Thailand lagging behind in English

[webfact]

Thailand lagging behind in English
Anjira Assavanonda
Special to The Nation


A student standing in front the class listens to hints given by her classmates and tries to guess the English vocabulary written on a piece of paper, held above her head.

Fulbright expert details five factors in 'scare' strategy to boost learning here

BANGKOK: -- Educators and experts gathered recently to share their experiences of reform in English language teaching and learning, implemented in Asian countries like China and Vietnam.

During the seminar, held last month by the Quality Learning Foundation and the Embassy of Finland, much useful information was provided to Thailand's education academia.

Asst Prof Sa-ngiam Torut, a lecturer at Silpakorn University, said China had already adopted a programme of English-teaching that included comprehensive textbooks and system evaluation. "Chinese students need to take the National English Exam in Grade 6, 9 and 12, with teacher promotion and bonuses dependent on their students' achievements in the English National Tests," said Sa-ngiam, who has published a research paper called "English Language Teaching Reform in Asian Countries".

Her research reveals that every educational institution in China is required to set up an English corner to offer an environment that enhances English learning. At college level, students need to pass College English tests before they can graduate. The test covers every English skill, including listening, speaking, reading, writing and also translation.

According to Sa-ngiam, Vietnam has been implementing a 10-year national plan for teaching and learning English, which was launched in 2008 and will run until 2020.

"The consistency is all there - something that Thailand is lacking," she said at the seminar. Education ministers in Thailand are often changed, which has led to an inconsistency in the country' s educational policies, Sa-ngiam said,

Speaking at the same seminar, Pattanawimol Israngkura from the British Council said within the Asean region there were indicators that Thailand's standards of English-language teaching and learning were falling behind the rest of the region. Following 9 to 12 years of English studies at school, exit levels for Mathayom 6 students were comparatively low when compared to key competitor nations.

The quality of teaching was another issue, she said. Limited data collected by the British Council suggested that primary school English teachers in Thailand have, on average, an English level of around "A2" (pre-intermediate) on the CFR (common framework of reference), and those at secondary level have a "B1" (intermediate) level of English. These standards are about one level below teachers in Malaysia and about two levels below teachers in Singapore - though this was only a rough estimate, she said.

"It is interesting to note that even though English teachers in Malaysia are already a step above their Thai counterparts in terms of their own English-language skills, the Malaysian government is currently investing heavily to improve English teaching," she said.

Pattanawimol emphasised that there was a need for wholesale benchmark testing of English teachers in Thailand and to develop a needs-based training response to improve standards over time.

Sa-ngiam said that in order to develop its English-language educational goals, Thailand should create a national language policy and long-term educational blueprints with the help of educational experts.

Doris Gold Wibunsin, a former director of the Fulbright Foundation and also a prominent figure of Thailand's English-teaching reform policy, said after living in Thailand for 50 years, she was finding there was an increasing number of students and English-language teachers with poor English skills.

"There are many public and private organisations coming out with poor English language materials. It's an embarrassment, and social media is actually helping to expand this use of poor materials," Wibunsin said.

She added that on the positive side, students are braver and more prepared to ask questions, while teachers are more confident. However, a proper reform plan was needed, she said.

Wibunsin also pointed to misspelled English-language signs in public places, as well as English-language publications with grammatical inaccuracies, as examples of poor English language usage in Thailand, which should not be overlooked.

"People who are making signs should have someone editing those signs. Are we allowing this to happen just because we don't want to hurt the feelings of those who try to speak English?" she said.

To improve English teaching standards, Wibunsin suggested that the reform process hold on to five principles which she called "SCARE".

The first one is sincerity - one should be sincere and determined in what one does. The second is continuity of the reform process. The third is accountability from government, schools and authorised personnel - as teachers and principles should be accountable if students are doing poorly on English tests. The fourth is the responsibility of - not just the schools and teachers - but of students themselves.

"Good students don't worry teachers, they find ways to teach themselves," she said. The fifth principle is excellence - meaning that schools and society must put pressure on the private sector, families and the government to make sure all sectors are working towards improving the standard of English-language use in Thailand.

In conclusion, Wibunsin said teachers were the most important link in Thailand's reform process and steps should be taken to make sure teachers were properly qualified to teach comprehensive English-language skills to their students. The government, schools and communities should support teachers so they are comfortable in their profession and have the resources to teach.

