Teacher Candidates Demand English Requirements Be Reduced

[theguyfromanotherforum]

Something has been bothering me for some time. What's the difference between a click bait and fake news?

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Ivor Edwards]

17 minutes ago, Puwa said:

This article is total clickbait. The headline makes it sound  as if a formal, major campaign were underway, when in fact it was a few disgruntled teachers commenting on a website. Don't be so easily provoked. 

 

Careful lad. There are people who have disappeared after using the word 'clickbait'. Verboten. Agin tha rools...

[Rhys]

Toeic under 300 would mean the person cannot read the questions or answers, thus comprehension.

[IMA_FARANG]

On ‎7‎/‎6‎/‎2017 at 6:48 PM, darksidedog said:

I am yet to meet a local Government school teacher who can actually speak good English, or a non farang student from a Government school that can either. Lowering the criteria is not going to improve the situation. The best teachers of any language are of course native speakers, but schools here are not prepared to either pay for them, or give the work permits. Thailand is not investing properly in their children's future, unlike Cambodia, where the kids even at 10, speak English well.

-------------------------------

I understand what you say, especially about Government officials.

But that is not the only group that speaks English in Thailand.

3 months ago I had an accident and broke my left arm.

I was forced to hire a local nurse to help take care of me do the things I could not do as my broken arm was in a cast.

I later had to have an operation in a Thai hospital to reset my dislocated bone in my arm and needed to recuperate for 3 months after that operation.

The Thai woman I hired to take care of me supposedly spoke little English by the agency I hired her from.

In the 3 months she has been taking care of me her supposedly limited English skills have blossomed dramatically, sometimes she understands to well what I say in English.

One time I was typing something on my computer and made a mistake accidentally erasing some text.

I swore at the computer.

She heard me swear at the computer and  said to me in perfect English, "Why you  cuss your computer. Not your computer's mistake. You make mistake not your computer".

She was right, but until then I didn't even know she knew the English word cuss,  much less how to use it in a sentence properly.

Just so you know.

 

 

 

 

Edited July 8, 2017 by IMA_FARANG
correct a typo

[Ivor Edwards]

4 hours ago, IMA_FARANG said:

-------------------------------

I understand what you say, especially about Government officials.

But that is not the only group that speaks English in Thailand.

3 months ago I had an accident and broke my left arm.

I was forced to hire a local nurse to help take care of me do the things I could not do as my broken arm was in a cast.

I later had to have an operation in a Thai hospital to reset my dislocated bone in my arm and needed to recuperate for 3 months after that operation.

The Thai woman I hired to take care of me supposedly spoke little English by the agency I hired her from.

In the 3 months she has been taking care of me her supposedly limited English skills have blossomed dramatically, sometimes she understands to well what I say in English.

One time I was typing something on my computer and made a mistake accidentally erasing some text.

I swore at the computer.

She heard me swear at the computer and  said to me in perfect English, "Why you  cuss your computer. Not your computer's mistake. You make mistake not your computer".

She was right, but until then I didn't even know she knew the English word cuss,  much less how to use it in a sentence properly.

Just so you know.

 

 

 

 

 

Indeed, which goes to show it isn't a problem with the ability to learn, rather they way they're forced to learn from other people who haven't learned but have got a piece of paper saying how well they did while not learning very much.

 

The other day I met a Thai man, young feller, about 30. He spoke excellent English and I was so surprised I stayed to chat with him for a while. Computer Science teacher but he paid attention to learning English because he saw it's the future (despite what Prayuth says).

 

Meanwhile back to reality, I went off to buy a smart-ish phone with a keyboard - a Blackberry or something because I'm useless at typing on a phone (and not too hot on a computer). The stupid woman behind the counter looked across a row of new and 2nd-hand Blackberry's, all with keyboards, but because she didn't understand what a 'keyboard' is, I got the inevitable "no have...".

 

Saving face - so very important. Even if you look like a clod in the process.

 

 

Edited July 9, 2017 by Ivor Edwards

[richthai]

It's naive to say that Thailand can afford to fall further behind ASEAN countries in English skills.  

A 400 on TOEIC is "Speaker has functional, but limited proficiency. Able to maintain very simple face-to-face conversations on familiar topics."

And a 250 on TOEIC is "Able to satisfy immediate survival needs."

 

The job of teachers is to help students have job opportunities when they graduate.  The solution is to increase the skill of teachers.  All to often teachers in Thai schools can only read from a book. They have little understanding of English.

[Ivor Edwards]

2 minutes ago, richthai said:

It's naive to say that Thailand can afford to fall further behind ASEAN countries in English skills.  

A 400 on TOEIC is "Speaker has functional, but limited proficiency. Able to maintain very simple face-to-face conversations on familiar topics."

