Thai education embraces UK programmes to boost English language proficiency

[2baht]

1 hour ago, AustinRacing said:

Police General in charge of education. 💪💪💪

Big budget and he is a Chidchob!

[nikmar]

1 hour ago, Jack Hammer said:

I heard the Thai Government is recruiting English teachers from Yorkshire, Dublin a.d Glasgow. Is this true? 

that would be fun. Eh oop me old flower krup

[ChipButty]

1 hour ago, Jack Hammer said:

I heard the Thai Government is recruiting English teachers from Yorkshire, Dublin and Glasgow. Is this true? 

Could be worser and be from Manchester

[jacko45k]

2 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

Could be worser and be from Manchester

That would be a step up from a few motioned.....but they all learned English outside the country there.

[StayinThailand2much]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

This platform would open doors for Thai students to access English classes and online databases globally (...)

They better have lots of games on them...

[Gandtee]

1 hour ago, Jack Hammer said:

I heard the Thai Government is recruiting English teachers from Yorkshire, Dublin and Glasgow. Is this true? 

Not true. Newcastle, bonny lad.

[Nicholas Paul KNIGHT]

Good idea, touited a few years ago but then most books have American English, but it is not the English that is the propblem, it is the inablity of manmy Thai Teachers to think outside the book, zero experience in the real worl of speaking English foloow the book for fear of being criticised, unable to hold long conversations are but a few of the problems coupled with the fact that many THAI Teachers who teach English refuse help or assistance in English as and as one said to me I studied at University I know what is correct. despote showing him he was wrong. Fragile egos and lack of knowledge showing there, and most NEVER let students ask questions.

[ikke1959]

2 hours ago, ChipButty said:

I thought there was plenty of English teachers here? pay the them the right money and make it easier to get jobs and they will come, 

that is not the problem. The biggest problem in Thai education is " always pass" policy. Kids who don't do anything will pass and thereor the stimulate other kids not to do anything too. Secondly there are too many students in a classroom. 40-50 in a class is far to much. There is no time for the teacher to help a student. and third there is no willingness to learn English by the kids as there is nowhere Englishto be found on TV in English camps in schools etc so that they can practice or notice how important it is to learn.  And i am talking about the majority of schools all over the country and not about international schools before people start to comment again.

[Gsxrnz]

9 minutes ago, Nicholas Paul KNIGHT said:

Good idea, touited a few years ago but then most books have American English, but it is not the English that is the propblem, it is the inablity of manmy Thai Teachers to think outside the book, zero experience in the real worl of speaking English foloow the book for fear of being criticised, unable to hold long conversations are but a few of the problems coupled with the fact that many THAI Teachers who teach English refuse help or assistance in English as and as one said to me I studied at University I know what is correct. despote showing him he was wrong. Fragile egos and lack of knowledge showing there, and most NEVER let students ask questions.

Um.......

[AjarnMartin]

2 hours ago, bigt3116 said:

Bard thinks maybe your English is a little lacking too.

 

"

The grammar of the sentence "I have rarely met an English person that knows 'lose is not loose' nor 'have is not of'" is correct, but it could be improved by making a few changes.

First, the word "that" should be replaced with "who" because it is referring to a person.

Second, the word "nor" should be replaced with "or" because it is connecting two negative statements.

Third, the phrase "have is not of" is a bit awkward and could be replaced with "is not of having."

Finally, the sentence could be made more concise by removing the word "rarely."

Here is the revised sentence:

I have rarely met an English person who knows that "lose" is not "loose" or that "have" is not of having."

Indeed, he probably gains his outstanding ‘English-speaking’ (hyphenated adjective) data from occupants of neighbouring bar stools - I’m going to be drawn into the debate no further. 🤓

[ChipButty]

9 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

that is not the problem. The biggest problem in Thai education is " always pass" policy. Kids who don't do anything will pass and thereor the stimulate other kids not to do anything too. Secondly there are too many students in a classroom. 40-50 in a class is far to much. There is no time for the teacher to help a student. and third there is no willingness to learn English by the kids as there is nowhere Englishto be found on TV in English camps in schools etc so that they can practice or notice how important it is to learn.  And i am talking about the majority of schools all over the country and not about international schools before people start to comment again.

