#  >  > Living And Legal Affairs In Thailand >  >  > Teaching In Thailand >  >  Using Thai characters and candy teaching English

## marcusb

I've been teaching in Thailand for quite awhile now and was surprised by a new teacher the other day. He uses Thai characters (alphabet) to write out the new vocabulary. So the word "doctor" would be written in Thai but the students are saying an English word. As I have never seen this done before I was curious and asked about it. He said it worked well for him and at his last school he translated a long English Christmas poem into Thai characters and the students successfully read it in front of a school assembly. 

 I have mixed feelings about this, not sure if its good or bad or whatever.  What do some of the teachers here think about this method? 

 Secondly whenever he teaches he brings a big bag of candy and "prizes" to every class. When an answer is correct the students get a candy.  Every class.  I understand why he does it, I also give prizes (pencils) once per term when we play Bingo, the prizes do make the students attentive and competitive.  I think doing this every class is overboard. 

The students are first and second year female university students, but basic English skills.  

(not looking for fuel to get him fired, nice guy and a good co-worker, just curious about the methods) 

Thanks.

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## uncle junior

> The students are first and second year female university students,


Jesus wept.  They've had enough English by now to be able to sound out a word reasonably well. Transliterating is  a crutch and it's not a literal translation anyway. As for bribing uni students with candy....headdslap

Imo anyway

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## aging one

> Jesus wept. They've had enough English by now to be able to sound out a word reasonably well. Transliterating is just a crutch and it's not a literal translation anyway. As for bribing uni students with candy....headdslap


Agree with UJ this is just a silly way. Especially at the uni level. Defeats the purpose of learning the language.

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## david44

Of course the Candy Crush may come with benefits, many young ladies will try almost any quick homework activities to obtain the same satisfaction as their 'master'.

I've seen a few 'Characters" over the years in the land of piles enough said.Th bloke who sold Old Baccy tins with a wire as bum detectors, airport sit ins , fake knob whitening creams I think my favourite was a lady from Manila on a mission from God, I was admit when still as yet unmarried able to alter her"position".

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## qwerty

Actually candy rewards can work well... FOR KINDERGARTEN KIDS!  These are University students???   :34:

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## david44

Moosely is good for regular undergraduated movement

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## marcusb

> Jesus wept.  They've had enough English by now to be able to sound out a word reasonably well. Transliterating is  a crutch and it's not a literal translation anyway. As for bribing uni students with candy....headdslap
> 
> Imo anyway



agree 

I don't understand how the student gains any skill from speaking English by reading Thai characters.  Surely the pronunciation will be incorrect for most words. ( I think, I cannot read Thai) 

The candy thing - my first thoughts were "creepy" then I looked at it more along the lines of how someone trains animals. Myself I don't agree with either.

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## Maanaam

Using Thai characters to transliterate is an old method. Useful. My wife uses it, has a phonetics chart that she uses.
But for pratom kids.
As said above: University students????
And giving lollies to young adults???

Bottom line, IMO, is that using the Thai alphabet to help students works, just as the othr way when farang learn Thai.
But uni students?

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## marcusb

^ "using the Thai alphabet to help students works, just as the other way when farang learn Thai."

 Yes, I agree with that.  I get a much better understanding of pronunciation when Thai is written with our alphabet, especially seeing as I can not read Thai at all.  That said university students should have enough background in English to sound out words in English script.  

appreciate the comments, sorry I cannot "green" anyone. Not sure if I don't have enough posts or I just don't know how.

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## aging one

> As I have never seen this done before I was curious and asked about it. He said it worked well for him and at his last school he translated a long English Christmas poem into Thai characters and the students successfully read it in front of a school assembly.


Yes Thai's are good at memorization but that is all they did. They had no idea what the words in the poem meant. The very worst type of teaching.

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## uncle junior

> creepy


Reading the OP i assumed they were kindergartners; soon as I saw the uni girls,  creepy was my first thought.

I'm sure he's getting some sexy smiles showing his abilities of writing Thai and passing out kibble but it's just creepy. I doubt there's  much learning going on in the classroom

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