Thailand falls in global English Proficiency Index for fourth consecutive year

[djayz]

20 hours ago, webfact said:

The index found that Thai men scored slightly higher than women, with scores of 48.68 and 47.59, respectively, both still some way short of the global averages of 53.03 for men and 53.23 for women.

Strange, from personal experience, both inside and outside the classroom, I would've put money on it being the other way round. 

[mikeymike100]

54 minutes ago, IamNoone88 said:

I expect English speaking countries rank very low in the Thailand language proficiency test. I am ashamed to say that my Thai is still no better than some peoples English.

I am sure,  in fact I am 100% certain that English speaking countries rank very low in the Thailand language proficiency test. However English is the most widely spoken language in the world. Thai is only spoken in Thailand. All international trade is in English as is all international aviation, even signs in airports,  all international pilots must be able to speak English, NOT Chinese and NOT Indian. There is a very good reason for this, I am sure you can figure it out?

 

[overherebc]

13 minutes ago, mikeymike100 said:

If their English language is that bad, as you infer,  how do they pass the entrance exam?

Quite a few Uni's in UK have ( had pre covid )  a quota for fee paying overseas students.

[SomchaiCNX]

1 hour ago, nobodysfriend said:

The Thai elite needs a cheap workforce to ensure their ongoing profits .

This is not something from the last 4 years, this is going on for a couple centuries already.

[nobodysfriend]

3 minutes ago, SomchaiCNX said:

This is not something from the last 4 years, this is going on for a couple centuries already.

You could even say that it always has been like this .

The Elite will not see why they should change this ...

Thai education system for the poor will always be substandard as long as there is no fundamental change in the hierarchy .

[sawadee1947]

20 hours ago, guzzi850m2 said:

Not surprised, they are not really interested outside the tourist areas.

 

They should hire a lot of English teachers, a lot, and somebody that really can speak English and not the English teacher I spoke to in SiSaket many years ago, I didn't understand one word she was saying (Thai) and I felt sorry for her and her students. 

 

Singapore is doing very well in this regard.

 

 

Maybe her body language was much better? Did you try? ????

[ChrisKC]

At the risk of being pedantic an "English Teacher" is a teacher who is English and may teach any subject,

 

So an "English Teacher" who is Thai, I think should be referred to as a "Thai English Teacher" (not to be confused with "Thai/English") or a "Thai Teacher of English"

Edited November 26, 2020 by ChrisKC
typo

[laocowboy2]

20 hours ago, tso310 said:

You get many Thai students coming to UK universities to study but having to spend the first year at a language school. Their proficiency after one year is usually quite impressive.

Because for the first time they have been properly taught English.

[KhunFred]

It's all the fault of those pesky native English speakers. ????  They should be run out of the country.  ????

 

[laocowboy2]

14 minutes ago, overherebc said:

Quite a few Uni's in UK have ( had pre covid )  a quota for fee paying overseas students.

Still have - big time. Overseas students (non-EU) pay at least twice what UK the universities get from UK students. So there is a massive financial incentive to get as many of the high-paying students as possible. Those with English language proficiency issues often come a year early to study at a language school

[Natai Beach]

50 minutes ago, cmarshall said:

  There's a lot of anti-Thai racism here on TV which is quite offensive.

I have noticed it is mostly from the ones who can not speak Thai, both on this forum and in real life. This forum does seem to have a very high number of racists. Funny that they choose to live her while complaining and moaning daily. 

 

I think it mainly because they feel left out, are in a constant state of being confused and frustrated and have a feeling of inferiority that they will never admit to even to themselves.

And the intimidation and paranoia “ they are talking about me” when they are actually talking about guava, potatoes or parsley.
 

It isn’t all people who cant speak Thai, I have met many that get along ok by just being polite and smiling and seem happy.

But nearly all the “thai bashers” I have come across are not able to string a simple sentence together while claiming to be experts on all things thai. Quite an amazing achievement knowing so much without ever having a proper conversation with any Thais, having any Thai mates or even understanding the news. 

[Chiang Mai Bill]

20 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

It all begins with interest of the world outside, which is lacking. The incentive is 0.

