Thailand’s English proficiency is getting worse: study

[marcusarelus]

11 minutes ago, zzaa09 said:

Much more common than many will consider....

Most everyone I know [Thais] - from everyday farmers to professors - comprehend at least 2-4 languages. 

The segregated regional dialects and languages are numerous throughout the land have been commonplace for ages - quite reflective of the wide variety of linguistic forms that are understood. 

 

On top of that, there are still the "archaic" languages that are still relevant today. Examples - old Sukhothai and old Lanna just to name a couple. 

Traditional hill tribe languages have integrated easily, etc....

 

Within any provincial setting, one will find particular marketplace and moobaan dialects that conform to whatever is understood locally.

It goes on and on....

Isaan Lao has a number of distinct regional dialects, not always understood by the neighbor province.

Surin Province and southern Buriram/Sisaket speak a Khmer/Thai hybrid - Phasa Surin.

Quite astounding as to the broad variety of language/dialects that are understood here.

It was a long time ago that I first realized women were switching languages on me when they knew I spoke Thai.  As I became more familiar with the culture I realized old folks were mixing 4 languages and only the family understood.  My current mother in law speaks, Thai, Lao, Khmer and Suoy.  Mom is typical.  Born during WWII not much education but has the ability to speak 4 languages and all at the same time.  Of course only relatives understand her.  Thais don't speak English because they don't see a need.  Thais can change quickly and establish a need and English will be spoken.  No one has convinced them of the need. 

[pastprime]

7 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

Are you arguing or flaming as per usual?  Did you find anything I wrote false?  What? 

Being 80 years old,...he had his birthday last Friday,  he is 84 years old

[marcusarelus]

2 minutes ago, balo said:

8 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

Are you arguing or flaming as per usual?  Did you find anything I wrote false?  What? 

I can't prove anything, this is an anonymous forum. But no , I don't believe your'e 80 ++ years old.

I never said I was 80 years old.  You are making stuff up as per usual and not quoting or linking anything. 

[balo]

I never said I was 80 years old.  You are making stuff up as per usual and not quoting or linking anything. 

Yes you said you were more than 80 years old, if you did not delete that post in another thread I can always try to find it.

[marcusarelus]

2 minutes ago, balo said:

7 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

I never said I was 80 years old.  You are making stuff up as per usual and not quoting or linking anything. 

Yes you said you were more than 80 years old, if you did not delete that post in another thread I can always try to find it.

Never did you are making up another false statement.  Do you want me to list all of my posts?  Never said I was 80.  If I did link or post it.  Doesn't exist because I never wrote it.  

Edited November 5, 2018 by marcusarelus

[balo]

And why would I do that ? I will look for that thread.

[marcusarelus]

3 minutes ago, balo said:

And why would I do that ? I will look for that thread.

Will you come back and apologize when you find you were wrong?

[DrTuner]

Who needs English when the Masters speak Mandarin?

[marcusarelus]

1 minute ago, DrTuner said:

Who needs English when the Masters speak Mandarin?

I have a few dealings with Chinese and Thai engineers and they tend to communicate in English. 

[zzaa09]

10 minutes ago, DrTuner said:

Who needs English when the Masters speak Mandarin?

More so Cantonese...

[madusa]

The Thais have my sympathy for not being able to speak good English. I am speaking from experience. My interest is learning foreign language.

It took me a long long time to master one foreign language. I manage to study 2 foreign languages and my level is somewhere near the advance level. In other word I could hold a conversation and discuss up to a certain level in many subjects.

Even to reach simple conversational level will take quite a lot of effort. Why would you think the Thais willingly do it?  Are there any financial reward? By that I mean immediate financial reward. It's no good telling the Thais you learn English and in 5 to 6 years time you get a good job . Well 5 to 6 years is something the Thais hardly ever contemplate in their lives. They hardly look so far into the future in their carefree life-style. I may be wrong but that how it seems to me.

The method of teaching English is totally wrong both in national schools and language schools.

I will only talk on part of the mistakes on teaching English because it will take too long to go into details.

Thai children should start learning English from kindergarten or from year one in primary school (best if it starts from Kindergarten). No books to read or words to write. Native speakers of English (compulsory must be native speakers) will talk to the kids and you will be surprised how fast the kids pick up. Sufficient hours of listening and listening. Listening is the most important. No reading or writing for the 1st and 2nd year. Story telling and watching movies (cartons or other movies).  Kids start to learn Alphabet end of 2nd year and written words 3rd year.

