Thread: Thailand falls further behind in English language skills

Originally Posted by misskit

Nation
EF Education First has released its annual global ranking of English proficiency, placing Thailand in 64th position globally, a drop from last year’s 53rd place, and 16th out of 21 in Asia.

For the fourth time in eight years, Sweden tops the EF English Proficiency Index (EF EPI), bumping last year’s top-scorer, the Netherlands, to second place.


EF is an international education company that specialises in language training, educational travel, academic degree programs, and cultural exchange. The rankings draw on data from 1.3 million non-native English speakers in 88 countries and regions.


“Thailand dropped 11 slots in one year in our global ranking of English proficiency,” said Dr Minh N Tran, EF’s senior director of research.

MORE Thailand falls further behind in English language skills

They still beat the hell out of Latin America, where nobody can seem to understand English even if so many want to immigrate to "El Norte". Good thing, I like to learn new languages. Yeah, more TEFLers required. Once in retirement, I need a part time job that will allow me access to impressionable Asian women.

Here's the full list.......

https://www.ef.com/epi/

From EF...an utterly shoddy organisation which panders shamelessly to the vapid, slothful cluelessness with which many Thais approach 'educating' themselves.

EF gets their teachers in young and often unqualified and pays them peanuts. It's even more focussed on image than 'Wall Street'.

I'm not seeing what they based their findings on.....China ahead of Japan...I'm skeptical

Originally Posted by uncle junior

I'm not seeing what they based their findings on.....China ahead of Japan...I'm skeptical

Mostly from online tests but also from some entrance tests to join EF classes.

Details here https://www.ef.sg/epi/about-epi/

and here https://www.ef.sg/epi/about-epi/faq/

Originally Posted by Neverna

Actually, I doubt that will change much. As the saying goes, you can take a horse to water but you can't make it drink. Likewise, if Thais aren't interested in learning English, it doesn't matter who the teacher is, they (uninterested Thais) won't learn.

Exactly. They are not interested and you can not force it into their heads.

Originally Posted by Neverna

Mostly from online tests but also from some entrance tests to join EF classes.

not the most accurate survey then........I've not been to Myanmar but a former colony behind Thailand sounds off....

Much of the problem is the teachers have a very poor grasp on speaking English,, makes it hard then.

Originally Posted by Mozzbie47

Much of the problem is the teachers have a very poor grasp on speaking English,, makes it hard then.

I do not think that the foreign languages teachers in Thailand are worse than in other countries. Most of them prefer to come to Thailand than to neighbouring countries.

It's not only one problem explaining the bad grade of English in Thailand. To name just a few:
-they learn many years the Thai reading/writing - and so many ceremonies to attend - not much time left for anything else
-the Thai language teaches them to read by spelling the long written sentences, not by reading the short words
-as all other teaching subjects, also English is learnt by filling up something in an exercise book, instead by speaking (how to speak with 50 pupils in a class?)
-the poor Thai grammar makes it difficult to understand the grammar and the sentence construction of other languages
-lazyness to learn something new
-the foreign teachers comes to the kids only in their later age when the damage by Thai teachers's already done

Originally Posted by jabir

However, I have on two occasions been fortunate to come upon Thais that spoke Queen's English, fluent and articulate. Music to the ears; must confess first time I was literally lost for words, and by the time I recovered the speaker had moved on.

Just the one for me. There was a Thai optician on Pattaya Klang who spoke perfect English. He was married to a Swedish woman. His English skills had developed as a result of reading as many American cowboy books as he could.

