Thai officials to slash number of foreign English teachers

[webfact]

Officials to slash number of foreign English teachers
By Coconuts



BANGKOK: -- Although Thailand ranked at the very bottom of the English Proficiency Index by EF, the government's next move is to cut back on hiring foreign English teachers and have Thais teach English to Thais.

The Education Ministry wants to cut back on foreign teacher recruitment to slash costs and focus on giving intensive language training to the Thai teachers.

Under the "train-the-trainer" program, a group of 500 Thai teachers who teach English in government schools nationwide will take part in an intensive six-week training course taught by English specialists from the British Council.

The selected teachers, whose English must be among the best in their schools, will receive advanced instruction on teaching written and spoken English as they will be expected to be role models for other teachers in their communities, said Teerakiat Jareonsettasin, Deputy Education Minister.

Full story: http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2015/11/13/officials-slash-number-foreign-english-teachers

-- Coconuts Bangkok 2015-11-13

[Prbkk]

Lunacy

[Jessi]

I am lost for words. The people making these decisions are "Brain Dead"

[lust]

Thailand just went full retard.

[Raymonddiaz]

Day Dreamers...............

[Ikarus111]

Brainwash education at it's best

[pinkpanther99]

I saw the Deputy Education Minister speak at the FCC in Bangkok a while back. He seemed like a really smart guy, who I thought could really do some good in transforming the Thai education system.

Then I read this....

Oh dear.

When I was 'teaching' English here 5 years, the school I was at ran 'Teach The Teacher'. Once a week one of the farang teachers had to 'teach' the Thai teachers English.

That lesson teaching the teachers was more problematic than even my lowest ranked pratom class.

The Thai teacher had absolutely no interest in learning and often just sat their talking among themselves, playing on their phones and would almost never participate for fear of losing face.

Edited November 13, 2015 by pinkpanther99

[Maejo Man]

Never met a Thai teacher yet that has above average English language proficiency! Sheer madness!

[EnzoRippo]

Country nearly closed.

At least, the inhabitants of this country will not be able to communicate with the other persons living on the planet. Thus, they'll not be touched by "bad ideas".

[chrisinth]

I'm glad the source of this article was Coconuts, it has eased the Mind-Blown experience at least a little bit.......................

[omlette]

Thailand takes yet another step backwards.

[Somtamnication]

Such negativity. The students will finally be able to say "I fine thank you love you" after being asked how old they are.

[clockman]

Just seen a report. Out of 43,000 Thai English teachers. Only 6 were fluent in English!

Edited November 13, 2015 by clockman

[tartempion]

My 4.5 year young is teaching her teacher English: I told her "Pratoo" is door in English she said to me. so there still is hope for Thailand.

[chrisinth]

Just seen a report. Out of 43,000 Thai teachers. Only 6 were fluent in English!

Heard it was actually only 5, the 6th was a passing cleaning lady who got accidentally caught up in the melee.......................

[Thailand]

ASEAN countries, enjoy, no competition here!

[Mister Fixit]

What is NOT said above, but I have read elsewhere, is that 43,000 Thai teachers of English were tested and only SIX reached the required level of proficiency in English.

What standard are the other 42, 994? And what percentage of fluency is that? Only 0.01395% of Thai teachers tested in English were reasonably fluent.

It boggles the mind that the cretins in the Ministry could even contemplate such lunacy.

[poohy]

I'm glad the source of this article was Coconuts, it has eased the Mind-Blown experience at least a little bit.............

D​ont want to rain on your parade its headlines in the Unmentionable other English language paper

Still its utter madness!

Edited November 13, 2015 by poohy

[Mister Fixit]

I'm glad the source of this article was Coconuts, it has eased the Mind-Blown experience at least a little bit.......................

It was also in another article in a paper that can't be named here, apparently ...

EDIT - beat me to it, Poohy!

Edited November 13, 2015 by Mister Fixit

[Mister Fixit]

I can see Thailand asking ASEAN to carry on without it for another 2 - 5 years or so while it gets its act together.

[eeworldwide]

Country nearly closed.

At least, the inhabitants of this country will not be able to communicate with the other persons living on the planet. Thus, they'll not be touched by "bad ideas".

Nor "touched" by dodgy foreign English teachers either.....

[Lorn]

I'm glad the source of this article was Coconuts, it has eased the Mind-Blown experience at least a little bit.............

D​ont want to rain on your parade its headlines in the Unmentionable other English language paper

Still its utter madness!

Both articles make it pretty clear it's a long-term plan and it is something that should be aimed for. Of course it is better to use well-trained local teachers than rely on foreign teachers forever. The headline that Coconuts uses is typical of the sensationalism of gutter rags.

[Brit_Doggie]

Keep the immigrants throw out teachers ok latter works good for the duck and dive brigade (yes you) but also sort out the former.

[Mbaki]

Hopefully they will get rid of the trashy teachers trying to teach English when English is not their first language. Half the time I can't even understand when the Filipino English teachers at my son's school try to talk to me in English.

[EnglishJohn]

Another reason why people should be pressuring the Junta to make the reforms then get out.

Instead all I see in the Thai media are whining commentaries nit-picking all the detail of what the Junta did today - which, incidentally, they never did when the dirty cronies were about their business.

Everybody should be supporting and pushing the reform process to get it over with and have some elected, accountable people in office. I shudder to think how incompetent some of these current ministers are.

I've noticed Thai culture produces a lot of people who have trouble seeing beyond what is in front of their face.

[ChanJay]

Can't stop laughing. What a joke! The Thai English teachers I met aren't capable to have the easiest conversation in English. And even if they actually speak English, I don't understand most of it because of their heavy accents.

[chaiyapoon]

Well it's certainly not working at moment.Need to look at doing something different but how this could ever be seen as a step in the right direction is beyond me.Just pure cost savings.Thailand stepping back into the Middle Ages.

[PattayaPhom]

I wont be popular but given the quality of a large percentage of the foreign teachers here I cant blame them. Yes there are very good committed teachers here from all backgrounds but unfortunately we all know that most are here for the booze and hookers and nothing else.

[EnglishJohn]

I'm glad the source of this article was Coconuts, it has eased the Mind-Blown experience at least a little bit.............

D​ont want to rain on your parade its headlines in the Unmentionable other English language paper

Still its utter madness!

Both articles make it pretty clear it's a long-term plan and it is something that should be aimed for. Of course it is better to use well-trained local teachers than rely on foreign teachers forever. The headline that Coconuts uses is typical of the sensationalism of gutter rags.

Why ?. It will always be better to have a native speaker doing the teaching. When I went to school, the French teachers were always French. That way you get the correct pronunciation and inflexion as well.

I've yet to meet a Thai who understands future tense.

[Jingthing]

Honestly, native English speaking teachers don't need to be very expensive. Make the visa situation easier for them and many young native English speakers will want to do this for at least a few years just for the adventure. Yes, I'm saying they're willing to be exploited and it seems daft to me not to take advantage of that for the good of the future of Thailand. Yes, Thailand would benefit with better English.

Yes I understand just being a native English speaker doesn't make you a good teacher.

But I happen to think a native English speaker with even basic training in teaching is better than a trained teacher who can't really speak English.

Edited November 13, 2015 by Jingthing