Thai is a useless language. Just switch it all to English. Overnight at new year is good.

A Thai who can speak English will never get layed off !!!!!    The last one to GO...Simple, and the first one hired.......

16 minutes ago, SheungWan said:

Not so fast Batman! According to the figures issued by Ofqual, 681,000 took English Language assessment. Now I regard a pass as grades 1-4 (equivalent to the old A-C) If we total grades 5 down to 9 and throw in U just for good measure, this totals ~ 310,000. That is 310,000/681,000 = ~45%. So, ~55% of students who achieved a decent pass. That's a good result?

 

Oh, I see, you misundertstood the new grading system, 9 is the highest not the lowest, 9-4 is equivalent to the old A* to C.

I would not underestimate this !!! Its looks like these 550 words

in English for Thais could be a reason for riots ????

Let them fail

A leading Thai University? What a scary thought.....

An ability to read , write and speak English will greatly enhance their job prospects . 

29 minutes ago, klauskunkel said:

You can express technical concepts very well in Thai, if you are a poet.

For example: Train - Rot (vehicle) Fai (light) Fah (blue), with Fai Fah (blue light) also meaning Electricity

Thus, Rot Fai Fah, the train, is "electric vehicle"

nevermind that the same term is also used for diesel trains... 

 

Yes, just like how we use the term bulldozer without minding that the term is also used for diesel dozers and not only the bull powered variety, nothing unusual there.

Maybe these students want a degree just by enrollment into university, and this is what the more upscale and educated people expect, unbelievable 

6 hours ago, Wallander4 said:

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

Wonder how many expats living in Thailand know 550 words of Thai... 

1 hour ago, SheungWan said:

Not so fast Batman! According to the figures issued by Ofqual, 681,000 took English Language assessment. Now I regard a pass as grades 1-4 (equivalent to the old A-C) If we total grades 5 down to 9 and throw in U just for good measure, this totals ~ 310,000. That is 310,000/681,000 = ~45%. So, ~55% of students who achieved a decent pass. That's a good result?

https://analytics.ofqual.gov.uk/apps/2018/GCSE/9to1/

 

22 minutes ago, Kieran00001 said:

 

Oh, I see, you misundertstood the new grading system, 9 is the highest not the lowest, 9-4 is equivalent to the old A* to C.

Oops! You are correct! ????.  Now if I can do it better a second time...... 

Now I add 167745+61540+22195+7520 = 259,000 (1-3+U) = 259,000/681385 = 38% fail, 62% pass. Yes? (Maybe U grades are excluded from your fail figures?)

Edited December 21, 20187 yr by SheungWan

Knowledge of English = money.  If you want to be a Tuk Tuk driver for the rest of your life then you don't need to learn English.  Of course if you want to do business and live a middle class or better life then you'll need the international language of business which is English.  If you learn Chinese you can do business with China.  If you learn Russian you can do business in Russia.  If you learn English you can do business ... *anywhere* as its become the defacto Esperanto like it or not.  Yes you can benefit from learning Chinese, Japanese, Hindi, Russian, German, French, Arabic and Spanish (especially Spanish) but if you don't have the brain power and time to learn all those you can learn English and do business most anywhere.  Or you can work at 7-11 and speak only Thai and then argue that your superior to all those people driving better cars and living in nicer houses.  Must be that the Buddha doesn't like you not that you're lazy.

Edited December 21, 20187 yr by remorhaz
grammar edit

11 minutes ago, Docno said:

Wonder how many expats living in Thailand know 550 words of Thai... 

Geez I only know 549 words. By your standard I have failed. By the way, why 550? 

10 minutes ago, remorhaz said:

Knowledge of English = money.  If you want to be a Tuk Tuk driver for the rest of your life then you don't need to learn English.  Of course if you want to do business and live a middle class or better life then you'll need the international language of business which is English.  If you learn Chinese you can do business with China.  If you learn Russian you can do business in Russia.  If you learn English you can do business ... *anywhere* as its become the defacto Esperanto like it or not.  Yes you can benefit from learning Chinese, Japanese, Hindi, Russian, German, French, Arabic and Spanish (especially Spanish) but if you don't have the brain power and time to learn all those you can learn English and do business most anywhere.  Or you can work at 7-11 and speak only Thai and then argue that your superior to all those people driving better cars and living in nicer houses.  Must be that the Buddha doesn't like you not that your lazy.

There number one ambition in life,   is to open a noodle shop.

education is just a waste of good face book or eating time.

TIT.

 

10 minutes ago, SheungWan said:

 

Oops! You are correct! ????.  Now if I can do it better a second time...... 

Now I add 167745+61540+22195+7520 = 259,000 (1-3+U) = 259,000/681385 = 38% fail, 62% pass. Yes? (Maybe U grades are excluded from your fail figures?)

 

I think that the discrepency is that the figures we are looking at here from Ofqual are of all GCSE entrances comined, which includes the post-16 sector, whereas the 66.2% is just of those sitting them within a compulsorary education setting.  Regardless, a majority do achieve a decent grade in English.

