Thai education embraces UK programmes to boost English language proficiency

[brianthainess]

2 hours ago, nikmar said:

that would be fun. Eh oop me old flower krup

Eh oop me pet 'ous yer doing. 

[Will B Good]

5 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 similarly find it annoying.....but a language 'professional' explained to me it is unfair to view these as 'failures' in understanding. The reason being that language is highly dynamic and changes rapidly.....even more so in this day and age.

 

Could we understand spoken English from say the 1400s?

[ThaiFelix]

2 minutes ago, Cake Monster said:

All the assistance in the World will never make a jot of difference to the ability of the Thai people in speaking, or understanding English.

The major hurdle to overcome is the willingness to actually want to learn the language, or anything else.

There seems to me, that there is some kind of deep ingrained resentment towards all things that are not to a persons liking, and an animosity towards being told that what they are doing is incorrect, or could be done differently.

An Electronic Teacher or an Eastern European Techer is just not going to cut it when there is little or no access to English outside of the Classroom

Where are the Free to Air TV Channels in English for the Population to watch and learn from ?

 

Biggest hurdle is fear of loss of face, most Thais wont say a word unless they are sure its perfect.

 

I tried to introduce more use of audio visuals when I was teaching because its no sectret kids cant take their eyes of a screen even if its just the weather.  I was refused because the school believed the parents would complain the teachers are just being lazy by letting the kids watch TV??

 

I dont think its so much resentment as nationalism,  Thailand is perfect, the biggest and best country in the world, best food etc etc.  Why learn an inferior language?  Anyhow Prayut said the rest of the world will speak Thai soon.

[brianthainess]

Bristolians would be a bit frowned on." 'Allo my lover" first time in Bristol I was taken aback when a Checkout lady said that.

[ThaiFelix]

1 minute ago, Will B Good said:

I similarly find it annoying.....but a language 'professional' explained to me it is unfair to view these as 'failures' in understanding. The reason being that language is highly dynamic and changes rapidly.....even more so in this day and age.

 

Could we understand spoken English from say the 1400s?

Correct and it also varies from area to area within the same country.

[MichaelHunt]

3 hours 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.

Unlike Thai, which, if you get the tone slightly wrong you end up with a totally different word.

[Dr B]

3 hours ago, bigt3116 said:

Just to clarify "would've" is absolutely correct also.

Well, if you wish to be "absolutely correct", then "would've" is only correct in speech, or in quoted speech inside quotation marks. Also, in your earlier use of "Bard", the software failed to recognise the incorrect "would of", and therefore produced a correction which was gibberish but not English, and you forgot to remove the "rarely" as advised. Incidentally I have no idea why the recommendation to remove "rarely" was made, as the meaning of the sentence would be changed by its removal.

[Geir Rasch]

4 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, 

Being English or being fluent in English is not the same as being a teacher. I think to many English speaking people act as teachers in Thailand without being a teacher. Teaching is after all a profession.

[ThaiFelix]

3 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

Bristolians would be a bit frowned on." 'Allo my lover" first time in Bristol I was taken aback when a Checkout lady said that.

I had a work mate from UK somewhere who always greeted me with "Are you ok"?  which is something you would say, where I come from, to someone who just had an accident or misfortune.  I never got used to it.

[brianthainess]

1 hour ago, jacko45k said:

It appears only HRH and Joanna Lumley speak well these days!

Alf Garnet, William Bramble, Harry H Corbet were among the best English speakers in days gone past, when out of caricature.  

[brianthainess]

3 minutes ago, ThaiFelix said:

I had a work mate from UK somewhere who always greeted me with "Are you ok"?  which is something you would say, where I come from, to someone who just had an accident or misfortune.  I never got used to it.

Maybe you looked sick every time he saw you. 

[brianthainess]

2 hours ago, Jack Hammer said:

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

What about the American spelling Of, Grey, Tyre, will it eradicate bad spelling?

[ChipButty]

12 minutes ago, ThaiFelix said:

I had a work mate from UK somewhere who always greeted me with "Are you ok"?  which is something you would say, where I come from, to someone who just had an accident or misfortune.  I never got used to it.

In Northern Ireland, Top of the Morning 

[Dr B]

2 hours ago, gejohesch said:

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?

Two responses gejohesch:

1  You are absolutely correct, and the second "that" should be deleted. The simple test is to delete the text between the commas.

2  I cannot make any meaningful response without seeing examples, but note that quite often, in oral discussion, people speak with poor grammar, in incomplete sentences, etc. Those preparing the transcripts then have to struggle with writing what was said, or what they think the speaker was intending to say.

[bigt3116]

18 minutes ago, Dr B said:

then "would've" is only correct in speech, or in quoted speech inside quotation marks.

