What's the difference between a language school and a university's language program?Which one is better?

[Lemonlime]

?

[moontang]

language schools cater to visa runners and sometimes employ them.  University programs may require too much of your time, and may not have a realistic plan...

[Lemonlime]

13 hours ago, moontang said:

language schools cater to visa runners and sometimes employ them.  University programs may require too much of your time, and may not have a realistic plan...

so which one is better??? I want a VISA and I need to learn THAI

[matata]

On 4/22/2019 at 6:35 AM, Lemonlime said:

so which one is better??? I want a VISA and I need to learn THAI

 For any language learning if you are a beginner, a good language learning school will always be better than university.

[Snackbar]

Most schools are closed, or offer ‘online’ tuition.

 

Education visa is the way to go.

 

if you have a degree study TEFL.

 

Look for a job and apply.l, if you’re successful, the school will assist you with Non-B visa application.

 

 Best of luck - KISS

 

[cardinalblue]

Go with the language school - more practical 

 

if you want a college experience and meet neo-educated babes, go with a university

[Crazy Noobie]

I have attended both. My 1st Education Visa was through the University Language school and then my next two Education Visa's was with the local Language School. They teach totally differently. The Language Schools are designed to teach foreigners how to speak Thai in a fast manner. Whereas, the University Language school teaches Thai in a more slower manner. Plus you are taught the Thai alphabet first then several months later they start you with conversation Thai. The question is, do you want to really learn to speak Thai or just learn enough to get by? As for myself, I prefer the University. As I learned more from them, then I did from the local school. Yes, I can speak, write & read Thai as good as a Thai person. There is one drawback with going to the University and that is your age. If you are 50 years old, you can not attend. But with the local schools there is no age limit. Plus there was a different way they did their paperwork I noticed. With the University, my Visa was for the entire year and that was how they stamp my passport. Then you only have to do the 90day report. With the local school, their Visa was only good for 90 days and that was how they stamped my passport. So every 90 days I had to give immigration the entire Education Visa package again and do the 90 day report. And you do that for the entire year. 

[KKr]

On 4/22/2019 at 11:35 AM, Lemonlime said:

so which one is better??? I want a VISA and I need to learn THAI

I’d say there are three types of programmes:
Private schools

Thai language ( and culture) at university For foreigners

Full time Thai studies at a university 

depends what one wants to achieve, study Thai literature (3) ? Or order food and chitchat (1) or correctly speak, read and write like early secondary school level (2)

 

all provide e-visa support

once you are clear about what you want to achieve, start looking in the area where you live and find out which are just visa-shops with compulsory check-in x-times a month, and what are educational undertakings.

Edited May 11, 2020 by KKr

[Alex2554]

A language is best learned between the sheets

 

[radiochaser]

18 hours ago, Crazy Noobie said:

I have attended both. My 1st Education Visa was through the University Language school and then my next two Education Visa's was with the local Language School. They teach totally differently. The Language Schools are designed to teach foreigners how to speak Thai in a fast manner. Whereas, the University Language school teaches Thai in a more slower manner. Plus you are taught the Thai alphabet first then several months later they start you with conversation Thai. The question is, do you want to really learn to speak Thai or just learn enough to get by? As for myself, I prefer the University. As I learned more from them, then I did from the local school. Yes, I can speak, write & read Thai as good as a Thai person. There is one drawback with going to the University and that is your age. If you are 50 years old, you can not attend. But with the local schools there is no age limit. Plus there was a different way they did their paperwork I noticed. With the University, my Visa was for the entire year and that was how they stamp my passport. Then you only have to do the 90day report. With the local school, their Visa was only good for 90 days and that was how they stamped my passport. So every 90 days I had to give immigration the entire Education Visa package again and do the 90 day report. And you do that for the entire year. 

My experience in 2013 or 2015 was at Chulalongkorn University, with their beginning Thai language class.  It was an 8 week course.  I took it as a Thai language refresher course. 

One thing the administrative staff emphasized was that, because I was over 50 years old, they would not assist me in getting an Education Visa.  There was no prohibition on attending any of their language classes.  Just that Chula would not assist in obtaining an Education Visa as they would with the younger students.  I do not know if that has changed any. 

In answer to the original posters question.  The University language courses expected you to attend all classes. And on time too!  

Miss too many classes, you were no longer their student.  There were quizzes that you were expected to pass.  There were weekly tests you were expected to pass with a minimum grade or you were no longer a student. 

There was an end of course test you were also expected to pass if you wanted the certificate issued by the school, which I expect that you needed if you were on an education visa. 

An interesting aside (to me).  While I was eating breakfast before class started I met a young student at Chula who was in her early 20's.  After speaking with her in English for several minutes, I asked her which of the Southern U.S. states she was from, because of her Southern English accent.  To my surprise she was Thai.  Turns out her English language teacher was from Arkansas, U.S.A. and she picked up his Southern accent!  I think that English language was her major. 

[EricTh]

On 5/12/2020 at 12:05 PM, radiochaser said:

My experience in 2013 or 2015 was at Chulalongkorn University, with their beginning Thai language class.  It was an 8 week course.  I took it as a Thai language refresher course. 
 

I've never attended the university courses except for a free 1 week beginner course. I felt it was too slow and teacher don't seem to know how to teach in a practical way.

 

I attended two private school Thai courses, one with education visa and the other that don't give education visa.

 

I found the students that attended the private school without education visa are more serious in learning whereas those with education visa usually skip classes and not serious in learning.

 

Both the private schools don't care whether you attend or not and don't care whether you pass the exams or not. They also don't have placement tests for new students and even if you fail the course, you can still go up the next level.  It's really frustrating when students keep on asking things that they should have learnt at a lower level.

 

Most students had trouble going beyond lower intermediate level at speaking and teachers treat them like the are kindergarten kids even after 1 year of study.

 

Would like to know more about Chulanlongkorn classes, do they have books with English translation that we can buy?

Edited May 17, 2020 by EricTh