Thais rank low again at English

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buksida
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Thais rank low again at English

Post by buksida »

Thailand is ranked 53rd among 80 non-native English speaking countries and territories in the EF English Proficiency Index 2017.

This year's ranking, conducted by Switzerland-based Education First, a global language school operator which has branches worldwide, is based on test data from more than one million adults who took the EF Standard English Test (EF SET) last year.

In the latest ranking, Thailand has a score of 49.78, which is classified as low proficiency.

In 2016, Thailand was at 56th (47.21) out of 72 countries with a very low proficiency.

Source: https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/genera ... at-english

Is this really any surprise when you look at the Thai curriculum. English is virtually non-existent in government schools and is only give a small percentage of the overall grade in bi-lingual schools.
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Re: Thais rank low again at English

Post by 404cameljockey »

They are an insular people. Even the young mostly aren't interested in the idea a highflying career or the outside world. English is learnt just to get a job say in a hotel.
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Re: Thais rank low again at English

Post by nanyang »

404cameljockey wrote: Sat Nov 11, 2017 1:34 pm They are an insular people. Even the young mostly aren't interested in the idea a highflying career or the outside world. English is learnt just to get a job say in a hotel.
Or to meet a 'Farang'. :D
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Re: Thais rank low again at English

Post by handdrummer »

How about a survey to find out the ranking of westerns who speak a foreign language?
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Re: Thais rank low again at English

Post by Phyton »

Would be very interesting, how many people from UK and from USA speak a foreign language.
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Re: Thais rank low again at English

Post by Vital Spark »

According to Wikipedia: ... in 2004 a British survey showed that only one in 10 UK workers could speak a foreign language. Less than 5% could count to 20 in a second language...

Doesn't really make sense. If 10% can speak a foreign language, I would expect them to be able to count up to 20. :?

Anyway, that's beside the point. Whether we agree or not, English is the lingua franca, and it is essential to get a decent job in Thailand. I am still amazed by some of my students who, after having 16 years of English language lessons still can't string a simple sentence together. I don't think that we can put 100% of the blame on the Thai education system. If a student wants to learn English, there are plenty of free resources on the Internet.

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Re: Thais rank low again at English

Post by Phyton »

Most members of this forum live in Thailand, many are also married to a Thai woman. Who speaks Thai?
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Re: Thais rank low again at English

Post by Dannie Boy »

Phyton wrote: Sat Nov 11, 2017 4:44 pm Most members of this forum live in Thailand, many are also married to a Thai woman. Who speaks Thai?
Yes it’s very easy to criticise Thais in general, with their ability to speak English (or lack thereof), but I’m certain that it’s still a lot better than the % of English speakers who can speak Thai. When I first met my wife, she could hardly speak a word of English whereas she’s now fluent, whereas my Thai by comparison is appalling.
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Re: Thais rank low again at English

Post by Big Boy »

The difference, if the English or Americans learnt Thai, it would make life a LITTLE easier for a few expats.

If a Thai can learn English it can make a huge difference to their lifestyle.

Personally, I can get by, but lazy git that I am, I gave up trying to be fluent years ago. Unfortunately, it was the French who put me off languages. I learnt French for many years at school, but the first time I tried to use it in France, it was like a scene from Little Britain. I refused to speak that language from that day onwards, and it's done me no harm.
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Re: Thais rank low again at English

Post by Phyton »

Big Boy wrote: Sat Nov 11, 2017 5:46 pm The difference, if the English or Americans learnt Thai, it would make life a LITTLE easier for a few expats.

If a Thai can learn English it can make a huge difference to their lifestyle.

Personally, I can get by, but lazy git that I am, I gave up trying to be fluent years ago. Unfortunately, it was the French who put me off languages. I learnt French for many years at school, but the first time I tried to use it in France, it was like a scene from Little Britain. I refused to speak that language from that day onwards, and it's done me no harm.
LOL

I grew up, and live at the border to France. In school first foreign language was english, second french. English was eays for me to learn, french was the nightmare.
In some years we like to move to Cha-Am, and i will visit a language school together with my german wife, to learn to speak Thai.
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Re: Thais rank low again at English

Post by Big Boy »

Yes, there are some very good language schools here. My son has learnt to the stage where the schools can no longer help him.
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Re: Thais rank low again at English

Post by nanyang »

Phyton wrote: Sat Nov 11, 2017 4:44 pm Most members of this forum live in Thailand, many are also married to a Thai woman. Who speaks Thai?
The wife.
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Re: Thais rank low again at English

Post by Taikka »

I've been learning English since school, plus very intensively in the University. But I started really speaking English only when travelling. The need to express yourself in the fireign country makes you speak. That is why I still can't speak German inspite of some attempts of studying this beautiful language. You don't need German nowadays, if you can speak English - even in Germany...
The same is with Thais. No need - no motivatiom - no language.
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Re: Thais rank low again at English

Post by dtaai-maai »

Dannie Boy wrote: Sat Nov 11, 2017 5:12 pm
Phyton wrote: Sat Nov 11, 2017 4:44 pm Most members of this forum live in Thailand, many are also married to a Thai woman. Who speaks Thai?
Yes it’s very easy to criticise Thais in general, with their ability to speak English (or lack thereof), but I’m certain that it’s still a lot better than the % of English speakers who can speak Thai.
But the point is Thai students' level of English after learning it at school for 10 years or so, not trying to learn it individually when you're over 50. Some people find it easier to learn languages than others, just as some take naturally to maths or music, but the main problem here is the education system and the quality of teaching.
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Re: Thais rank low again at English

Post by Spitfire »

I speak Thai better than most of the students I come across can speak English...tbh.

The reason is, is because I've had a motivation to do so. Most of these kids have had no such thing interjected into their life in a meaningful way as high school is a ludicrous brainwashing experience where within this they are conditioned for the ridiculous reality that awaits them after uni...if lucky enough to go to the place. There are two types of motivation..intrinsic and extrinsic, and I all too often meet the later.

When I see a new crop of M6 students come to university for the first time, you can see their arrogance and confidence that nothing matters as they will sail into the next stages of their lives without worrying because they have paid for it....not much different from them just walking into 7-11 and buying a pack of crisps. I've paid for my product, I'll get it regardless.

That's why they are at the bottom of the list....because they couldn't give a rats ass about effort and it's all about entitlement. Not unlike some other places in the world, but maybe more blatant and overt here.
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