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Thailand's English Skills Lowest In S E A


Lite Beer

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The cinemas still put out dubbed soundtracks which are infinitely more popular than original

Not so sure about that one. I go to the cinema at least 2 - 3 times a month, and I don't even need to look for a show with the original soundtrack. They all have it.

Edited by ricku
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Until Thai schools engage native English teachers to teach English, the standard will always be the poorest in Asia.

Until the English language is spoken widely every day across Thai society (as it is in Hong Kong, India, The Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore etc) the standard will always be the poorest in Asia! (but much better that Laos Cambodia, Burma and Vietnam - -hooray hooray! There's hope for Thailand yet!)

R

Edited by robsamui
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I have two sons, Thai American. Their English is very good, but I only speak to them in English. They both go to Thai schools, not international schools. One son is in regular class and the other is in HM the Kings class at the same school. The quality of teaching is different. in the Kings class the English teacher is from the USA. In the regular class they are Philippine or Indian.

When I came here in 1966, I was in the US Army and worked with Thais. Some of them were very fluent in English, but they were trained by the Army.

The problem with the English language usage in Thailand is oral communication and comprehension. The majority listen to the English and than translate it to Thai in their head. Professor Brown at AUA taught the total immersion program, learn by listening.

I am curious about your children's ratio as far Thai English and foreign teacher exposure. I would guess there is a Thai English teacher that sees your children more than foreign teachers.

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Now I am not saying my Inglish is perfect, coz I no it aint.

When I was teajing in a government school, year 5, I used to get given the Thai national tests twice a year by my Thai co-teacher to check the answers, the grammar and spelling were atrocious and for some questions there were 4 possible correct answer. I used to think surely these are not given out by the government exam board, but they are, to my shock and horror! The thing that needs to be done in Thailand -- around the learning of any other language other than the usual native languages -- is the need to actually study it and put it in to practice, i would even go as far to say that an immersion programme be set in place.

Now, I will probably get the usual farrang Thai sympathisers saying "learn the language" etc., I am and have been.

When I was at school I was taught Latin along with French as core subjects, I do still speak very very rudimentary French and Latin I do not speak at all, this is due to not actually using it on a consistent basis after school. Here in Thailand I can order my food, ask and give directions, count and do most rudimentary things to get by, I have taught myself this in my period of living here over the past 3-4 years.

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Ahh, small potatos- an official decree and all Thai citizens will be fluent english speakersin six months. I seem to recall a similar decree enacted by the Thai Tourist police and that worked out well for them... :

I do admire the can do spirit here smile.png

Chuckle - not even that. Just some minor government minister putting it on record that X percentage of Thai 8 years-olds can speak xx number of English words and that university students are internationally competitive . . . fixed overnight

R

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What is happening now is the MOE is doubling down on the "process" of learning without really changing anything in the classroom. The schools are documenting and reinventing their reporting procedures as if that will help the students. I assume they figure if they report better then the students will be better.

Thais are really consumed with documentation and they believe good documentation signifies a good education system. They are creating a mountain of paperwork in response to all these reports of poor English speaking Thais that they have forgotten (or they are ignorant of) they actually need to improve their teaching methods. It's like the documentation somehow proves they are accomplishing their goals without actually do it.

Which all proves that their English will not improve.

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I wish I could find the way to insert a picture, but I found this hiding in my kid's "Culture" book the other day.

I haven't loaded a picture for so long, I can't find how to do it.

The text is as follows:

"When everyone conduct themselves in accordance with one's social status, knows one's role, performs one's duty, and exercises one's rights and freedoms correctly, the country will be a peaceful and prosperous place for everyone to live in".

My jaw dropped........

That really raises my blood presure. w00t.gif

Edited by Markaew
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Me: You know about 2015 ASEAN ?

Thai pal: Yes

Me: You know the language will be English

Thai pal: Yes

Me: You don't speak English nor does 95% of the local people we both know

Thai pal: Yes

Me: You don't think this is a problem ?

Thai pal: No

Me: Oh really

Thai pal: We will mainly deal with Bpamma people and they speak Thai (or will learn to speak it)

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Thailand's English skills lowest in SEA, but it gets worse!

Thailand's English skills are almost the lowest in all, Asian countries.

Thailand comes in at 56th out of 58 Asian countries. '1' being the best.

I believe that one of the reasons for this is the Thai belief that that they know it all "already" they don't need to learn English. In fact there is a climate in schools which actively discourages the learning of English.

The education system in Thailand is so abysmally-poor that students are actively encouraged to undertake 'rian phiset' (special tuition) after school and on weekends. I live within a kilometer of three private schools

and they are almost as busy on Saturdays & Sundays as they are during the week.

This phenomenon of 'rian phiset' is essentially a business and it has become trendy or fashionable to undertake such learning.

In my home country the legislation states:

Section 65C of the Education Act states; that every board (school board) shall ensure that all schools it administers are closed on Saturdays, Sundays and on the following days

(named public holidays)

This has not resulted in a 'land of dummies' indeed there are several Nobel Laureates, etc. The average IQ level is 10 + % higher that the average in the Realm.

I think that I am qualified to comment as I have two teenagers attending high school in LoS. One undertakes this special learning the other not (in reality neither need to)

Edited by johnlandy
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Until Thai schools engage native English teachers to teach English, the standard will always be the poorest in Asia.