I taught English in a rural Thai school. The vast majority of students from 8 to 14 years had absolutely no incentive to learn English. They saw few English-speakers and saw no need ever to converse with them. Their parents were farm or manual workers and gave no encouragement. The few children whose parents owned shops, restaurants, or were police or similar 'prestige' (!) jobs considered themselves superior to the others and swaggered through lessons basting they were too 'big' to learn.

 

A few -- just a few -- were willing. They suffered.

[stigar]

20 hours ago, bodga said:

me know u undersanding, hey you you

I love u to much tomorrow

[ravip]

4 minutes ago, laocowboy2 said:

Still have - big time. Overseas students (non-EU) pay at least twice what UK the universities get from UK students. So there is a massive financial incentive to get as many of the high-paying students as possible. Those with English language proficiency issues often come a year early to study at a language school

They too have two-tier pricing?

[PhilippBKK]

Giving the proximity and increasing importance of China, studying Mandarin will be much more prioritized in the years to come.

I would say the average Thai not involved in the Tourism industry has very little incentive to learn English.

One can lead a happy Thai life without speaking a word of English to the annoyance of native speakers who still take it for granted that they are understood and able to communicate in their mother tongue around the globe. 

[laocowboy2]

Yep. Government caps the fees payable for UK students (with some limited exceptions for more intrinsically  expensive subjects - lots of lab time etc) but not for overseas students.

[natway09]

Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

Long time resident but my Thai is not great

In saying that if the Thais are serious, they need to employ proper English speaking teachers,

not just guys & girls out here on a sabbatical.

I know of 3 teachers, 2 Irish, 1 a scottie, 1 from central Europe ,,,even I have trouble

understanding them  & there is no problem with my English

[ChrisKC]

This is how Thai language sounds with so many words with no endings,  "Why do I give why why to my why" Do you know what it means?

And why do I have to eat "lice" every day?

[George Bowman]

21 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand’s lowely score means that with the exception of Myanmar (93rd), it is outperformed by all of its ASEAN neighbours when it comes to English speaking ability. 

Might I also suggest a bit of spelling thrown in for good measure. This particular package happened to come yesterday from Surin. When I pointed out the spelling mistake to my wife, she retorted that I wasn't thinking and that maybe it was a Thai way of increasing the profit by saving ink. She might have a point...

 

[stigar]

My wife speak english wery well..she highly educated..thaichinese..i speak thai wery well..so we just speak thai to echother...She want me to read and write thai too..wery difficult..even my name is totally difficult to write

[overherebc]

18 minutes ago, PhilippBKK said:

Giving the proximity and increasing importance of China, studying Mandarin will be much more prioritized in the years to come.

I would say the average Thai not involved in the Tourism industry has very little incentive to learn English.

One can lead a happy Thai life without speaking a word of English to the annoyance of native speakers who still take it for granted that they are understood and able to communicate in their mother tongue around the globe. 

How many establishments around the world offer a course in Thai to degree level?

If you did such a course where would it do you any good apart from Thailand?

You could always impress your Thai friends by ordering the whole meal for them in your fluent Thai and probably still be  mis-understood. ????

Re' learning english in Thai schools it cannot be learned by rote. It requires students being allowed to ask questions and in many establishments that is not allowed.

[cjinchiangrai]

I would be happy to help, but it is not permitted with my visa. I could also help with upper level math and science. There are no other falang out in our little village, I could be their only chance.

 

I am sure there are many other falang in similar circumstances.  A lot of education and experience and plenty of time with nothing to do. 

[Bobydog]

No big surprise there, you only have to go into a shopping mall or convenience store and ask a question to find something to come across "No Habla"  from many of the staff. There is a general attitude of "This is my Country, why should I learn English?"  And then there are the 90% who don't want Farang to come back....how is that working out.  What is unemployment and suicide rates up to now.  