All these national schools and language schools fail because of trying to memorize the grammar and do too much reading and writing instead of listening and trying to comprehend the spoken language. Grammar will be study much later and a special method of teaching grammar so that students want to study it instead of finding it boring and difficult.

 

[balo]

28 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

Will you come back and apologize when you find you were wrong?

Sure , I even think I quoted you on that so when I have time I will look for it. 

[madusa]

On 11/3/2018 at 12:49 PM, thequietman said:

As ridiculous as that may sound ............... you are most likely correct.

 

On 11/3/2018 at 12:59 PM, thequietman said:

I was promised a 5% salary increase year on year. This year reduced to 4% due to a new accountant. We are talking a very small amount in the overall scheme of things but to say it was massively demotivating is an understatement.

 

There is however, money for jaunts, nonsense posters that are grammatically incorrect and any other crap that is for show.

Motivating the NES is low on their list of priorities as the white devil needs to be undermined at all times. 

 

It is truly hilarious watching their little faces every year, as they look confused as to why another foreigner has quit ..... and so on and on it goes, with nothing being learned.

 

On 11/3/2018 at 12:48 PM, thequietman said:

Creating English curriculum without asking the NES right there in their schools, is typical of Thai department heads here. The attitude of 'I can't lose face' means that they would rather get it wrong than ask for help from someone that speaks the language. It is purely a box ticking exercise here and everything and I mean everything, is all show and absolutely no substance.

 

In my Uni, there are incorrectly displayed documents and posters in incorrect English all over the place. When you mention it, you are seen as a trouble maker! Wow!

 

When they ask me is everything OK, I just tell them 'Yes.' That's all they want to hear and to say anything else, is as I said before, creating trouble for yourself.

 

It is all a shambles.

Many many years ago I read in a British Journal that the standard of English Language in schools in Britain was deteriorating. School kids didn't know how to write sentences without grammatical mistakes.

I am not surprised at all the Thais wrote bad English after all it is not their language is it?

In their culture it is not good to point out to someone that he has made a mistake. So the Thais will continue to fail all the more. Am I right?

"Like a man who fails and because he drinks, he fails all the more".

 

[balo]

1 hour ago, marcusarelus said:

Never said I was 80. 

I was so close .  

 

"I'm almost 80 and I don't have any problems getting to a forest monastery.  I go because they have really good lunches.  If you lived in Thailand and were clued in you would know things like this.  They are really easy to get to.  Does the monk below look like a spring chicken capable of climbing mountains?" 

 

topic/1059082-why-are-thai-people-so-against-thinking/?page=13

 

Very entertaining thread btw , you make us smile so that's a good thing. 

 

Edited November 5, 2018 by balo

[madusa]

On 11/3/2018 at 2:08 PM, PatOngo said:

Very sad when bar girls are more proficient in English than local English teachers. Maybe Thai English teachers should spend more time in bars to improve their English!

I am not surprised bar girls are more proficient in English because they spend a lot more time listening and talking to farang than the English teachers. I bet the English teachers hardly if ever have any real conversations with farangs.

[madusa]

By the time Thais can speak English all farangs will be dead. Because in ancient Persia(present day Iran) there was a king who was bored so he said to one of his minister , "Can you teach this donkey to speak Persian?" The clever minister said "yes I can but your lordship as you know donkeys are not clever animal so it will take me at least 30 years to teach it to speak Persian". The king said, "Ok I give you 30 years but if you fail I will chop off your head". The minister took the donkey home and his wife was shocked, she said "How could you accept such a challenge?". The Minister said to his wife, "Don't worry in 30 years either I will die or the donkey will die or the king will die".

[DrTuner]

Persian donkeys eh? Well it's advanced a bit since then, language courses, especially English, are freely available in internet. I seem to remember it takes around 10000 hours to master something. A matter of diligence and grit.

 

That said I did something like 1500h of Thai and stopped when I started understanding what was spoken. Maybe Thais do the same once they acquire the capability to read TVF. Mai sanook.

[ChakaKhan]

19 hours ago, Odysseus123 said:

Bwahaha...

 

.. another flighty TVF relationship bites the dust.????

 

 

 

 

So it seems, and I'm broken hearted--we were the bestest of buddies....I go sleep now and gin khao....

[AYJAYDEE]

6 hours ago, Fex Bluse said:

I've met so many westerners who think Thais, on the whole, are just great until they later end up fired, swindled, assaulted or worse. 