Until the English language is spoken widely every day across Thai society (as it is in Hong Kong, India, The Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore etc) the standard will always be the poorest in Asia! (but much better that Laos Cambodia, Burma and Vietnam - -hooray hooray! There's hope for Thailand yet!)

R

Not too sure about that. I saw an article somewhere that despite decades of repression English is still quite widely spoken in Burma and at a hgher average level than Thailand. I met a young Burmese migrant worker in Mae Sot who spoke very good English which he had been taught in high school. In Cambodia a lost of teenagers attend classes at NGO schools with native speaker. Their pronunciation is certainly better. Don't know about Vietnam but in Guangzhou China waitresses in many restaurants spoke better English than their counterparts in Thailand. Laos I would agree but it might not even be worse than in Thai Laos (Isaan)....

Edited by asiamaster
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As long as the Thais prefer to save face ( for whatever reson they shouldloose ?) above income.. it will not improve.

Bye-the way: loosing from Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines all with historic ties to the English language..is understandable, but.. to loose from Indonesia..

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Not so long ago, Thailand had plans to put some serious effort on improving the english education all over the country, and to turn english into their official second language.

However, the plans were killed by conservative government fossils. They believed that taking English as its second official language might lead to "misunderstandings that Thailand had been colonized in the past." The minister indicated that countries in the region who have English as their second language were, in fact, all viewed as former colonies.

So yeah, Thailand avoids english because they are afraid to be viewed as a colony (the usual loss of face I guess?)

Read and laugh: http://www.eturbonews.com/19168/english-sign-colonized-country-thailands-minister-education

Idiots. clap2.gif

I wonder how well they compare to the other countries when it comes to speaking Chinese - probably the most important language for Asia in the near future. In a way Thailand was colonised by the Chinese where they were able to blend in with the Thais, assume Thai names, control the business and perhaps even feel they are more Thai than the Thais. I think Malaysia would probably even score better.

As for the grammar and direct translation to "my friend you" - other Asian languages and Chinese dialects have similar sentence structures - so this may not be an excuse..

Edited by asiamaster
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I think expats in Thailand relish this kind of survey result, but of course they aren't interested in looking into it further, much better to sit back and say "I told you so" as if they have some in depth knowledge of the cutlural ins-andouts of language leaning and a detailed knowledge of language teaching - suddenly everyone's an expert?

Singapore - ex- British colony

Malaysia - ex-British colony

Philippines - ex - US colony

Indonesia and Thailand not a lot of difference apart from the fat Idonesia had Dutch and English influences

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"Where you come from?" 'I'm from jail' "Oh, long time?" 'Yes, long, 6 years' "What you do?" 'I am a very terrible child abuser' "Oh, you buy drink for me?" In our company I see resume's, resume's, resume's.......all applicants speak perfect English. Even approved by their 'university'. When it comes to the point, they do not have a clue where one is talking about.

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You mean it needed tests to come to this conclusion?

Several years ago I was in the situation of having to correspond at length with the head of the English department at one of the big Bangkok Universities . . . the lady in charge of teaching the teachers. I was astonished to discover that her written English was probably similar to that of a bright UK/USA/Aus etc 8-or 9-year-old . . . ie, confident but littered with grammatical and structural mistakes.

Will the Thai nation remain smug and offhand when it is suddenly out in the same competitive trading arena as the other ASEAN countries?

And will it keep its back turned with even fiercer pride, and shout even more loudly about how much finer the nation is than its . . . neighbours?

YOOOOOOOOOO BETCHA IT WILL!

R

THis "expert" is basing his comments on the survey on one chance encounter he had - not really the methodology of a expert?

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The problem is nothing to do with white teachers. The majority of Thais are taught by Thai teachers who are afraid to speak english (even if they could), and use Thai 95% of the time. I'm still astounded that the average government school graduate can say barely more than hello, even after 12 years of learning english. There are plenty of excellent speakers of english here, educated in private / international schools / overseas, but they are in the vast minority of all citizens.

This gets to the heart of the problem with Thai teachers passing on the bad English they themselves were taught. I taught for quite a few years including university level and soon stopped being surprised at the stories the students told me of how they had learned, or not learned , in High School.

Most had never really put a sentence or two of spoken English together in class as the teacher couldn't handle it and the students knew it.

I know quite a few people who have a BA in English but from their spoken English you would never believe it.

Another point to keep in mind is that A Thai university first degree (BA, BSc) is roughly of the standard of an International Baccalaureate ie UK equivalent of 'A' Levels. Add this to the general abysmal English teaching mix and draw your own conclusions!

R

Is there a survey to back up that assessment or are you just voicing an opinion snatched out of thin air?

Edited by wilcopops
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I think expats in Thailand relish this kind of survey result, but of course they aren't interested in looking into it further, much better to sit back and say "I told you so" as if they have some in depth knowledge of the cutlural ins-andouts of language leaning and a detailed knowledge of language teaching - suddenly everyone's an expert?

Singapore - ex- British colony

Malaysia - ex-British colony

Philippines - ex - US colony

Indonesia and Thailand not a lot of difference apart from the fat Idonesia had Dutch and English influences

How about Cambodia , Laos and Vietnam? French influence there.

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