difficult to understand some of the accents and dialects !

[gk10002000]

a plausible approach.  I have noticed in my travels that the Thais often are very shy or worried or nervous or afraid to try their other language skills.  Of course they will make mistakes, pronounce things badly.  We all do that.  But they seem especially less willing to explore that

[fruitman]

Great! I think the best way to teach the kids english is by letting them speak to foreigners.

 

But will travellers who stay there have to report the address to the police as their place of stay? 

[ezzra]

Great idea if the circumstances allows it as far as letting a complete

stranger live in your house, when I'm asked what the best way to

learn English I suggest to them to watch English programing on tv

just to get used to the sounds of the words and how are they spoken...

[simon43]

With some of the Westerners I know (myself included), it would be difficult to understand some of the accents and dialects !

 

Very true, and in this news report, the kids are getting used to hearing (and hopefully understanding), English spoken with different accents.  An excellent idea.

[South]

Clever and forward thinking parents. Youngsters have a much greater ability to pick up languages than older people and what a good way to do it. Confidence building now for Panapat and Palapat will hopefully lead to much greater things in the future. Way to go parents.

[Ebony19]

3 minutes ago, yellowboat said:

That would be rather tenuous, but there is barter going on.  Thai officialdom always wants a piece of everything.

 

The child is not only learning, but he has positive, happy people always coming and going.  He is probably having the time of life.  Can't imagine anything more fun.

I agree!

[chiman]

Fantastic..  love a positive story, post more

[StefanBBK]

What a blessing on a dull Monday morning. This is truly great news and I appriciate hearing something positive.
This is great parenting.
I found that many Thais who actually can understand English and speak well, lack confidence and are afraid of making mistakes and embarrass themselfs. Exposure surely helps to overcome.

Sent from my SM-G925F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[mikebell]

If only these parents were in Government!  Their recognition of the importance of competence in English qualifies them for a senior post.  Their imaginative and effective solution to a perceived problem makes them PM material.

[mok199]

thai is an extremely hard language to write ..its sad to see children struggle with such a limited ,primmitve language...if they spent half as much time on English..but this is Thailand...keep them dumb and under the thumb....im ready and waiting for the backlash...

[Muggi1968]

5 minutes ago, mok199 said:

thai is an extremely hard language to write ..its sad to see children struggle with such a limited ,primmitve language...if they spent half as much time on English..but this is Thailand...keep them dumb and under the thumb....im ready and waiting for the backlash...

You have to wait 1-2 generations until the old protective teachers has passed away and replaced...

Only trouble is that we are gone then 2.....

[biplanebluey]

1 hour ago, ezzra said:

Great idea if the circumstances allows it as far as letting a complete

stranger live in your house, when I'm asked what the best way to

learn English I suggest to them to watch English programing on tv

just to get used to the sounds of the words and how are they spoken...

Sorry but I cannot agree with that.Putting kids in front of a TV is in my opinion a bad move.This young guy is getting much better tuition with the interaction with their language teachers,and a host of dialects thrown in.I have spent a few yrs watching Thai TV and have learned nothing from it.Not even the Thai news programmes.With a live person you can ask questions about things yo don't understand,or you seem to be getting wrong.With the TV I often watch something and after a couple of minutes they move on and I'm left thinking "what the devil was that all about?".NO Good on that kid for what he is doing and enjoying and good on his parents for having that foresight----- I just hope the powers that be do not step in and stuff it all up for them

[Mickmouse1]

As a Couch surfing host I am well aware that many people deliberately hosting members in order to acquire English  language oral skill not only to learn about other cultures. It is a great experience. ?

[metisdead]

If you do not want your post to be removed, please do not post in violation of this forum rule:

 

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

 

[boorsd]

1 hour ago, Ebony19 said:

I believe mr PM and his military are observing!! I smell work permit enforcement

As it would appear that they are Thai, I don't  think they will need work permits.

 

I can't believe that even with a very good "feel good" story that it is still possible for some posters to turn it into something negative.

[mok199]

this language and many of the officials should be retierd and in a museum somewhere in issan...I watched last night as my daughter struggled with a few thai alphabet symbols,,and as instructed''do not touch the upper and lower line,as you write the symbol''..trying to write these is difficlut even for an adult....children want fun they don't want an old out dated language ,ever listen to cartoons in thai absolutely ridiculous.( or should that be Lidicurous)....A B C....simple...beautiful

[hobobo]

Just make sure that you don't let your kids learn English from Russian tourists!

