My bf's English has not improved over the past 6 years. I want to send him to a basic English language school in Pattaya. Are there any suggestions out there?
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My bf's English has not improved over the past 6 years. I want to send him to a basic English language school in Pattaya. Are there any suggestions out there?
Do what we do, and teach each other. He teaches you Thai, while you teach him English. We just go through movies together in Thai language, with both, Thai and English subtitles. It works!
Only bad part is, I'm learning the wrong language. I'd prefer to learn Thai vs. Lao, but considering the family is living here now, would probably be better if I learnt Lao.
A.U.A. in north Pattaya near the Big C.Quote:
Originally Posted by thrillbill
http://aua.buu.ac.th/pattaya/index_en.html
There is also a larger Bangkok campus which features a total immersion class of those wanting to learn Thai.
I have not checked it out, but there is a recently opened school in the Center Condo. It is on the same side that the Internet Cafe is located.
There is a school across from Carrefour on Pattaya Klang/Central Road which is reported to be good. Also there is NS Travel in Sunee Plaza where the owner, Minn, teaches one on one. The school at Center Condo is under development so not likely ready to teach at present.
This is the worst possible way to learn Thai, as you will pick up all of your boyfriend's slovenly speech habits (eg. "yibsong" instead of "yee sib song" for "22") and poor pronounciation ("kaarp" for "khrup"). Then when you start speaking in Thai to an educated Thai, the moment you open your mouth he will know "Oh, someone who associates with low lifes and provincials". Thais are highly class conscious, and the higher they are up the tree the more conscious of it they are. However, if you believe your interactions will be confined to bar boys, waiters and shop assistants, such an approach will work fine. As for whether it's an appropriate way for your boyfriend to learn English will depend on your own perception of how well you understand the language yourself, and feel confident in imparting your knowledge of it. Learning a language, beyond the basics, is not merely mimicry. However there are a number of theories about the best way to learn another language, including "total immersion" where the teacher either does not or will not, speak your own language at all, ever. As for "cheap" schools, you get what you pay for - as opposed to more expensive schools where you don't always get what you pay for.Quote:
Originally Posted by cdnmatt
Thonglor55 is right and gives you valuable informaion. May I add one more thing. You said that you wanted to send him to school to learn English. Is he ready, willing and able? The reason why I ask is that so many people have a so called interest to learn English and then give it up after the first class or two saying it is too hard or they would rather sleep. Then it becomes a big waste of money as most schools have a no refund policy. I cant count how many of my boys I have sent to school and it has been a waste. Make sure.
Guys,
They DO have a refund policy just not for you and it is usually cut up between them and the boy,especially if you tell him to go 'find a school' :laughing3: :laughing3:
They also have refund policies when the kid says he wants to ' rent a room on his own' as his mates are stealing from him. This means you rent thev room for him,you return to home country,he has already negotiated a partial refund with the landlord and although it is in the landlords favour,he doesn't care as its your money not his. He then moves back in with his mates.Not a bad days work moving a few belongings on a motorbike,here and there for say,1500 to 2000 baht.
It's like a form of 'reverse banking' with you being the client left holding the baby! Don't take it too seriously,it's Thailand. :love4:
If he wants to learn English,get him to AUA in Bangkok,they don't have a refund policy!! :evil4:
Incidentally,its a reflection on his lack of interest,that he doesn't speak English,No? :dontknow:
How do I Know this?? Because in a previous life,back in the early days when 'old shep was a pup' I was that soldier! and it cost me many times. :laughing3:
I remember buying one twat four motorbikes in one year,would I have done that in the UK,Only if my head had wanted testing :idea:
Well, if someone wants to get their panties in a knot and look down on me due to my Thai pronounciation, we can compare monthly bank statements. I'm just really not worried about that aspect.Quote:
Originally Posted by thonglor55
I understand English enough to get around and conduct business in an English speaking country.Quote:
Originally Posted by thonglor55
From what I've learned and experienced, thonglor55 is offering you good advice on this cdnmatt, although he may be stating it more directly than you find palatable. The same applies for learning Thai OR English.Quote:
Originally Posted by cdnmatt
My suggestion would be to go ahead and try to teach your friend what you can of the basics and see how he takes to learning it at all. There's very little "bad" knowledge in the world, so give it a try. Then, if he's willing to learn it properly and you say money's not a concern for you go ahead and send him off to Bangkok to school to be re-taught; that way he'll have the skills to use as he wishes in the future. You might be wise to remember the lyrics to the old song "How're you gonna keep 'em down on the farm after they've seen Paris", though.
As for a bank account as a measure of status: that's just misguided silliness, IMHO. Males might as well also get out tape measures and compare the length of their sexual organs. :tongue3:
Thanks for the suggestions. I think AUA Language School, North Pattaya is the place to go. There are different levels and the classes are not that expensive, 2,500 baht for a level. There is a placement test before the sessions begin.
My bf already spoke basic "pigeon" English before I met him because he ran a tailor shop where many of his customers were vacationing Westerners. Now, where he lives and works, there are very few Westerners. He is going to move back to Pattaya, so needs to refresh his English, and I am too tired in the evening after work to teach him so a school is best.
