[Review] My Thai learning experience with TSL Chiang Mai (Thai 1)

I first got to hear about TSL Chiang Mai on IG, where I am part of the studygram community. Yes yes, call me weird, but I like to experience and learn new things, especially languages.

Due to COVID, they had moved the classes to 2 options; hybrid and online class. The most enticing part was the price; 2500 baht for a month's worth of lessons, 3 times a week. This translates to about SGD102, which is very affordable!

I gathered a few of my friends to attend the trial class and they were quite interested. BUT, when they heard about the frequency of the lessons, they all backed off, citing commitment issues.

I pondered for a while, and when I had to clear my time off and leave to start my new job, I decided to take the plunge and try out their hybrid morning class.

Thai 1 hybrid class

Class intro:

The lessons were taught by Teacher Cindy, and I was the only one who is stationed out of Chiang Mai.

Lesson format:

The lessons focused very much on speaking and the handouts that they gave are romanised, which made it easier for pronounciation. Each student gets chance to practise the vocabulary/grammar. There are lots of short dialogues which are very relevant to travellers.

Class size:

Very big. It was about 15 people for my class. To be fair, usually the beginner classes have a big class size that drops when moving on to the higher levels. (happens to me when I moved up the levels too)

Pace:

Very manageable. I thought that it would be tough to catch up since I was not in Thailand but Teacher Cindy made it very enjoyable. As she reviews the words learnt in every class, memory retention of the words is quite strong.

Logistics:

They use zoom for the students who are online. Also, they will send the notes for the class a few days before the start of class.

Fee payment:

After conversion, the monthly fee is about SGD100 - 102. As I am in Singapore, I used WISE to transfer the lesson fee over. If you are new to WISE, you can use my referral link to get a fee-free transfer up to 900 SGD.

Overall

I loved Teacher Cindy's class a lot and she is quite amusing. The class is very affordable and good for learning as a hobby. The only thing I didn't like was the lack of interaction due to the hybrid model. There were certain times when I couldn't get the full context because most of the students were in class while I was online. And I also FOMO-ed as it seemed like my classmates go out together for lunch after class.

Summary

Pros:

Pace is good
Affordable price point
Convienient (can log in from anywhere)
Speaking is emphasised

Cons:

Hard to interact with classmates
Big class size

Conclusion:

4/5 star

Comments

Phonics Class at Curious Thoughts Academy (CTA)

Today, I am going to share my review of the phonics enrichment school that I have been sending Hunter to since start of July 2023. To give you the background, Curious Thoughts Academy (CTA) base its phonics classes on Jolly Phonics, and is located in Bugis. I first got to know about CTA when they launched their phonics workshop. Being the ambitious mum, I thought that I could save some money and teach Hunter phonics by myself. After going through the workshop, I realised the amount of work I have to put in to curate the materials, and I decided that it is best left to the experts and I would just revise the contents with him at home during the week. Below are the information from CTA. They run the classes by terms and classes are tagged by levels. Price List for 2023 Hunter is currently in Intermediate phonics and will be advancing up next year. I love the approach of Jolly phonics as they use songs and actions to capture the attention of kids. As this

Our 2D2N trip at JB (Paradigm Mall JB)

At the last recent school closure, we brought Hunter to JB for a long weekend together with my parents. We took the KTMB train again and it was convenient and fuss free as the previous time . This would probably be the last time where Hunter gets to take the train for free. The rationale to choose Paradigm Mall was simple - a one stop centre for everyone. Since we didn't have our own transport, we chose an accommodation which is very near to the mall (2-5 mins walk) depending on which block you stay. The condo is called Platino and it's pretty new. Playground in the condo swimming pool This is how near the mall is. As usual, Hunter's priorities came first, which ended with us going to Utopia for both days of the trip. We signed up for the 3 entries package, which cost RM188. It comprises a free bumper ride and a welcome gift. One adult can also accompany him each time without additional fee. Socks are additional (RM 5 for a pair) because we didn't expect to go in so ear

Review: Sunflower preschool at Clementi (Sep 2021)

I had withdrawn H from Sunflower at Clementi in Sep 2021. Contrary to the positive experience that I had when he was in IFC, the horror started when he was doing the transition to PG (aka moving upstairs to the toddler class). The negative experience was probably due to the resignation of both his teachers who had been with him throughout his IFC days, and it prompted him to display anxiety while in school. The teachers informed that he was crying at the doorsteps every day when the IFC teachers brought him to transit to the PG class. Regrettably, he started to bite his classmates. We were told of this when he first bit the little child and were encouraged to talk to him and explain that biting is bad. The days went by and once in a while, we would hear of the biting issues. However, the issues were only flagged out when my mum went to fetch him and there were communication issues as my mum couldn't understand much English. It didn't help that I had fractured my foot during tha

[Review] 3D2N trip to Sinar Eco Resort, JB, Malaysia with a 2 year old toddler

The long weekend trip to Sinar Eco Resort was our first family trip post-covid. It also served as a birthday trip for PL. As H's school was closed on 2 and 5 Sep 2022, we had to make plans to ensure our sanity. Initially, I wanted to go somewhere further but common sense and logic won out. After much deliberation and consideration, we narrowed the locations to JB and had 2 choices in mind. One is Sinar Eco Resort and the other one is Rainforest Tree House. In the end, we decided on Sinar Eco Resort because of the following points: All-inclusive stay (RM280 per night/pax) H doesn't need to pay since he is below 3 years old. Location (Near to SG. If H falls sick, we could rush back.) Kid's safety (Since it's an enclosed farm, we could be sure that he wouldn't be kidnapped or something along the line. Sorry, I'm just too paranoid) Activities (H loves animals and animal feeding is included in the package) One thing I must say about PL; he is really a do-er. After we

[Review] Lovejoy confinement centre in JB

I did an unthinkable thing, which is to head over to JB for confinement. When I first suggested that, everyone around me warned me against it. They cited the lack of healthcare should I or Hunter is unwell and the inconvenience caused by the distance. I wasn't deterred and pushed forward with it and I didn't have any regrets. I enjoyed my time there tremendously and would go back there again if not for my insistence that I would not have a second kid. All that being said, there are definitely some cons but they are minor issues in my opinion. An unassuming front Pros: Amazing food As everyone knows, food in JB tastes better and the confinement centre is no exception. 5 meals are provided a day with unlimited milo and biscuits should you be hungry. (Trust me, breastfeeding is hungry business). The timings are 9am (breakfast), 12pm (lunch), 3pm (teabreak), 6pm (dinner) and 9pm(supper). As you can see, I was really well taken care of in the food department when I was there. Huge

Revolving stars

Search This Blog