And a 250 on TOEIC is "Able to satisfy immediate survival needs."

 

The job of teachers is to help students have job opportunities when they graduate.  The solution is to increase the skill of teachers.  All to often teachers in Thai schools can only read from a book. They have little understanding of English.

"The solution is to increase the skill of teachers."

 

Too hard. Remember these are Thais we're talking about, is the land of talking. Actually doing is something different. It's harder.

 

[1SteveC]

1 hour ago, richthai said:

It's naive to say that Thailand can afford to fall further behind ASEAN countries in English skills.  

A 400 on TOEIC is "Speaker has functional, but limited proficiency. Able to maintain very simple face-to-face conversations on familiar topics."

And a 250 on TOEIC is "Able to satisfy immediate survival needs."

 

The job of teachers is to help students have job opportunities when they graduate.  The solution is to increase the skill of teachers.  All to often teachers in Thai schools can only read from a book. They have little understanding of English.

 

"The job of teachers is to help students have job opportunities when they graduate." - No it is not, it is to educate them.

 

"The solution is to increase the skillS of teachers"

 

"All toO often"

 

:-(

[EnlightenedAtheist]

1 hour ago, 1SteveC said:

 

"The job of teachers is to help students have job opportunities when they graduate." - No it is not, it is to educate them.

 

"The solution is to increase the skillS of teachers"

 

"All toO often"

 

:-(

 

Why the proofreading?

 

 Did you not understand that the other "too" was the one needed? In speaking, there are identical and NO ONE has any problem. 

 

Maybe it is time for people like you to get educated. The usual line is: it is not them, it is the teacher, or it is them. Yet, we know English spelling sucks. English is really two languages. The English spelling system sucks and that has been proven time and time again. As a restult, as things being equal, it takes 3 more years to learn to read and spell, albeit in a rudimentary way. Yet, almost all Grade 1 will spell using the alphabet they have learned. The system sucks. 

 

Make me a troll, if you want, but I am on-topic and I am sick and tired of getting the usual "Mai Pen Rai" from the English-speaking farangs.

 

Of course, you can always ignore me, just like the Thais ignore your recommendations. Tit for tat.

 

 

[EnlightenedAtheist]

3 hours ago, Ivor Edwards said:

"The solution is to increase the skill of teachers."

 

Too hard. Remember these are Thais we're talking about, is the land of talking. Actually doing is something different. It's harder.

 

Like reforming the English spelling system. LOL

[Grubster]

On 7/6/2017 at 6:48 PM, darksidedog said:

I am yet to meet a local Government school teacher who can actually speak good English, or a non farang student from a Government school that can either. Lowering the criteria is not going to improve the situation. The best teachers of any language are of course native speakers, but schools here are not prepared to either pay for them, or give the work permits. Thailand is not investing properly in their children's future, unlike Cambodia, where the kids even at 10, speak English well.

I had a Thai neighbor school teacher here, he spoke perfect English. He was teaching agriculture and math. The English teacher at his school can't speak any English. Is there any hope?

[thailand49]

On 7/6/2017 at 4:48 AM, darksidedog said:

I am yet to meet a local Government school teacher who can actually speak good English, or a non farang student from a Government school that can either. Lowering the criteria is not going to improve the situation. The best teachers of any language are of course native speakers, but schools here are not prepared to either pay for them, or give the work permits. Thailand is not investing properly in their children's future, unlike Cambodia, where the kids even at 10, speak English well.

100% correct now that they are part of the Asean community, like most thing here these old school leaders think it is no longer necessary. Another move or suggestion to keep the rest dumb and stupid, so they can continue the rich gets richer and the poor get poorer.

3rd world mentality pretending to me more than they are?

[1SteveC]

39 minutes ago, thailand49 said:

100% correct now that they are part of the Asean community, like most thing here these old school leaders think it is no longer necessary. Another move or suggestion to keep the rest dumb and stupid, so they can continue the rich gets richer and the poor get poorer.

3rd world mentality pretending to me more than they are?

 

"now that they are part of the Asean community," - What do you mean "now"? ASEAN came about on 8th August 1967, 50 years ago !!

[thailand49]

5 hours ago, 1SteveC said:

 

"now that they are part of the Asean community," - What do you mean "now"? ASEAN came about on 8th August 1967, 50 years ago !!

You are right they have since 1967, sign in Bangkok as I understood it, but one or some of the new terms added was those in Asean would improve their English skills in their population starting a few years back and as noted in the Government schools English seem non-existing.

Maybe you can educate me if this is the case so I don't continue being wrong.

