Improving English skills is vital: Surin

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EDUCATION
Improving English skills is vital: Surin
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- English could be the key to help improve Thailand's serious educational problems, Surin Pitsuwan, a former secretary-general of Asean, said last week.

The latest World Economic Forum's report on global competitiveness described Thailand's quality of higher education as "abnormally low" in comparison with other ASEAN countries.

"We must pay attention to the content of the WEF's findings. Our standing is getting worse. We have seen Thailand's scores sliding down the scale in all categories survey after survey, year after year. This is a serious matter that calls for a national strategy to reverse the trend," he said.

Thai education has been in a crisis state for a while now and efforts to bring about reform have not borne fruit due to political interference and bureaucratic resistance, he said.

"We talk a lot about teaching our students to be critical, to think independently and to solve problems, not use rote learning and memorisation. But we are getting nowhere.

"English could be an answer to our educational malaise. With a higher proficiency in English, Thai students can change the dynamics of the classroom. They will have access to more information before going to class, forcing teachers to be better prepared and turning traditional lecture rooms into seminars where active exchanges can take place," he said.

In the current sad state of Thai education, teachers have little motivation to prepare their lessons and students have no tools to access information relevant to their courses due to their universally low fluency in English.

English must be an urgent national agenda item. A high percentage of Thai students, even at secondary school level, already carry smartphones.

"But they are IT-savvy only for digital games. And not to access useful information for learning and intellectual growth."

According to the ASEAN Charter, English is "the working language of Asean". All ASEAN business is conducted in English. But Thai youths are lagging behind in this increasingly important communication tool.

Last year, among 54 countries surveyed for English proficiency, Thailand ranked 53, only ahead of Libya.

"That is a dismal state of affairs to be in, when we know well that export growth, GDP expansion and even per capita income increases have direct correlation with English proficiency. I insist, that with a higher proficiency in English today, Thailand's competitiveness will increase many times over tomorrow."


-- The Nation 2013-09-16

[lujanit]

lots of talk, let us hope there is some walk to go along with it. If the pollies and other government officials can make a quid out of it maybe something something will happen.

[garydubbs]

we need to do whatever malaysia is doing, the standard of english there is incredible

[NongKhaiKid]

Is improvement needed - Most Definitely, Will it happen - No.

Like tackling corruption and so many other issues a sea change in attitudes is need and will be resisted. Teaching programmes come to mind as does the attitude of teachers who insist on being treated like gods in their classrooms and who will resist allowing students to think for themseleves, ask questions and so on.

Just where will all the competent English speaking teachers come from as the majority I have worked with are " English teachers " in name only and cannot pass on their knowledge and skills since they don't have any.

This is so likely to be yet another exercise in saying the right things and that's as far as it goes.

[lujanit]

we need to do whatever malaysia is doing, the standard of english there is incredible

You mean incredibly good, yes? Singapore is even better. Could it have to do that both countries had a past 'association' with the UK whereas Thailand has none?

I have found that a lot of younger Thais can speak some english. I think they are too shy to use it with foreigners.

[soundman]

Maybe to government could consider diverting some of the ludicrous sums of money wasted on the rice scheme, to paying native English teachers properly and making visa and work permit conditions far easier for these people.

Nah, won't happen, not in the national interest, of some.

[Scott]

All they have to do, is only show Thai Soap Operas in English. Everyone will learn the language quickly. The motivation will be incredible.

[yooper2001]

The younger you are then the easier it is to learn another language. My grandson is 3 years old and he can speak English and Russian. Thailand should start English lessons much sooner. Where I live most school kids only know how to say hello. My wife says that they know English but thai culture is that they are too shy to speak with a farang. I can see this may be true as my wife was shy to talk to any other farang because she was afraid to make a mistake in speaking English. Now she is very fluent and will stop to help any farang tourist that looks confused at a bus or BTS station.

[ramrod711]

Last year, among 54 countries surveyed for English proficiency, Thailand ranked 53, only ahead of Libya.

Perhaps they might consider allowing people that are here on retirement visas to help, i don't want to lose my visa just because i volunteer to assist young people in my village. My wife is asked frequently if i can teach english, i am the only farang in the village. Parents bring their kids to our house when they have to do the interviews in english for school projects, they ask where i come from, my hobbies, favourite colours etc. and take a photo, presumably to prove that they actually spoke to a foreigner. I am not a teacher but i think it would be helpful just to sit and chat with them.

[NongKhaiKid]

Last year, among 54 countries surveyed for English proficiency, Thailand ranked 53, only ahead of Libya.

Perhaps they might consider allowing people that are here on retirement visas to help, i don't want to lose my visa just because i volunteer to assist young people in my village. My wife is asked frequently if i can teach english, i am the only farang in the village. Parents bring their kids to our house when they have to do the interviews in english for school projects, they ask where i come from, my hobbies, favourite colours etc. and take a photo, presumably to prove that they actually spoke to a foreigner. I am not a teacher but i think it would be helpful just to sit and chat with them.

