English for your Boyfriend

[bruce_nyc]

Does anyone know a very good English language school in Bangkok?

[andrewcraig]

MY friend is going to RMIT and here are the details

http://www.rmitenglishworldwide.com/rmitbangkok.html

RMIT English Worldwide Bangkok Centre


RMIT English Worldwide Bangkok is part of RMIT English Worldwide's international network of language centres. The Centre aims to provide high quality English programs for non-English speakers in Thailand.

The Bangkok Centre runs a wide range of programs, including:

REW General English course
REW English for Academic Purposes
IELTS/TOEFL Preparation
Corporate skills
Business courses
Private study

RMIT English Worldwide Bangkok regularly reviews the curriculum to ensure students are offered the highest quality courses and the materials reflect the latest developments in English education theory and practice.

The Bangkok Centre is committed to providing professional tuition for all students and provides a challenging, supportive and rewarding working environment for all staff, both teachers and administrators.

For more information contact:

RMIT English Worldwide тАУ Bangkok
7th Floor ,
Siam Tower,
Rama 1 Road,
Pathumwan,
Bangkok, Zip :10330
Thailand
Website: http://www.rmitenglish.ac.th

[bruce_nyc]

Thank you.

a friend of mine recommended British Council. Anyone have any experience with it?

[Up2U]

AUA


Their primary location is Bangkok but they have satellite locations too (Pattaya).


http://www.auathailand.org/en/index.php#

[lego]

a friend of mine recommended British Council. Anyone have any experience with it?
Aren't you American? In this case, do you really want your boyfriend to learn British English? From that point of view, the American counterpart AUA would probably be more suitable. That aside, both are very decent.

[Yraen]

British English is the Gold Standard and mother-tongue. Why would anyone, regardless of ethnic origin, want to start out learning an English dialect Eg. USian?

Go with the British Council. It is located in Siam Square, about 5 mins walk from Siam BTS.

[bruce_nyc]

:)

Well, I'm not sure about the British accent. That does seem like a drawback. However, when I study both web sites, the British Council at least appears to be much more sophisticated and professional. ......based only on their web sites.

[Up2U]

I wouldn't worry about a British or American accent. Your bf will always have a Thai accent. Visit the schools, the AUA campus is right by the Ratchadamri BTS just one stop from Siam BTS. Both schools will teach formal business English and do not use 100% native English speakers so don't concern yourself with accents.

[bruce_nyc]

Thanks, Guys. Great advice..... as always. :)

Yes, Up2U. I think I will do exactly that.... I will visit both schools in person... alone! without him in tow! .... so that I can see what impression I get about the place. I will ask to personally meet whomever would be his teacher or tutor. I want to hear their English.

As a side note, "M" wanted to attend this school he found in Silom called, Boston Bright ( http://www.bostonbright.com ). As you can see from the web site, they don't even have any English on their web site. When you go there, they speak only to him.... only in Thai.... in what appears to be a high pressure sales pitch. One smart Thai friend of mine advised me against this school. He has a friend who attended there for 3 years and learned almost no English. I think "M" chose this school for the sole reason that he walks past it so many times in his daily walking travels through Silom. #:-s

[christianpfc]

More important than the school the willingness to learn (coupled with ability to learn a language). If your boyfriend(s) wants to learn English and is good at languages, you can send him to any school.

In my area, I spoke to school kids, one of them has pretty good command of English, most can bare speak three sentences. They probably go to the same school!

[lego]

There's a lot of truth in what christianpfc has written. Many Thai students who have good English skills don't have them because of their formal schooling (quite often they're better than their teachers will ever be), but rather because of some kind of an interest and motivation on their own (English song lyrics, Hollywood movies, dating farang, whatever).

[bruce_nyc]

What you say is true. Luckily, he is highly motivated. I had a private tutor for two months with him... and he was extremely serious about doing his homework every day. ...all of his own volition.

Im always willing to let any Thai boy practice his oral skills on me.