 

Thais (and other Asians) RELY on our western gullibility to trust anyone with a nice looking smile. What many of us don't realize is that most of the smiling locals we encounter are not what they seem. 

 

Why is it so hard to accept? Many of the same guys who accept certain generalities about other groups are unwilling to accept generalities about Thais. Is it because Thais are so cute? Probably 

wouldn't know. group generalization is a stupid pastime

[AYJAYDEE]

1 hour ago, balo said:

I was so close .  

 

"I'm almost 80 and I don't have any problems getting to a forest monastery.  I go because they have really good lunches.  If you lived in Thailand and were clued in you would know things like this.  They are really easy to get to.  Does the monk below look like a spring chicken capable of climbing mountains?" 

 

topic/1059082-why-are-thai-people-so-against-thinking/?page=13

 

Very entertaining thread btw , you make us smile so that's a good thing. 

 

no apology?

 

[balo]

14 minutes ago, AYJAYDEE said:

no apology?

I'm almost 90 but I feel like I'm 55. 

 

[pastprime]

8 hours ago, AYJAYDEE said:

no apology?

 

   Of course there is,on behalf of TVF,The Nation newspaper,all posters,peeps and what else,inc Balo,who I am assured gives his heartfelt apology to you. I can confirm he is most apologetic..I am sorry     PS Thought you were 83

[cat handler]

On 11/5/2018 at 11:52 AM, JAG said:

Didn't get hired this semester then?

Why would i tske a $180,000 pay cut and work there

[KhunShay99]

On 11/3/2018 at 8:39 PM, owl sees all said:

Untapped resources just waiting to help.

Very true.

[KhunShay99]

13 hours ago, balo said:

I'm almost 90 but I feel like I'm 55. 

 

awesome

[Artisi]

16 hours ago, madusa said:

The Thais have my sympathy for not being able to speak good English. I am speaking from experience. My interest is learning foreign language.

It took me a long long time to master one foreign language. I manage to study 2 foreign languages and my level is somewhere near the advance level. In other word I could hold a conversation and discuss up to a certain level in many subjects.

Even to reach simple conversational level will take quite a lot of effort. Why would you think the Thais willingly do it?  Are there any financial reward? By that I mean immediate financial reward. It's no good telling the Thais you learn English and in 5 to 6 years time you get a good job . Well 5 to 6 years is something the Thais hardly ever contemplate in their lives. They hardly look so far into the future in their carefree life-style. I may be wrong but that how it seems to me.

The method of teaching English is totally wrong both in national schools and language schools.

I will only talk on part of the mistakes on teaching English because it will take too long to go into details.

Thai children should start learning English from kindergarten or from year one in primary school (best if it starts from Kindergarten). No books to read or words to write. Native speakers of English (compulsory must be native speakers) will talk to the kids and you will be surprised how fast the kids pick up. Sufficient hours of listening and listening. Listening is the most important. No reading or writing for the 1st and 2nd year. Story telling and watching movies (cartons or other movies).  Kids start to learn Alphabet end of 2nd year and written words 3rd year.

All these national schools and language schools fail because of trying to memorize the grammar and do too much reading and writing instead of listening and trying to comprehend the spoken language. Grammar will be study much later and a special method of teaching grammar so that students want to study it instead of finding it boring and difficult.

 

Of course the system of teaching in Thailand is a massive failure, the secret is in listening and speaking, maybe - just maybe this is why kids 12 + months old can understand and start to speak without the so called "experts" trying to cram grammar rules, writing and reading down their necks.

Further, I wouldn't say that the early introduction of simple reading is a drawn-back as some kids accept it and can handle it, if they can - good , if not, the world won't end. 

[Artisi]

3 hours ago, cat handler said:

Why would i tske a $180,000 pay cut and work there

so you can use your expertise to sort out the language teaching problems ???? 

[JAG]

1 hour ago, Artisi said:

so you can use your expertise to sort out the language teaching problems ???? 

Starting with the use of the capital "I" in the first person singular pronoun...

 

Got to be worth USD 180,000 wouldn't you say?

[Artisi]

14 minutes ago, JAG said:

Starting with the use of the capital "I" in the first person singular pronoun...

 

Got to be worth USD 180,000 wouldn't you say?

And "tske", maybe better if he doesn't join the ranks of the unqualified, useless teachers ????

[marcusarelus]

17 hours ago, AYJAYDEE said:

no apology?

 

I don't expect one.  I think he may have run into some problems at the 7/11.