Thai schools adopt European framework to boost English language proficiency

[lostinisaan]

I just found this article and do believe it's a great idea to change the existing system. Our Thai English teachers will have to make the test on the 28th of this month.

The Thai Ministry of Education has set the following English language proficiency targets for students in Thailand.

• By the end of Prathom 6 (Grade 6) students should have reached A1 proficiency
• By the end of Mathayom 3 (Grade 9) students should have reached A2 proficiency
• By the end of Mathayom 6 (Grade 12) students should have reached B1 proficiency

These targets are realistic goals for a country as dependent on foreign tourism as Thailand. The targets for Grade 6 and Grade 9 are certainly within the reach of schools that emphasise English language learning, but the Grade 12 target of B1 proficiency is ambitious. It will take time and effort before large numbers of Mathayom 6 graduates are able to reach this level.

Please see: http://asiancorrespondent.com/131944/thai-schools-adopt-european-framework-to-boost-english-language-proficiency/

Dear Mods,

I hope it's okay to post the link. Thank you very much for your consideration.

[lostinisaan]

The levels and a link to their website to test learner's ability. Please see grammar and listening test.

http://www.examenglish.com/CEFR/cefr.php

[otherstuff1957]

So does this mean that they are tossing out the English section of the current Thai Curriculum and adopting the Common Core standards? I think that grinding sound I can hear is the bureaucrats at the MOE digging in their heels and saying nooooooooooo!

[angsta]

The culture needs changing and that isn't likely to happen anytime soon.

[lostinisaan]

So does this mean that they are tossing out the English section of the current Thai Curriculum and adopting the Common Core standards? I think that grinding sound I can hear is the bureaucrats at the MOE digging in their heels and saying nooooooooooo!

The MoE and their nasty Khurusapha will have to change a lot. Give the gloved guy at TCT an inactive post, would be a good start. And all guys working at the TCT will also have to pass a CEFR test, at least C1 for those who're dealing with foreigners.

I've received three e-mails from them, didn't understand any of them.

Here's another good one:

http://asiancorrespondent.com/78647/thai-education-failures-part-4-dismal-english-language-education/

Edited April 12, 2015 by lostinisaan

[lostinisaan]

Their goal that M 6 students have to pass B1 level would only be possible, if the Thai teachers could pass a higher level.

I've tried this one with the best English speaking teacher at my school and he scored A 2 in both tests, grammar and listening.

He was completely lost in the listening part and could hardly follow any of these conversations.

[SlyAnimal]

This is really good if they're thinking about this. After reading about the Thai teachers having to take this test, I was actually hoping to start adjusting my own teaching to focus around working towards teaching my students with this curriculum in mind.

While doing a bit of quick research for materials/resources, I found the below test:

http://www.examenglish.com/leveltest/index.html

It's not the full test, but is designed to give people an indicator about what their level of English is, so that they know what to study etc. Any NES should of course get C2, and I would assume that most European Non-NES would probably get around C1 or C2, but what do you think the Thai English teachers would likely score?

I was curious, and so I got my wife to take both the grammar and vocabulary test, as well as the listening test. I usually rate her English as significantly better than most of the Thai teachers at my school and on par than the best 1-2 teachers (Better listening/speaking & maybe worse grammar/vocab). She scored B1 in the Grammar and Vocab test, and C1 in the listening test, which was around the level I was expecting for listening, and slightly lower than I'd expected for grammar/vocab.

With that in mind, M6 students obtaining B1 would be a very very ambitious goal at present, but if there was a progressive curriculum from P1 right through to M6, then I think it would be achievable (So a goal for in 12-15 years time).

Oh and for anyone curious about how these A1/A2/B1 etc levels correspond to the other English proficiency exams etc, please see the below page:

http://www.examenglish.com/examscomparison.php

[lostinisaan]

This is really good if they're thinking about this. After reading about the Thai teachers having to take this test, I was actually hoping to start adjusting my own teaching to focus around working towards teaching my students with this curriculum in mind.