Authorities should also consider compensating teachers with the kind of remuneration they deserve as well as raising the standards for teacher certification, which would in turn, boost the confidence of teachers.

"If teachers become good role models, then they can manage the curriculum and classrooms, and they are going to produce students who are better in English. I hope that all of the support mechanisms will be put in place, enabling teachers to do the jobs they are supposed to do," she said.


2013 English Proficiency Index:

Total number of Countries: 60

Malaysia: 11th

Singapore: 12th

Vietnam: 28th

China: 34th

Thailand: 55th

Source: Education First http://www.ef.co.th/epi/


-- The Nation 2013-12-16

[CelticBhoy]

I think they speak dead good England so I do.

[Tokay]

English skills: 55th in the world

Deaths on the road: 3rd in the world

Thailand, you're doing it wrong.

[NeverSure]

I have mentioned before that I know a Thai who teaches "English" in a S. Isaan village school. She can't speak the language but she's quite good at reading and writing. She learned all of her "English" from Thais, even at uni. Her English classes are taught in Thai.

NOW I get an email from her today and they have hired a new English teacher and she is happy to go back to teaching math and science.

The new teacher? Another Thai. But she is fluent in English so she will be a good teacher 555. This is a direct copy/paste of what my friend wrote to me after I asked the nationality of the new teacher:

"Hi xxxx,

Oh! I'm sorry I forget to tell you. I was wrong I should tell that she is Thai who teach English so she is not the foreigner. She speak English very well so I think her English is fluent like a native speaker."

So there you go. Students from two villages who attend this school and will never be adept at English.

[jaltsc]

" 'The consistency is all there - something that Thailand is lacking,' " she said at the seminar. Education ministers in Thailand are often changed, which has led to an inconsistency in the country' s educational policies, Sa-ngiam said."

To the contrary. The educational policies are quite consistent. If a student comes from an influential family, that student receives a high grade no matter how poorly s/he performs on exams...OR.... Every student is able to copy the work of the one or two smartest students, and all receive the same high grade. This prevents anyone from losing face.

If there is to be improvement in the education system and proficiency in speaking/comprehending/reading/writing English is to become a priority, then "Thainess" needs to be eliminated from that system.

Edited December 16, 2013 by jaltsc

[NongKhaiKid]

This subject has been aired so many times on this site with lots of great posts.

Posters have experience of the situation as teachers and / or parents and the conclusions are almost always the same.

There is a reluctance in Thailand to accept the situation from within the educational system itself, too many vested interests at work so reform is resisted.

The whole issue needs a complete overhaul from top to bottom but that isn't going to happen.

[PaullyW]

3rd in highest number of traffic fatalities -- but perhaps 1st if being counted properly per WHO standards (extremely hazardous roads)

55th of 60 in English as a non-native language (very poor english ability)

103rd Human Development Index (lower than world average of human development which paints a much better picture than GDP per capita) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Human_Development_Index

68th Human Development Index adjusted for inequality (high inequality, worse than Venezuela, for example) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_inequality-adjusted_HDI

Not Ranked in top 50 for anticipated Human Development Index by 2030 or even 2050 (perhaps not even moving in the correct direction) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_future_Human_Development_Index_projections_of_the_United_Nations

World's most dangerous country for British, American & Australian travellers. (generally and disproportionately dangerous for certain tourists)

135th for press freedom (very low freedom) http://en.rsf.org/press-freedom-index-2013,1054.html

Prevalent child prostitution (very poor morality) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_tourism

Most politically unstable (more coups than any other country in recent history)

[PaullyW]

But, they are 1st in Instagram use and 2nd globally for LINE chat use.

Not sure how some of the foreigners can pretend against the evidence that Thailand is even a reasonably developed country. We can excuse Thais who have been fed their nationalism since birth and most of whom haven't really lived abroad in a more developed country, but educated Westerners? No excuse.

It is a nation that appeals to our senses (sex, food, etc.), but there is not a great deal of things to speak of positively. It's poor in almost every important regard. I would say other than reasonably priced medical care (which is a great achievement for Thailand), it is very poorly developed.

[chooka]

This topic comes up every two weeks. When you have Thais who can't speak English teaching the language then the kids aren't going to learn. It is like farangs who don't speak thai teaching thai. My son's English teacher at a previous school couldn't speak English even tho she had graduated as an English teacher.