I'm sure i don't need to tell you to be careful because due to the insular, crazy attitude that is so prevelent here volunteer work is still work and requires a permit. I have known well meaning people to fall foul of this, luckily they were just warned off.

I myself was involved many years back when I helped several local government officials from my local municipal offices who were studying for a Master's Degree in Business Administration.

Over coffee one day the most senior of these officials pointed out the laws that were being broken but laughingly said no one was likely to report me.

However and crucially she warned of the ever present petty jealousies and said in our case someone who was not in the group could easily cause problems and of course that applies everywhere and often for the most obscure of reasons.

[NeverSure]

Thailand will be the Hub of English.

He's right though. The internet is mostly in English and I use it every day to look some things up that I'm curious about or even that I need to know. Worldwide, international commerce is conducted in English. This generation needs to be fluent in English or it will fall off the charts.

[worgeordie]

I doubt many Politicians have more than a rudimentary grasp

of English, and as the incentive to improve anything always

comes from the top,cannot see it been taking seriously,and

Thailand is always going to be at a disadvantage in this

respect, compared to Malaysia,Burma,Singapore and even

the Philippines,

One negative result of never been colonized,that also might

have helped with the rule of law,and as a result I feel Thailand

is very xenophobic,even though it would never admit the fact.

Too little too late,as with most things here !

regards Worgeordie

[KireB]

Improving English skills is not the answer to Thailand's educational problems, it would be a result. The problem is that within the present educational system with a total lack of accountability and priority in all levels, Thai kids will never learn English or any subject at all! Compared to International standards of course.

[enjoyinglife22]

we need to do whatever malaysia is doing, the standard of english there is incredible

I read something on the weekend that mentioned about Malaysia and Singapore... the reason they have had huge success in teaching English language is that the students have a class (math, history, sicence, etc) in English. So they are not just taking English language speaking, reading and writing lessons but they are also taking some of their core classes in English as well.

[1plumber]

this could be a perfect opportunity for both Thailand and the farangs that might help them with this. Sadly it would require concessions on their part in terms of visa type incentives for the English teacher/consular/volunteer.....concessions that will never come about due to misguided motivations of those capable of granting such visa concessions. I really have a hard time unraveling why they would deny themselves an asset that is ready,able and at their disposal.

[Tatsujin]

Last year, among 54 countries surveyed for English proficiency, Thailand ranked 53, only ahead of Libya.

Oh change the record already . . . anyone with half a brain knows that English is vital for business but that's not going to change anything here in the LoS anytime soon. It's all talk, no action, as always.

Rather than concentrating on learning English, how about tackling the deeper issues such as corruption, laziness, the "give me" attitudes, the ingrained superior attitudes of many, the xenophobia, the "we don't need help from anyone else cos we know it all" attitudes . . . all of which would benefit the country far more.

[Rupert2]

Last year, among 54 countries surveyed for English proficiency, Thailand ranked 53, only ahead of Libya.

Perhaps they might consider allowing people that are here on retirement visas to help, i don't want to lose my visa just because i volunteer to assist young people in my village. My wife is asked frequently if i can teach english, i am the only farang in the village. Parents bring their kids to our house when they have to do the interviews in english for school projects, they ask where i come from, my hobbies, favourite colours etc. and take a photo, presumably to prove that they actually spoke to a foreigner. I am not a teacher but i think it would be helpful just to sit and chat with them.

I too will be on a retirement visa next year. I have a TESOL and speak pretty good Thai. I would like to teach part time - but would like to

be paid something. I probably won't bother unless the Work Permit thing is sorted.

[15Peter20]

When I first came to Thailand in the mid 90's, the need to learn English in Thailand was generally perceived as being as important then as it is now - if not more so. Parents spent huge amounts of money on extra classes for their kids and workers would enroll in evening classes to improve their career prospects. Just to come at this issue from another angle, my question is what does it say about the ability of English teachers over the past 20 years if the country is still so poor at English?

[jackr]

Dire English proficiency is just a part of it.

[soi41]

lots of talk, let us hope there is some walk to go along with it. If the pollies and other government officials can make a quid out of it maybe something something will happen.

Yes lots of talk, but at least Khun Surin knows, what he is talking about!

Problem is that he is a muslim member of the Democratic Party, (former FM), so I am afraid that the idiots in power, as usual is not going to pay any attention!

