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

[Burma Bill]

Well I never! Cambodia beating Thailand again. First rice and now English language.

[Nicholas Paul KNIGHT]

We forget at our peril that the CURRENT PM, stated quite clearly hat Thai will be spoken by many nations soon.

That word soon must mean in 2100 ..

[roo860]

22 minutes ago, In Full Agreement said:

 

And Britain??

No need dear boy, now buzz off.

[OneMoreFarang]

27 minutes ago, djayz said:

I have yet to meet one who could hold a decent conversation - in English or Thai. 

 

All joking aside, I have noticed a dramatic drop in their writing skills too. 

I never mentioned a decent conversation...

[DezLez]

19 minutes ago, djayz said:

My apologies if my expectations are higher than yours and this offends you. 

You said "I have yet to meet one who could hold a decent conversation - in English or Thai"

Yes it offends me as you seem incapable of lifting your expectations and seem incapable of finding educated Thais to have an intelligent conversation with.  Hence my bar comment!  I am sorry if that bit offends you!

[Bangkok Barry]

5 hours 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!

I was asked by a friend of my wife to write some promotional stuff for a company she was starting. It was rejected as bad English. I'm a professional writer.

My wife studied at uni to teach English. She brought home a test paper and on just one sheet of A4 it had something like 10 errors. I corrected them, she gave it to the teacher and the teacher filed it in the bin.

 

But never mind. The PM told a group of students that they needn't bother learning English as one day all the world will speak Thai.

[jak2002003]

2 hours ago, Smokey and the Bandit said:

Neither did England!????????

U no wronge their m8. 

[Bangkok Barry]

5 hours ago, BangkokReady said:

Thai students actually learn English from kindergarten, through high school and generally university.

I have a 13 year old nephew living with us. He has been learning English for seven years and still can't put a sentence together. But one month it was his turn to be top of the class and receive a certificate.

[chricha]

OMG the blinkered philistine attitudes of some of the commenters.

1. English as a second language is widely spoken thanks to cinema and the previous dominance of Britain and now the USA

2. Yes the Indian subcontinent has a high level of English literacy because of the legacy of Britain as a colonist BUT the accents are worse than

3. You guessed it the UK!

4. I'm from Australia and I can assure you 99% of Aussies will speak far more clear English than 50% of Poms thanks to the local dialect going back 1'000 years or more - just listen to these Scottish or Yorkshire TV programs - half the time I need sub-titles to understand their English!!

5. The problem with learning English from a non-native speaker was brought home to me as my Thai wife started her English course and the teacher had an Indian accent! OMG just what I need an Indian-English speaking Thai wife.

6. that's why Philiponos sound like Yanks because they learn from Yankees

I'd take up teaching English if it paid well!!

[Bangkok Barry]

For those who have commented that the English don't bother to learn another language:

I have a cousin who speaks fluent German but it's actually useless. She can't get a job working with Germans as - guess what - they speak German and don't need her skills.
With English it's different. English is needed in all those countries where it isn't a first language, so there is a far greater need to know English than any other language.

[Bangkok Barry]

2 hours ago, Boomer6969 said:

I don't trust this ranking, I have been educated in France and lived there over 30 years, and frankly the english verbal proficiency  isn't so much better than that of the Thais. A lot could be said about India's ranking too. IMHO the survey gives too much importance to writing.

You make an interesting point. There really are two levels of learning a language. Enough to communicate, and the more technical skills.

 

My wife spent seven years at uni learning to teach English, but most of what she had to teach totally ignored the basics and was far too technical. I've been a professional writer for over 40 years and had no idea what she was teaching the kids. I'm from the UK and I guess it was advanced English, taught for 'A' levels or even at university. Certainly it was nothing that I've ever needed. If that is what is being taught to kids in Thailand it is little wonder they can't understand.

[bradiston]

46 minutes ago, ThailandGuy said:

Well You can say that for most foreigners who try to speak Thai.  They can not string a correct Thai sentence together.  Its harder to speak Thai then to speak English.  So where does it go wrong as English is a pretty easy language to learn?

Disagree totally. Thai is simplicity itself. Learn the alphabet (there's only one) using the kindergarten chart, which any Thai of any age will probably be able to rattle off. Memorize the consonant classes (they're colour coded on the chart). Learn the tones and tone rules - surprisingly simple. The syntax and grammar are easy. No verb conjugations, no gender forms, no declensions, no plurals, phonetic pronunciation, bearing in mind tones.

 

English: 2 alphabets. Innumerable tenses. Unbelievably weird spelling, frequently non phonetic. Plurals, apostrophes, genders (not as bad as EU languages), impossibly inconsistent pronunciation.

 

The hardest thing is writing. But reading and speaking Thai is really not that hard.

[cardinalblue]

6 hours ago, tomazbodner said:

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.

Are they really bilingual if they speak english so poorly?

[Bangkok Barry]

2 hours ago, Smokey and the Bandit said:

Neither did England!????????

The list refers to non-native speakers. In England they speak English so England doesn't qualify for the list. Several people who have commented about England and the USA not being on the list, not just you, need to brush up on their comprehension of the opening paragraph.