I never understood that, they never fail them, 

[Chongalulu]

3 hours ago, Joe Farang said:

I find that UK people have the lowest standard of proficiency in the English language in the English speaking world. I think they assume that they are number one. I have rarely met an English person that knows "lose is not loose" nor " have is not of"

I think it may be the company you keep…

[Sir Dude]

Blimey, what sort of thicket of idiots puts a police general in charge of a country's education ministry? That's the equivalent of putting Alan Titchmarsh in charge of training commandos.

[Paiman]

Are you the new English teacher? Yes, I are.

[Lopburikid]

3 hours ago, Joe Farang said:

I find that UK people have the lowest standard of proficiency in the English language in the English speaking world. I think they assume that they are number one. I have rarely met an English person that knows "lose is not loose" nor " have is not of"

Loose is and adjective. lose is a verb. Plus, i suspect you are referring to grammar. Any English teacher will tell you that the insistence of the Thai schools in speaking perfect grammatical English when conversing is what stops students developing their English skills. Teach English for communication purposes. English is the easiest language in the world, because it is the only language that can be spoken incorrectly yet can still be understood. Communication! Not perfection!

[phetphet]

1 hour ago, Muhendis said:

The flexibility of the English language is really quite amazing.

With so many different dialects and accents and yet we all understand what is meant.

Mostly... A girl once started work at my former place of employment. She was from one of those islands north of Scotland. maybe the Hebrides. I can't quite remember.

It was really difficult to understand her. At least until we got used to her accent and she had toned it down a little.

[herfiehandbag]

The whole teaching business here is littered with agencies, programmes and projects, all of which claim to enable the pupils to learn English and in reality are schemes to make money out of the idea of teaching English.

 

Here in Chiang Rai we had an agency appeared a few years ago which offered schools a "ready to go" staff of English teachers, equipped with impeccable qualifications, visas, work permits. All the school had to do was hand over the money every semester, with no doubt appropriate kickbacks, and all was sorted. The teachers, West Africans, who were virtually incomprehensible, but would work for 12,000 Baht a month. Since the "allocated budget", for a foreign teacher, is I understand, somewhere in the region of B35,000 a month that is quite a mark up! They all disappeared a couple of years later - something to do with immigration I believe.

 

The school at which used to teach (now retired) has got rid of it's foreign teachers, and bought into a similar programme using newly qualified (and therefore cheap) Thai staff. The programme is called " Make a Wit", which isn't really even English! I presume they mean "Make a Wish". They are supposed to pretend to be foreigners! Since all 6 of them arrived on site on day one, crammed onto two Honda Waves, no crash helmets, clutching 7/11 iced coffees and driving the wrong way down the dual carriageway I shouldn't imagine anyone, staff or children, believed that from the start!

 

 

 

[bizboi]

2 hours ago, Jack Hammer said:

I heard the Thai Government is recruiting English teachers from Yorkshire, Dublin and Glasgow. Is this true? 

Strewf miyt an Ozzie wans tu!!!

[KannikaP]

3 hours ago, Joe Farang said:

I find that UK people have the lowest standard of proficiency in the English language in the English speaking world. I think they assume that they are number one. I have rarely met an English person that knows "lose is not loose" nor " have is not of"

You have not met me, The Grammar Policeman' yet!

[herfiehandbag]

Post deleted.

Edited October 20, 2023 by herfiehandbag

[bizboi]

14 minutes ago, Sir Dude said:

Blimey, what sort of thicket of idiots puts a police general in charge of a country's education ministry? That's the equivalent of putting Alan Titchmarsh in charge of training commandos.

The same ones that think people believe that Tony is really ill, or that submarines work without engines!!

Edited October 20, 2023 by bizboi

[gejohesch]

2 hours ago, bigt3116 said:

Bard thinks maybe your English is a little lacking too.

 

"

The grammar of the sentence "I have rarely met an English person that knows 'lose is not loose' nor 'have is not of'" is correct, but it could be improved by making a few changes.

First, the word "that" should be replaced with "who" because it is referring to a person.

Second, the word "nor" should be replaced with "or" because it is connecting two negative statements.

Third, the phrase "have is not of" is a bit awkward and could be replaced with "is not of having."

Finally, the sentence could be made more concise by removing the word "rarely."

Here is the revised sentence:

I have rarely met an English person who knows that "lose" is not "loose" or that "have" is not of having."

I guess several persons, native speakers of (say) language A, will have issues with the way native speakers of language B speak that particular language B.

 

Personally, not being a native english speaker, well educated in how my native language works (grammatically etc), I find 2 mannerisms with English speakers that irritate me.

