Speaking English Campaign Is Just A Passing Fad: Thai Opinion

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EDITORIAL

Speaking English campaign is just a passing fad

The Nation

Thai students need better-trained teachers and a well-thought-out curriculum if they are ever to improve their ability in the English language

Beginning the first week of January, all education institutions must provide a time slot and a place for Thais to practise English once a week. This is part of the Yingluck government's effort to promote the world's lingua franca in this our tongue-tied country. As is well known, Thais do not always enjoy it when they have to speak foreign languages. They are reluctant and shy, fearful of making mistakes when speaking foreign tongues.

In the case of English, almost all Thai students study the language at their schools for at least 12 years, throughout their adolescence. Even with that long stretch of training, most are still unskilled and unable to express themselves in the international language.

When Thais speak English, they almost always carry a distinctive Thai accent. This is perhaps a step backwards from the language skills of their forebears a few centuries back. During the Ayudhya period in the 17th century for instance, the old capital of Siam was the hub of regional trade, frequented and inhabited by foreign traders and adventurers from afar. Many of those Siamese citizens in the old capital had to engage with all sorts of foreigners and speak their languages - especially English, Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese, French, Chinese and Japanese, not to mention the languages of traders and visitors from neighbouring kingdoms in what are now Vietnam, Burma and Cambodia. A lot of local people, particularly if they were engaged in commerce, had to be multi-lingual in order to prosper.

Now, the Yingluck government, which has already initiated an assortment of populist policies, deems speaking English as part of the overall continuing campaign to win votes.

It's an idea sits alongside the plans for scholarships or free computer tablets for school students. These campaigns are vote-getting instruments. They look good, but in the long run they will not work because whenever there are well-publicised campaigns such as this, everything will go turbo in the first few weeks and then eventually drop dead. Those who are involved in these and similar campaigns are usually in it for the publicity and possible self interest, or else it might just seem to be the fashionable thing to do. Most importantly, the government provides the funding.

An improvement in English-language education and across-the-board ability among Thais would be better executed with better teachers for high schools.

A lot of people talk about the quality of English teaching and content in Thailand. But it seems to be a never-ending discussion. Good English teachers are hard to find these days. Most of the current crop of teachers are able to teach basic English, but in most cases the students have forgotten what they learned within a few months. Some Thais who have studied abroad have good English accents, but they are not interested in passing on their skills to the next generation of learners.

One of the main reasons for the sudden resurgence of interest in English-speaking is the anticipation of the Asean Economic Community in 2015. There is a common belief that speaking English will be the key to partaking in this community-building exercise.

That is a faulty idea. Actually, knowing one's country better is a prerequisite for such community building. Then, a knowledge of neighboring countries will help to consolidate the sense of community. To do that, the English language is secondary.

To improve and promote the English proficiency of the Thai people is laudable, of course. However, the way the "English Speaking Year" is being structured and promoted will surely not work. It is a public relations exercise, not a serious educational programme.

-- The Nation 2011-12-30

[softgeorge]

"When Thais speak English, they almost always carry a distinctive Thai accent."

I have noticed this with a lot of Americans, British, South African etc also. Are we Aussies the only ones that speak without an accent? Just kidding, not bashing anyone. My son is always correcting me on how I pronounce certain words. He speaks fluent english/thai at home and is also taught at school by Thai's and says he is constantly being corrected by his teachers in the pronounciation of english words. It hard to tell him that it is the Thai teachers who are teaching him wrong. When we speak with the teachers at his school the farang teachers will say his english language is excellent but the Thai teachers tell us that he is struggling to grasp the english language.

[mca]

A lot of people talk about the quality of English teaching and content in Thailand. But it seems to be a never-ending discussion.

Never ending discussions seem to be the norm in most areas of how folks lives could be improved over here.

Back in the UK me and my pals all used to ride big sports bikes. One of our group who didn't was always on about how he was going to get one too. He'd read all the bike mags, go to the dealers and get brochures, ask the sales staff about this model or that model.

We all knew he'd never do it. Multiply that by 100000000 and you've got Thailand.

[Somtamnication]

Ah, the Thai English teachers. One of my private students showed me his homework. I had helped him to understand the questions and how to answer them.

The teacher made a few corrections. All wrong, but one that stuck out and forever will be, is "She had an accident and went to the hospital"..... corrected to "She accidented and went to hospital".

[chooka]

"When Thais speak English, they almost always carry a distinctive Thai accent."