 

I don’t think they should be made to learn English if they don’t want to, but their exam results should not be altered when they don’t pass because the system says they are not allowed to fail. If they are good enough to pass legitimately with English, I say no problem

2 hours ago, SheungWan said:

Interesting to compare with the UK where the majority of school leavers cannot even achieve a decent grade in their own language, never mind a foreign one. PS I wonder how many British bar-goers on Soi Buakhaow have a good grade in English Language GCSE? 

Another sad and tired Thai deflectionist.

 

Please note-not apologist as that is old hat.

 

So they can't come up with 550 words in English...?

 

I was having a chat with a young miss the other day who-at seven years of age-speaks English,Swedish from her mother and is learning Spanish from her friend at school.

 

Perhaps if the the Thai deflectionists would put 1/10th amount of their energies into actually reforming 16th century Thailand and at least assist in dragging their nation (albeit kicking and screaming)into the 17th century then thinks might improve a little.

 

Other than that-it is just excuse after excuse.

General terms for these type of students is, snowflakes.

6 hours ago, Bill Miller said:

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!

I read an article here a couple of years ago that stated that many of the young Thai people here with degrees including a Masters Degree had trouble obtaining employment with multi national companies.

The only reason was their lack of English skills.

1 minute ago, StevieAus said:

I read an article here a couple of years ago that stated that many of the young Thai people here with degrees including a Masters Degree had trouble obtaining employment with multi national companies.

The only reason was their lack of English skills.

Yes. That was why my partner took English at a language school. It apparently helped her become assistant manager at one of the largest retail stores in Thailand. 
I never have asked her about English studies in school. I will when she gets here today, as a matter of interest. 

1 hour ago, klauskunkel said:

You can express technical concepts very well in Thai, if you are a poet.

For example: Train - Rot (vehicle) Fai (light) Fah (blue), with Fai Fah (blue light) also meaning Electricity

Thus, Rot Fai Fah, the train, is "electric vehicle"

nevermind that the same term is also used for diesel trains... 

If I may put my pedantic train spotting head on for a minute: the vast majority of diesel locomotives use a diesel motor to drive a generator to supply electricity to traction motors which power the driving wheels. So they are technically electric trains...

 

Now, did anyone get the number of the loco hauling the 1345 from Bang Su Junction?

 

????

A few decades ago, or rather many decades ago some people dreamed by creating the Esperanto language, the world in their dream would not be a Babel tower anymore. Nowadays and partly due to the internet, the English language became itself the today's Esperanto, so every single study on any subject is published in the mother tongue of the country and also not to say always translate in English, so these studies can reach everyone in the world, Engish is not my mother tongue, but only by doing research in English on any scientific or techniques or medical topic could give hundreds of thousands of answers on the net. Impossible in any other languages. The Russian, Asian, Arab languages each indecipherable by any stranger publish automatically once more in English if they want to be found by more people, not knowing it comes from the deepest ignorance possible, so much so it is even hard to believe!

But mom its too hard. 

Back last year I asked a young lady cashier, who spoke remarkably good English, why she was working in  7/11. She explained that although she had tried really hard to learn English (and succeeded) her parents were "simple people", and that all the jobs went to people who were better connected, despite her speaking better English.

 

I find that rather sad, for her, for many like her, and for the future of the country.

 

No doubt the well connected protestors will get their way...

Edited December 21, 20187 yr by JAG

7 hours ago, webfact said:

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

Next up: "Why don't New York and London bankers speak fluent Thai so we can understand them?  For some reason, I can't get a job in either the New York or London financial districts.  I think they are racists!" 

25 minutes ago, StevieAus said:

I read an article here a couple of years ago that stated that many of the young Thai people here with degrees including a Masters Degree had trouble obtaining employment with multi national companies.

The only reason was their lack of English skills.

There is a similar problem in the West, I kid you not.

45 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said:

Another sad and tired Thai deflectionist.

Please note-not apologist as that is old hat.

So they can't come up with 550 words in English...?

I was having a chat with a young miss the other day who-at seven years of age-speaks English,Swedish from her mother and is learning Spanish from her friend at school.

Perhaps if the the Thai deflectionists would put 1/10th amount of their energies into actually reforming 16th century Thailand and at least assist in dragging their nation (albeit kicking and screaming)into the 17th century then thinks might improve a little.

Other than that-it is just excuse after excuse.

Having other languages spoken at home is clearly an advantage.

These comments by them just about epitomizes the problem of Thai education.

I most other SEA countries they grab the opportunity with both hands.

What is the bet that parents are very wealthy & these kids are just spoilt brats

This is NOT a leading Thai university. That said, it is a university of technology. In order to be able to study technology at an advanced level, one would have to be able to read academic reports/publications in English. Sure, some may be translated and some may be mentioned in books written in Thai.

 

The fact that the students and their parents are complaining tells you a lot about the type of people who are applying for this university. The fact that the university is listening to their complaints tells you a lot about the university. In other words, it needs the income and cannot stand on its own reputation and demand a high standard of candidate.

     I realise it may seem to be unfair to have to have an understanding of th English language, but if these people are university students, then they really should have the sense to realise that if they really want a good job then English is a must, so many occupations, pilots (sea or air), science, medicine, technology, IT, and many many more with international connections.

     It may not be easy, but they had the chance to start learning at an early age, whilst I would love to learn Thai, but now to old, and of poor hearing.