PILC Join Forces with Rotary

Early in August Dr. Claus Rink, a visiting German professor, was on one of his many visits to Thailand.  He has developed and produced a learning CD aimed at Thai School students to improve their English language skills.  This has been done in conjunction with his University, the Rotary Club Bergheim, Germany and the local Rotary Club Eastern Seaboard.  The CD is very user friendly for the Thai student, and it is like playing a computer game so it is quite fun.

On Friday, August 7, 2009, Marianne Buesch Biel, a member of PILC who also happens to be a very active member of the Eastern Seaboard Rotary Club, along with Steven Rhyser, also from this Rotary Club, and Dr. Claus Rink visited several local Thai schools.  They were accompanied by Ajaan Supaporn Promwiriyakul and myself.  The aim of the visits was to introduce the English teachers of the schools to the CD and explain to them how it works.  This was done very competently by Mr. Steve Rhyser, with his excellent Thai speaking ability.  The schools visited were all in the District of Sriracha, they were Baan Kao Kansong School and Baan Ra-werng School, both in the area of Kao Kansong, and Baan Hup Bon School which is in Hup Bon.

On a previous trip, prior to Dr. Claus Rink’s visit, we had visited two other schools together to donate the CDs.  These were Pan Sadet Naai and Pan Sadet Nork schools, which are both situated off Highway 331 near the Bo Win Industrial Estate.  The Eastern Seaboard Rotary Club takes any opportunity available to distribute the CDs as widely as possible, and has also provided them to the Banglamung Secondary School here in Banglamung, as well as Wat Ket Noi School off Highway 36 amongst many others.

The CDE is available for sale and is useful for any Thai person wishing to improve their English language skills.  Please contact Marianne Buesch Biel for more information.

The Rotary Club also has another part of its English promotion Scheme where it runs a volunteer project in cooperation with a German High School.  This project is intended as a “long-term education project” in Rayong at a school with 700 pupils.  The German school provides volunteer students to come to Thailand for two months to help the classroom teacher teach the students using the CDs and other methods to teach English.  They also teach basic computer software use to the Thai students. 

So far this project has been used as a model, and many other schools in the Rayong area are interested in being included in such a scheme.  The German volunteer students are recognized with a certificate for their service, which can be used to secure employment later in Germany, as work experience in Asia is seen as valuable.

Kathleen Petras, PILC Welfare