Damning English survey ranking leaves Thailand almost rock bottom in the World - Singapore and Philippines lead way in Asia

[webfact]

 

Says.com reported on the latest rankings of English Proficiency by a Swedish firm called EF Education First in which the data from 2.1 million test results among non-native speakers was used to compile a 111 country list ranked according to five categories:

 

1 Very High Proficiency - top were the Netherlands followed by Singapore, Austria, Norway and Denmark in fifth.

 

No surprise there was no Thailand there.

 

2 High proficiency - the Philippines made 22nd on this list with Malaysia snapping at their heels in 24th.

 

Still no Thailand, but still no major surprise.

 

3. Moderate proficiency - maybe Thailand could be here.

 

Wrong again.

 

This larger list contained the likes of Italy in 32nd, France, 34, Russia, 40, India 52 and Vietnam 60th.

 

So what of category 4 of the five, Low Proficiency.

 

Still no Thailand.

 

China, 62, Nepal, 65, Bangladesh, 66, Japan, 80.

 

Finally it was the lowest of the low, the Very Low proficiency section up to 111th and last place. 

 

Myanmar made 93rd, Cambodia 94th while Thailand got 97th.

 

Global ranking of countries and regions

 

 

They could still crow, however, as Laos was last!

 

Also bringing up the rear were Yemen and the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

 

Usually the Thai media is all over surveys like a rash, especially when Thailand is presented in a glowing light.

 

On this occasion we have yet to see a Thai news report on the story. This one came from Malaysia and barely commented on Thailand at all. 

 

 

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[ezzra]

Ok we know all Thais are not Shakespearians with their english but this is the charm of the place for us farangs and tourists alike...

[roo860]

Where was the USA?

[Will B Good]

There is/are? no end of kids.......12 to 15......careering around on motorbikes (modified exhausts obvs) all day long where we live......never in school.

 

I asked the wife what happens when they don't turn up at school......she shrugs and says nothing happens.

[steven100]

I see India is about middle of the scale .....  isn't there some Indian taxi drivers in the UK ?

[OneMoreFarang]

I think it's great when the cute girls don't understand English. 

Because then all those people who only want to talk English leave her alone. And I will talk Thai with her.

Win/win/win. ???? 

[Doctor Tom]

2 minutes ago, steven100 said:

I see India is about middle of the scale .....  isn't there some Indian taxi drivers in the UK ?

They are British

[Geoffggi]

9 minutes ago, roo860 said:

Where was the USA?

They speak American ......LOL

[Doctor Tom]

2 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I think it's great when the cute girls don't understand English. 

Because then all those people who only want to talk English leave her alone. And I will talk Thai with her.

Win/win/win. ???? 

yes, that's the most important point of this report? ????

[mikeymike100]

12 minutes ago, roo860 said:

Where was the USA?

Where was England?????

[brianthainess]

14 minutes ago, roo860 said:

Where was the USA?

Just below Australia ?????

[bob smith]

will never change. thais are far too lazy to even attempt learning another language other than their own.

[Dmaxdan]

Maybe it's because Thais believe they can speak better English than native English speakers?

 

In many cases they are brought up to believe that they are perfect in every way.

And woe betide anyone who dares to correct or criticize their English skills, particularly an actual native English speaker!

[tomazbodner]

I'd like to rank British on their Thai proficiency.

 

Though just a thought... I read somewhere that over 750k Brits can't speak English... Lemme find it... Here:

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/mar/14/sajid-javid-770000-people-in-england-not-able-to-speak-english

[tomazbodner]

5 minutes ago, bob smith said:

will never change. thais are far too lazy to even attempt learning another language other than their own.

Please demonstrate your Thai language skills.

[brianthainess]

2 minutes ago, mikeymike100 said:

Where was England?????

Wot yus talking bout, we nose how ta speak proper, fink bout it, not 'ard init. 

[roo860]

1 minute ago, Dmaxdan said:

Maybe it's because Thais believe they can speak better English than native English speakers?

 

In many cases they are brought up to believe that they are perfect in every way.

And woe betide anyone who dares to correct or criticize their English skills, particularly an actual native English speaker!

Had that problem with my daughter's English language teacher, her homework marked incorrectly when it was 100% correct, bit of 'face' problem for the 'teacher'.

[Hanaguma]

4 minutes ago, Dmaxdan said:

Maybe it's because Thais believe they can speak better English than native English speakers?

 

In many cases they are brought up to believe that they are perfect in every way.

And woe betide anyone who dares to correct or criticize their English skills, particularly an actual native English speaker!

Happens in Japan a lot as well. I often proofread documents or textbooks or scripts written by Japanese who are thought of as proficient in English. Yet virtually every correction I make is questioned, particularly if it isn't simply grammatically inaccurate but just awkward or unnatural.  "But ...-san is fluent" I am told.  I learned to not fight it and just let them have their own way.  All they want is confirmation, not actual correction. 

[Doctor Tom]

14 minutes ago, Geoffggi said:

They speak American ......LOL

Badly

[Old Croc]

17 minutes ago, steven100 said:

I see India is about middle of the scale .....  isn't there some Indian taxi drivers in the UK ?

India is the biggest English-speaking country in the world.

[mikeymike100]

2 minutes ago, tomazbodner said:

I'd like to rank British on their Thai proficiency.

Probably very low, but unless you live in Thailand its immaterial?

English is the most widely spoken language in the world and certainly if you are Thai and want to get a job, or live outside of Thailand, speaking English would be a necessity?

[Doctor Tom]

2 minutes ago, roo860 said:

bit of 'face' problem for the 'teacher'.

Bit of a dumb problem for the teacher.  Too much rank ignorance is fobbed off with that idiotic word 'face'.  I don't buy it  for a second. . 

[Sato]

9 minutes ago, bob smith said:

will never change. thais are far too lazy to even attempt learning another language other than their own.

The same applies to English people, Americans and Australiens.

[mikeymike100]

10 minutes ago, Doctor Tom said:

Badly

Americans in general speak better English than many Brits? Unless  you go to Texas of course?????

 

[Doctor Tom]

2 minutes ago, Old Croc said:

India is the biggest English-speaking country in the world.

By what measure? If its percentage of the population, that is surely UK/US/Australia etc. 

[Doctor Tom]

Just now, mikeymike100 said:

Americans in general speak better English than many Brits? Unless  you to Texas of course?????

 

HaHa, good one 

[tomazbodner]

1 minute ago, mikeymike100 said:

Probably very low, but unless you live in Thailand its immaterial?

English is the most widely spoken language in the world and certainly if you are Thai and want to get a job, or live outside of Thailand, speaking English would be a necessity?

Depends. English won't help much in Japan, Korea, Germany, China, Italy,... But you have a strong point.

 

The flip side, of course, is that Brits, like most of those in line above, never bother to learn any other languages. So an English speaking Thai is at least bilingual, while English speaking Brit isn't even that.

[brewsterbudgen]

24 minutes ago, steven100 said:

I see India is about middle of the scale .....  isn't there some Indian taxi drivers in the UK ?

"isn't there some..." ?  I suspect many Indians have a better level of English than some native speakers!

[steven100]

6 minutes ago, Old Croc said:

India is the biggest English-speaking country in the world.

not if you get a taxi there.

[brewsterbudgen]

11 minutes ago, tomazbodner said:

Please demonstrate your Thai language skills.

Why would anyone around the world want to speak Thai?  English is a lingua-franca, Thai isn't.