I have noticed this with a lot of Americans, British, South African etc also. Are we Aussies the only ones that speak without an accent? Just kidding, not bashing anyone. My son is always correcting me on how I pronounce certain words. He speaks fluent english/thai at home and is also taught at school by Thai's and says he is constantly being corrected by his teachers in the pronounciation of english words. It hard to tell him that it is the Thai teachers who are teaching him wrong. When we speak with the teachers at his school the farang teachers will say his english language is excellent but the Thai teachers tell us that he is struggling to grasp the english language.

In Thailand English will never be spoken correctly unless it is taught by Thai's. English speaking Farangs are teaching thier children wrong.

[hellodolly]

Why so much effort to teach English to a population that will never need it.

Maybe tops 5% of the population will need it and of those 5% only half will need to be proficient in it.

I live here in Chiang Mai and constantly find myself making purchases from Thai's who can not speak English.

I believe that the pressure to learn English stems from people who do not want to learn the Language of Thailand and are trying to get it so the clerk who sells them a clearly marked price item can explain to them what 200 baht means.

Thai's need to learn the basics Science Mathematics how to reason. English will always be avalable but a waste of money 95% of the time. Why not teach them Chinese?

[Scott]

There are many subjects that are taken by students all over the world that probably aren't needed or used.

Thai's are capable of learning English just as well as any other group. The difficulty is that it requires constant, consistent education by reasonably well-qualified teachers.

For Thai learners, the linguistic distance between English and Thai is rather great, different sounds, different alphabet, tonal system etc. .

[JurgenG]

One of the main reasons for the sudden resurgence of interest in English-speaking is the anticipation of the Asean Economic Community in 2015. There is a common belief that speaking English will be the key to partaking in this community-building exercise.

That is a faulty idea. Actually, knowing one's country better is a prerequisite for such community building. Then, a knowledge of neighboring countries will help to consolidate the sense of community. To do that, the English language is secondary.

And how are all these people communicate together ? Sign language ?

As most of the top businessmen in the ASEAN community are of Chinese origin, maybe learning Chinese makes actually more sense

[Moruya]

As China do not form part of Asean that may not make much sense. If you look at the languages that make up the group, Thai and Lao, Malaysian and Indonesian can interact but Burmese, Cambodian and Vietnamese are pretty much alone. The countries with the best English would be Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar and then the rest.

[zakk9]

Most Thai schools teach English as if it were a Thai dialect, based on Thai grammar and Thai rules of pronunciation. Until they correct that, and stop using the Thai alphabet when teaching foreign languages, most Thais will never learn to speak proper English.

[KarenBravo]

Until ordinary Thai parents value education like the Chinese, Japanese and Koreans, nothing will happen.

Until Thai students realise that just turning up for an English class doesn't make them an English speaker and that they actually have to work, nothing will happen.

Until Thai students ask questions freely without presuming loss of face by doing so, nothing will happen.

[DocN]

The dialect is the problem?

I am not a native English- speaker, but I am told to do it quiet well and I understand quiet a bit.

Makes no difference to me, if I speak with a Thai or a Scotsmen or an Australian or an Italian...they all have accents, that sometimes makes it hard to understand and comunicate.

But what the hell does "My friend you she name Kob!" mean???

[Bakseedaa]

Why so much effort to teach English to a population that will never need it.

Maybe tops 5% of the population will need it and of those 5% only half will need to be proficient in it.

I live here in Chiang Mai and constantly find myself making purchases from Thai's who can not speak English.

I believe that the pressure to learn English stems from people who do not want to learn the Language of Thailand and are trying to get it so the clerk who sells them a clearly marked price item can explain to them what 200 baht means.

Thai's need to learn the basics Science Mathematics how to reason. English will always be avalable but a waste of money 95% of the time. Why not teach them Chinese?

Chinese are also needing to learn English... the world of business , tourism, internet, is based on English... thats the way of the world and in the future everyone will speak English... sooner the better... like it or lump it,,, thats the way forward..

[jayboy]

There are many subjects that are taken by students all over the world that probably aren't needed or used.

Thai's are capable of learning English just as well as any other group. The difficulty is that it requires constant, consistent education by reasonably well-qualified teachers.

For Thai learners, the linguistic distance between English and Thai is rather great, different sounds, different alphabet, tonal system etc. .