While doing a bit of quick research for materials/resources, I found the below test:

http://www.examenglish.com/leveltest/index.html

It's not the full test, but is designed to give people an indicator about what their level of English is, so that they know what to study etc. Any NES should of course get C2, and I would assume that most European Non-NES would probably get around C1 or C2, but what do you think the Thai English teachers would likely score?

I was curious, and so I got my wife to take both the grammar and vocabulary test, as well as the listening test. I usually rate her English as significantly better than most of the Thai teachers at my school and on par than the best 1-2 teachers (Better listening/speaking & maybe worse grammar/vocab). She scored B1 in the Grammar and Vocab test, and C1 in the listening test, which was around the level I was expecting for listening, and slightly lower than I'd expected for grammar/vocab.

With that in mind, M6 students obtaining B1 would be a very very ambitious goal at present, but if there was a progressive curriculum from P1 right through to M6, then I think it would be achievable (So a goal for in 12-15 years time).

Oh and for anyone curious about how these A1/A2/B1 etc levels correspond to the other English proficiency exams etc, please see the below page:

http://www.examenglish.com/examscomparison.php

Dear Sly. ( sorry, was just trying to answer your post, without writing underneath your sentences)

I really appreciate to have guys like you on this forum with a healthy common sense. Just doing the test, you’ve suggested gives you only an idea about somebody’s level of English.

I did post this page quite a few times and held seminars for Thai English teachers to prepare them for such a test, already in July/August last year. When I tried it the first time, I scored C 2, upper Mastery level, even considering the fact that I grew up in a bilingual environment.

Based on my experience with Thai English teachers, the average score between A1 and B 2. Haven’t seen one of them reaching C 1, or 2 level, which isn’t rocket science.

Please try following with your wife, friends, colleagues, etc. Please see my attached files and let them do some very serious English. I have to be honest that there’re various questions, where I’ve to think twice and really have a hard time to score C 2 level.

Please give it a try. My point being is that the whole test really shows anybody’s’ ability in English.

Please go to B 1 level, specified grammar, listening, reading, grammar and other skills and you’ll find out that most Thai English teachers will have a damn hard time to even understand the questions.

BTW, I found out that quite a few native English speakers, without a degree had a hard time to find the right answers in the grammar test.

One British guy had one out of six questions with six possible answers at one assignment of a C 2 test. But that was just a tiny part of the test. How many Thai teachers and Filipinos and other non-native English speakers would have full score? Guess we all know the answer.

What I’m trying to say is that if I’d like to “create” a very difficult test, by only taking material from CEFR, it would be easy to make it so difficult that only 5 % of the test takers would pass the test.

The biggest problem in my opinion is that Thai teachers in general can’t be bothered to “use many already available Medias, watching English movies, using a website like TVF to enhance their writing skills.

There’re so many websites, offering free English, but updating their facebook pages seems to have first priority.

And excuses like: You know teacher farang, when I come home, I only speak Thai are only showing how incompetent a lot of them really are. But they’re not alone.

You’d think that people are learning by doing a job for almost ten years, right?

I was really surprised when I met a female Filipino teacher who started to work at my first school after about a year after me.

. We hadn't seen each other for about seven years and it was a big surprise when my son told me that teacher xxx from the Philippines was at the same place where we had a steak.

Just trying to be polite, greeting her and asking her: “Hey teacher xxxx, long time, no see. How’s it going?”

Her answer was: “I go eat steak.”

Now please put all the bits and bytes together and tell me how that should work out in the long run? Lost faces everywhere.............

Too many lost faces are making too many problems. Or was it people? Let's ask a really confused guy....

Edited April 12, 2015 by lostinisaan

[Suradit69]

If they want to achieve a high standard of English instruction they need to screen out annoying accents ... something considered vitally important by school inspectors in England.

A teacher has been told to tone down her northern accent as a result of criticism by school inspectors.

