Effective Thai Language Courses: Beginner to Advanced & Business

Thai Language Courses at Effective Thai

Effective Thai is designed for students to learn the Thai language the way people learn their first language by directly associating words (written and spoken, read and heard) with objects, actions and ideas that convey meaning. Translation alone is sorely inadequate, and can be quite misleading in terms of lived language use. At Effective Thai, grammar, syntax and vocabulary are taught through real life examples.

Goals of Effective Thai

To help the student learn the Thai language quickly, easily, and correctly

To equip the student with the strategies and confidence that will aid their understanding and communication in the real world

Thai Beginners

Thai Language Foundations A

This course is designed for students who have little or no knowledge of Thai. It consists of an intensive study of spoken Thai with emphasis on communication skills. Regular field trips and cultural activities will supplement the course material. A cultural trip/activity will supplement the course material.

Learning Outcomes for Thai Language Foundations A

Students will be able to communicate through listening and speaking and maintain very simple exchanges in the basic themes of everyday life situations, e.g. greetings, meeting people, buying things, ordering food, asking directions, telling time, etc.

Thai Language Foundations B

This course is an introduction to Thai writing and reading. It can be taken concurrently with Cool Thai I and Cool Thai II and is prerequisite for students who wish to proceed to the Thai on the Rocks module. It can also be taken as a separate course by students who already have spoken proficiency in Thai.

Learning Outcomes for Thai Language Foundations B

Students will be able to recognize and understand familiar topics in short simple stories. In writing, students will be able to write basic factual information about familiar things in simple sentences.

Intermediate

Elementary Thai

This course consolidates communication skills with an emphasis on reading. Different types of discourse will be studied through a variety of Thai language media. Field trips and attendance at community cultural activities will comprise an additional 1 lesson per week as an assessable assignment.
Learning Outcomes for Elementary Thai

Students will be able to communicate through listening and speaking in face to face conversations with people and on the telephone.
They will also be able to describe familiar things, convey their own opinions fairly precisely.
Students will be able to get the main ideas from simple TV and radio news on general topics.
Students will be able to read and write simple texts on familiar topics.
They will be able to write a letter to express their own opinions on basic services (e.g. hospital) and convey such things fairly precisely.

Intermediate Thai

This course consolidates and further develops knowledge and skills in oral and written Thai. The course is intended to equip students with resources to identify speech registers and to analyze discourse types. Field trips and attendance at community cultural activities will comprise the additional lesson per week as an assessable assignment.
Learning Outcomes for Intermediate Thai

Students will be able to understand and follow a conversation and to communicate in fairly complex and abstract topics such as political events.
They will be able to understand the main points from TV and radio news stories, interviews, speak and take part in conversations on fairly complex, abstract things, and use a range of words to convey the same meanings.
Students will be able to read general news stories in newspapers and semi-technical texts in familiar fields and read short novels.
They will be able to write and discuss fairly abstract and complex things, although with some mistakes, and they may still need to use a dictionary to convey the message.

Advanced

Advanced Thai I – Advanced Thai II

These advanced courses can be focused on speaking and listening, or reading and writing, or both.

Professional Speaking and Thai Conversation

Students will practice having conversations on a variety of topics including intensive discussion, business presentation, opinion and feeling expressions. It will be tailor-made for students to achieve their goals. Students will learn Thai advanced level words and phrases used in specific ways such as exclamations, complex conjunctions and prepositions, royal and buddhist words and phrases, and complex slang and idioms.

Thai Literature and Literate Culture

Thai cultural, traditional, and historical issues are taught via Thai language. Students will have a chance to experience some parts of well-known Thai literature, which generate many Thai proverbs and idioms. Thai lessons will give students insight of Thai culture, society and values especially in the past. Complex papers such as academic articles, research, agreements, and legal documents are used to increase the student’s reading skill capability. Students will learn and practice to write different kind of complex writing.

Learning Outcomes for Advanced Thai I and II

Students will practice having conversations on different topics for deeper discussion, business presentation and opinion expression.
The lesson will provide special words and phrases used in specific ways such as exclamations, conjunctions and prepositions, royal/buddhist words and phrases, as well as complex slang and idioms.
Learning language and culture are parallel. As you learn Thai culture, the logic of Thai language will become more apparent.
The lessons will explain vital Thai history and interesting Thai traditions.
Students will have a chance to enhance their experience into some parts of well-known Thai literature, which generate many Thai proverbs and idioms. Thai lesson will give students insight into Thai culture, society and values especially in the past.
Students will read complex papers such as agreements, contracts, laws, etc.
Students will gain knowledge of and practice writing complex papers such as drafting an agreements, contracts, or any documents related to business.

Effective Thai for Business

Greetings in Business & Foreign Languages used in Modern Thai language
Business introduction
Occupations, Jobs, Job Description, and Responsibilities
Products and Services Explanation
Products and Services Comparison
How to Explain Process in Business
Reporting and Presentation
IT Jargon in Thai Language
Chatting at the Office
Leaving a message & Memo
Business Email in Thai Language
Making an Appointment
Essential Abbreviation in Business
Business Meetings
Effective Thai and Business Negotiation Strategies
Talking about Money and Payments
Effective Idioms and Appropriate Casual Thai Language used in Business
Thai Language for Good Relationships in Business

Effective Thai for young learners

Nursery Rhymes in Thai
Phonics of 44 Thai Consonants
Thai Alphabet sounds and songs
Fun Stories Reading with Thai Alphabet and Handwriting Practice
Basic Vowels and Words
Conversation for Children for Everyday Used
Story Telling in Thai
Basic Thai Writing
Mixed Vowels Stories and Reading Comprehension
Specific Names
Questions and Answers for Children
Listening Comprehension for Children

Thai Language Placement Test

All new students take a placement test to determine the most suitable level for their Thai studies. Language skills—speaking, listening, reading, and writing—often develop unevenly depending on how they’ve been used. Our courses are designed to strengthen weaker areas while continuing to build on existing strengths.

For example, a student who speaks Thai fluently but struggles with reading and writing may choose one of the following:

Thai Language Foundations B – focused on developing reading and writing skills
Intermediate Thai – aimed at improving listening and speaking skills

Our classes are taught by experienced, English-speaking Thai teachers who are friendly, supportive, and dedicated to your progress. If you need help with Thai language challenges outside the classroom, we’re always here to support you.

Online Learning Support

In addition, for students who cannot attend all of the classes at the school, we can provide Skype access. This works if all students (whether 1-to-1 or small group) is online. We have found that hybrid classes (where some students are in the classroom, and others are remote) does not work as well. If convenient we also can record classes for later playback by the students who are unavailable during the regular class time.