Thai Education Min aims to make students proficient in everyday English within 3 yrs

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Min of Education aims to make students proficient in everyday English within 3 yrs



BANGKOK, 28 July 2016 (NNT) - The Education Minister has said that teacher training must focus on communication skills and the ability to make students understand course content, while the ministry aims to make students proficient in everyday English within three years.

Speaking at Srinakharinwirot University, Minister of Education Gen Dapong Ratanasuwan delivered a keynote address on teacher development and educational agendas.

He also highlighted the current shortage of teachers. There are 6,570 teaching vacancies at the elementary, 1,180 at high schools and 662 at special education institutions. To address the teacher shortage, the ministry has detailed a five-year plan to establish provincial school boards, equip teachers with skills relevant to the 21st century, and revise the teacher training system.

Gen Dapong added that within two years, the ministry aims to minimize memorization learning in classrooms. Within three years, the ministry aims to make students in all schools proficient in everyday English and internet usage.

-- NNT 2016-07-28

[casualbiker]

Hahahahaha hohohohoho... classic gold!

[baboon]

Yeah yeah. Next!

[noosard]

A 5 year plan to establish , but completed in 3

Magic numbers

Got to love the education ministry for using their skills

Edited July 28, 2016 by noosard

[NongKhaiKid]

Sapeak everyday English in 3 years, would that be the everyday English that Thai teachers can't sapeak themselves ?

[sjjmmi]

Good luck with that one

[dcnx]

Why not just say 3 months? Seems to be the amount of time to say it's gonna get done but it never does.

Maybe Chalerm could do it.

[Kasset Tak]

The learning curve of my college students:

They have studied English sins first year in primary school but when they get to the college they can still not write their names in English and their hand writing looks like something you expect form a student in 1^st grade.

I asked/teached them "How are you?" everyday for 5 months and then after the 2 month break (April-May) they didn't remember the meaning of the question or how to answer it.

Then I'm supposed to teach them subjects like "Principals of Animal Husbandry", "Agricultural Industry" and "Poultry Raising" in English... there is now way in hell that they will be able to speak English in 3 years!!!

[Brer Fox]

So to do this they import Filipino "English" teachers who speak and write some American dialect of what is supposed to be English.

Why do they do this? Because they are cheaper to employ and the school hierarchy gets a big kickback from the employment agency.

So much for improving students English and eliminating corruption.

[SneekyPete]

"How are you?"

"I am fine. And you?"

Mission accomplished. And it only took 3 years!

[clockman]

There goes another flying pig!

[sunflowerhx]

All you so called "English teachers" need to find a new "career".

[kotsak]

[ratcatcher]

The learning curve of my college students:

They have studied English sins first year in primary school but when they get to the college they can still not write their names in English and their hand writing looks like something you expect form a student in 1^st grade.

I asked/teached them "How are you?" everyday for 5 months and then after the 2 month break (April-May) they didn't remember the meaning of the question or how to answer it.

Then I'm supposed to teach them subjects like "Principals of Animal Husbandry", "Agricultural Industry" and "Poultry Raising" in English... there is now way in hell that they will be able to speak English in 3 years!!!

They have studied English sins first year in primary school...."

As long as they are the seven sins (PEGS LAW) https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_deadly_sins

[PatOngo]

Why not just say 3 months? Seems to be the amount of time to say it's gonna get done but it never does.

Maybe Chalerm could do it.

If not he knows someone who's first name starts with letter "C" and claims he can sort it out within 90 days!

[opouri]

As usual they get the cart before the horse.The first thing that needs to be done is do an official translation of Thai to English then everyone can teach English as it relates to Thai.

Need to have English subtitles on all T.V. programs so students can relate what they have learned back to Thai. I would think most students don't have anyone in the home who speaks English to help them learn.

There is many expats here teaching English but they are all from different countries so they teach a version which applies to them not English English!

Most important everyone needs to be singing from the same Hyme Book.

[PaullyW]

Where you go?

Where you come from?

Thai food. Like?

Thailand people. Good?

Mission accomplished.

