As Thailand has been independent and never colonized by the western countries,
English is not the official language of the country. Thai people in general use Thai
language in their daily lives. Most of them can speak Central Thai, but many people in
each region speak a Thai dialect. In schools, English is taught as the first foreign
language since the government has recognized that it is the global language. Even
though trends globally in teaching English have been focusing on the communicative
approach, unfortunately English teaching in Thai schools has, in most cases, continued
to emphasize the Grammar-Translation method adopted since the beginning of the 19th
Century. Almost all Thai schools teach reading and writing skills more than listening
and speaking skills. Also, the environment inside and outside of school, including the
community and homes has not promoted development of students’ communicative
English skills. In addition, Thai students have little opportunity to practice English on a
daily basis. These are some of the reasons why most Thai students do not have a high
level of English competency despite learning English for 9-12 years in basic education
as well as at the university level.