Thailand’s English proficiency plummets: Survey

[webfact]

File photo for reference only

 

Thailand’s English proficiency is among the worst in ASEAN, according to a new study.

 

The annual English Proficiency Index released earlier this month by international language education company, EF Education First, ranked Thailand in just 100th place, out of 112 countries included in the index.

 

The index, which is based on the results of English tests taken among 2.0 million adults in 112 countries, saw Thailand score a total of 419 out of 800, giving it a ranking of ‘very low proficiency’.

 

Thailand’s score shows a declining trend in English proficiency in the country. Laos and Brunei were not included in the index. 

 

In 2019, Thailand ranked in 74th place but dropped to 89th place in 2020.

 

Elsewhere in ASEAN, Singapore scored highest on the index, ranking in 4th place overall, followed by Philippines (18th) and Malaysia (28th), which gave them a proficiency score of ‘very high’ and ‘high’, respectively. 

 

 

Vietnam and Indonesia ranked in 66th and 80th places respectively, giving them a proficiency score of ‘low’, while Myanmar and Cambodia ranked in 93rd and 97th place, giving them a proficiency score of ‘very low’.

 

Thailand's 100th place ranking was the lowest out of the ASEAN countries which were included in the index.

 

Overall, the Netherlands was ranked as the number one country for English proficiency in 2021.

 

The majority of other countries to make the top were European, with the exception of Singapore. 

 

Top 10 countries by English Proficiency

 

1. Netherlands

2. Austria

3. Denmark

4. Singapore

5. Norway

6. Belgium

7. Portugal

8. Sweden

9. Finland

10. Croatia

 

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[Sir Dude]

They weren't doing very well 10 years ago and since then, they have done their level best to get rid of as many foreigners as possible... including teachers.

Edited November 27, 2021 by Sir Dude

[Thailand]

Perhaps they should learn American? ????

[Gold Star]

Often entertaining...

[anchadian]

24 minutes ago, Thailand said:

Perhaps they should learn American? ????

Then they would be confused.

[Tropicalevo]

"Thailand’s English proficiency plummets"

 

However, Thailand's proficiency in Mandarin is improving.

[Misterwhisper]

I have absolutely no clue how that survey could possibly have ranked Thailand so low....

 

 

 

Edited November 27, 2021 by Misterwhisper

[outsider]

Why is this even news.

[Mango Bob]

Maybe we English speaking countries who live in Thailand should try speaking some Thai.  I bet we are worst then the Thais.

[scorecard]

I wonder what was tested:

 

- Reading proficiency?

- Reading and comprehension proficiency?

- Grammar (alone)?

- Conversation skills?

 

Or?

 

 

[overherebc]

11 minutes ago, Mango Bob said:

Maybe we English speaking countries who live in Thailand should try speaking some Thai.  I bet we are worst then the Thais.

Not many of the expats here speak latin either.

English, whether you like it or not, is useful all over the world. Thai is useful in one country only, 

[jacko45k]

I see UK is not in the top 10.

[Denim]

1 hour ago, Gold Star said:

Often entertaining...

It's the one behind you you really want to worry about .

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

Where to begin. The low wages for foreign teachers. The low requirements for foreign teachers. Better qualified teachers that wouldn't be attracted by the low wages anyway. The ridiculous visa and paperwork process in getting hired. Then the paperwork that comes in the schools themselves. Ridiculous lesson plans and reports which must be stacked into neat, fat binders, despite having little to do with the education itself. Oh, if only that effort in generating paperwork could actually be devoted to teaching.

 

While the papers may say this and that is being done, students are allowed run amok in the classrooms, taking selfies, playing games, quite often awhile the teachers are away at meetings or sitting in the office, or classes are canceled due to activities. No discipline, no accountability. Copying and cheating. Passing scores which must be given regardless if they do nothing.

