Education Ministry assigned to take urgent steps to improve Thais’ English proficiency

[webfact]

 

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has ordered the Education Ministry to come up with measures rapidly, to improve English proficiency among Thai people, students in particular, after Thailand’s very poor ranking on the global Education First (EF) English Proficiency Index 2023.

 

Government spokesman Chai Wacharonke said the order was made during a weekly Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

 

EF ranks 113 countries, where English is not the first language, based on scores in 2.2 million Education First Standardised English Tests taken in 2022. At the top of the list is the Netherlands, with an average score of 647 out of 800, followed by Singapore (631), while Denmark, scoring 615, and Norway, with 614, swapped places at fourth and fifth place.

 

Thailand is ranked 101st, which places the country below seven other ASEAN countries, namely Singapore, the Philippines (578 – 20th), Malaysia (568 – 25th), Vietnam (505 – 58th), Indonesia (473 – 79th), Myanmar (450 – 90th) and Cambodia in 98th place with 421. Laos and Brunei were excluded from the listing. The average score is 502.

 

Full story: Thai PBS 2023-11-29

 

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[bob smith]

Nothing will be done about it.

 

It will all be forgotten about in a few weeks and it will be business as usual...

[bamnutsak]

Kneejerk.

 

Good thing the Minister of Education is a former National Police Chief.

 

 

[connda]

I have a suggestion that should work.

1) Give the problem plenty of lip service, add photo-shoots of "special people" saying "important stuff about changing the system," then 2) keep doing the same thing you've been doing for the 15+ years that I've been here.
Wash, rinse, repeat forever...................

Oh by the way.  When you pay sub-par wages - the same wages you were paying 15+ years ago - you get the teaching ability you pay for.

[grego49]

They could start by getting rid of the thai english teachers that cant speak or understand english and paid for their positions,

[Gulfsailor]

3 minutes ago, grego49 said:

They could start by getting rid of the thai english teachers that cant speak or understand english and payed for their positions,

*paid….

[still kicking]

Well, I can't complain about my family, every one of my Thai family does speak some English. Of course, my Wife working in the west as a nurse speaks perfect English my nephew who builds robots for medical surgery just came back from Japan and complaining nobody can speak any English there. My 19-year-old niece deals with Singapore companies my SIL is doing OK I am not too sure about kids, just came back from LOS had no problems with not understanding anybody.

[still kicking]

11 minutes ago, Gulfsailor said:

*paid….

 

[Chris Daley]

They have made a monopoly out of English.  There is the international program, the special program, the mini-English program, the bible basher schools, and the standard program.  They all have a different price tag for the parents.

 

They should start at international and work up from there.  But they don't they purposefully withhold and take books out of children's hands.

 

Over half of the country is simple outpriced out of the English lesson market.

[bubblegum]

I know this local English teacher, does not speak a word of English !

[stoner]

hahahahah nothing like a reality check eh. maybe the shopping mall shooting last month is to blame. 

 

[sqwakvfr]

Had this recent interaction at a Starbucks at a mall in Chiang Mai.  I said to the employee “tall, hot latte”.  She gave me a puzzled look.  I then said the samd but slowly.  The reply I got was “you want Americano”?  I have been to Starbucks in many countries where English is not the primary language and have always been understood but as they say “TIT”.  Instead I just ordered on the SBUX app. 

[dinsdale]

Every so often this old chestnut crops up. Nothing changes. Classes still have 40+ students with no tech so not easy to almost impossible to do 21st Century teaching. Native speakers (who can teach) are few and far between outside of international schools. Teachers are way overburdened with paperwork. School priority is how the school looks rather than education (I know a teacher that has a smart board at their school but no one is allowed to use it. It's just for advertising the school) and the list goes on and on but of course one musn't forget corruption, corruption and more corruption.

[Jingthing]

A small thing but an example of the silliness here.

How about opening up a program to both allow and promote native English speakers to volunteer to help with English conversation in schools?

Especially retirees who can't legally "work" here or even volunter.

That would benefit both groups, it would be free, so of course won't happen. 

I'm not aware of other countries criminalizing such good deeds.