How do you communicate with him at the moment? Do you speak Thai? Or do you just get by with basic 'pigeon'?
Honestly, aside from living in an English speaking country, I would say a personal tutor would come in very helpful. Simply for the pronounciation. Kim knows loads of English words, and I know loads of Thai words, but both of us talk the other language like shit. For example, I'll hear Kim say things like, "Ok, we're going to eat. Come downstairs when you lady".
"When I'm lady??? What? Ohhh, you mean when I'm ready".
And I'm sure I speak Thai even worst, due to the tones, etc. You need a personal tutor to help with pronounciation, plus immerse yourself in the language so you can hear how others say different words.
I think a good choice. I have a Thai friend who attended AUA and did very well.Quote:
Originally Posted by thrillbill
Quote:
Originally Posted by francois
There you go,
You can all bow to my superior knowledge at any time you wish! lol.... :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy:
My bf went there too and enjoyed it. They claim they have native English speakers but only partly true as several were from the Philippines.Quote:
Originally Posted by francois
LOL... That's hilarious. I love hearing pronunciation like that sometimes... "today, laining too mut"... I find it cute.Quote:
Originally Posted by cdnmatt
On that note, does anyone have any opinions on what quick tips are best for Thais wanting to better their English to the standard of a native English speaker?
My current BF (in Sydney) speaks near perfect English but I've been out with a couple of Thais prior to this who weren't so fluent and were still struggling with pronunciation. They've usually done an English course somewhere and have the basics right but sometimes have trouble with past/present/future tense, some vocab/words and phrasing being not quite perfect yet.
I took my BF and a bunch of his friends (Thai) up to a beach house a couple of weekends ago. Some of his friends were still in that phase of trying to get their English to be fluent and accurate. One problem is most of the people they hang with are other Thais with not so perfect English, so some of them were keen to chat with me (English isn't my first language but I'm as good as any native speaker now) and get me to correct anything they were unsure about.
We had a great time... but sometimes in these situations I'm at a loss to what advice I can suggest for improving their English when I'm not around. The first thing that comes to mind is, watch TV, watch the news and watch English movies.
Anyone got better ideas? We're talking about Thais living in an Australian city here.
Start simple (should be easy), with, let's say, a short lesson on the correct use of ***'s when writing good old Anglo Saxon staples such as 'fuck' and 'shit' and 'cunt'. You use that technique to perfection.Quote:
Originally Posted by Beachlover
Just a thought ...
That was an excellent troll you posted Beachlover!Quote:
Originally Posted by Beachlover
Quote:
Troll (Internet): In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, chat room, or blog, with the primary intent of provoking other users into a desired emotional response[1] or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.[2] In addition to the offending poster, the noun troll can also refer to the provocative message itself, as in "that was an excellent troll you posted". While the term troll and its associated action trolling are primarily associated with Internet discourse, media attention in recent years has made such labels highly subjective, with trolling being used to describe intentionally provocative actions outside of an online context. For example, recent media accounts have used the term troll to describe "a person who defaces internet tribute sites with the aim of causing grief to families.
Pot... kettle... black ?Quote:
Originally Posted by Surfcrest
Give us all a break and drop this crap. Please.
frying pan....fire...Quote:
Originally Posted by MiniMee
No one's forcing you to read it, are they MiniMee?
I am finding all of these posts highly diverting, not least because I've never understand how people can take themselves so seriously, and fall about laughing when they do so. I don't take myself seriously and I don't expect anyone else to. When people do that's yet another source of entertainment (hullo combat). As an office worker I followed Sir Humphrey Appleby's excellent advice and occupied most of my day with masterly inactivity, so that I was pretty much able to describe the fifteen years before I actually retired as "semi-retirement" or as one of my friends described it "gaining a PhD in how to do bugger all".Quote:
Originally Posted by Surfcrest
That's a degree many here in the USA strive for, sad to say. Worse yet, some feel they're entitled to the benefits others honestly work for and file suit if they don't get them.Quote:
Originally Posted by thonglor55
That is a great quote, but it dates back nearly 2 years from this thread and had nothing to do with you.Quote:
Originally Posted by Surfcrest
You see Surfie, like thonglor55, I am only here for the laughs and enjoy the banter and repartee that is often found on this board.
To put my seemingly rude comment in context, it was directed at BeachBunny (RIP) who had made a characteristically sharp comment to another board member. It went like this:
z909 wrote:....Even better would be an airline that doesn't allow brats under the age of 16.
BeachBunny commented (unnecessarily): I'd fly that airline in a second, as long as they also didn't allow flatulent, snoring old cunts over 60, people of any age weighing more than 100 kg,
MiniMee quiped: Whereas flatulent, snoring old cunts over 40 weighing more than 90 kg are OK with you, we assume?
BeachBunny conceded :тАж. They would have to be, or I wouldn't be able to fly.