 

So there are a few good, devoted teachers and their rare, motivated students, who usually make up less than 20% of a class. They're given the boot out of Thailand after a maximum of 6 years teaching, or less if they've switched schools more often, due to the flawed teaching license waiver system from the Teacher's Council. (Though I heard a new passport might get around this. ????)

 

Then as usual, they'll try sticking it on the farangs, ignoring how much their system's at fault, and that the majority of English teachers in Thailand happen to be Thai.

[scorecard]

22 minutes ago, scorecard said:

I wonder what was tested:

 

- Reading proficiency?

- Reading and comprehension proficiency?

- Grammar (alone)?

- Writing (construction)

- Conversation skills?

 

Or?

 

 

 

[EVENKEEL]

I wouldn't have it any other way. Put's the kids with good English skills ahead of the heap.

[daveAustin]

41 minutes ago, Mango Bob said:

Maybe we English speaking countries who live in Thailand should try speaking some Thai.  I bet we are worst then the Thais.

Agreed, but that’s for a different topic. This is about English within the ASEAN region. No need to get all defensive like. ????

[ikke1959]

Thailand is the center of the world and when Mr Prayuth came in power he said that Thai was a world language... I have explained so many times that students should learn English because it used everywhere and on the internet, but the only response I get is speak Thai is better.....Refusing to participate in the lessons and never try to say a word English. 
I noticed that in the 15 years I am teaching English went downhill in speedtime...But I retire after this semester because the unwillingness of the students. Results are visible.. and than you have to watch DLTV when the Thai teachers teach English..... than you know no wonder...... 

[Longwood50]

I wonder where the USA would rank?  Some areas of the USA if you don't speak Spanish like Miami, you can't function.  I lived in Houston for a period of time and some areas of the city if you did not speak Spanish you could not communicate with anyone. 

That is saying nothing of the Ebonics that takes a special degree of understanding.  And for anyone who has ever traveled to Louisiana that Cajun dialect may be something but English it is not.  

[Longwood50]

35 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

I see UK is not in the top 10.

I think they speak the Quarkonic dialect of English.  Similar to Cockney but with a Middle Eastern accent. 

[overherebc]

5 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

Thailand is the center of the world and when Mr Prayuth came in power he said that Thai was a world language... I have explained so many times that students should learn English because it used everywhere and on the internet, but the only response I get is speak Thai is better.....Refusing to participate in the lessons and never try to say a word English. 
I noticed that in the 15 years I am teaching English went downhill in speedtime...But I retire after this semester because the unwillingness of the students. Results are visible.. and than you have to watch DLTV when the Thai teachers teach English..... than you know no wonder...... 

Excellent post.

[Airalee]

2 hours ago, Mango Bob said:

Maybe we English speaking countries who live in Thailand should try speaking some Thai.  I bet we are worst then the Thais.

*worse than

[scorecard]

2 hours ago, scorecard said:

I wonder what was tested:

 

- Reading proficiency?

- Reading and comprehension proficiency?

- Grammar (alone)?

- Conversation skills?

 

Or?

 

 

Correction, to add   - Writing (construction),    and correction  -Grammar (rules)?

 

I wonder what was tested:

 

- Reading proficiency?

- Reading and comprehension proficiency?

- Writing (construction)

- Grammar (rules)?

- Conversation skills?

 

Or?

[Thunglom]

Every year it is the same single source and a company involved in selling English Education.

We really need a better analysis.

Edited November 27, 2021 by Thunglom

[Thunglom]

2 hours ago, Mango Bob said:

Maybe we English speaking countries who live in Thailand should try speaking some Thai.  I bet we are worst then the Thais.

Wheres I'm surprised a the lack of effort by expats to learn Thai, I don't think that Mngo Bob actually understand the purpose of learning English as a foreign language.

[zzaa09]

3 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

"Thailand’s English proficiency plummets"

 

However, Thailand's proficiency in Mandarin is improving.

Sign of the times.