They need to teach less useless grammar which 95% of native English people do not have a clue about and start teaching them how to SPEAK. I have seen lots of books from the Schools here, government and private, most want chucking in the bin as they are not actually helping them to SPEAK ENGLISH

^Agreed

Thailand doesn't help itself when they make things difficult for their own teachers of English.
Despite SOB Little Boy Lu suggesting my wife is a "crap teacher" and "not very bright", she is in reality a very intelligent, educated, and well-spoken individual who has a passion for teaching English...yet the Ministry makes it very hard for her to get a contract, putting up hurdles left, right, and centre, all for the sake of the old boys club and who knows who. For those who haven't read the Daily Moan, to renew her contract she needs a guarantor who is a ranking government official (police sergeant too low), AND the spouse of the guarantor to co-sign. Not everyone has those contacts. Not every guarantor has a willing spouse. Keep the peasants out whether or not they're great teachers.
If Thailand had 1000 people as dedicated and knowledgable as my wife, Thailand's students of English would be blessed.
Doc Martin spoke above of the things required of a good teacher. He left out "passion".

Originally Posted by Dragonfly94

They need to teach less useless grammar which 95% of native English people do not have a clue about and start teaching them how to SPEAK. I have seen lots of books from the Schools here, government and private, most want chucking in the bin as they are not actually helping them to SPEAK ENGLISH

An American friend taught at the same school as me. In all his previous jobs he had never taught a formal lesson and had been employed just to speak to the students as and when they wanted him to. Following my resignation, as a result of a major bust-up with the "Head" teacher, I was interviewed for a job at my friend's old school. That headmaster was clearly very competent and I was offered a job. I would have taken it happily but for the fact that by that time my old head had been sacked and I was offered and took up my old job.

Much depends on the ability of the headmaster and few would be be able to see the merits of using a teacher in such a way. Certainly, I am sure that my friend achieved more in helping Thais to speak English than my formal, conventional lessons ever did.

Im 100% sure most teflers take any job gong and dont have morals,

Think I will wait for the PISA data rather than some rinky-dink language school's mullings.

Another problem: many Thai kids who had not much advanced to a usable English will once become an English teacher at the local school...

Originally Posted by Mandaloopy

Think I will wait for the PISA data rather than some rinky-dink language school's mullings.

Yes, that is guaranteed because you know more about the theory of teaching than you do of the the art of practising it. Kindly stick your "red" up your arse, you idiot.

Originally Posted by Maanaam

..... my wife is ..... a very intelligent, educated, and well-spoken individual ......
Doc Martin spoke above of the things required of a good teacher. He left out "passion".

As is my wife, of whom I am very proud. She doesn’t really fit in to Thailand. ;-). Or Australia for that matter.

In relation to passion for teaching, I’m sure that’s a thing on Terra.
On my home planet (Vulcan) we see students as holes waiting to be filled with knowledge.

Of course passion is an admirable and desirable thing in teaching. If you don't like your job as a road sweeper or production line worker, it doesn't really matter. But if a teacher is in it just for the status and employment (as sooo many Thai teachers are), then that teacher will be useless.
Indeed there will be talent. Empathy and lateral thinking is what teaching talent boils down to. I'm not trained as a teacher, but I arouse curiosity and interest in my students because I remember the wonder and joy of learning when I was young, and I remember the teachers who aroused that interest and curiosity.
Talent, yes. But passion is required also. No good being talented if you don't like what you're doing.

I had a lecturer called Dr Jones. He was wonderful because he made thermodynamics interesting. How the hell did he do that ? A truly gifted man.

Originally Posted by Jack meoff

Less TEFLers required!

*fewer

Passion’s a fine thing but plenty of teachers do a great job without being very excited by the subject.
It’s very pleasing when a student tells me that ‘now I understand it ! - it’s been explained before but not in the way you just did’.

Originally Posted by docmartin

Passion’s a fine thing but plenty of teachers do a great job without being very excited by the subject.
It’s very pleasing when a student tells me that ‘now I understand it ! - it’s been explained before but not in the way you just did’.

I'm not disputing that talent is required for effective imparting of knowledge.
I do dispute that a passionless teacher can do a great job.

Yes, very gratifying when the light turns on in their eyes.

Originally Posted by Jack meoff

dont have morals,

Working illegally without a work permit.
Evading paying tax.

Seems to be often the case.

Some are just dodgy without morals. Some need to do it illegally because of past criminal convictions.