[chonburimaster]

TOEIC250 is a joke. If you have some sort of academic English study, one can get 700 or above without preparing for exam. Yet another amazing Thailand.

[tifino]

they don't need to prepare!

 

for, all they to do is 'remember' like a parrot

 

As rote learning is all they do (just like we all did, albeit when we were 5 years old) ,

then, This - is more effective, for a mind that is only capable of 'copying'

https://youtu.be/8dhk3UI-wPM
 

 

 

[Aforek]

Believe me or not, one month ago, I was at a Lotus express parking ( in a small city, 8000 inhabitants, rural aera ) , and I see a Thai woman in uniform, approching me ; she asked my nationality ( I am French ), if I can speak Thai ( yes  I do , and read too ) and she asked me if I am interested to teach English in her school ; I answered that  I have no experience in teaching  and taht English is not my language ; she answered, nevermind, we have French  people who teach English

I said no, not interested, but it shows they are ready to take on anybody, whatever their level in English  is , the only important thing for them is to be farang 

sad, I think 

[1SteveC]

42 minutes ago, Aforek said:

Believe me or not, one month ago, I was at a Lotus express parking ( in a small city, 8000 inhabitants, rural aera ) , and I see a Thai woman in uniform, approching me ; she asked my nationality ( I am French ), if I can speak Thai ( yes  I do , and read too ) and she asked me if I am interested to teach English in her school ; I answered that  I have no experience in teaching  and taht English is not my language ; she answered, nevermind, we have French  people who teach English

I said no, not interested, but it shows they are ready to take on anybody, whatever their level in English  is , the only important thing for them is to be farang 

sad, I think 

 

There is not a single city or town in your province (Prachinburi) with a population as low as 8,000.

[YetAnother]

On 7/6/2017 at 6:41 PM, Moonmoon said:

Of cos English is not needed in Thailand 4.0. Generalissimo says that " Thai could be the World's new English".

Joke of the day but also disturbing

[YetAnother]

Teachers demanding,

I wonder if their students demand

[Aforek]

43 minutes ago, 1SteveC said:

 

There is not a single city or town in your province (Prachinburi) with a population as low as 8,000.

It's out of context, but what do you call a city ? schools, markets, pharmacies, doctors, bus, banks, cars and motobikes sellers etc , it's not a city ? 

Kabin buri , Srimahaphot,  Sri mahasot are cities for me, for Thai adminstration they are tambon 

[1SteveC]

5 minutes ago, Aforek said:

It's out of context, but what do you call a city ? schools, markets, pharmacies, doctors, bus, banks, cars and motobikes sellers etc , it's not a city ? 

Kabin buri , Srimahaphot,  Sri mahasot are cities for me, for Thai adminstration they are tambon 

 

Kabin buri is a district.

 

Si Maha Phot is both a district and a tambon, (not a city or town).

 

Si Mahosot is also a district, (though there are the ruins of an ancient city there).

 

What you call a city obviously bears no resemblance to what Thailand calls a city,

 

[Aforek]

17 minutes ago, 1SteveC said:

 

Kabin buri is a district.

 

Si Maha Phot is both a district and a tambon, (not a city or town).

 

Si Mahosot is also a district, (though there are the ruins of an ancient city there).

 

What you call a city obviously bears no resemblance to what Thailand calls a city,

 

you are right, I speak like a farang, for me a place with police, hospitals, schools and so on  is a city ;

not so important  ; let's speak of school, and teaching english , or we " ll be out of topic 

[speedtripler]

40 minutes ago, Aforek said:

It's out of context, but what do you call a city ? schools, markets, pharmacies, doctors, bus, banks, cars and motobikes sellers etc , it's not a city ? 

Kabin buri , Srimahaphot,  Sri mahasot are cities for me, for Thai adminstration they are tambon 

A "town" could have all those amazing things too.... Maybe Even "motobikes sellers" 

[Aforek]

Ok, ok you are right, city and town, for me it's the same ; as I told above, I am French,  and in French we have only one word for it , it's " ville " and I don't see exactly the difference between town and city ; as you see, I couldn't be an English teacher 

you want to speak about it again ?

[monkeyboots]

On 7/6/2017 at 6:48 PM, darksidedog said:

 The best teachers of any language are of course native speakers...

As a teacher trainer of hundreds of teachers from all over the world I have seen some completely useless native speaker teachers as well as some excellent non-native speaker teachers. The world has changed and non-native speakers outnumber native speakers of English. Just because (most) native speakers are able to communicate effectively in most situations it says nothing about their ability to help learners understand and use English effectively.

[wakeupplease]

Thai teachers need to downgrade English levels as they cannot understand the world language, or is it they believe Little p in saying Thai language will become the world language in 20 years.

 

There are some silly people around I feel.