Interesting.I accept these good points but remain a bit puzzled why China and Vietnam, with no British colonial tradition to build on, remain so more advanced than Thailand in English language skills.The Nation article (one has got used to the rather pointless political slant which hardly seems relevant on this issue) also seems a little confused at first accepting that better teachers are needed and then suggesting that English proficiency is less important than "knowing one's own country" whatever that means.This is just making a dubious virtue out of a necessity.The reality is that Thailand needs urgently to upgrade its English language skills not just to interreact better with ASEAN but also with the wider regional and global community.I am sure I'm not the only one who has attended international conferences where the Thai delegation has been a silent presence.At first I put it down to cultural factors, a natural diffidence.I now believe it's equally about poor English language skills (the Thai accent is not important:personally I find it rather charming).

[Buchholz]

This is part of the Yingluck government's effort to promote the world's lingua franca in this our tongue-tied country.

It would further the effort if Yingluck and others in her cabinet, like her cousin the Foreign Minister Surapong, and who supposedly hold degrees from western countries, could role model English speech instead of fumbling and stumbling with it and ask for translators.

.

[Derifo]

Until ordinary Thai parents value education like the Chinese, Japanese and Koreans, nothing will happen.

Until Thai students realise that just turning up for an English class doesn't make them an English speaker and that they actually have to work, nothing will happen.

Until Thai students ask questions freely without presuming loss of face by doing so, nothing will happen.

Well said.

[chooka]

Why so much effort to teach English to a population that will never need it.

Maybe tops 5% of the population will need it and of those 5% only half will need to be proficient in it.

I live here in Chiang Mai and constantly find myself making purchases from Thai's who can not speak English.

I believe that the pressure to learn English stems from people who do not want to learn the Language of Thailand and are trying to get it so the clerk who sells them a clearly marked price item can explain to them what 200 baht means.

Thai's need to learn the basics Science Mathematics how to reason. English will always be avalable but a waste of money 95% of the time. Why not teach them Chinese?

You may be right in that most will never need it, but isn't it better to have it and never need than to not have it and need it? English is pretty much the universal language and opens up far more oppertunities for thais later in life than they have now. I am sure that a lot of the girls working in the bars would not be there today if they were proficient in speaking, reading and writing of english language. (or another major language) A lot of schools (private & Govt) in Australia now teach Chinese as a 2nd language and why? because China and Australia are the major players in the Asia/Pacific region in both trade and business. There are 1,000's of chinese also studying english for exactly the same reason. The region is not going to wait for Thailand and if Thailand want's to keep pace I think Thailands future business and communty leaders will need a good mix of Thai/English and Thai/Chinese speakers. The vast majority of regions business and political leaders are already proficient in english as a 2nd language so I guess that is a good place to start.

My wife and i as parents of a Luk Khreung child will be doing everything we can to ensure that our child and our adopted thai child are proficient in all aspects of the Thai and english language then it is up to them when they are older to choose thier own path.

[jayboy]

This is part of the Yingluck government's effort to promote the world's lingua franca in this our tongue-tied country.

It would further the effort if Yingluck and others in her cabinet, like her cousin the Foreign Minister Surapong, and who supposedly hold degrees from western countries, could role model English speech instead of fumbling and stumbling with it and ask for translators.

Apart from Abhisit who went to the most elite English high school and university (similar to Kukrit and Anand) most Thai Prime Ministers have barely spoken English at all.Chuan and Banharn could scarcely string a sentence together.Yes it would be good if Thai leaders all spoke as well as Abhisit and Korn but I doubt whether foreign dignitaries are too concerned.When was the last time one heard a Chinese or Japanese leader (or for that matter Sarkozy or Merkel) speaking acceptable English?

[Derifo]

There are many subjects that are taken by students all over the world that probably aren't needed or used.

Thai's are capable of learning English just as well as any other group. The difficulty is that it requires constant, consistent education by reasonably well-qualified teachers.

For Thai learners, the linguistic distance between English and Thai is rather great, different sounds, different alphabet, tonal system etc. .

Interesting.I accept these good points but remain a bit puzzled why China and Vietnam, with no British colonial tradition to build on, remain so more advanced than Thailand in English language skills.The Nation article (one has got used to the rather pointless political slant which hardly seems relevant on this issue) also seems a little confused at first accepting that better teachers are needed and then suggesting that English proficiency is less important than "knowing one's own country" whatever that means.This is just making a dubious virtue out of a necessity.The reality is that Thailand needs urgently to upgrade its English language skills not just to interreact better with ASEAN but also with the wider regional and global community.I am sure I'm not the only one who has attended international conferences where the Thai delegation has been a silent presence.At first I put it down to cultural factors, a natural diffidence.I now believe it's equally about poor English language skills (the Thai accent is not important:personally I find it rather charming).

