Kindred neighbor

[Photo by Huo Yan/China Daily]

Anurak Swaisomseekun, who teaches Thai language in Guangxi, has noticed more parallels than contrasts between his Chinese students and those in his home country, and that has strengthened his faith in our shared humanity, write Raymond Zhou and Huo Yan.

Anurak Swaisomsee-kun is impressed by the work ethic of his students. They are very "industrious", he says. They often consult him for more tips on mastering the language when class is long over.

Swaisomseekun, 54, has been teaching Thai at Guangxi University since 2013. He did not seek out the job. He came as a student－to study Chinese. The school wanted a Thai-speaking professional and he graciously took the offer and switched the roles.

Earlier, Swaisomseekun was a professor with Thailand Surim Normal University, teaching industrial administration and business management. He is still part of the faculty of that school. Being a language teacher was a pleasant surprise that has opened up a new vista of communication for him.

For example, the Zhuang ethnic minority in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region speaks a language that shares many words with Thai. "My Zhuang students have an advantage when they take up Thai," he explains.

Guangxi University has a four-year program for Thai learning. There is one class for each of the grades, with a total of about 100 students enrolled. By the end of the first two years, they can use the language in their daily lives, carrying on basic conversations. When they finish the program, most students would attain a high proficiency in Thai.

"For a non-native speaker, Thai is easier to speak than to read," Swaisomseekun says.

He has noticed some Chinese who have never been to Thailand have managed to learn the language on their own to the point of fluency. Compared with Chinese, Thais speak in a slower tempo, which makes it easier for beginners to understand.

He uses clips in his teaching－about five minutes each－from Thai movies and TV series, which are popular in China, to start with.