 

Here are these 2 "mannerisms":

 

1 - What I call the double "that". I read lots of writings by British people like this: "I think that, because of blablabla, that we should do etc etc". That repeat of the conjunction "that" does not sound correct to me at all, but several British told me "it's correct".

2 - So many transcripts in the media of discussions between supposedly very well educated persons, eg on TV, are complete gibberish. Maybe that's more the case in the US (I read lots of US material)? Maybe that's because no efforts are spent in those transcriptions that are rather meant for short term use?

[Jack Hammer]

2 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Im glad the are turning to the UK to help them, It gets right up my nose listening to a Thai with an American accent

The Thai Government is recruiting in the UK from Glasgow, Dublin and Yorkshire.  That will eradicate the American accent 

[Gsxrnz]

7 minutes ago, phetphet said:

Mostly... A girl once started work at my former place of employment. She was from one of those islands north of Scotland. maybe the Hebrides. I can't quite remember.

It was really difficult to understand her. At least until we got used to her accent and she had toned it down a little.

Probably had a brother named Donald, from the Isle of Skye.

[HappyExpat57]

HERE's the REAL problem!

 

 

[herfiehandbag]

The whole teaching business here is littered with agencies, programmes and projects, all of which claim to enable the pupils to learn English and in reality are schemes to make money out of the idea of teaching English.

 

Here in Chiang Rai we had an agency appeared a few years ago which offered schools a "ready to go" staff of English teachers, equipped with impeccable qualifications, visas, work permits. All the school had to do was hand over the money every semester, with no doubt appropriate kickbacks, and all was sorted. The teachers, West Africans, who were virtually incomprehensible, but would work for 12,000 Baht a month. Since the "allocated budget", for a foreign teacher, is I understand, somewhere in the region of B35,000 a month that is quite a mark up! They all disappeared a couple of years later - something to do with immigration I believe.

 

The school at which I used to teach (now retired) has got rid of it's foreign teachers, and bought into a similar programme using newly qualified (and therefore cheap) Thai staff. The programme is called " Make a Wit", which isn't really even English! I presume they mean "Make a Wish". They are supposed to pretend to be foreigners! Since all 6 of them arrived on site on day one, crammed onto two Honda Waves, no crash helmets, clutching 7/11 iced coffees and driving the wrong way down the dual carriageway I shouldn't imagine anyone, staff or children, believed that from the start!

 

The results have been quite remarkable, numbers of pupils attending the IP (English) programme have gone from about 1000 to 850 in a year!

 

The UK Minister of State for the Indo-Pacific, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, could be onto a good little earner if she played her cards right; satire - I am not suggesting for a minute she is corrupt.

 

Meanwhile, the local village school next to which I live has English teachers who don't speak English, and the Principal pops by from time to time to try to persuade me to work there as a volunteer! What English the children speak seems to come from U Tube and video games. Those that make the effort I help, but I will not play his "work as a volunteer" game!

 

 

 

Edited October 20, 2023 by herfiehandbag

[mikeymike100]

1 hour ago, Muhendis said:

The flexibility of the English language is really quite amazing.

With so many different dialects and accents and yet we all understand what is meant.

Agree its flexible, but if you go to the very North of Scotland, you may think differently?🤣

[daveAustin]

3 hours ago, Joe Farang said:

I find that UK people have the lowest standard of proficiency in the English language in the English speaking world. I think they assume that they are number one. I have rarely met an English person that knows "lose is not loose" nor " have is not of"

Ooh, hark at that grinding axe! Grind away, friend; it is but an itch that one doth not bother to scratch. We English are quite used to the abuse. It comes from all quarters so get in line. But, for future reference--and to avoid attacking one's prose / structure of sentence (you're not quite there yet)--may I politely suggest avoiding the bars and perhaps slurping some coffee of a morning?

Anywaaay, another 'ignore' 😴

Back to the world of dreams...

[Will B Good]

If serious then..............

 

1. English will need to be taught at primary school from day one.

2. Parents will have to be 100% onboard and the driving force behind it.

 

If not, it will be a complete waste of time and money.

[mikebell]

4 hours ago, Joe Farang said:

I find that UK people have the lowest standard of proficiency in the English language in the English speaking world. I think they assume that they are number one. I have rarely met an English person that knows "lose is not loose" nor " have is not of"

I agree.  I am an ex-English teacher & am horrified daily by the disappearing 'T' in the middle of words; li"le, bo"om, fi''ing; this is, of course, in spoken English in particular by sports presen'ers dumbing down to sound like one of the people.