Why are you making us study English at a Thai university? complain students

 

Picture: Daily News

 

A group of Thai university students and parents have complained to a leading Thai university that it is unfair to make them study English to enroll.

 

They have said that they were required to learn up to 550 words in English. If they didn't pass a test they couldn't enroll at the university. 

 

The group complaining at Rajamangala University of Technology Lanna accepted that English was important but it should not be a requirement to study Thai courses. 

 

They called for justice and appealed to be allowed to register for courses without the requirement of passing the English test saying that this was damaging their education and spoiling their chances of joining the job market.

 

The case has rumbled on for years amid claims that the English course is a money-spinner for the university and not part of the established curriculum. 

 

University director Silasiri Sangajit met with the group and promised to look into their grievances. 

 

Source: Daily News

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-12-21

God forbid they should learn some English or learn anything at all

If their primary and secondary schooling has followed the Thai curriculum, they will have been learning English for 12 years. The national examinations (ONET) which they will have sat at the end of primary (P6) and during secondary (M3 and M6) will have included papers in English. Now, entering a degree course at a major technological university, they are complaining at having to take an English Test.

 

Of course, in all probability, they have been given a good grade in all their previous English Exams, (parents paid), never actually turned in any homework or done any work in class with no sanctions (parents too influential) and have now run up against a barrier which they can't bypass.

 

As my chihuahuas are won't to say " it's just not fair"!

Edited December 21, 20187 yr by JAG

8 minutes ago, webfact said:

The group complaining at Rajamangala University of Technology Lanna accepted that English was important but it should not be a requirement to study Thai courses. 

Irrespective of not being interested in conversing in English, all technology uses English words in its vocabulary by default.

My son (in M1) had to ask me about 'LED' 'laser' and 'infra red' and what the words meant, despite learning to use them in a Thai language environment.

24 minutes ago, webfact said:

They called for justice and appealed to be allowed to register for courses without the requirement of passing the English test saying that this was damaging their education and spoiling their chances of joining the job market.

wrong

550 words is <deleted> all. My 3 years old has more than that and she can translate Thai to English for me. It seems that these morons want to remain in their moronic isolation. Obviously no one has asked them what language they speak in Asean,  or the World.

For what it is worth when I attended colleges and university in the US there was a two year foreign language requirement for graduation.
Given that English is, like it or don't, the international lingua franca of business and technology, perhaps the university has the aim of actually teaching the students something, rather than a place holder until they can land a paycheck.
Perhaps the university could broaden the requirement to include a choice, such as adding an option for Mandarin or Japanese, also useful in today's world.
Perhaps I misunderstood, but a "University of Technology" suggests a higher learning institution that specializes in other than " to study Thai courses."
How does a requirement to study certain core subjects become "damaging their education and spoiling their chances of joining the job market."?
Pure laziness, IMO. "We don't want to work, just hand us a paycheck."
My GF, as a manager in a large corporate business with international connections, often complained of exactly this attitude. I do not know if it is a "Thainess" issue, or generational and of international scope, but unless you want to spend your life watching the southern end of a north bound buffalo, get out there and learn something!

32 minutes ago, webfact said:

have complained to a leading Thai university that it is unfair to make them study English to enroll.

if they do not see the value in knowing english then their overall prospects seem sub-optimal

You have to say that if they are incapable of learning 550 words of English that they are too stupid to be going to university anyway. They should go straight into the job market cleaning toilets or sweeping the street, tasks commensurate with their intellect.

Ok make it five words.they will all pass with flying colours anyway.all I can say is it's not what you know but who you know to get ahead in this country.

19 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

Irrespective of not being interested in conversing in English, all technology uses English words in its vocabulary by default.

My son (in M1) had to ask me about 'LED' 'laser' and 'infra red' and what the words meant, despite learning to use them in a Thai language environment.

 neighbourly Bahasa and Tagalog cop similar downfalls in their languages alike...each not being a 'technical' language

 - but at least in their cases, there is no total pigheadedness getting in the way of logic - they found that to adopt is almost as easy as adapt.  Frigidaire comes to mind, to represent a refrigerator... and there are big lists respectively

 

 

would have been really funny to instead see them have to bend over and learn French -  the real reason why thai's apply their loathing to anything 'farangse'. History could easily have gone that way...

1 hour ago, KiChakayan said:

550 words is <deleted> all. My 3 years old has more than that and she can translate Thai to English for me. It seems that these morons want to remain in their moronic isolation. Obviously no one has asked them what language they speak in Asean,  or the World.

A small hint of irony here, but then again Thai was not part of the curricula for us. ????
I am struggling to increase my vocabulary of perhaps 100 Thai words, with a 64+ year old damaged brain (stroke). These kids are complaining about learning 550 words of English? Shoot, could probably pick that much up from the television.
If you want to be a commercial pilot, for example, you must know English.
This degree of laziness really does make me nuts.
Seven years of Latin and four of French up through Secondary level. No, I cannot use them with ease now, but found out last March that, put me in France, within a couple of days I am asking directions, ordering food, etc.
And I was not an especially good student. ????

They may not win the case but they should at least get a medal of honor from the government.

Other Asian nations are pleased Thais so lazy. As ive been told many times by young Singaporeans, that keeps em out of Word Trade.They piss about learning Chinese, when too young Chinese speaking English is a Status Symbol. Meet a Chin Student here and they never stop practising English with you, meet a a Thai and Sit Down Please is their Forte.

