Thai language studies in Cambodia

Learning spoken and written Thai language can lead to high salaries & promising careers for Cambodian university students.

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Learning to be earning

Thai language course offers Cambodian students better hopes for the future
9/04/2012
Anucha Charoenpo

Cambodian student Kaom Sokharoth, left, sings a Thai song in his basic Thai language class at the Royal University of Phnom Penh (Photo: Anucha Charoenpo).

Kaom Sokharoth, a third-year student from the Royal University of Phnom Penh's faculty of literature, hopes studying Thai will help change his life.

The 21-year-old student has just enrolled in a basic Thai language course at the RUPP's Institute of Foreign Languages (IFL), but surprisingly he is able to listen, speak, read and write Thai fairly well.

He said he practices every day by watching Thai movies and listening to Thai songs and by speaking with Thai people in Phnom Penh.

Mr Sokharoth is among 81 Cambodian students studying Level 1 of the course.

I chose to study the Thai language because I would like to work in Thailand or in a Thai-owned company in Phnom Penh.

"I've heard that anyone with a good command of the Thai language will have a better chance of earning a bigger salary," he said in Thai.

Mr Sokharoth said he knows former students who have studied Thai at the IFL.

These people are now working for Thai-owned companies in Phnom Penh and are earning more than those working in Cambodian firms, he said.

The university's IFL provides four Thai language courses. They each consist of four levels: Level 1, for beginners studying basic Thai; Level 2, pre-intermediate; Level 3, intermediate; and Level 4, upper intermediate.

Each level requires a student to undergo 180 hours of tuition within nine months. After completing each level a student will get a certificate which will help him or her when applying for jobs.

Students can currently choose Thai as an option. But as of next year it will become a minor subject for all students studying at Cambodia's oldest and largest university.

Associate Professor Phumjit Ruangdej, a Thai language teacher at the IFL, said the non-degree courses have been available at the university since 2005 under a joint agreement between the RUPP, Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Buri Ram Rajabhat University.

The reason for providing the courses was to promote ties between Thailand and Cambodia, Mrs Phumjit said.

Since it began, over 650 Cambodian students have enrolled in the Thai courses.

Many of those who have completed them have landed jobs in places such as the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh and Thai-owned companies in the capital and in border provinces.

A few have won masters and doctoral scholarships to study at Thai universities, she said.

Mrs Phumjit said the need for people who are able to speak Thai in Cambodia has been increasing with growing investment, the expansion of the country's tourism industry and closer Thai-Cambodian relations.

She said this need will continue for the foreseeable future. Cambodian students with Thai language skills are still able to apply for various jobs with Thai employers in Phnom Penh and other cities in Cambodia.

"And I am certain many more Thai businessmen will invest in Cambodia after the region becomes a single market in 2015, and when that time arrives, Cambodian students who have Thai language skills will benefit greatly," she said.

Suos Man, the vice-rector of the RUPP and overseer of the IFL, said the Thai language department at the institute is popular among students as they are confident they will get a well-paid job at Thai-owned companies .

Man said the IFL agreed to provide the Thai language course because it saw the advantages it would give Cambodian students. She said she also wants to see as many as possible speaking Thai so they will have a better understanding of Thailand and its people

Soleam Kong, 22, a third-year Khmer language student, is studying the basic Thai course. She said she is from Banteay Meancheay, a Cambodian province across the border from Sa Kaeo's Aranyaprathet district, where many people can speak Thai

I can speak Thai, but I can't read or write. That's why I'm taking the course, so I can learn more about Thailand and Thai people," she said

(Source: Learning to be earning, Thai language course offers Cambodian students better hopes for the future, 9/04/2012, Anucha Charoenpo, link)

Thai language education vocabulary

Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP) - Cambodia's oldest and largest university (See Wikipedia)

faculty - a group of departments in a college which specialize in a particular subject or group of subjects คณะ
faculty of literature - the group of departments and teachers that teach literature in different languages (Cambodian, English, German, Thai, etc)

Kaom Sokharoth, a third-year student from the Royal University of Phnom Penh's faculty of literature, hopes studying Thai will help change his life. The 21-year-old student has just enrolled in a basic Thai language course at the RUPP's Institute of Foreign Languages (IFL), but surprisingly he is able to listen, speak, read and write Thai fairly well.

practice - doing something over and over again to improve the way you do it
language practice - using the language in order to get better in using it

He said he practices every day by watching Thai movies and listening to Thai songs and by speaking with Thai people in Phnom Penh. Mr Sokharoth is among 81 Cambodian students studying Level 1 of the course. I chose to study the Thai language because I would like to work in Thailand or in a Thai-owned company in Phnom Penh.