[lovetotravel]

Corruption is also a problem. There are inspectors who visit schools to evaluate this and that. If it looks like a school won't get a good score for one item, a bit of money in a brown bags solves it.

Hard to provide good services when this happens.

[sustento]

But they're not lagging behind in sanuk are they? Would you rather be fluent in a foreign language or be happy?

[choff56]

AEC needs ditch diggers too.

[selftaopath]

One and ONLY thing is consistent in Thailand: They "talk a good game." Bla Bla Bla from govt/police/army et al. Total crap mouths.

[Tokay]

My girlfriend's sister has a daughter who is 3 years into a private school. Prior to that she had private English lessons for 2 years, giving her a total of 5 years practicing English. Either the girl is mentally challenged, or her teachers were. Being the only farang she sees, I try to get her to speak with me every chance she gets, but 5 years later she is still struggling with the A,B,Cs, and can not get two words into a sentence.

However, she is INCREDIBLY good at copying what others say. For example, if you ask her how she is doing, she looks at you like an idiot and has no idea what to say. But if her mom, or myself tells her, "I am fine, thank you for asking," she can repeat it perfectly. This is goes in line with her being taught to remember and not actually learn. She's a great parrot. But after 5 years, she should be past her A,B,Cs, especially since she has had private lessons and goes to a private school where they practice a few hours of English per day.

That said, she could just have a learning disability. Unfortunately, there is just no way to tell here.

3rd in highest number of traffic fatalities -- but perhaps 1st if being counted properly per WHO standards (extremely hazardous roads)

55th of 60 in English as a non-native language (very poor english ability)

103rd Human Development Index (lower than world average of human development which paints a much better picture than GDP per capita) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Human_Development_Index

68th Human Development Index adjusted for inequality (high inequality, worse than Venezuela, for example) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_inequality-adjusted_HDI

Not Ranked in top 50 for anticipated Human Development Index by 2030 or even 2050 (perhaps not even moving in the correct direction) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_future_Human_Development_Index_projections_of_the_United_Nations

World's most dangerous country for British, American & Australian travellers. (generally and disproportionately dangerous for certain tourists)

135th for press freedom (very low freedom) http://en.rsf.org/press-freedom-index-2013,1054.html

Prevalent child prostitution (very poor morality) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_tourism

Most politically unstable (more coups than any other country in recent history)

That my pale skinned friend, is what they call Thainess.

But, they are 1st in Instagram use and 2nd globally for LINE chat use.

Bingo, bongo, They are also #1 at driving scooters and cars while making Facebook updates.

[binjalin]

problem is Thai's are very proud of themselves and their 'culture' and see no reason to learn the 'farang' language

[Somtamnication]

All my students can repeat well. If you ask the entire class (p6) "how are you today". They all reply " I'm fine thank you and you?".

But if you ask one of these students separately the same question, you get a blank stare. Surreal.

Once 2015 comes around and they see Asean citizens taking over their hospitality and customer centre jobs, they may, just may, wake up.

But I doubt it.

[binjalin]

But, they are 1st in Instagram use and 2nd globally for LINE chat use.

Not sure how some of the foreigners can pretend against the evidence that Thailand is even a reasonably developed country. We can excuse Thais who have been fed their nationalism since birth and most of whom haven't really lived abroad in a more developed country, but educated Westerners? No excuse.

It is a nation that appeals to our senses (sex, food, etc.), but there is not a great deal of things to speak of positively. It's poor in almost every important regard. I would say other than reasonably priced medical care (which is a great achievement for Thailand), it is very poorly developed.

Very good post. I had not thought about 'appealing to our sense' but it's a good description. For most of us it's a 'playground'

[tominbkk]

Not sure about the Chinese, but for the Vietnamese that I have experience with, they generally learn English very quickly if they need to. I also find that on the whole their critical thinking skills, independent learning and study skills, and overall drive for learning itself to be higher. I won't say that they have a higher IQ, but I do find they have a higher intellectual drive.

[LuckyLew]

Until the Gov't puts in a real sincere effort to educate the people of Thailand it will be same same. They need to overhaul the education system from the bottom up. Too bad the Gov't relies on uneducated people to vote for them ... so they prefer uneducated citizens. If all the people in Isaan and the northwest were properly educated they would then be too smart to vote for a convicted criminal on the run and his posse of thugs and thieves.