[chainarong]

My this mob of spiffs have got the PTP down to a pat , all talk and nothing of substance, and no knowledge of how to even start a everyday English curriculum ,like all languages , to learn English you need to start in primary school at a young age ,most English teachers in the west have a Degree in English literature and not every teacher would like to come to Thailand for the lifestyle and culture, the OZ going rate is around 130 grand AUD plus a year for secondary high, so go figure.................... .

[chainarong]

As usual they get the cart before the horse.The first thing that needs to be done is do an official translation of Thai to English then everyone can teach English as it relates to Thai.

Need to have English subtitles on all T.V. programs so students can relate what they have learned back to Thai. I would think most students don't have anyone in the home who speaks English to help them learn.

There is many expats here teaching English but they are all from different countries so they teach a version which applies to them not English English!

Most important everyone needs to be singing from the same Hyme Book.

The Thai education department has no intention of doing anything , how many times we have seen this in the media over the past 2 decades is un-countable , roughly they are full of Sh!!t, long term Thai watchers R used to this.

[colinneil]

Just more bu.....t from the Education minister.

How can they expect children to learn English with some of Thai teachers they have?

They think they are proficient in English, but when you speak to them only thing they say !!MAI KAO JAI !!

Only larger schools have a budget for English, what about smaller village schools that get nothing?

[MZurf]

As usual they get the cart before the horse.The first thing that needs to be done is do an official translation of Thai to English then everyone can teach English as it relates to Thai.

Need to have English subtitles on all T.V. programs so students can relate what they have learned back to Thai. I would think most students don't have anyone in the home who speaks English to help them learn.

There is many expats here teaching English but they are all from different countries so they teach a version which applies to them not English English!

Most important everyone needs to be singing from the same Hyme Book.

Hyme Book? Is that a pornographic text or the religious book of the Jews??

Edited July 28, 2016 by MZurf

[jerojero]

Going to do this, going to do that. Plan this that, promise everything under the sun! Try accomplishing something firdt, then make the news report!

[mtls2005]

Fire, ready, aim.

Form another committee.

[Somtamnication]

Fantastic. A GENERAL knows about education reform. Good luck, Thailand!

[jerojero]

As viable as this.

[dageurreotype]

Sapeak everyday English in 3 years, would that be the everyday English that Thai teachers can't sapeak themselves ?

And this is the crux of the problem. The godawful pronunciation makes the effort made by students to learn English a complete waste of time. I was talking to (or at least trying to) a young student graduate waiting for his upcoming BA and gave up asking him to repeat what he'd just said, it was incomprehensible. His boss, a posh hotel on Phuket, had hired him thinking he could communicate with the guests. He was wrong, he can't. How do these kids even know that their English speaking is atrocious? And don't get me started on 'compuTURE' 'furniTURE' 'orDURE'. And yes I know it's because the idiot in charge of transliteration of Thai Words is an imbecile and placed the tone mark in the wrong place.

They should cut back on the bloody military spending and hire native speakers if they want the next generation to be able to interact with the global community. And a pig just flew past my window.

[NongKhaiKid]

I'm seem to remember that last year questions were raised about the standard of English ahead of the start of the AEC and it was claimed if would be sorted out in a year.

Sorry I can't be more specific.

At least LoS is consistent as they make unrealistic claims and set unrealistic deadlines then make no attempt to achieve them.

[skildpadden]

As usual they get the cart before the horse.The first thing that needs to be done is do an official translation of Thai to English then everyone can teach English as it relates to Thai.

Need to have English subtitles on all T.V. programs so students can relate what they have learned back to Thai. I would think most students don't have anyone in the home who speaks English to help them learn.

There is many expats here teaching English but they are all from different countries so they teach a version which applies to them not English English!

Most important everyone needs to be singing from the same Hyme Book.

Agree with you - no dubbing but only Thai subtitles on any program is an easy start.

The difficult part is to change the dinosaur that is Thai education system.

[Misterwhisper]

Laughable!

Begs the question: Does the education ministry actually understand the meaning of the English word "proficient"?

[toybits]

Too late to start teaching Thais to speak English if they are already in College. Better to start at a much younger age - like pre-school. How to do it? All Cartoon programs should be broadcast EXCLUSIVELY in ENGLISH. Make it mandatory. ON Sundays most of the early morning TV programs are cartoons. By 2017, these kids will be able to speak Johnny Bravo English and Scooby Doo English.