good command of - know how to use well, be very good at  using something
good command of the Thai language
have a better chance of - more likely
salary - a fixed amount of money that you earn each month or year from your job เงินเดือน
earn a salary - earn money from a company as an employee (receive a paycheck for a certain amount each month)
earn a bigger salary
have a better chance of earning a bigger salary
consist - to be made of or formed from something ประกอบด้วย

"I've heard that anyone with a good command of the Thai language will have a better chance of earning a bigger salary," he said in Thai. Mr Sokharoth said he knows former students who have studied Thai at the IFL.  These people are now working for Thai-owned companies in Phnom Penh and are earning more than those working in Cambodian firms, he said. The university's IFL provides four Thai language courses. They each consist of four levels: Level 1, for beginners studying basic Thai; Level 2, pre-intermediate; Level 3, intermediate; and Level 4, upper intermediate.

undergo - to experience something which is unpleasant or which involves a change ประสบ (เหตุการณ์ในด้านลบ)
tuition - teaching; the work of a teacher ค่าเล่าเรียน
certificate - an official document or record stating that particular facts are true ประกาศนียบัตร เกียรติบัตร
option - a choice; something that you can choose in a particular situation ทางเลือก
minor - small or less; not the most important or largest เล็กน้อย
minor subject - not the main subject that a university student studies
major subject - the main subject that a university student studies

Each level requires a student to undergo 180 hours of tuition within nine months. After completing each level a student will get a certificate which will help him or her when applying for jobs. Students can currently choose Thai as an option. But as of next year it will become a minor subject for all students studying at Cambodia's oldest and largest university.

joint - done together; belonging to or shared between two or more people ความร่วมมือกัน
joint agreement
reason - an explanation of an event, why an event happened เหตุ ; เหตุผล ; สาเหตุ
promote - to move someone to a job at a higher level เลื่อนตำแหน่ง
ties - relations; connections ความสัมพันธ์
promote ties between Thailand and Cambodia

Associate Professor Phumjit Ruangdej, a Thai language teacher at the IFL, said the non-degree courses have been available at the university since 2005 under a joint agreement between the RUPP, Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Buri Ram Rajabhat University. The reason for providing the courses was to promote ties between Thailand and Cambodia, Mrs Phumjit said.

enroll in course - sign up to take a course at a school (put name on list of students who will take course)
land job - get a job 
embassy - a group of officials who represent their government in a foreign country สถานทูต
Thai embassy
capital - the city that is the center of government in a country
border - the official line separating two areas, regions or countries เขตแดน อาณาเขต
companies in the capital and in border provinces
scholarships - money given to a student to pay for the cost of education ทุนการศึกษา

Since it began, over 650 Cambodian students have enrolled in the Thai courses. Many of those who have completed them have landed jobs in places such as the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh and Thai-owned companies in the capital and in border provinces. A few have won masters and doctoral scholarships to study at Thai universities, she said.

investment - taking your money and putting it into projects to make a profit or earn interest (buying stock shares, bonds, real estate)
expansion - when something increases in size, number or importance การขยายออก
closer Thai-Cambodian relations.
for the forseeable future - in the near future
skills - a type of work or task requiring special training and knowledge ทักษะ ความสามารถเฉพาะทาง
apply for a job - make a formal request for an organization to hire you (presenting all necessary documents)
employers - companies that hire workers
Thai employers
benefit - to get help or an advantage from something ผลประโยชน์
rector - the person in charge in some universities, schools, colleges and universities อธิการบดี
vice-rector - the second in charge (under the rector)
confident - being certain of your abilities or of having trust in people, plans, or the future มั่นใจ

Mrs Phumjit said the need for people who are able to speak Thai in Cambodia has been increasing with growing investment, the expansion of the country's tourism industry and closer Thai-Cambodian relations. She said this need will continue for the foreseeable future. Cambodian students with Thai language skills are still able to apply for various jobs with Thai employers in Phnom Penh and other cities in Cambodia. "And I am certain many more Thai businessmen will invest in Cambodia after the region becomes a single market in 2015, and when that time arrives, Cambodian students who have Thai language skills will benefit greatly," she said. Suos Man, the vice-rector of the RUPP and overseer of the IFL, said the Thai language department at the institute is popular among students as they are confident they will get a well-paid job at Thai-owned companies.

Man said the IFL agreed to provide the Thai language course because it saw the advantages it would give Cambodian students. She said she also wants to see as many as possible speaking Thai so they will have a better understanding of Thailand and its people. Soleam Kong, 22, a third-year Khmer language student, is studying the basic Thai course. She said she is from Banteay Meancheay, a Cambodian province across the border from Sa Kaeo's Aranyaprathet district, where many people can speak Thai. I can speak Thai, but I can't read or write. That's why I'm taking the course, so I can learn more about Thailand and Thai people," she said