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Five years ago I started to teach an English Conversation class for children in a village in South Thailand during their summer holidays. A local friend invited me to teach her children and their friends from the community in her house. The children enjoyed coming as they didn’t have much else to do except playing with their friends. I used objects and pictures to teach them English words in an informal, playful way. Most of these children don’t have the opportunity to study with a private tutor. I enjoy helping them. Some said that their grade in English class at school improved.

For the last two years it wasn’t allowed or encouraged to teach groups in communities due to the Covid situation. On May 17 many schools in Thailand will open again. The students are ready to go to school again after a long time of online learning. So my friend said now we could start an English conversation class with the children again. In the time after the fasting month of Ramadan ended and before school starts, my SEEDS colleague and I went twice to the village to teach the children. They were waiting with expectancy. On the second day more than 20 children came, ready to learn. Most of them are primary school age, some younger and some older.

My colleague and I used pictures to teach them action words. We played some activities and taught them songs that use these words. The local host served snacks and drinks in the break. The children seemed to enjoy the lesson and asked afterwards when we will come again. They are ready to have a regular English Conversation class. So we plan to start going to this village weekly. We trust it will help the children not to be afraid of talking with foreigners and to gain confidence in speaking English. This can help them in the future.