[christianpfc]

I met my landlord by chance in a bus (number 29), he entered in Phaya Thai area where he goes to a church every Friday night to study English. He is Buddhist, I didn't ask if they ask for money in the church.

That perfectly illustrates my point. If I were as serious about Thai as he is about English (guess where I went Friday night - Silom and Soi Twilight, and not to study Thai as you can easily imagine), my Thai would be as good as his English.

I wouldn't worry about a British or American accent. Your bf will always have a Thai accent. Visit the schools, the AUA campus is right by the Ratchadamri BTS just one stop from Siam BTS. Both schools will teach formal business English and do not use 100% native English speakers so don't concern yourself with accents.Let's face it, if the boy ends up with an American accent he'll sound like a Philippino and we all know how ghastly that is.

[lego]

I met my landlord by chance in a bus (number 29)
Since when do Thai landlords take buses? I didn't realize the economy is THAT bad. Seeing my Thai-Chinese landlady in a Bangkok bus would be quite a view to behold. =))

[MiniMee]

I wouldn't worry about a British or American accent. Your bf will always have a Thai accent. Visit the schools, the AUA campus is right by the Ratchadamri BTS just one stop from Siam BTS. Both schools will teach formal business English and do not use 100% native English speakers so don't concern yourself with accents.Let's face it, if the boy ends up with an American accent he'll sound like a Philippino and we all know how ghastly that is.

Yes of course Thais pick up an accent as they learn English. Most develop an English accent (wihch is right and proper) but I have met some with an affected american or mid-Atlantic accent, usually developed from watching crap on HBO. But I have met a few Thai boys who speak English with a heavy German or Scandinavian accent acquired from long term boy friends or from spending time in those countries. It's fun pointing that out to them as the generally dont know they have it.

[bruce_nyc]

Ghastly! ;-)

British Philippino is so much more soothing to one's ear. ;-)

Anyway, I randomly met a nice middle aged blond falang lady that had a table and booth-like setup at the Terminal 21 mall the other day. They were handing out flyers about their language school. Then I met her Thai lady peer. Both very nice. And not in as much of a sales pitchy kind of way. Anyway, 200-300 baht per course. Pay as you go. Sounded good. I made an appointment to go there with "M" a few days later.

We went. "M" liked it very much. He starts classes on Thursday.

Only 3 people per teacher. No Thai students. Native English language teachers. Sounds good.

I just want him to be able to communicate with me better. And ultimately, to be able to get a job when we live in the US .

[1moRussian]

Thanks for the topic.
Any suggestions on Pattaya - schools/cost?

[Up2U]

Thanks for the topic.
Any suggestions on Pattaya - schools/cost?


Go to AUA website and check out the Pattaya campus at Central Festival. Bf went there and the costs is very reasonable. They do not use Thai teachers for English learning; reading and writing were also stressed.

[lonelywombat]

British Philippino is so much more soothing to one's ear. ;-)

Anyway, I randomly met a nice middle aged blond falang lady that had a table and booth-like setup at the Terminal 21 mall the other day. They were handing out flyers about their language school. Then I met her Thai lady peer. Both very nice. And not in as much of a sales pitchy kind of way. Anyway, 200-300 baht per course. Pay as you go. Sounded good. I made an appointment to go there with "M" a few days later.
We went. "M" liked it very much. He starts classes on Thursday.
Only 3 people per teacher. No Thai students. Native English language teachers. Sounds good.


Over 20 years ago in 1992 when I planned to spend the winter months in Bangkok, my friends who were teaching English suggested i join them. The pay rate was 200 baht per hour. The hours were terrible working 7-9 in the morning and 6-9 at night

On a good day i could have made 1000 baht per day. I gave it a huge miss. I mention this as your rates are 200/300 baht per course and only three in the class. I am currently paying for a 35 hour term, 5000 baht, with about 20 in the class.

Your figures might might have sense if they were in US $, but they seem crap to me.

