PM urges Thais to learn and practice English via 'Echo English' application

[phil2407]

Wow - he can multitask!! Listen to English music and watch Thai film at same time - thought that was reserved for women only usually they're on the phone chatting away then ask you everything that was said - "sorry dear you were talking couldn't hear tv" He'll be dancing next at the sink with a brush up his **** and sweep the room at the same time - oh sorry that's a job for women I think you said

[Bangkokhatter]

Typical Thai visa response, just read 62 posts and only a couple were slightly supportive.

The PM is not saying this APP will teach you English, he is saying it will be a useful aid, in the same way that watching English movies or listening to English music can aid learning the language.

Am sure many of us on here have a similar APP on our phones to help us learn Thai.

Sure the education system is in dire need of reform, but it's hardly his fault, he has only been around a short time.

It seems most people just reply to these type of threads to have a good moan, how constructive is that ?

[thaibry]

I am heartened when I see Thai teenagers texting in English because it is faster and easier than using the native Thai keyboard. The power of technology is often underestimated.

Posted from my phone using predictive text, please excuse any spelling or grammatical errors.

[Lannig]

Guys, don't underestimate the usefulness of learning Chinese.

I'm an IT guy, old school but if I had one useful piece of advice to give to today's students in the IT field it would be: learn Chinese.

Tomorrow's major job provider will be the mobile industry and as of today I already see that when developing system stuff for e.g. Android (not talking of apps here) there's a lot of untranslated chinese documentation in the parts close to the hardware.

I really think that having reasonable control of Chinese will be a real plus for IT people at least (don't know about other industries) in the years to come.

As for this "learn English" app, I'm very skeptical. If learning a language without the help of someone teaching you was possible we'd know it. Most of us who have tried to learn a new language from scratch using whatever application know that unless you're a genius, you can't get past a certain level. At least I can't and most people I've seen trying as well.

[Nigeone]

How about encouraging the resource on their doorstep, us? Over the years many of the students in our village have come to our home to get me to answer their school project questions answered. Remember the ones that school kids would ask you a bunch of questions like, "where you come from" and "what is your favorite color, then take a photo of you together. I was always happy to do it, partly because I didn't think the kids should have been approaching complete strangers in malls to complete the forms and partly because it was in my own best interests for the local people to see that I was approachable and had an interest in them. I would have loved to have people stop by for a chat, and was asked to help teach. I had to refuse, because with a retirement visa you can't do it. Make it "legal" for us to help, I'd do it for free.

I can relate to that also...When I lived in Lamphun every week I had 3 local youngsters coming to my house where I taught them English....Had them speaking and asking each other questions and having to answer...Thai was banned !! They did so well and really picked it up quickly...Taught another young girl who was lucky to attend a international school and again came on great..Even took them all to the local BIG C and taught them the English names for all the items..all everyday stuff... Was also asked would I go to the local junior school to help, they couldn't afford to pay me,but would have still done it only for the problems I might have got from authorities !! Sad and so backward in restricting our valuable input

Edited March 9, 2016 by Nigeone

[Britannia]

Thais dose not have the 'ear' for other languages and they slow and easily intimidated by learning another

language plus the fact that they asking themselves why do I need this? not as if I'll be conversing

in English anytime soon working in the field or a factory right?.....

The only segment of Thai people that comes in contact with foreigners should heed the PM advice,

the others, will be a waste of time unless you practice speaking English often.....

There are many uneducated Isaan Bar ladies that speak a lot better English than most college students, you can lead a horse to water you can not make it drink. the desire to learn is 80% to being successful

[diehard60]

One question only. How many countries speak Chinese?????????????????

[Nigeone]

One question only. How many countries speak Chinese?????????????????

I agree but I can kind off see there point about maybe a good language to learn as they seem to be encouraging trade and tourism from there. However English should always be at the top of the pile for a second language

[willyumiii]

Here's an idea, why not hire 1000's of professional native English language speaking teachers to deploy all over the country and pay them a decent competetive salary. When I say competetive I'm talking about competetive on an international scale.

In my opinion until this happens and continues over a long period of time (decades) Thailand will continue to be at a disadvantage on a worldwide scale.

Right now there's an exemption in the work permit regulations which allows English language teachers to be paid less than other foreign workers. So the previous governments have made calculated and deliberate choices to do it on the cheap.

You get what you pay for and the results are very clear !

Great idea,,

but let's take it a step further and hire Thai English teachers that can actually read, write and speak the English language?

[djayz]

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.

If the people aren't 1) interested in learning a foreign language and/or 2) rewarded (e.g higher salary, promotion, etc.) for having good language skills, then neither good teachers nor apps will ever change that.

[Siamwhiteelephant]

Oh, right...and how about mentioning the obvious?...Communicating with real people actually in their presence, who are native English speakers. Instead, urging Thais only to continue to bury their heads in their smart phones, but this time with an English app, without taking the opportunity to practice a single word of English with the farang English teacher sitting next to them on the bus or wherever

[MaiChai]

Its like most things in Thailand: if you are rich you will get 1st rate. If you are not you wont. Add the word education or anything you like to above. Hence free state education in Thailand is bottom of the pile, and almost worthless.

Edited March 10, 2016 by MaiChai

[DrTuner]

An app with the same name in Google Play, made by a Thai company: 1k downloads. Whoopie.

[khunpa]

How about encouraging the resource on their doorstep, us? Over the years many of the students in our village have come to our home to get me to answer their school project questions answered. Remember the ones that school kids would ask you a bunch of questions like, "where you come from" and "what is your favorite color, then take a photo of you together. I was always happy to do it, partly because I didn't think the kids should have been approaching complete strangers in malls to complete the forms and partly because it was in my own best interests for the local people to see that I was approachable and had an interest in them. I would have loved to have people stop by for a chat, and was asked to help teach. I had to refuse, because with a retirement visa you can't do it. Make it "legal" for us to help, I'd do it for free.

You realise that what you are suggesting, would actually make people learn something. Not a good idea ;-)

[poohy]

commencing a sentence with 'and' is perfectly acceptable; usually where the preceding pause is too long to justify a comma or semicolon.

​Errrrr ! not when I went to school it wasn't!

[steve187]

You know that guy in the background of the picture looks like a certain someone...

same suit and hair cut

[JAG]

commencing a sentence with 'and' is perfectly acceptable; usually where the preceding pause is too long to justify a comma or semicolon.

​Errrrr ! not when I went to school it wasn't!

Neither ir would appear did an exclamation mark signify the end of a sentence, requiring the next word to start with a capital letter.

Commencing a sentence with and, but or even so is not wrong, just inelegant.

[jaggiss]

compulsory learning of English from age 3.

like Cambodia.

That would open there eyes to the world