DSD provides English training on radio for Thai taxi drivers

[webfact]

DSD provides English training on radio for taxi drivers

BANGKOK, 12 December 2014 (NNT) – The Department of Skill Development (DSD) is now providing English training services on radio for taxi drivers to learn English to accommodate for tourists and the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC).

According to the DSD Director-General M.L. Puntarik Smiti, the DSD is providing a radio broadcast service that will help train taxi drivers to improve their English skills, especially conversational English training.

She has said that the working schedule of taxi drivers does not allow them to attend regular in-class training. Therefore, the department has begun broadcasting five-minute lessons on FM 91 MHz every day on 5:25am, 5:25pm, and 10:25pm.

The conversations in each lesson are related to the work of the taxi drivers which can be self-trained and used in their daily lives. This project aims to accommodate the AEC and to provide better service to the tourists, said the DSD Director-General.

The DSD Director-General has said that she would like to invite the taxi drivers, as well as the general public, to tune in for the conversation lessons as good English skills will bring in better career opportunities and help make daily usage of English easier.

-- NNT 2014-12-12

[Thian]

Why not use a dedicated english channel to teach english 24 hrs a day? Not only for taxi-drivers but for everybody who wants to learn english.

Also do the same with a tv-channel, one that can be seen all over the country for free. 24 hrs and use native speakers, no Thai teachers.

[Bluespunk]

Not that bad an idea really. Short and hopefully to the point.

[Mango Bob]

So they will teach them phases like:

1. Sorry my meter is broken.

2 Sorry I have no change.

3. Sorry I can not take you there, I just got a call from my wife, I have to go pick up milk for the baby

[Pib]

Why not use a dedicated english channel to teach english 24 hrs a day? Not only for taxi-drivers but for everybody who wants to learn english.

Also do the same with a tv-channel, one that can be seen all over the country for free. 24 hrs and use native speakers, no Thai teachers.

Actually they do provide English training (read, write, speak) on the DLTV (Distance Learning TV) channels shown on TrueVisions, etc...15 of the DLTV channels showing various subjects/topics like English...this training is focused towards school kids. I expect the DLTV channels are carried by other satellite/cable providers also. The DLTV do use Thai teachers but it seems to work pretty good as the teachers can explain the English words in Thai....shifts back and forth between Thai and English.

But generally the English training given in govt schools is not very much nor do the schools seem to stress the importance.

[Bluespunk]

So they will teach them phases like:

1. Sorry my meter is broken.

2 Sorry I have no change.

3. Sorry I can not take you there, I just got a call from my wife, I have to go pick up milk for the baby

Better than nothing.

[greenchair]

I have noticed the drivers trying to speak some english in my taxi trips around the city.

Some of them are getting quite good. And nobody has asked me how old i am for some time now.

[maidee]

i doubt the poor has truetv, it is rather expensive

and if they have to chose between paying tv and a case of CHANG ... you know the drill

[Lupatria]

Mor Lam in English? I don’t take you where you wanna go- unless you pay double fare…

[EvilDrSomkid]

This has been around for some time. In all the times I have taken a taxi, I have run into one (1) taxi driver that was listening to English lessons on radio.

Besides that, Thai people are not interested in True Visions, they have PSI, which is what we have and is all they need.

[DaveE13]

i find a lot of the taxi boys to be ok. normally want to chat about football

[Pib]

i doubt the poor has truetv, it is rather expensive

and if they have to chose between paying tv and a case of CHANG ... you know the drill

Sure...a lot do have TrueVisions TV...some of the lower cost plans since TrueVisions has many different plans. And just an hour ago while setting in Vet/Dog Clinic waiting room watching their satellite TV which was "free TV" using a PSI settop box hooked to a KU band antenna, DLTV channels 1 thru 15 was part of the channel line. I know the poor do free satellite TV.

[A1Str8]

That's a good idea.

[BKKdreaming]

Why not use a dedicated english channel to teach english 24 hrs a day? Not only for taxi-drivers but for everybody who wants to learn english.

Also do the same with a tv-channel, one that can be seen all over the country for free. 24 hrs and use native speakers, no Thai teachers.

Actually they do provide English training (read, write, speak) on the DLTV (Distance Learning TV) channels shown on TrueVisions, etc...15 of the DLTV channels showing various subjects/topics like English...this training is focused towards school kids. I expect the DLTV channels are carried by other satellite/cable providers also. The DLTV do use Thai teachers but it seems to work pretty good as the teachers can explain the English words in Thai....shifts back and forth between Thai and English.

But generally the English training given in govt schools is not very much nor do the schools seem to stress the importance.

is DLTV on line anywhere ?

[Pib]

I just googled DLTV Thailand and came up with this website which lists 15 DLTV channels which correspond to grade level. Have never used the site. Link

Edited December 12, 2014 by Pib

[Tokay]

So they will teach them phases like:

1. Sorry my meter is broken.

2 Sorry I have no change.

3. Sorry I can not take you there, I just got a call from my wife, I have to go pick up milk for the baby

4. You pay now or I will attack you with a machete!