My comment was just a dig in the ribs and was pertinent as there was much debate on the board at the time on whether BeachBunny was in fact thonglorgwm on Gay Romeo who is listed as being 40-something and 90+kg.
You see, it was just banter and BeachBunny had the wit to take my remark in self-deprecating good humour. That is what makes SGT entertaining to many of us, as well as being informative at times. You should try it!
But I find your current dialogue with Beachlover is getting rather tedious and, whilst you are correct that neither I, nor anyone else is forced to read your posts, it is not as simple as that. These protracted disputes that extend across many threads, tend to lower the tone of the entire board, discourage quality contributions and drag others into taking sides.
So please, be a good chap and kindly bugger off for a while to prevent this board descending into another period of anarchy, forcing jinks the moderator [sic] to wield his axe, disenfranchising those who have a positive contribution to make (in any form they choose) and leaving us in the doldrums once more, thus spoiling my enjoyment.
Oh really? Are you a message board Master? Was this the downfall of your last message board?Quote:
Originally Posted by bao-bao
I'd have to say I found Surfcrest's PM to Beachlover to be a particularly vicious one. I restrict myself to mocking Beachlover's obsession with homintern (also RIP) by repeating or referencing, every time he does so, the story of his ONS with that character (a story that jinx insists on attempting to obliterate even though it's readily available in the Google cache if you know where to look). I've never, ever sent Beachlover a PM although his obsession with homintern has him claiming to receive PMs from someone he has conceived (or been persuaded) to be that poster (and therefore, indirectly, me). My guess is that poster is playing on Beachlover's obsession and keeps suggesting to him "Look, look, there's another homintern" or "You're so clever, you've spotted another homintern". It would certainly account for Beachlover abandoning his threat to post all such PMs publicly.Quote:
Originally Posted by MiniMee
Actually I didn't say that a few posts above - it was MiniMee. Just for the record. :blackeye:Quote:
Originally Posted by Diec
Surfcrest is regularly to be found down on his hands and knees in the archives, scrabbling to find some quote that he can twist to fit his point.Quote:
Originally Posted by MiniMee
ItтАЩs great that you are only here for the laughs MiniMee, I can tell you IтАЩm not, nor am I here to provide the laughs or enjoyment specifically for youтАж.so sorry about that.Quote:
Originally Posted by MiniMee
IтАЩm addressing a behaviour that for the most part other members only bitch about. Beachlover has provided plenty of examples recently and over the past three years of what that behaviour is. This is what really is lowering the tone of the board and discouraging quality contributionsтАж.not to mention the quality of BeachloverтАЩs own contributions.
IтАЩm of the mindset that this discussion has come to a head in just a very short while and that hopefully Beachlover will either vanish or stop flooding the board with bullshit. This is probably a natural process for any message board to go through, something that has been going on here and on the previous boards for sometime and what has made this board what it is today. I say that, having gone through this with this board over the years.
It had been my intention to keep this discussion to parking lot threads, time sensitive threads past heir due dates. Then Beachlover suggested we take this offline to PMтАЩs, which for the same reasons I thought was better for the boardтАж.knowing full well that Beachlover would publicize these at some point. And so no, I donтАЩt believe this discussion has extended across many threads. I only read a small percentage of threads and respond to even fewer. IтАЩm not looking for an audience here, I only care if Beachlover is reading what I have to say on the topicтАж.itтАЩs you and Brad the Impala and combat that have involved yourselves needlessly.
No Brad, the search engine works quite well hereтАж.itтАЩs easy when you recall the original discussion and itтАЩs key phrases.Quote:
Originally Posted by Brad the Impala
Surfcrest
Is there fuzzy logic for searching on grammatical inexactitudes (how appropriate for this particular thread)?Quote:
Originally Posted by Surfcrest
I'm a little late posting I guess, but I would like to add another vote for AUA Pattaya. I have attended Thai classes there for several years (off and on) and noticed the students who were taking English there appeared to be having a good time and were studying quite a lot. The Thai courses are of high quality, and I imagine the English is probably good quality as well.
Dboy
Funny that... Surfcrest claims to be a "party friend" of LMTU. Do you think he gets it from LMTU's habit of regularly being found on his hands and knees in the toilets looking for something to suck?Quote:
Originally Posted by Brad the Impala
Mate... you're dreaming. You've done little more than demonstrate your lack of ability to think things through logically and honestly. Your argument hasn't gone anywhere. Every piece of "evidence" you put forward is contradicted and proven false.Quote:
Originally Posted by Surfcrest
Except that (in point of fact) no one or two board personas saying so makes anything a fact. :blackeye:Quote:
Originally Posted by Beachlover
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z...trainwreck.jpg
How many times do we have to see that dumb ass train crash picture?
Teachers from the Philippines are 50% cheaper than hiring Native English speaking teachers.Quote:
Originally Posted by Up2U
The going rate is about 15,000 baht a month vs 30,000 baht monthly for an American, Aussie or Brit...as example.
In past, I have found AUA a good choice.
Mim who owns NS Travel in Sunee also teaches English...and fair priced...
she is good. I have had several Thais taught by her over the years.
tj