Saint John's International School Bangkok , Thailand

Saint John's International School Bangkok, Thailand

Thai

The Thai Department currently provides Thai classes in First Language Thai and Thai as a foreign language.

All students studying Thai as a First Language will go on to take IGCSE First Language Thai.

Thai as a first language

The Thai (First language) syllabus at Key Stage 3 is aimed at developing all four skills areas of the students’ language. There are three levels to enable students to reach their full potential whilst working at their own level. These are the aims of the programme:

Listening – Students will be able to comprehend the context and point of view of the speaker and respond orally, clearly and correctly.
Speaking- Students will be able to express their ideas clearly and competently, appropriate to the situation and the participants of the conversation.
Reading- A wide range of Thai literature texts are assigned so that students are able to develop their reading comprehension skills and widen vocabulary.
Writing – Different forms of writing skills are to be developed such as writing to develop imagination, explore and entertain; writing to inform, explain and describe; writing to persuade, argue and advise, and writing to analyse, review and comment.

At Key Stage 4, the syllabus is focused on preparing students for their First Thai language IGCSE examination requiring a high level of language proficiency in both reading and writing.

Thai as a foreign language

The Thai as a Foreign Language course has three levels: Beginner, Pre-Intermediate and Intermediate.

At Beginner level, the content is based around functional topics that are essential for students to operate in school and in the host community. Students develop speaking and listening skills in these contexts, maybe in a role-play. Vocabulary development is based around the topic vocabulary. Students are introduced to the Thai script, using transliteration.


At the Pre-Intermediate level, students continue to develop speaking and listening skills. They begin to learn to write using the Thai script. Students read and write words, phrases and sentences based on the topic from the speaking and listening lessons.

At Intermediate level, at this level there is more emphasis on reading and writing. Students practice reading short passages in Thai and also develop translation skills, translating from Thai to English and English to Thai. Speaking skills at intermediate level extend students language focusing more on negotiating meaning and developing more accurate tones.

Students also learn about the culture and traditions of their host country to enrich their understanding of Thai culture and language.