[Thunglom]

1 hour ago, ikke1959 said:

Thailand is the center of the world and when Mr Prayuth came in power he said that Thai was a world language... I have explained so many times that students should learn English because it used everywhere and on the internet, but the only response I get is speak Thai is better.....Refusing to participate in the lessons and never try to say a word English. 
I noticed that in the 15 years I am teaching English went downhill in speedtime...But I retire after this semester because the unwillingness of the students. Results are visible.. and than you have to watch DLTV when the Thai teachers teach English..... than you know no wonder...... 

I have arranged courses largely in business and Universities.  in Thailand Laos , Italy, Morocco, Spain and UK.

I think that most people really don't understand when and why people need to acquire a foreign language - and this repeated report seems to ignore who is actually learning English.

However I have at times come across some amazing parochialisms when it comes to leaning any foreign language amongst Thai students.

I was talking to some University student who were going to study some science in Africa. I pointed out they would need a good level of English as no -one ob=ver there would speak Thai. - They wouldn't even know where they came form.

one student said in disbelief "What? they don't understand Thai?" - it had never crossed his mind before. I got the impression that he had watched loads of American movies - and didn't realise they had been dubbed - he just thought tase actors spoke Thai as a second language.

 

In te ed, though I have worked in industry with many Thai people who spoke really good English.

PS - the worst students I had were Spanish or sometimes Italian.

Edited November 27, 2021 by Thunglom

[overherebc]

2 hours ago, CrunchWrapSupreme said:

Where to begin. The low wages for foreign teachers. The low requirements for foreign teachers. Better qualified teachers that wouldn't be attracted by the low wages anyway. The ridiculous visa and paperwork process in getting hired. Then the paperwork that comes in the schools themselves. Ridiculous lesson plans and reports which must be stacked into neat, fat binders, despite having little to do with the education itself. Oh, if only that effort in generating paperwork could actually be devoted to teaching.

 

While the papers may say this and that is being done, students are allowed run amok in the classrooms, taking selfies, playing games, quite often awhile the teachers are away at meetings or sitting in the office, or classes are canceled due to activities. No discipline, no accountability. Copying and cheating. Passing scores which must be given regardless if they do nothing.

 

So there are a few good, devoted teachers and their rare, motivated students, who usually make up less than 20% of a class. They're given the boot out of Thailand after a maximum of 6 years teaching, or less if they've switched schools more often, due to the flawed teaching license waiver system from the Teacher's Council. (Though I heard a new passport might get around this. ????)

 

Then as usual, they'll try sticking it on the farangs, ignoring how much their system's at fault, and that the majority of English teachers in Thailand happen to be Thai.

There is also the important point that students must shut up, listen and in 99% of cases are not allowed to ask the (Thai) teacher questions. It was explained to me by a Thai teacher that they, teachers, would lose face if they didn't know the answer to the students question.

[blackprince]

The English Proficiency Index is the most methodologically flawed test around. Serious linguists wouldn't touch it with a barge pole. From their own website:

 

"The test-taking population represented in this Index is self-selected and not guaranteed to be representative. Only those who want to learn English or are curious about their English skills will participate in one of these tests. This could skew scores lower or higher than those of the general population." Not 'alf guv.

 

A more telling comparison would be with the number of westerners who gain any Thai fluency after years or decades of immersion in the Thai language.

 

 

Edited November 27, 2021 by blackprince

[Thunglom]

1 hour ago, Longwood50 said:

I wonder where the USA would rank?  Some areas of the USA if you don't speak Spanish like Miami, you can't function.  I lived in Houston for a period of time and some areas of the city if you did not speak Spanish you could not communicate with anyone. 

That is saying nothing of the Ebonics that takes a special degree of understanding.  And for anyone who has ever traveled to Louisiana that Cajun dialect may be something but English it is not.  

English speaking Americans are some of the most parochial language learners I've ever come across. Not only are they totally mystified by the simplest foreign phrases, they often can't even understand mainstream versions of other forms of English.