[whatawonderfulday]

Admiral approach but English would really be best taught by a native English Language speaker

[Suradit69]

3 hours ago, gk10002000 said:

I have noticed in my travels that the Thais often are very shy or worried or nervous or afraid to try their other language skills. 

I've found they will often use English while at the same time I'm trying to use Thai. I suppose in Pattaya many of the people with whom I come into frequent, brief contact are more confident in their use of English. Many of them do far better than I do in Thai.

 

Not sure having random tourists with a variety of accents and skills levels is a good way to expose young children to the English language. Even native speaking adults can be totally flummoxed by the accents of other English speakers with "foreign" accents.

[NextStationBangkok]

Lucky boys!

 

It is a good move, Good luck!

 

But only thing is authorities to tighten the noose on the pedophiles praying on kids.

 

Need a AIRBNB-EDU version for this, for safer model. Internet is freeing many clutches. Hope this will be helpful to everyone.

[NextStationBangkok]

6 minutes ago, whatawonderfulday said:

Admiral approach but English would really be best taught by a native English Language speaker

 

Myth in Thailand is, all white looking are looked as Gods and Godess of English!

 

Until that mentality is there, Thailand will never out from English crisis.

 

You look the way Singaporeans, Filipinos speaks English. They are far better than Thais. I don't think they are all learning from white skin foreigners.

[Jonmarleesco]

Good for them, parents and children, both. They appreciate the importance of English as a global language and are taking innovative steps to ensure the kids - and no doubt the parents, too - get a good grounding in it. 

 

Other Thai parents - and the DoE - please take note. 

[whatawonderfulday]

1 minute ago, NextStationBangkok said:

 

Myth in Thailand is, all white looking are looked as Gods and Godess of English!

 

Until that mentality is there, Thailand will never out from English crisis.

 

You look the way Singaporeans, Filipinos speaks English. They are far better than Thais. I don't think they are all learning from white skin foreigners.

I said "native English Language speakers"  No mention of race or ethinticity.  Not just white skinned people are native English Language speakers you know.

[Laughing Gravy]

Whilst it may sound like a commendable idea, I would be concerned with safeguarding and letting strangers who are not vetted, into the house. Hopefully they would never be left alone with the boy. Whether people agree or not the safety of the child must be a priority. I would be very careful of backpacking adults. Other children of their own age (native speaker) would be better, so speaking on the same maturity and subject level than a 20 year age plus something person.

[anon467367354]

It's time for the Thai government to start issuing Green Cards so more of this can happen legally and taxes get collected.

Time to let the Thai people decide who they want to hire and where they want their kids to learn. Why is government meddling with

the schools and kids educations? Let the schools and parents decide, the government has enough to do as it is.

[jeab1980]

Whats the big hoha here been happening in my household for years. Friends come to visit and do homework with the lad. English only when they walk through the gate always has been always will be. Not breaking any laws. Even Teachers come round for half an hour to an hour some days. Better than being a grumpy old Farang hiding  behind a gate. Is it not?

[darksidedog]

14 minutes ago, Laughing Gravy said:

Whilst it may sound like a commendable idea, I would be concerned with safeguarding and letting strangers who are not vetted, into the house. Hopefully they would never be left alone with the boy. Whether people agree or not the safety of the child must be a priority. I would be very careful of backpacking adults. Other children of their own age (native speaker) would be better, so speaking on the same maturity and subject level than a 20 year age plus something person.

I agree with you totally. While talking with native English speakers is a great way to improve your English, I would be concerned if this became a regular thing here. Allowing strangers access to your kids might not be the smartest move going.

[Yann55]

1 hour ago, boorsd said:

As it would appear that they are Thai, I don't  think they will need work permits.

 

I can't believe that even with a very good "feel good" story that it is still possible for some posters to turn it into something negative.

If you and your positive approach stay on this Forum long enough (and I sure hope you will), you'll find out that a large number of comments are negative, conservative, bigoted, xenophobic or downright racist, anti-Thai, angry, bitter and generally pessimistic.

 

There are also some very funny comments, not always in the best taste, but hey, it's always nice to laugh.

 

Then, once in a while, you will find a comment that is intelligent, knowledgeable, profound and pertinent. Those are what made me stay so far.

 

And you know what ? I guess it reflects rather precisely the reality of our society, more specifically the expat society in Asia, which apparently hasn't changed much since George Orwell wrote his first novel 'Burmese Days' (1934) after living there himself, as a Police Officer for 5 years (1922 to 1927). He was deeply shocked and appalled by what he witnessed in Burma. That's what the book is about. It was so disturbing in its brutal honesty that it almost didn't get published.

Edited June 12, 2017 by Yann55