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Published on January 6, 2008

Dr Adith Cheosakul, a French teacher and professor at Chulalongkorn University's Sasin Graduate Institute of Business Administration, told me that HRH Princess Galyani was once upset that a Thai schoolteacher had mispronounced a French phrase.

According to Dr Adith, the Princess, a former French teacher herself, had overheard the teacher pronounce "soulier en cuir" (leather shoe) as "soulier en cul" (backside shoe) on TV.

Later on, this Thai teacher was given a chance to go to France for retraining.

During the 1970s, HRH Princess Galyani taught many French classes at Thammasat University, where she was also the head of the French Department.

A talented language lecturer, the Princess was said to be a strict but kind teacher.

Dr Sompid Kattiyapikul, now director of Silpakorn University International College and a former student, was quoted as saying: "The Princess taught French literature and poetry of the Middle Ages - it was difficult, hard to read, but she made it easier to understand."

Dr Adith said in an earlier interview that he had joined the Distant Learning Foundation (DLF) under HM the King's patronage in 1998 to help promote the teaching of French to Thai students.

He then taught French at the Klai Kangwon Palace School in Prachuap Khiri Khan.

At the time there were just three teachers of French at the school, which was founded and sponsored by HM the King.

In 1996, His Majesty provided Bt50 million as seed money to DLF to set up a distant learning centre via satellite broadcasts from the school. In addition, the government contributed Bt125 million to the project in 1996 and Bt216 million in 1997.

Since then funds have been allocated by the government to finance the project annually. More than 1,000 state secondary schools throughout the country have satellite dishes to receive signals from the Klai Kangwon centre.

The King's objective is to use the DLF to provide quality education in all major subjects to all secondary school students from Mathayom 1 to Mathayom 6, especially those in rural areas, where there are shortages of qualified teachers, teaching materials and media.

HM the King, who is also very familiar with French, as it was the language used while he was studying chemistry in Switzerland, realises that advanced technology could be used to help narrow the gap in education quality between urban and rural areas, according to Adith.

"I started by collecting no teaching fees from the school because this is HM the King's brainchild," he said.

"For two days a week, I'm in Hua Hin teaching French. My first class is conducted before Klai Kangwon School's students.

"It is broadcast live via satellite to all member schools. The second weekly class is recorded for subsequent broadcasting.

"One of my first teachers in French was Jiad Apaiwongse. I found that many Thai students could not speak French properly because they did not learn the very basics of the language, especially vowels.

"We tend to start by teaching them to say words and phrases, not vowels alone, so the pronunciation is often not correct."

Hence "soulier en cuir".Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana, the elder sister of His Majesty the King, passed away on January 2. Along with many other noble needs, she will be remembered as one of the country's foremost promoters of the French language among generations of Thai students.

Dr Adith Cheosakul, a French teacher and professor at Chulalongkorn University's Sasin Graduate Institute of Business Administration, told me that HRH Princess Galyani was once upset that a Thai schoolteacher had mispronounced a French phrase.

According to Dr Adith, the Princess, a former French teacher herself, had overheard the teacher pronounce "soulier en cuir" (leather shoe) as "soulier en cul" (backside shoe) on TV.

Later on, this Thai teacher was given a chance to go to France for retraining.

During the 1970s, HRH Princess Galyani taught many French classes at Thammasat University, where she was also the head of the French Department.

A talented language lecturer, the Princess was said to be a strict but kind teacher.

Dr Sompid Kattiyapikul, now director of Silpakorn University International College and a former student, was quoted as saying: "The Princess taught French literature and poetry of the Middle Ages - it was difficult, hard to read, but she made it easier to understand."

Dr Adith said in an earlier interview that he had joined the Distant Learning Foundation (DLF) under HM the King's patronage in 1998 to help promote the teaching of French to Thai students.

He then taught French at the Klai Kangwon Palace School in Prachuap Khiri Khan.

At the time there were just three teachers of French at the school, which was founded and sponsored by HM the King.

In 1996, His Majesty provided Bt50 million as seed money to DLF to set up a distant learning centre via satellite broadcasts from the school. In addition, the government contributed Bt125 million to the project in 1996 and Bt216 million in 1997.

Since then funds have been allocated by the government to finance the project annually. More than 1,000 state secondary schools throughout the country have satellite dishes to receive signals from the Klai Kangwon centre.

The King's objective is to use the DLF to provide quality education in all major subjects to all secondary school students from Mathayom 1 to Mathayom 6, especially those in rural areas, where there are shortages of qualified teachers, teaching materials and media.

HM the King, who is also very familiar with French, as it was the language used while he was studying chemistry in Switzerland, realises that advanced technology could be used to help narrow the gap in education quality between urban and rural areas, according to Adith.

"I started by collecting no teaching fees from the school because this is HM the King's brainchild," he said.

"For two days a week, I'm in Hua Hin teaching French. My first class is conducted before Klai Kangwon School's students.

"It is broadcast live via satellite to all member schools. The second weekly class is recorded for subsequent broadcasting.

"One of my first teachers in French was Jiad Apaiwongse. I found that many Thai students could not speak French properly because they did not learn the very basics of the language, especially vowels.

"We tend to start by teaching them to say words and phrases, not vowels alone, so the pronunciation is often not correct."

Hence "soulier en cuir".

Nophakhun Limsamarnphun

 nop1122@yahoo.com