The teacher, who is working in west Berkshire but hails from Cumbria, has been set this by her school as one of her "targets" to improve performance, her union said today.

He added: "Apparently, the beginning of this was Ofsted (the education standards watchdog), who made a comment about her accent. As a consequence of that comment, it was decided that would be a reasonable objective to impose upon the member. She was told she needed to make her northern Cumbrian accent sound more southern

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/teacher-told-to-sound-less-northern-after-southern-ofsted-inspection-8947332.html

[casualbiker]

If they want to achieve a high standard of English instruction they need to screen out annoying accents ... something considered vitally important by school inspectors in England.

A teacher has been told to tone down her northern accent as a result of criticism by school inspectors.

The teacher, who is working in west Berkshire but hails from Cumbria, has been set this by her school as one of her "targets" to improve performance, her union said today.

He added: "Apparently, the beginning of this was Ofsted (the education standards watchdog), who made a comment about her accent. As a consequence of that comment, it was decided that would be a reasonable objective to impose upon the member. She was told she needed to make her northern Cumbrian accent sound more southern

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/teacher-told-to-sound-less-northern-after-southern-ofsted-inspection-8947332.html

A neutral accent would be even better!

[DP25]

If they want to achieve a high standard of English instruction they need to screen out annoying accents ... something considered vitally important by school inspectors in England.

That would mean 99% of Thai teachers would have to be fired.

[rijb]

Am I missing something? What about the how? How exactly are they going to get students to these levels of proficiency? Test them to death?

[gerryBScot]

This is undoubtedly a step in the right direction but it is a very small one. What it does is to introduce standards with defined criteria for levels of competence. It provides a framework, undoubtedly a better framework, and it sets some specific targets. It only indirectly addresses the real problem which is the quality of the teaching. In order to successfully meet the new targets nothing other than a revolution in teaching will suffice. Passing exams has never been a problem in Thailand. I am sure a way will be found to meet the targets but not necessarily one that will involve major changes in teaching. I hope in the long term that this does bring about change but I am not really sure that the way forward is in fact traditional tests, exams and grades which is all this is in real terms under a new name.

[casualbiker]

This is undoubtedly a step in the right direction but it is a very small one. What it does is to introduce standards with defined criteria for levels of competence. It provides a framework, undoubtedly a better framework, and it sets some specific targets. It only indirectly addresses the real problem which is the quality of the teaching. In order to successfully meet the new targets nothing other than a revolution in teaching will suffice. Passing exams has never been a problem in Thailand. I am sure a way will be found to meet the targets but not necessarily one that will involve major changes in teaching. I hope in the long term that this does bring about change but I am not really sure that the way forward is in fact traditional tests, exams and grades which is all this is in real terms under a new name.

Actually I think passing an exam first time has been an on going problem for at least 50% of the school population for at least 5 years. Because many just retest and retest until given a pass mark!

[nottocus]

[lostinisaan]

This is undoubtedly a step in the right direction but it is a very small one. What it does is to introduce standards with defined criteria for levels of competence. It provides a framework, undoubtedly a better framework, and it sets some specific targets. It only indirectly addresses the real problem which is the quality of the teaching. In order to successfully meet the new targets nothing other than a revolution in teaching will suffice. Passing exams has never been a problem in Thailand. I am sure a way will be found to meet the targets but not necessarily one that will involve major changes in teaching. I hope in the long term that this does bring about change but I am not really sure that the way forward is in fact traditional tests, exams and grades which is all this is in real terms under a new name.

Actually I think passing an exam first time has been an on going problem for at least 50% of the school population for at least 5 years. Because many just retest and retest until given a pass mark!

Happened at a high school, somewhere in lower northeast. When it turned out that the majority of grade 12 didn't pass their English tests, neither the ones given by the Thai teachers, nor the ones foreigners had conducted, they had a brilliant solution. ( As always)...

An " English Immersion Camp" on a weekend turned water into wine and all had a fantastic grade. And plenty of them didn't even show up for their English lessons.