Great course, definitely value for money.
I am currently on day 13 and I am learning so much. I have been to Thailand a few times but only had the basic “hello” and “thank you”, I now have understanding of sentence structure, a vocabulary of over 100 hundred useful words and know all my numbers, which will be a huge bonus in places like markets!
The classroom environment is very enjoyable and reassuring, as you are working at the same pace as the other four people who are physically in the room. The lessons are fun, engaging and informative with lots of laughs. Kruu Fah, the teacher, is really good at explaining everything in an easy way and does not take things too quickly or seriously. She keeps going over the material until all the four students have grasped it, by which time I have also.
The use of the phonetic alphabet is also really helpful, as learning the Thai script is a big challenge in itself whereas using phonetics you can concentrate on learning to understand and speak Thai without the necessity to learn the script. Learning Thai script might be a challenge I take up another time.
The app to review each lesson’s course material using flash cards and quizzes is also very effective. I can use the app any time I have a few minutes spare to help cement what I have learned during the lesson.
Kruu Fah also sets homework for each lesson that you submit for her to check and provide feedback. This is amazing as it is absolutely one on one teaching. Kruu Fah is also available to answer any individual questions you have, either direct or via a group chat of current and former students.
It is also great that you get a new lesson daily, 5 days a week, which helps structure my learning. However, you don’t have to do each lesson when it arrives, you can work at your own pace, so if you are busy you can skip some days and just work at the next lesson when convenient. This also means it doesn’t matter what time zone you are learning in.
The course materials are also excellent, I paid a local company to have mine printed and bound, as recommended, and I agree this really helps. When it comes to me doing a lesson, I go to a quiet place, remove all distractions and sit down with my course booklet, pencil and laptop to work through the lesson. It does feel like I am actually part of the group. Each lesson is an hour long but, as they are all online, you can take them at your own pace and pause, go back etc. if you want to take time to think about something or watch again.
I will shortly be arriving for a vacation in Thailand and can’t wait to practice what I have learned. I am sure I will have more confidence trying to speak some Thai and also understanding some of what people say, especially in common situations such as getting a taxi or ordering food from street stalls etc.
I am very pleased I chose to learn Thai this way and am looking forward to the next 7 lessons in the 20 lesson package I purchased. I fully expect I will purchase the extra 80 days to complete the course.