It's very necessary for Thai students to know about Thailand. Believe it or not, I've had to teach my grade twelve students about the Chao Phraya River, and even basic Thai history. I usually relate topics in our text book to Thailand. The truth is, they really don't know.

[BookMan]

Ah, the Thai English teachers. One of my private students showed me his homework. I had helped him to understand the questions and how to answer them.

The teacher made a few corrections. All wrong, but one that stuck out and forever will be, is "She had an accident and went to the hospital"..... corrected to "She accidented and went to hospital".

[jayboy]

It's very necessary for Thai students to know about Thailand. Believe it or not, I've had to teach my grade twelve students about the Chao Phraya River, and even basic Thai history. I usually relate topics in our text book to Thailand. The truth is, they really don't know.

Yes that comment mirrors others I have heard from friends in the teaching profession.But learning about Thai history, geography and culture is surely not in substitution for improving English language skills.A cynic might argue that as Thai history as described in government text books is pretty much acknowledged to be a pack of lies, there could be some who actually discourage access to other sources of information in other languages.

[Scott]

It's very necessary for Thai students to know about Thailand. Believe it or not, I've had to teach my grade twelve students about the Chao Phraya River, and even basic Thai history. I usually relate topics in our text book to Thailand. The truth is, they really don't know.

This is very true. Many students (and adults who are proficient in English) know about their country and religion. They have, however, never been taught the information in English and thus have a very difficult time expressing it.

The lexicon of the language includes not only the vocabulary but the way it is put together to make a coherent idea. It's difficult unless you have been taught how to say what you know.

[Bagwan]

"When Thais speak English, they almost always carry a distinctive Thai accent."

I have noticed this with a lot of Americans, British, South African etc also.  Are we Aussies the only ones that speak without an accent?     Just kidding, not bashing anyone.  My son is always correcting me on how I pronounce certain words.  He speaks fluent english/thai at home and is also taught at school by Thai's and says he is constantly being corrected by his teachers in the pronounciation of english words.  It hard to tell him that it is the Thai teachers who are teaching him wrong.  When we speak with the teachers at his school the farang teachers will say his english language is excellent but the Thai teachers tell us that he is struggling to grasp the english language.

In Thailand English will never be spoken correctly unless it is taught by Thai's.  English speaking Farangs are teaching thier children wrong.

How absurd. Your own English needs a little something too. Your second sentence interprets as teachers leading pupils into a life of crime.Much of the posting on this topic here make little sense to me. There is nothing wrong with speaking with an accent indeed one must expect it. BTW Thais have their own accents. I have difficulty in understand Scouse, Geordie or Glaswegian - especially if the speaker has 'had a few.' Two anecdotes.  1. Enjoying a quiet pint in a Birmingham pub after a hectic day at work I became engaged in conversation with a native of Newcastle. He observed that I was not a native of Birmingham (Thank you dear God for that!) and I somewhat sarcastically confirmed that that was the case. His next comment stunned me since I could understand only about every third word he uttered. "Don't they talk funny around here," he said. 2. When working in Savannah, GA at a time when I had disciplined myself to speak 'perceived' English rather than my 'Sarf Londun' patois, the locals regularly informed me that they 'just lurved' my accent. As a matter of routine I retorted that I didn't have one - and they did. I was greatly amused every time as puzzled looks appeared on faces and I could imagine cogs inside heads working out the logic of that. I have been unable to hold a sensible conversation with either of the teachers responsible for teaching English at Thai schools.

[JurgenG]

This is part of the Yingluck government's effort to promote the world's lingua franca in this our tongue-tied country.

It would further the effort if Yingluck and others in her cabinet, like her cousin the Foreign Minister Surapong, and who supposedly hold degrees from western countries, could role model English speech instead of fumbling and stumbling with it and ask for translators.

.

Thank you Buchholz for reminding us that the real purpose of this article is not about discussing the value of teaching the English language but government bashing.

[Alvarez]

Why so much effort to teach English to a population that will never need it.

Maybe tops 5% of the population will need it and of those 5% only half will need to be proficient in it.

I live here in Chiang Mai and constantly find myself making purchases from Thai's who can not speak English.

I believe that the pressure to learn English stems from people who do not want to learn the Language of Thailand and are trying to get it so the clerk who sells them a clearly marked price item can explain to them what 200 baht means.

Thai's need to learn the basics Science Mathematics how to reason. English will always be avalable but a waste of money 95% of the time. Why not teach them Chinese?

