English Language Teaching and Learn

English Language Teaching and Learning in Thailand
in this Decade
Arunee Wiriyachitra

Abstract
The importance of English as a world language, the advance of technology and
education reform envisaged by the new Thai Constitution are key determinants for new
developments for English language teaching and learning in Thailand in this decade.
This paper will first focus on the role of English and the problems of English
language teaching in Thailand. It will also touch on the part of education reform which is
related to English language teaching. Then, it will state what has been planned or already
done to improve the English language teaching and learning situation in Thailand, now and
in the future.

The role of English in Thailand is quite important as it is in many other developing
countries. New technology and the adoption of the internet have resulted in a major
transition in terms of business, education, science, and technological progress, all of which
demand high proficiency in English. With the economic downturn in Thailand a few years
ago, a large number of Thai companies have embraced cooperation regionally and
internationally. Mergers, associations, and takeovers are common and English is used as the
means to communicate, negotiate and execute transactions by participants where one partner
can be a native speaker of English or none of the partners are native speakers of English.
However, Thailand has always been a country with one official language, Thai. We
are proud that we have never been colonized. Another reason for having been a country with
one language is the concept of national stability. There have been proposals to make
Thailand a country with two languages, Thai and English, but this has never materialized due
to the abovementioned reasons. English can, therefore, be at most the first foreign language
that students must study in schools. Hence, Thais’ level of English proficiency is low in
comparison with many countries in Asia (e.g. Malaysia, Philippines, and Singapore).
According to the speech given by the Minister of the Ministry of University Affairs on March
6, 2000, the average TOEFL scores of Thais are the same as for Mongolians but higher than
for North Koreans and Japanese.
Researchers on the topics of needs and wants of English in workplaces have also
suggested that the English curriculum in Thai universities cannot meet the demands for
English used in the workplace. The skills used most at this level are listening and speaking
which are not the focus skills in the Thai tertiary education English curriculum.
It can be said that up to now English language teaching in Thailand has not prepared
Thais for the changing world. Thailand will lag behind in the competitive world of business,
education, science and technology if the teaching and learning of English is not improved.
Here are some comments concerning the importance of English and the problems of English
language teaching in Thailand. Dr. Rom Hiranyapruek, director of Thai Software Park,
stated that English is as important to the domain of information technology as other
infrastructures. Thais have high proficiency in technology but because of our below average
English competence, we cannot make much progress in terms of science and technology.
Mrs. Arunsi Sastramitri, director of the Academic Training Section of the Tourist
Authority of Thailand, stated that tourism is the main source of income in our country.
However, Thai graduates who are in the tourism industry have a poor command of English.
This has contributed to misunderstanding and a negative attitude towards Thailand. 2
What has caused the difficulties in English language teaching and learning i