Thai students offered English course in preparation for regional, int'l communities

BANGKOK, July 11 (TNA)- The United Kingdom will soon send 67 students from its well-known universities to teach the English language at 100 schools across Thailand to help prepare Thai youths for the regional and international communities. UK Ambassador to Thailand Asif Ahmad, British Council Thailand’s country director Chris Gibson and Thai Permanent Secretary for Education Sasitara Pichaicharnnarong jointly launched the Thailand English Teaching Project 2012 (TET) in Bangkok Wednesday, under which the 67 UK students will work as volunteer teachers at the selected Thai schools for eight weeks, starting from July 23- September, 2011. Sasitara said that her ministry has targeted about 80 per cent of Thai students will be able to speak English in the near future, and that she hopes the voluntary English-teaching project will be successful and further expand in the future. According to the senior Thai official, the UK young volunteer teachers will receive pocket money, allowances, accommodations and funds for their activities from the Thai government and their teaching topics will be related to this year's Olympics the United Kingdom will host in the coming months. Meanwhile, the top UK envoy acknowledged that English is an international language and the Single Community of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), scheduled to be formed by 2015, includes English language study in curricula for regional students, and that the TET project will also boost bilateral relations between Bangkok and London and allow UK personnel to work overseas, learn Thai cultures and connect Thailand to the international community. (TNA)