For formal documents, stick to would have (and so on) — but for most other writing, it's okay to use the contracted form. For example: ✅ I would have been an only child if it weren't for IVF. ✅ I would've been an only child if it weren't for IVF.

[ChipButty]

2 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

What about the American spelling Of, Grey, Tyre, will it eradicate bad spelling?

Is this American "airplane"? 

[StayinThailand2much]

2 hours ago, ChipButty said:

I never understood that, they never fail them, 

They have pass-marks, but even if the kids fail and fail again, the teacher will "upgrade" (falsify) the scores well above the pass mark, as students are 'not supposed to fail'. Also, oftentimes, grades are ridiculously 'enhanced' to please the parents. As with everything in Thailand, it's only about $$$$...

[bigt3116]

2 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

In Northern Ireland, Top of the Morning

Ireland/Eire , not NI

[brianthainess]

1 hour ago, mikebell said:

The latter has a lovely voice as well as a beautiful smile.

But HE does look quite old now init 

[Chris Daley]

We don't learn English in England because everyone is at native level.  We learn academic and figurative English.  So good luck with that morons.

[MrMuddle]

6 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"

Perhaps you should talk to UK expats, outside of a bar.

[ChipButty]

8 minutes ago, bigt3116 said:

Ireland/Eire , not NI

I've worked in NI a few times that where I first got it from 

[bigt3116]

2 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

I've worked in NI a few times that where I first got it from 

Me too, never heard it, but maybe nearer the border?

[cdemundo]

41 minutes ago, ThaiFelix said:

Biggest hurdle is fear of loss of face, most Thais wont say a word unless they are sure its perfect.

 

I tried to introduce more use of audio visuals when I was teaching because its no sectret kids cant take their eyes of a screen even if its just the weather.  I was refused because the school believed the parents would complain the teachers are just being lazy by letting the kids watch TV??

 

I dont think its so much resentment as nationalism,  Thailand is perfect, the biggest and best country in the world, best food etc etc.  Why learn an inferior language?  Anyhow Prayut said the rest of the world will speak Thai soon.

"I dont think its so much resentment as nationalism,  Thailand is perfect, the biggest and best country in the world, best food etc etc."

 

I hear this fairly often (which, not being a pathetic pedant, I pronounce "offen").

Doesn't every country teach this to their youth?

Seems like people who say this might mean "Thais say that Thailand is perfect, the biggest and best country in the world, best food etc etc" when really that is true of my home country.

[Grusa]

Interestingly, on the rare occasions when my Thai friends want, or need, to RTFM of anything at all complex, they do so in English if available. The Thai language version leaves them utterly perplexed!

 

That said, English transliterations of other language manuals can be tiresome, amusing, or incomprehensible. Many years ago I had a piece of equipment from a top-of-the-line Japanese manufacturer. "When the globe is exhausted through elongated usage........." change the light bulb.

 

It would be nice if Thai printers would ask a friendly neighbourhood Brit to proof read their output before committing to press!

[brianthainess]

21 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

In Northern Ireland, Top of the Morning 

The Irish double negatives can be amusing though.

 

I was looking for the Forman on a building site one time, he looked round a pile of sand and said "Can you not hear me looking at yus" 

[brianthainess]

10 minutes ago, Grusa said:

Interestingly, on the rare occasions when my Thai friends want, or need, to RTFM of anything at all complex, they do so in English if available. The Thai language version leaves them utterly perplexed!

 

That said, English transliterations of other language manuals can be tiresome, amusing, or incomprehensible. Many years ago I had a piece of equipment from a top-of-the-line Japanese manufacturer. "When the globe is exhausted through elongated usage........." change the light bulb.

 

It would be nice if Thai printers would ask a friendly neighbourhood Brit to proof read their output before committing to press!

Also In England that arrow would point up not down.

[Robin]

Firt let's ge away from the mistaken idea that just because a person can speak English, thy can teach others to speak English.  'Teaching English as a Foreign language"  (TOEFL) is a skill that needs to be learned before you even start teaching.  Best thing that Thailand could do would be to recruit and employ qualified teachers and forget the idea that every English speaker living in Thailand is qualified to teach.

This is going to cost a lot of money, so mot unlikely to happen.

[brianthainess]

13 minutes ago, Grusa said:

I had a piece of equipment from a top-of-the-line Japanese manufacturer. "When the globe is exhausted through elongated usage........." change the light bulb.

A Chinese work shop Manual told me to Chuck the A/C unit at a vise. 

[Olav Seglem]

Stop the "dubbing on tv and movies..

Then thais will hear how to speak other languages.

Use subtitles in thai instead.

That will also improve thais reading skills...