🙏🏼 Sabaidee, I'm Ginie, founder of Lao English School.
How it started
I wasn't really good at school in general, but languages were always fun for me. We had a laugh in those classes. What I never quite got on with was the technical side of it, all the grammar to break down, the subjects and nouns and adjectives to label. To be honest...I never fully understood all of that, and I'm only a bit better now.
What I did enjoy was the part where you actually use the language. Whether that was in class or on my own, it was the same thing: understanding what I was hearing and being able to say something back. Songs I loved and wanted to understand, movies from other countries. And of course, growing up in Laos, you pick a lot up without even trying, simply because you need it every day.
Then I moved to the UK, and a few years later, lockdown hit. Like everyone else, I was at home with a lot of time on my hands, so I signed up to learn languages on one of those online platforms. Whilst I was using it, I noticed they were looking for teachers, and since I was home anyway, I thought why not. That's how at 18, I started teaching Lao, English and French. I thought I was just filling the time...
My students changed that
Whilst teaching, I made such great connections with my lovely students, and over time they started opening up about why they were really there.
Most of them had Lao roots but had grown up abroad. English had slowly become the family language over the years, and the Lao got lost along the way, so they couldn't say what they wanted to say to the people closest to them. For some, that meant a grandparent they could barely hold a conversation with.
Hearing those stories really got to me because it was something I'd never thought about before. I speak Lao with my parents and I've always been able to say exactly what I mean to them. I took that completely for granted.
And of course, it's not only about talking. Lao is the link to your family's stories and to your culture, and once it goes, that goes with it too. That thought scared me a little.
Then there was the practical side of it. There was hardly anything out there to learn Lao from, and what did exist was outdated. Not to mention that those resources didn't use the daily vocabulary and phrases that Lao people actually say.
So here were people with a real reason to learn, and nothing there to help them. I knew I had to do something about it.
Lao English School
So in June 2021, I started Lao English School. Our mission is simple: to make the Lao language accessible to everyone, no matter where you are in the world. Because a language barrier shouldn't hold you back from connecting with your loved ones.
Learning languages myself, then teaching them for years, taught me what actually works and what just looks good on paper. So that's what I built. Simple lessons, real words, the kind of Lao you'd actually use at a family dinner. No grammar tables to break down, just what you need to understand people and be understood back.
Along the way I also taught myself to code. Now, when I'm not teaching or creating lessons, I'm usually building the LES website front-end. That's a passion I found thanks to LES, and I've put this place together with all my heart. I hope you like it here as much as I do.
If you want to see the rest of our goals and meet the team, have a look at our about page.
What's next
Every word you learn keeps that link alive a bit longer. And if any of this sounds like you, you're not the only one.
Whenever you're ready to start, here's where to begin. Whether you're starting from zero or you already have a bit of Lao, there's a way in for you.
I can't wait to see you on this journey 🥰
Start learning Lao today
Not sure where to start? Explore our Speak Lao and Read Lao courses, plus the LES Community, and find the best fit for your goals, with guidance from Ginie.
