Source - Bangkok Post Website
January 08, 2006

Business students see it a big plus to master the language
Story by WASSAYOS NGAMKHAM – CHIANG RAI

Increasing number of students in Chiang Rai's Chiang Saen district are signing up for Chinese language courses being promoted by the state as an important communication medium for conducting trade with Chinese merchants. Ratree Saiwichai, 26, a Chinese language lecturer at the Chiang Saen Wittayakom School, said as trade with China was booming, Chinese is becoming a must for business students aspiring to master the language in the hope of bringing the acquired skills to assist their family businesses.

She said Chiang Rai's office of Education Zone 3 has introduced both at the Chiang Saen Wittayakom School and Ratchaprachanukroh School the curriculum of the Chinese language as an optional course for students of the Mathayom 2-6 levels and as a obligatory course for Mathayom 5 and 6 (Grade 11 and 12) students.

The two schools are located in the Mekong river's economic zone which has become a major trading point with mainland China.

She said currently there are only two state schools and a private school that offer Chinese language courses, which were not enough to meet the rising demand.

"Now our schools have more than 200 students majoring in Chinese, but most have a lot of hard work ahead of them to improve their skills. Only a few are expected to master the language and that too because they come from families who use the Chinese language to do business with Chinese people," Ms Ratree said.

Ms Ratree is also offering two special Chinese language courses to members of the general public. The fee is 1,000 baht per person. Each is a 16-hour course. She gave assurances that on completing the two courses, the students would be equipped with enough necessary skills to communicate with the Chinese.

"Most students in my crash courses are females who want to go into the shipping business as it has the brightest prospects in the region," she said.

Phanthip Chiwongwiang, 15, a Mathayom 3 (Grade 9) student at Chiang Saen Wittayakom School, who always scores top marks in the subject, said the population of Chinese immigrants was growing in Chiang Saen. Her father is also working for a Chinese-owned trading company. "I want to follow in my father's footsteps and set up my own business in future. I find the Chinese language much easier to learn than Thai. I can now communicate in Chinese fairly well," she said.

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