Testimonial from Inga
September 18, 2022
Hello, my name is Inga. I study Khmer language with Phalla for two years, once or twice a week. I love Cambodia, its culture, the people and have been travelling the country since 2010. 2012 I started with my blog Visit Angkor about this beautiful place. The more I got involved with Cambodia, the more fascinated I became by the language. I wanted to know more than just “Hello”, “Goodbye” and “Thank you”. While researching for a Khmer teacher on the internet, I found Phalla. From the first day, I have been more than enthusiastic. Phalla adapts to all my wishes and my individual learning pace. Sometimes it is only small steps, but Phalla is extremely patient and praises even the smallest successes. I am especially proud that I can even read the characters almost fluently.
ខ្ញុំ អាច និយាយ ភាសា ខ្មែរ បាន = I can speak Khmer
As I live in Germany, we use Zoom and it works very well, also with the connection. Thanks to Phalla, I am already looking forward to many more Khmer lessons with him and that I can use my Khmer knowledge on my next visit to Cambodia!
Testimonial from Amber
March 27, 2017
I took lessons with Phalla for almost a year via Skype. I have been to Cambodia four times to volunteer at a church there, and on the last trip I stayed a year and a half. When I got home, I decided to continue learning the language since I find it fascinating. I found Phalla’s tutoring service through a Google search, and signed up. It was instantly evident that Phalla is a gifted teacher and knows how to communicate the lessons in a memorable and effective way. He has all his lessons organized and utilizes the full spectrum of available online teaching tools which are extremely helpful in helping to demonstrate the concepts in each lesson. He has also created a huge collection of helpful flashcards on Quizlet (with audio!) for his students to use. He communicates in English better than most native English speakers I know, and has a firm grasp of English grammar…this helps so much when he has to explain how things translate between the two languages, and to make sense out of it. He is a gifted teacher with an intuitive sense of what the student needs, and guides the lessons accordingly. He always came equipped with a well thought-out lesson, emailed me my study guides ahead of time, but then would have a backup plan waiting in case the lesson was too difficult. I grew so much in my ability to speak, read, write and pronounce the Khmer language, and it’s all thanks to my wonderful teacher Phalla! I look forward to taking up lessons again in the future when my schedule allows. 5 stars!
Testimonial from Bob
May 22, 2015
My name is Bob Wiltshire and I first met Phalla a couple of years ago, after seeing recommendations for him on an expat website in Phnom Penh. I initially did his 12 week program, with him coming to my house for 1 hour sessions 3 times per week. I found him really obliging and flexible, but able to still work through set topics so i kept making steady progress.
We kept going for over a year (with breaks along the way) and eventually I started to read and write Khmer, although this is purely optional. I still use Phalla’s Quizlet program on my phone as it lets me build my vocabulary during periods when I’m not getting formal lessons.
As an ex-teacher, I really admire the way Phalla has a structured program but will focus on anything you really need to know.
I’d recommend Phalla to anyone wanting a value-for- money means of learning Khmer, in the minimum time.
Bob Wiltshire
Testimonial from Jacob
“Hello, my name is Jacob and I’ve been living in Cambodia for 5 years now. I came here as a volunteer with my family. I started work right away when we first arrived, making it difficult to learn Khmer. I ended up hiring a tutor and studying an hour day after a long day of work. Frustrated, I found myself tired and not very motivated to learn. I posted an ad and had several people respond with San Phalla being a highly recommended teacher. I’ve been studying with him for about 2 years now and I find his approach to be perfect for me. He is a wonderful teacher and has brought me to the next level! He has an amazing English vocabulary so he can easily tell you the meaning of a word or phrase and has a strong grasp on English grammar as well. It helps immensely when trying to learn how to read and write Khmer, because he knows how my mind works! Phalla is prepared with multiple approaches regarding curriculum depending on your studying style, needs and wants. He’s flexible, though, and is open to ideas and rabbit trails. But he is direct enough that keeps us on track. I would highly recommend Phalla for any of your Khmer language needs.
Testimonial from Chloe
“My name is Chloe, and I am an American university student. I came to Cambodia for 6 months to work with an NGO in Phnom Penh through my university. After arriving in Cambodia, I was eager to begin learning to speak Khmer but did not know where a good, helpful place to start would be. I asked around, and one of my coworkers highly recommended that I begin Khmer tutoring with San Phalla. I took her up on her suggestion, and I have been very satisfied with his teaching. He had a curriculum prepared when we began, which was great – but he was always open to requests from me to study particular topics or to spend more time on certain parts of the curriculum. As a teacher, he was kind, patient, and encouraging as I learned to speak Khmer, and he answered all of my questions in very helpful ways. His prices were good, too. I would say that the only bad part of the experience was when I had to leave Cambodia at the end of my 6 months and stop my Khmer lessons. I highly recommend Khmer tutoring with San Phalla.”