Her passion for communication has led her to become a news presenter and MC. Her love of English has brought about the Facebook page English AfterNoonz. Let’s meet the one and only Natchanan ‘Noon’ Liengarunwong or Noon English AfterNoonz. This issue of NooYoo Talk brings to you this wonderful talented woman so we can get to know her a little better.

Noon has experienced several roles: TV Host, Thai and English news presenter, radio host, and facilitator on organization’s workshop. Nowadays, her schedule might not be as tight as it used to be since she has another role to play, which is being a mother to her children, Iden and Isac. Becoming a working mom has its challenges as she has to manage her time between the job that she loves and her children at home.

What have you been doing?

“I’ve mainly been working on my Facebook page English AfterNoonz. I am the creative and producer of the content. I have a team that helps running the page on a daily basis, but I oversee the overall idea of the work to make it more my style. Viewers do not need to pay to view content on the Facebook page. I built this page from the love of learning English and would like to share it with people. However, for more serious content, I have online courses on the channel. I also conduct workshops and training for many organizations. It has become my other main task at this moment.

I started to take less jobs since I’ve had kids. In the past, I used to host a radio show in the morning and present news in the evening. But now I want to raise the kids myself, I cut down full-time jobs as self-directed jobs are more flexible.

Learning English without going abroad

“I’m a talkative person. I like talking to people. When I was a kid, I saw kids from other countries, and I thought they were odd. They looked and sounded different, so I wanted to know how to talk to them. And that was how I got fascinated by the English language.

I was born and raised in Thailand. So, I understand my followers because practicing English is hard. When I was a kid, I was able to speak only 4-5 sentences that I was familiar with. So, I just want to share that speaking English doesn’t always have to start with accuracy or knowledge. Having a lot of background knowledge is a good thing, but of course, we would not have it when we first start learning. You don’t have to be perfect to start.”

How to sound like a native

“I didn’t have this accent in my early days. It has changed over time. I acquired my accent from videos and other forms of media. I had many accent coaches. So, your coach could be a superstar, who knows?

Many people are worried about having an accent, how and where to practice speaking English. I think you should practice from as many places as possible because you’ll meet people from different countries. When I worked as an MC or hosted a press conference, interviewing top executives from different countries could be hard. That’s why you should be familiar with every accent.”

How to raise bilingual kids

“There are many ways to raise your children. Some suggest one parent speaks Thai, and the other speak English. This would work if one parent is an expert of that language. For example, the father is a foreigner so he should only speak English to the kids, and the mother can speak Thai. And the kids will eventually learn, at one point, which language they should speak to whom. However, I’m using a mixed method because at the end of the day it isn’t only the natives who speak English. We’ll encounter different accents. My goal is for the kids to be able to communicate, so I don’t focus much on their accents.

When I talk to them, I try to speak as clearly as I can. For example, “drink some water”, I’d say this both in Thai and English. At the moment, they still code switch between the two languages, which is pretty common for bilingual kids. But at one point, they’ll learn to separate between Thai and English.”

Can parents teach their kids if they aren’t good at English?

“My advice is that learning a new language and teaching your kids are the same thing. Especially, if you’re teaching your kids, it should be a fun activity along with learning the language or other skills. If it’s fun, they’ll want to learn. By ‘fun’, it doesn’t always have to be a game. It could be your tone of voice. Don’t be stressed. Don’t worry about making mistakes. Just speak it like when you speak Thai.

Also, don’t make it look like a lecture. For example, cat means maew, glass means kaew. It will look difficult. I’d say ‘Iden, get your cup.’ Then, I repeat the sentence in Thai. This way, it sounds like an everyday conversation, and they’ll learn by themselves. If they don’t say it right, you can correct them but don’t point out their mistakes. If you keep pointing out grammatical mistakes, your kids might feel discouraged. Using correct grammar is important, but you need to find the balance, as well.”

Tips on how to stay on fleek

“First of all, I’m not. But since I’m aware of that fact, I’m always extra-prepared. When I go to work, I make sure that I’m ready right from when stepping out of the car. Once the work is done and I get off the stage, I switch to the parent mode. I have many roles to play. So my collections of clothes, shoes, and accessories need to cover every style. I like stud earrings because they go with everything. NooYoo earrings are my go-tos because they are high-quality, easy to wear, and non-irritating to skin.”

NooYoo is hypnotized by Noon’s English learning and parenting experiences that have been told through her angelic voice. We learnt that learning something new isn’t hard if you make it a fun activity, and hope that the tips that Noon has shared are helpful to you one way or another.

Even though Noon is taking less MC and event jobs, if you miss this beautiful face and sweet voice of hers, be sure to follow her page English AfterNoonz, English AfterNoonz show on JOOX, Wan La Nid English on Thai PBS Kids, and Jor for Kids, her brand new show which ensures to eliminate parents’ concern about how their children spend time on screens. Subscribe now on YouTube.

Special Talk with Natchanan ‘Noon’

Now that we have Noon, an English teacher, as our guest, let’s hear something in English that Noon has to say about these different situations.

NooYoo asks: One sentence to tell yourself.
Noon says: Don’t be so hard on yourself.

There is a lot of fun each day. Of course, you’ll face some hardships, but as the problems are already hard, you don’t need to be hard on yourself. I think what we tell ourselves is really important.

NooYoo asks: One sentence for your loved ones.
Noon says: Treasure the moment.

Carpe diem. Seize the day.

NooYoo asks: One sentence that makes you happy.
Noon says: You made my day.

If someone says this to you, it means you lighten up their day, whether intentionally or not. When they thank you for that, it makes you feel good, maybe even better than the person who thanks you.

NooYoo asks: One sentence to say about whatever happens in the future.
Noon says: Easy on me.

I want to live a simple normal life.

NooYoo asks: One sentence for NooYoo.
Noon says: You wear confidence.

Be who you are. Buying accessories is basically buying confidence and styles for various social situations. Accessories aren’t only for when you go out. I wear them at home, as well. If they make you feel good, just wear them.