[Mampara]

One should also realise that out of all the immigrants in Thailand, less than 1% belong to the so called "Native English Speakers" group (which is actually a fallacy) the rest are non-native speakers which form the bulk of the business dealings and the buying power in the Kingdom, bearing this in mind it is theoretically impartible to receive instruction from native speakers only in our schools, many Thais are quite efficient in the language while speaking to a "native speaker" but completely hopeless when trying to converse, or for that matter discuss business with non-native speakers from India, Malaysia, or Singapore, just to name a few. In my mind one should begin by learning a form of aeronautical English which is a form of simple English devised by NASA to enable pilots to understand each other and to read instruction manuals. This would enable most Thai Students as well as business people to communicate with most of the non-native speakers from many countries, thereafter start perfecting the language if necessary, depending on the career choice.

[klauskunkel]

English could be an answer to our educational malaise

Cause and effect, dude! English skills won't fix your educational mess. A complete system overhaul might do that. Then English skills will improve along with all the other skills.

[seminomadic]

Improving English skills is not the answer to Thailand's educational problems, it would be a result. The problem is that within the present educational system with a total lack of accountability and priority in all levels, Thai kids will never learn English or any subject at all! Compared to International standards of course.

Thread winner for the first sentence alone. Agree wholeheartedly; I just hope that by "accountability" you don't mean teacher's performance ratings pinned on test results. I'm hoping you mean accountability in terms of expenditure and decisions made by administrators.

[Dr Robert]

Tell me this then; HOW would Thai fluency in English improve anything, anything at all? It is not so much language (that is promulgated as a panacea to current unrest and unease), as an attitude barrier and hegemony that underpins an underperforming education system which is the foundation of current political leadership that imposes a strict hierarchical social structure to protect the elite and powerful (which is not unique to Thailand). Learning English wont change that.

[CIHUAHUA]

Since 2005 schools are being encouraged to establish English language programs however Thailand was ranked 54th out of 56 countries globally for English proficiency, the second-lowest in Asia.Several thousand native-English speakers are employed in public and private schools throughout the country. This is being encouraged by the need to develop students' oral expression and knowledge of foreign culture; much of their time, however, is taken up with remedial teaching: putting right any grammar, orthography, pronunciation and cultural background that has been wrongly taught and which leads to great misunderstanding — they see this as a greater priority.

The push should be to teach verbal skills and hire non-licenced teachers who are English first speakers.

[noitom]

Improving English skills is not the answer to Thailand's educational problems, it would be a result. The problem is that within the present educational system with a total lack of accountability and priority in all levels, Thai kids will never learn English or any subject at all! Compared to International standards of course.

Very insightful comment.

[Tomtomtom69]

Thailand will be the Hub of English.

He's right though. The internet is mostly in English and I use it every day to look some things up that I'm curious about or even that I need to know. Worldwide, international commerce is conducted in English. This generation needs to be fluent in English or it will fall off the charts.

I have a Thai friend, her major at university was English (she is a graduate of Chiang Mai University). After a year in Holland (admittedly not an English speaking country, but many locals there do speak English and my friend was forced to due to her lack of Dutch skills) and then she comes back to Thailand and when she does internet searches, she conducts them in Thai, even though the quantity and quality of information in Thai is far less than in English. Her whole world is now in Thai, and her English, although never particularly good, is worsening at an ever increasing rate. I guess it doesn't help that I speak Thai with her, as well as her only other non-Thai friend in Thailand (who is also a friend of mine) but us speaking English with her when we only see her so rarely wouldn't help - she has decided not to be more engaging with the English speaking world in general and that's why she's missing out. Having virtually no friends that are foreigners residing in Thailand also doesn't help her.

[Mampara]

Improving English skills is not the answer to Thailand's educational problems, it would be a result. The problem is that within the present educational system with a total lack of accountability and priority in all levels, Thai kids will never learn English or any subject at all! Compared to International standards of course.

Thread winner for the first sentence alone. Agree wholeheartedly; I just hope that by "accountability" you don't mean teacher's performance ratings pinned on test results. I'm hoping you mean accountability in terms of expenditure and decisions made by administrators.

Don't hope too much, try reading between the lines, instead of the line itself.

[cbluck58]

Draconian measures must also be taken to prevent the insidious invasion of so-called American English so that our children do not suffer the fate of English speakers in Singapore, China, the Philippines and Malaysia whose English vocabulary, spelling and accents have been corrupted.

[NeverSure]

Draconian measures must also be taken to prevent the insidious invasion of so-called American English so that our children do not suffer the fate of English speakers in Singapore, China, the Philippines and Malaysia whose English vocabulary, spelling and accents have been corrupted.

Outrageous comment. The population size that uses the various forms of "British English" is tiny. It's all about the internet and world commerce which is in American English. There are various brands of English but we all can communicate which is what matters. We all communicate just fine on this forum, even those for whom English isn't their first language.

Yes, "the fate of English speakers in Singapore, China, the Philippines and Malaysia" and Canada and America and Austrialia.. At least they can access ALL of the important information on the internet, conduct international trade, and talk and send emails to each other.

British English is, worldwide, so yesterday that you need to keep up.

Edited September 16, 2013 by NeverSure