Pro-Monarchy protesters in Thailand in late November 2021 are trying to express something that is not entirely clear after Google’s apparent translation from Thai to English This year, the Swedish language training company EF Education First’s English Proficiency Index has just been released, and once again it is not very flattering for Thailand. Although the country has not really stood out in the rankings over the past few years, it has fallen even more in the latest edition. It has fallen for the fifth consecutive year in terms of English proficiency and is now ranked 100th. .
these years English Proficiency Index by EF Education First, a Swedish language training company, just came out, once again not very flattering for Thailand.
Although the country’s rankings in the past few years have not really stood out, in the latest edition, it has fallen even more. It has fallen for the fifth consecutive year in terms of English proficiency. It is now ranked 100th among the 112 participating countries in the world. Between Ivory Coast (ranked 99th) and Kyrgyzstan (ranked 101st).
In Asia, Thailand-once one of the most visited countries in the world-ranks 22nd out of 24 countries, even surpassed by Cambodia (97) and Myanmar (93), while in Southeast Asia, Thailand is English The worst level, Laos and Brunei are not included in the ranking.
The “very low” level of English in Thailand means that, generally speaking, ordinary adults in Thailand can introduce their name, age and country of origin in a simple way, understand basic signs and give basic directions to foreign countries. Tourists. But nothing more, let alone real and even complex conversations.
Strange isolated attitude towards foreign languages and cultures
The problem of Thais in English is not new, but what is shocking is that it has persisted for so long and there has been no improvement, whether it is in Thais’ attitudes towards foreign languages and cultures, or in outdated and hardly Re-existing education system.
The first point is that the attitude of the Thai people has a lot to do with overemphasizing their own language and culture, thereby minimizing the need for English. This is understandable from a narrow perspective, but in a globalized world , This did not bring the country very far.
The second problem is that the curriculum design is unreasonable, focusing on grammar, reading and writing instead of listening and speaking, which contradicts human nature. Students are forced to memorize grammar and vocabulary, which is an outdated method used for key subjects included in entrance examinations of various higher education institutions, as well as core skills for international business and cultural exchanges.
Well-trained teachers exacerbate the vicious circle
Although they did not encourage students to learn English correctly, the teachers also made their own contributions to the bad results, because many of them lacked good listening and speaking skills, because they also received the wrong training, so the cycle is ended.
Due to the long-term closure of schools in Thailand, the Covid-19 pandemic has further deteriorated English skills. This magnifies the problem, and most teachers fail to provide adequate online learning alternatives.
Thailand’s low level of English seems to be due to the government’s ineffective management of educational issues, the Ministry of Education’s lack of motivation, and frequent cabinet reorganizations rarely allow ministers to achieve any meaningful achievements in a short period of time.
Fun fact: Even Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha has no English conversation skills. This is disturbing because his wife Narapon has a master’s degree in English teaching from Mahidol University, one of Thailand’s highest-ranked universities. At that time became the president of the Thai English Teachers’ Organization. Make it what you want.