[Jimmy Joom]

I have never posted on here, only have readтАж but I can say that I have put someone through school at RMIT at Siam Tower and have been very pleased with the results. They seem to get people to be able to communicate very fast, which has been a help to me. I highly recommend them.

[bruce_nyc]

RMIT sounds good....

I just googled and noticed their YouTube videos. They seem very focused on Australian English.

For example, they have an entire video explaining the question, "How are you going?"

They claim it does NOT mean, "By what means of transportation are you going?"

They say it means the same thing as, "How are you?"

This would be considered incorrect English in America.

This is English that's new to me. In all my life I've never heard someone say, "How're you going?" ......unless the intended answer was, "We're flying or taking a bus."

Teaching quarky local Australian dialect phrases that only fellow Australian people would understand seems like an enormous waste of time and money. My Australian friends understand American and British English just fine. I've never had a need to learn Australian slang or local dialect in order to communicate with them effectively.

[colmx]

RMIT sounds good....

I just googled and noticed their YouTube videos. They seem very focused on Australian English.

For example, they have an entire video explaining the question, "How are you going?"

They claim it does NOT mean, "By what means of transportation are you going?"

They say it means the same thing as, "How are you?"


Sounds like a perfectably acceptable form of English to my Irish ears!
Except in my case the english would usually be "How'is it going?" Which means "How are you?"
I'm pretty sure that teh British also use a pretty similar colloquialism

[bruce_nyc]

Yes, of course. We say, "How's IT going?" IT being your day... Same as saying, "How's your day going?"

But they specifically dedicated an entire video to: "How are you going?"

......meaning, "How are you?"

That's just plain incorrect, by American English standards.

[Nirish guy]

RMIT sounds good....

I just googled and noticed their YouTube videos. They seem very focused on Australian English.

For example, they have an entire video explaining the question, "How are you going?"

They claim it does NOT mean, "By what means of transportation are you going?"

They say it means the same thing as, "How are you?"


Sounds like a perfectably acceptable form of English to my Irish ears!
Except in my case the english would usually be "How'is it going?" Which means "How are you?"
I'm pretty sure that teh British also use a pretty similar colloquialism

We certainly do here in N.Ireland and indeed it's intended and taken as a relaxed friendly greeting that you might say to someone with the nod of the head as you pass them in the street without even expecting a serious reply other than "Grand 100%, yerself" :-) there, go and look that up in the English books :-)

[Jimmy Joom]

Perhaps I should mention that I felt more comfortable with my friend learning British English, and RMIT was able to provide a British Teacher. Apparently they have teachers from the United States and Australia, also. I don't have much experience with other institutions in Bangkok, but as we were investigating, I thought their intake process was the best. They give a computerized test which takes about 45 minutes followed by a writing task and a 10 minute interview with a teacher before assigning a course.

My friend did not want to study at the British council because they have larger classes, otherwise we would have chosen them. They, too, seemed professional. I was surprised at the number of language schools around the area that were obviously not as good as these two. I don't think this is an area I would want to sacrifice quality for cost's sake.

Interestingly, I had a look at my friend's course material, and it did not seem like they were teaching any particular style of English. My friend's accent hasn't changed, but his speaking has become faster and more clear. After Songkran, I will pay for another 50 hours.

I don't know if other people will find the place as good, but I can only speak for myself. I was satisfied enough that I felt compelled to write this, I hope you've found this useful.

[thaiguest]

a friend of mine recommended British Council. Anyone have any experience with it?
Aren't you American? In this case, do you really want your boyfriend to learn British English? From that point of view, the American counterpart AUA would probably be more suitable. That aside, both are very decent.

Yeah. They can't spell for nuts over there with weird words like neighbour (and this word has noth'in to do with horses), colour and so on.

The AUA branch near Rachateewi (?) skytrain station (next station after Sala Deang going towards Siam) has a very progressive approach to language learning/teaching.

Call in and the principal will be very happy to give you a tour and a chance to sit in on a lesson or two.