In Thailand, English is taught as a subject.  Not as a skill.  So students know quite a bit about the subject of swimming.  But they can’t swim.   

So that’s what you can do.  You can create a comfortable environment for them.  And then coax them into the water, to splash around and see what they can do.

You will be amazed at what you can accomplish even in a very short time. That’s because most Thai learners have a pretty well developed vocabulary.  Particularly when it comes to things that interest them:  music, movies, action heroes, sports, etc.   

For instance, every child knows that superman can fly; that batman has a car and that spiderman can climb walls.  They know the names of English football clubs like Man U and Liverpool. 

What they need then is a strategy or framework for communicating.  That’s where you come in.  First of all teach them: I am; I have; I can.  Bring them up in groups of two or three and get them to say things and answer questions about each other.  Example:  “Can you swim?  Yes, I can.  Then you ask the next person, “Can you swim?  Yes I can.  Can he(the person standing next to him) swim?  “Yes he can”.  Are you a girl?  Yes I am.  Do you have a dog?  Yes I do. 

Then progress to the third person:  Can you fly?  No I can’t.  Can superman fly?  Yes, he can.  Is Thailand a country?  Yes it is.  When the student can converse in the third person, he is now conversationally literate.  That’s because he can now speak about any subject, including himself. 

Using small groups of students is best because it becomes a little like a game where everyone wants to keep the game going.  Self consciousness disappears.  And when it does, real learning begins. 

We’ll deal more with this in your orientation.  But the principle is simple:  give them a simple strategy for speaking which will unlock the vocabulary they already know.Students don’t need more information such as more vocabulary.  They need help using the information they already have.  Teaching English here is not about filling containers.  It is about lighting candles