I agree with you i think that the reason of why Thai people doesn't learn English is because they just don't need it, maybe an small part of the population does but no the 85% i guess, and is the same in almost all the western countries that don't have English as the official language, for example in the countries that i have lived in : France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Poland, Russia, Mexico, Brazil, China and Japan(well this one is not westerner but i put it anyways) you can say that the 90% of the people don't even know the basics, because they just don't need it ,if you go there to settle or to make business you have two options, one: You learn the language, two: you get an interpreter:)

[kanderson]

Having a perfect English "accent" is pretty far down on the C.L.T. (teaching method) list. It's all about communicative ability. Having an all english day makes perfect sence to me.

I don't think learning languages (including English) is just a passing fad.

[JurgenG]

The dialect is the problem?

I am not a native English- speaker, but I am told to do it quiet well and I understand quiet a bit.

Makes no difference to me, if I speak with a Thai or a Scotsmen or an Australian or an Italian...they all have accents, that sometimes makes it hard to understand and comunicate.

But what the hell does "My friend you she name Kob!" mean???

Actually, as a non native speaker, the accent makes a big difference. I've no problem to have a conversation in English, with a group formed of French, German, Spanish and Chinese. But when a native joins the conversation, it gets more complicated. Do other non native speakers have the same problem ?

I think one of the main problem is we all speak, or at least understand part of , other people language and therefore are able to understand the mistakes of others while the native speaker speaks perfect english but only english.

[softgeorge]

The dialect is the problem?

I am not a native English- speaker, but I am told to do it quiet well and I understand quiet a bit.

Makes no difference to me, if I speak with a Thai or a Scotsmen or an Australian or an Italian...they all have accents, that sometimes makes it hard to understand and comunicate.

But what the hell does "My friend you she name Kob!" mean???

Actually, as a non native speaker, the accent makes a big difference. I've no problem to have a conversation in English, with a group formed of French, German, Spanish and Chinese. But when a native joins the conversation, it gets more complicated. Do other non native speakers have the same problem ?

I think one of the main problem is we all speak, or at least understand part of , other people language and therefore are able to understand the mistakes of others while the native speaker speaks perfect english but only english.

A lot of native english speakers do also speak other languages and not only english as you say.

[tlansford]

Why so much effort to teach English to a population that will never need it.

Maybe tops 5% of the population will need it and of those 5% only half will need to be proficient in it.

I live here in Chiang Mai and constantly find myself making purchases from Thai's who can not speak English.

I believe that the pressure to learn English stems from people who do not want to learn the Language of Thailand and are trying to get it so the clerk who sells them a clearly marked price item can explain to them what 200 baht means.

Thai's need to learn the basics Science Mathematics how to reason. English will always be avalable but a waste of money 95% of the time. Why not teach them Chinese?

On one hand you make some good points, on the other hand, I disagree with you.

For Thai kids, English language skills are one of the door-openers for a better job later. Since we don't know which of the kids in class will want to go to university, study abroad, work in a company that buys / sells internationally, or just work in the tourist industry in Thailand, it is important to give them the skills for the future (among the others you mention, too). With tourism alone a significant part of the Thai economy, maybe the 5% figure is a bit low even for today, but certainly for the future, more English / language skills will be helpful for a lot of kids. (and other languages, too, as you point out).

Now, it is not the point of the OP, but certainly Thais (and all kids) can benefit from learning science, mathematics, reasoning, and of course, to thoroughly learn their own language. I agree completely with you there.

[tlansford]

The dialect is the problem?

I am not a native English- speaker, but I am told to do it quiet well and I understand quiet a bit.

Makes no difference to me, if I speak with a Thai or a Scotsmen or an Australian or an Italian...they all have accents, that sometimes makes it hard to understand and comunicate.

But what the hell does "My friend you she name Kob!" mean???

Actually, as a non native speaker, the accent makes a big difference. I've no problem to have a conversation in English, with a group formed of French, German, Spanish and Chinese. But when a native joins the conversation, it gets more complicated. Do other non native speakers have the same problem ?

I think one of the main problem is we all speak, or at least understand part of , other people language and therefore are able to understand the mistakes of others while the native speaker speaks perfect english but only english.

Yes, others have the same problem.

In my experience, non-native English speakers have problems with some native English speakers because the English speakers speak as if they were speaking to other native speakers and make no / little effort to speak correctly or without using slang terms and / or cultural references. So the problem for non-native English speakers is often that the native English speakers are not speaking perfect English, or not at least not speaking clearly. Since many of the English speakers do not speak a second language, they often lack any sensitivity / awareness to the problem.