[GinBoy2]

6 hours 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!

You'd be amazed.

 

My Thai wife grew up in Chicago as a teenager and sounds like a typical Midwesterner.

Yet still I can't count how many Thai's have asserted that she doesn't have a Westerner accent and that they speak English better than her!

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, Purdey said:

Often wondered why British people retiring in Thailand can't speak Thai. Was here three years and thought that it was time to learn. Bought a book called The Fundamentals of Thai Language. It led me to get jobs for Thai companies and i have no interest in retiring now.

Native language speakers have a distinct advantage.

Everyone in my current company speaks English but is happy to know i understand when they speak Thai. 

 

And the answers are:-

1. We have no right to remain here, nor can we acquire that right.

2. Central Thai isn't that useful outside central Thailand.

3. Many Thai people pretend they can't understand a white guy speaking Thai.

4. Thai people don't have anything worth the listening (this depends on how relatively stupid you are).

5. Most of us are retirees with pensions enabling us not to need to work (sorry you aren't one of us).

6. Out of all the languages I speak (English, Spanish, French, Central Thai, and a little German) Thai is the least worthwhile in my travels around the world.

[BritManToo]

13 minutes ago, bradiston said:

The hardest thing is writing. But reading and speaking Thai is really not that hard.

I found reading and writing Thai the easiest part of the Thai language.

[BritManToo]

14 minutes ago, bradiston said:

Disagree totally. Thai is simplicity itself. Learn the alphabet (there's only one) using the kindergarten chart, which any Thai of any age will probably be able to rattle off. Memorize the consonant classes (they're colour coded on the chart). Learn the tones and tone rules - surprisingly simple. The syntax and grammar are easy. No verb conjugations, no gender forms, no declensions, no plurals, phonetic pronunciation, bearing in mind tones.

I don't know any Thais that learned like that (including my Thai kids).

It's all done by repetition.

[Polar Bear]

Having worked with EF in other countries and seen how this survey is implemented, I would give zero credence to the findings. It is a purely commercial process designed to get the results they want in each country. 

 

(I'm not claiming Thailand is any better or worse than the supposed ranking, as I have no evidence either way.)

[bradiston]

2 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I found reading and writing Thai the easiest part of the Thai language.

I agree reading is the easiest. But writing? T, p, s, l, f, k, and hor nam words. Which to use, when? Unless, as in English, you learn every word.

[paul545]

6 hours ago, Geoffggi said:

They speak American ......LOL

Simplified English lol so they can understand. 

[Bangkok Barry]

4 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

And the answers are:-

1. We have no right to remain here, nor can we acquire that right.

2. Central Thai isn't that useful outside central Thailand.

3. Many Thai people pretend they can't understand a white guy speaking Thai.

4. Thai people don't have anything worth the listening (this depends on how relatively stupid you are).

5. Most of us are retirees with pensions enabling us not to need to work (sorry you aren't one of us).

6. Out of all the languages I speak (English, Spanish, French, Central Thai, and a little German) Thai is the least worthwhile in my travels around the world.

Also, a simple fact, is that many do not have language skills to learn Thai or any other language. That is different though to many Thais who don't know English, as they don't even want to learn. Anything.

[bradiston]

8 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I don't know any Thais that learned like that (including my Thai kids).

It's all done by repetition.

Isn't that what I said? I'm talking learning Thai. They chant the alphabet row by row, gor gy, kor ky, kor kwat etc etc. So that's how I memorized it. And the rest was how I approached it.

[SunsetT]

That is just what the Thai Government and 'ruling class' want. If you dont understand English it is very difficult to learn objectively about the outside World and other countries' values such as Democracy, human rights, worker's rights, minimum wages, animal welfare, the environmental crisis, etc. Nor can they learn much about their own country's shortcomings. Most Thais cannot see past the end of their nationalistic noses. But hey! maybe they are better off like this.

[Cake Monster]

6 hours 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?

And almost definitely, the need to speak correct English is essential when doing Business in almost all the World Markets.

Not just in large Business's , but also in smaller ones.

 

 

 

[Jack Hammer]

6 hours ago, bob smith said:

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

Bar girls pick up the English language quickly. One lady told me she could not speak a word of English when she started work in a bar, after 3 weeks she said she could communicate effectively. I think it is a matter wanting to learn

[Jai Dee]

A couple of derogatory troll posts have been removed.

 

From the Forum Rules:

 

14. You will not post slurs, degrading or overly negative comments directed towards Thailand, Thai people, Thai culture, Thai institutions such as the military, judicial or law enforcement system or specific locations within Thailand.

[bangon04]

7 hours ago, Doctor Tom said:

They are British

If you ask them, they will usually say they are Indian first, and only British second.

[thailand49]

7 hours ago, mikeymike100 said:

Where was England?????

England?  If it isn't spoken or written exactly the way they want it you know how it goes! 

It is like their Tea it is got to be exactly like this and you drink it like this! ????  ????

[thailand49]

7 hours ago, mikeymike100 said:

Where was England?????

England?  If it isn't spoken or written exactly the way they want it you know how it goes! 

It is like their Tea it is got to be exactly like this and you drink it like this! ????  ????