They just don't get it,but then again the powers that be,are

sure Thai,will what the whole World will be speaking in the future.

regards worgeordie

38 minutes ago, Bill Miller said:

A small hint of irony here, but then again Thai was not part of the curricula for us. ????
I am struggling to increase my vocabulary of perhaps 100 Thai words, with a 64+ year old damaged brain (stroke). These kids are complaining about learning 550 words of English? Shoot, could probably pick that much up from the television.
If you want to be a commercial pilot, for example, you must know English.
This degree of laziness really does make me nuts.
Seven years of Latin and four of French up through Secondary level. No, I cannot use them with ease now, but found out last March that, put me in France, within a couple of days I am asking directions, ordering food, etc.
And I was not an especially good student. ????

Ok, but I think your post misses the point: English is the de facto medium of communication on our planet. I reckon it should be taught as "World language", and should be considered as important as Maths and Mother tongue.

And please don't say I am imperialistic, my Mother tongue was German and I was educated in French.

Edited December 21, 20187 yr by KiChakayan

I am seeing some farang in here complaining about the student laziness to learn 550 words, but I ask them, "Do you know that many Thail words?"  If one lives in a country, that is pretty minimal also.  "When one lives in a glass house, one should not throw stones."  I hear that too often "speaks little English" from farang who can say little more than "sawat di krap".  I think we ALL  need to focus more on learning languages and less time complaining about others' learning of languages.

40 minutes ago, happy chappie said:

Ok make it five words.they will all pass with flying colours anyway.all I can say is it's not what you know but who you know to get ahead in this country.

Would that be 'any five words'? Or could it be cat, mat, hat, sat and bat.

 

Even 500 words could be easy, but what would be the use? These Thais just don't get it.

 

 

Edited December 21, 20187 yr by owl sees all

30 minutes ago, mikebell said:

Why bother learning anything?  I still haven't found a use for Quadratic Equations.

I have heard that most of my life.
I have had several jobs where I was doing the work and had the sudden realization, "Hey! That's algebra!"
Building a cabin on my retirement property: calculating roof pitch, estimating quantities of materials, many calculations familiar to carpenters.... all algebra or trigonometry.

1 hour ago, KiChakayan said:

550 words is <deleted> all. My 3 years old has more than that and she can translate Thai to English for me. It seems that these morons want to remain in their moronic isolation. Obviously no one has asked them what language they speak in Asean,  or the World.

Their knowledge of anything outside of Thailand is limited to what they 'learn' at school:

Geography teaches them only the countries immediately bordering Thailand.

History teaches them battles with their neighbours and how bad they were (and therefore, still are).

With an inward-looking attitude like this, plus a culture that dissuades them from asking questions and any critical thinking, it's no wonder they have no interest in broadening their horizons - despite the irony that it's a technical college.

40 minutes ago, happy chappie said:

Ok make it five words.they will all pass with flying colours anyway.all I can say is it's not what you know but who you know to get ahead in this country.

They have the five words already......Hellooo, yes, no, iPhone, Honda Wabe.

The test is a good way to gauge whether they have paid attention for their prior 12+ years, whether they should waste their money on courses they will simply work to pass, without actually learning anything.

20 minutes ago, KiChakayan said:

Ok, but I think your post misses the point: English is the de facto medium of communication on our planet. I reckon it should be taught as "World language", and should be considered as important as Maths and Mother tongue.

And please don't say I am imperialistic, my Mother tongue was German and I was educated in French.

How is "If you want to be a commercial pilot, for example, you must know English ..." missing the point?

12 minutes ago, Bill Miller said:

I have heard that most of my life.
I have had several jobs where I was doing the work and had the sudden realization, "Hey! That's algebra!"
Building a cabin on my retirement property: calculating roof pitch, estimating quantities of materials, many calculations familiar to carpenters.... all algebra or trigonometry.

Fortunately you just put the figures into an app these days!

Could be worse .. I had to learn Welsh at school and I can tell you its just as well that ain't the Lingua Franca .. Boyo .. 

1 minute ago, wgdanson said:

Fortunately you just put the figures into an app these days!

Lol!
Reminds me of the debates about calculators, which were just becoming generally available when I was a college student.
The apps save some of the tedious chore of calculating, but still a good idea to know what is happening, and how the results are arrived at in case some adjustments are needed.

 

3 minutes ago, Justgrazing said:

Could be worse .. I had to learn Welsh at school and I can tell you its just as well that ain't the Lingua Franca .. Boyo .. 

AHH now we know why your avatar is a picture of a sheep grazing,????

14 minutes ago, James Powell said:

I am seeing some farang in here complaining about the student laziness to learn 550 words, but I ask them, "Do you know that many Thail words?"  If one lives in a country, that is pretty minimal also.  "When one lives in a glass house, one should not throw stones."  I hear that too often "speaks little English" from farang who can say little more than "sawat di krap".  I think we ALL  need to focus more on learning languages and less time complaining about others' learning of languages.

Some logic in that, but after 30 years here my Thais conversational, but findings a Thai you can have a conversation with is Limited. Main prob being the interesting ones, want to speak English with you, not Thai. Best evidence of a bright Thai is when they revert from Thai Language in the Computer  world saying Thai dont translate good, too difficult.!. Allways makes me chuckle.

4 minutes ago, Bill Miller said:

How is "If you want to be a commercial pilot, for example, you must know English ..." missing the point?

It does, in that you restrict the requirement to one profession. What we need is a language that enables all humans to communicate and exchange with each other. 

But no worries mate, if we disagree.

And is this the beginning of the end for Thailand's world domination ( self awarded ) of Scrabble ..