Cultural center of the North

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AUA Thai Language Course

TEACHING AT AUA CHIANG MAI

Since 1957 AUA Chiang Mai has served the educational needs in the north of Thailand. For the past twenty years, the school has been located in the center of the old town and is situated close to shops, restaurants and entertainment. The AUA buildings downtown are located in two large, leafy compounds that have a traditional Thai-style atmosphere. The buildings house offices, a library, an auditorium, a teachers' resource room, a kitchen and ten air-conditioned classrooms. We also use four rooms at the Faculty of Education, Chiang Mai University which is located 5 kilometers west of the city at the foothill of a lush mountain. Besides the branch director, our staff consists of several administrative and library personnel, a Thai language program manager and a teacher trainer. The teacher trainer orients new teachers to the methods, resources and evaluation tools necessary to be an effective teacher.

Our students range in age from teenager to adult. They are highly motivated and fun to teach. Students can choose from two study options; weekday evenings (Tuesdays to Fridays) for 70-minute periods or Saturdays for three hours. Each new student is tested for placement and may enter into one of 15 levels of our curriculum. Last year 101 students received the AUA Certificate of Proficiency at our annual graduation ceremony. Besides teaching general conversational English, AUA can provide specialized classes such as writing, business English or tailored course of study.

At present there are 19 teachers on the staff. Most teach about 21 hours per week. Pay rates range from 250 baht per hour for teachers-in-training to 300 baht per hour for teachers under contract with one year teaching experience at AUA.

There is a wide range of quality housing options in the area at well-below Bangkok prices. Many AUA teachers live in small one room apartments or houses for between 3,500 to 4,500 baht per month. Motorcycles and bicycles are the most common forms of transport for our teachers. There is no skytrain and though the traffic can be thick during rush hour, normally it's easy to get around.

Living and working in Chiang Mai has its challenges but overall it's a popular destination for foreigners and Thais alike. The city is richly steeped in 700 years of history with a unique culture, its own language, food and festivals that attract people from all over the world. Western culture including food, entertainment and life-style, easily fits in with the easy- going nature of northern Thais. For food lovers, whether it's Thai, Western, Chinese or other ethnic food (Vietnamese, Korean and Japanese are popular choices), Chiang Mai is an ideal town to live in. You can eat for pennies or splurge and use the credit card. Chiang Mai has been attracting tourists for decades. The city boasts some of northern Thailand's most famous temples. But the real attraction is the northern Thai countryside. Just minutes from Chiang Mai, you'll discover the real Thailand of the rural farmer. Further afield are lush tropical mountains and the hill tribes that inhabit them as well as scenic waterfalls and great opportunities for communing with nature.

Weblink about Chiang Mai: http://www.chiangmainews.com