A GROUP of English teachers from Thailand who sharpened their language and teaching skills here is now primed to teach their colleagues back home.

The 50 primary school teachers who trained at the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (Seameo) Regional Language Centre (RELC) here will each train at least 60 other teachers, on top of their usual work.

'We will have two careers when we go back, as trainers and as teachers,' said one of the participants, Mr Komgrit Bhasaprome, 47.

The project is a partnership between The Office of the Basic Education Commission in Thailand, the Seameo RELC and Temasek Foundation, which is providing $1.17 million in funding.

Selected teachers came to Singapore last October for a one-month intensive English course. They returned again earlier this year for another three months of training in modules such as teaching methodology and curriculum design.

They will get their Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Linguistics next year.

Dr Chan Yue Weng, head of training, research, assessment and consultancy at RELC, said of his teacher-students: 'They have been very enthusiastic, with a great hunger for knowledge.'

ANG YIYING

This article was first published in The Straits Times.