[ikke1959]

Words, words and words, but in reality nothing will change

[newbee2022]

16 hours ago, grego49 said:

They could start by getting rid of the thai english teachers that cant speak or understand english and paid for their positions,

Yes, and also get rid of farangs without qualification but pretending to be a teacher🌲

[hotchilli]

18 hours ago, webfact said:

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has ordered the Education Ministry to come up with measures rapidly, to improve English proficiency among Thai people, students in particular, after Thailand’s very poor ranking on the global Education First (EF) English Proficiency Index 2023

More money thrown at certain pockets.

How about educating Thai teachers to speak English,  stop hiring foreign teachers who cannot be understood.

And change the whole English learning process.

[Dionigi]

Was that deja vu I just saw flying past?

[Cake Monster]

I am sure the Policeman in charge of the Ministry will use his vast knowledge and experience of the Education System to make wide and sweeping reform

[Muhendis]

15 hours ago, Jingthing said:

How about opening up a program to both allow and promote native English speakers to volunteer to help with English conversation in schools?

 

Good idea but it will never happen and the reason?

 

If you are not Thai, They don't want you. In other words, Xenophobia. 

[Ben Zioner]

18 hours ago, still kicking said:

 

Wasn't "Grammar".

[ozz1]

Unfortunately the bar girls in Pattaya understand and speak better English than thai teacher's and the teenagers dont want to speak it because they dont want to make mistakes and are shy that's my experience anyway

[edwinchester]

2 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

Yes, and also get rid of farangs without qualification but pretending to be a teacher🌲

True but that is a tiny part of the huge overall problem and can be easily solved by proper employment checks. The fact that there are still some unqualified foreign teachers shows the lack of any real desire to raise standards.

[Purdey]

International school kids here speak excellent English, even the Thai teachers in them speak good English. Now, if only someone could figure out why these people speak good English things might change. 

[BritScot]

7 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

Yes, and also get rid of farangs without qualification but pretending to be a teacher🌲

You obviously don't know much about foreign/native English teachers in Thailand. When I was teaching several different subjects back in 2005 all the teachers I met were qualified to teach English as a second language. Pay scale was 35,000 to 50,000baht with a handful of schools paying 100,000+baht. After the 2006 Coup things changed native English teachers were replaced by Philippine teachers who would work for 15,000baht but mostly could hardly speak understandable/audible English. Now move on 18 years: Native English teachers being offered 25,000baht still with required workpermit with  qualifications like degree etc needed. Look at the results! 2005 Thailand was progressing well in English world levels but from then till now Thailand's English level has steadily slid lower and lower.  

[fondue zoo]

6 hours ago, Cake Monster said:

I am sure the Policeman in charge of the Ministry will use his vast knowledge and experience of the Education System to make wide and sweeping reform

 

The last two ministers also had virtually zero ties to education.

[newnative]

Not a moment too soon, of course, but likely just this week's lip service.

[natway09]

I note that some Thais can read a little but no chance of speaking it.

To have any chance of taking tourism to the next level this needs to be addressed but doubt will be.

This will all go away about Christmas until next year when the index comes out again

[newbee2022]

15 hours ago, BritScot said:

You obviously don't know much about foreign/native English teachers in Thailand. When I was teaching several different subjects back in 2005 all the teachers I met were qualified to teach English as a second language. Pay scale was 35,000 to 50,000baht with a handful of schools paying 100,000+baht. After the 2006 Coup things changed native English teachers were replaced by Philippine teachers who would work for 15,000baht but mostly could hardly speak understandable/audible English. Now move on 18 years: Native English teachers being offered 25,000baht still with required workpermit with  qualifications like degree etc needed. Look at the results! 2005 Thailand was progressing well in English world levels but from then till now Thailand's English level has steadily slid lower and lower.  

Ah, and with self appointed English language teachers hardly able to speak or know about grammar rules it works better? Wake up mate 🧑‍🎄 There have to be only English language teachers with a University degree obtained in teaching ( didactics eg) as a minimum of requirements.🧑‍🎄

[newbee2022]

15 hours ago, BritScot said:

You obviously don't know much

I wonder why you have to use those despicable words???? What you want to express? It seems to me that there is a lack of empathy and willingness to discuss a matter of interest. It's really a pity how rude people here want to communicate.🥴