[Such a Hairy Guy]

I am surprised at Myanmar ranking. I have been there a few times for extended  periods to the North/South/West and while most people are not fluent by any stretch of the imagination, their school system encourages English teaching. It used to part of the English Dominion and it shows in their culture. I found most Myanmar people are eager to try whatever little English they have on me

[Bobydog]

I have traveled to Philippines many times and there is a higher percentage speaking English by far, down side, they are better story tellers also so take care guys...

[Neeranam]

1 hour ago, overherebc said:

That points in the direction of  I paid from my own hard earned cash so I'll learn as much as I can. When someone else is paying,  what does it matter?

Actually, the Thais often get overtime when learning, so many come but I have the feeling they are often sleeping on their keyboard. 

[TheFreqFlyer]

21 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

It all begins with interest of the world outside, which is lacking. The incentive is 0.

 

Nonsense. Plenty of Thais have an interest in the outside world (most educated Thais do) just that some people suck at foreign languages. A close Thai friend of mine (male) has traveled all over the world with his wife (I'm friends with her too; her college major was English, and though it's not stellar, it's fairly good). His English is OKish but fairly lacklustre. He just isn't good at English and probably never will be. Which is why he always travels with his wife so she can do the talking. 

 

Just like most farang don't seem to be interested enough in things Thai to learn the language. Most farang aren't interested in obtaining citizenship even if they are offered a pathway, despite intending to live here the rest of their lives. So I'd say farang are equally bizzaro in their attitudes as the Thais you claim. 

 

Also, why should a rice farmer, or a laborer learn English when they have zero interaction with foreigners? And when they know they might never go abroad? Or if they do see an opportunity to go abroad, that's when they'll learn the language of the country they are heading to (which is unlikely to be English). 

[TheFreqFlyer]

15 minutes ago, Such a Hairy Guy said:

I am surprised at Myanmar ranking. I have been there a few times for extended  periods to the North/South/West and while most people are not fluent by any stretch of the imagination, their school system encourages English teaching. It used to part of the English Dominion and it shows in their culture. I found most Myanmar people are eager to try whatever little English they have on me

I've also found Thais wanting to try their English on me despite me speaking fluent Thai.

 

It's not surprising that Burmese have such a terrible English proficiency despite once being an English colony. Blame the military junta, which ruled the country from 62 until 2011 when they started to relinquish some control. They destroyed English teaching and basically removed as many vestiges of the former colonial rule, going so far as to switch driving sides back in December 1970.

 

Today, with the exception of a few colonial buildings in Pyin Oo Lwin, Yangon, Mawlamyine, Dawei and such cities, there is little evidence of British rule left. Thailand looks more like a former British colony, with it's left-hand traffic, widespread English signage and preferences for English toast and marmalade for breakfast at every hotel.

 

In rural Myanmar it's rare to see any English signage, and although some hotels and new road signs now have exclusively English signage, this is a recent thing. Educated Burmese tend to speak decent English because their university system is almost entirely in English, but this was not always so. Outside of big cities English proficiency is terrible; I could get by with just English in Nakorn nowhere, Thailand much more than rural Burma. In Northern Myanmar Chinese is much more useful than English, while in much of southern and eastern Myanmar and also parts of Shan state, a knowledge of Thai is likely to get you more places than English. Of course drivers, hotel clerks and others who interact with tourists will have at least a rudimentary knowledge of English, and sometimes this is the only foreign language they know. 

Edited November 26, 2020 by TheFreqFlyer

[Natai Beach]

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

When no real effort is being made to improve the system, improve the proficiency of the teachers, or the methods, nor to use the outside world as any kind of gauge, comparison, or resource, then you fall backwards. On top of that the schools here seem to instill a lack of confidence, a feeling of inferiority on the part of the students, and a continuation of the tribal mentality of obedience, at all costs.

 

 

You complain a lot. And have seemingly daily rants about how the Thais should improve themselves.

According to you.

You are fluent in Thai? Can you repeat your post, but in Thai? 

[overherebc]

7 minutes ago, Natai Beach said:

You complain a lot. And have seemingly daily rants about how the Thais should improve themselves.

According to you.

You are fluent in Thai? Can you repeat your post, but in Thai? 

Perhaps he can but as far as I know it's not allowed, only english on here. ????????