[Tokay]

Once 2015 comes around and they see Asean citizens taking over their hospitality and customer centre jobs, they may, just may, wake up.

They wont. Do you want to know what will happen? They will blame the new workers for stealing their jobs and you'll probably start seeing violence against them.

[binjalin]

Until the Gov't puts in a real sincere effort to educate the people of Thailand it will be same same. They need to overhaul the education system from the bottom up. Too bad the Gov't relies on uneducated people to vote for them ... so they prefer uneducated citizens. If all the people in Isaan and the northwest were properly educated they would then be too smart to vote for a convicted criminal on the run and his posse of thugs and thieves.

and you HAD to introduce your political view into a thread about language right? as if the opposition did any more for education than the current lot? why not give it a rest

[cmiuc]

the expression... "you can't beat a dead horse" comes to mind...

It wouldn't matter how many stats, reports, Up coming ASEAN nation(wasn't Thailand vying to be the education hub?), or what you say... they still won't listen and they still won't do anything about it... and there was that article on corruption? Thailand was high on that list... and another article on excuting corrupt politicians? well they would be having to execute a lot of people, maybe their wouldn't be anyone left accept poor people in this country, so that won't happen

Bottom line, if corruption can be at least controlled, then the economics of Thailand will start improving, until that time, you are beating that dead horse... maybe an elephant in Thailand's case.

MOE is the worst about listening to anyone...

But again, that won't happen.

[cmiuc]

Until the Gov't puts in a real sincere effort to educate the people of Thailand it will be same same. They need to overhaul the education system from the bottom up. Too bad the Gov't relies on uneducated people to vote for them ... so they prefer uneducated citizens. If all the people in Isaan and the northwest were properly educated they would then be too smart to vote for a convicted criminal on the run and his posse of thugs and thieves.

and you HAD to introduce your political view into a thread about language right? as if the opposition did any more for education than the current lot? why not give it a rest

Reminds you of the dark ages, and how many hundreds of years did it take until that ended? well count 2x at least for Thailand...so we all will be dead and the world is High Tech world... and Thailand is still wondering how to do it better than anyone else in the world...

[ezzra]

Thailand is lagging behind in almost everything, except perhaps in corruptions, nepotism,

and coup d'état.......

[choff56]

Until the Gov't puts in a real sincere effort to educate the people of Thailand it will be same same. They need to overhaul the education system from the bottom up. Too bad the Gov't relies on uneducated people to vote for them ... so they prefer uneducated citizens. If all the people in Isaan and the northwest were properly educated they would then be too smart to vote for a convicted criminal on the run and his posse of thugs and thieves.

Overhauling the educational system sounds great, but can they please start from the top down.

[Local Drunk]

Walking into a classroom does not make one a teacher and neither does a BA in English or any other study qualify one to teach ESL or any other discipline. Teaching is an art that paints the canvas of confusion with an image of understanding, inspiration, curiosity and individual thought...

Some of the worst teachers I've seen here have been those with the most formal education. They rest on their laurels and books, and preach their lessons rather than teach, so their students learn to fill in the blank correctly but they haven't a clue as to what the sentence means.

Some of the best I've seen are those who are self taught because they've learned to think for themselves and that's knowledge that no degree can share.

I'll rant about the system later...

Edited December 16, 2013 by Local Drunk

[Scott]

Actually, walking into the classroom does make you a teacher, LocalDrunk. Just like putting a white uniform on the cleaning lady makes her the school nurse.

[Local Drunk]

Actually, walking into the classroom does make you a teacher, LocalDrunk. Just like putting a white uniform on the cleaning lady makes her the school nurse.

Yeah.. here it seems to happen.

Rant about the system accomplished.

Edited December 16, 2013 by Local Drunk

[Spare]

To solve the English problem, Thailand should allowed unconditional English teaching visa to Khao San Road Farang.

Set a minimum wages of 45,000 Baht per months plus benefits.

This apply to all Farangs coming from list of countries where English is an official language.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_where_English_is_an_official_language

[farangbanok]

From original article.

According to Sa-ngiam, Vietnam has been implementing a 10-year national plan for teaching and learning English, which was launched in 2008 and will run until 2020.

It seems to me Vietnam should drop its 10-year national plan for teaching and learning English and teach elementary mathematics instead .... launched in 2008 and will run until 2020.

To me with my measly 3 years of primary school education that is TWELVE years not ten!