English skills of Thai kids

[Nervous God]

In the village I make a point of talking English always with kids.

 

Some kids make no effort, sadly kids in my own family, who understand rapid fire English, but too shy lazy whatever to speak.

 

Other kids love the chance to learn new words, and I practice with them.

 

My youngest neice, one year older than my daughter (9) is great, my nephew I can talk rapid english too, and he even speaks some back, my niece 15 is ok, but recently making a bigger effort, my mum stayed with us for a few months and she really took Bo a very awkward 15 year old under her wing and gave her a lot of confidence.

 

The best is probably my 13 year neice who goes out of her way to speak English.

 

The surprise though belongs to my in-laws, recently I've noticed they have started to answer questions with simple English, which I am very pleased with.

 

My mum was great, every day she's sit with my son and daughter and read their favourite books. Everyday, other non English kids would join in,

 

Is up country schools to blame?

 

I'd say no, as there is a few girls and one boy at the local school who speak great English, far better than most Thais. One girl speaks far better than my wife who isn't great but is pretty good,.

 

Staying on up country schools, my daughter was asked to represent her school in a English speaking competition.

 

We thought, well, that's a bit cheating, she speaks amazing English, been to English schools in Bangkok for 4 years, and corrects my English

 

So we went to the comp, frankly expecting all the kids to be luk krungs like her.

 

She was the only luk krung, and came second! No not rigged, the other kids where simply AMAZING.

 

So there are good teachers out there in Nakon Nowhere.

 

BUT as always, teaching is hard to install the desire in kids, and Thailand being such a xenophobic country, I think that rubs off, on them having often no desire to learn.

 

One last point, I was very happy when one of the girls wrang me a few months back, she's the one who understands rapid fire English but refuses to talk.

 

She calls me and says'

 

"Today I speak English all day"

 

Th incentive in this case was a nice white farang, who was showering her with gifts and had zero Thai

 

Incentives work!

 

[dean]

English may be taught in the public schools (or the Thai-Chinese school that my step kids went to) but they teach the written word, not speaking it. Even after 18 months in the U.S., all 3 kids speak broken english and don't speak it at home, unless they are talking to me. All are in acelerated english programs but I suspect it will take another 18 months before they can take courses outside the ELL status that they now have. The youngest, at 13, has the best english skills and the boy, at 15, the worst. If they had stayed in Thailand, they would have on desire to learn English. My wife has taken english courses for the last 3 semesters and told me that she has given up trying to learn it. I've given up trying to encourage her.

[Flashermac]

As I've said before, a major handicap is that Thailand simply does not have enough qualified English teachers! I have met very few English teachers at primary or even secondary school that I could speak English with. By and large, we had to communicate in Thai. So how can the government realistically expect non-English speaking teachers to accomplish very much with their students? Apparently, the government doesn't.

 

Another problem I saw when I lived upcountry was that the students saw no reason to learn English. They expected to spend their entire lives in Thailand associating only with Thai speakers. English was just a subject to take it get it over with.

 

But as Nervy says, there are always a few amazing exceptions.

 

[Flashermac]

<< I know there is English taught in schools. And this is rhetorical but why waste their fucking time if kids aren't gonna learn it? Spend the time and money on other things if the schools can't teach them. >>

 

 

Some genius politician maybe 20 years ago decided that all Thais should study English from nursery school through grade 12. Unfortunately, no one thought to make sure they had enough English teachers first!

 

I have met Mathematics majors, Science majors, Thai majors - you name it, all assigned to teach English. Many schools have tried to hire foreign English "teachers" to help out. However, I've encountered Germans, Danes, Norwegians, Poles and other non-native speakers working as English teachers. Obviously, all Farangs are presumed to be native speakers of English.

 

Students who go to a top school - which eliminates the vast majority of rural children - will have qualified English teachers. God help the rest.

 

 

[Nervous God]

INteresting development lately is there are flip and farang teachers teaching in local schools up country,

[no rite way]

Many schools have tried to hire foreign English "teachers" to help out. However, I've encountered Germans, Danes, Norwegians, Poles and other non-native speakers working as English teachers.

 

Confirmed. I brought the 10 year old to class his first day to his new school. I noticed 3 or 4 farang guys who seemed not to be parents so I assumed they were teachers. The kid later confirmed that his English teacher is from Brazil!!

[chelseafan]

Sometimes a little incentive works

 

Defacing currency !!!! Your going to jail for that one Mekong

[chilli13]

So using fluent English speakers although non native is supposedly worse than poor Thai English speakers?

 

Nationality is irrelevant subject skills & teaching skills is all that matters just like for any job really

 

In fact when you think about it non native English speakers may be easier for Thai students to understand as they themselves know how hard it is to learn a language in school

 

Not saying all English native speakers never learnt a 2nd or even 3rd language, but the chances are fairly low

 

But OK I guess I get the joke sorta...

 

Cheers!

 

"I've encountered Germans, Danes, Norwegians, Poles and other non-native speakers working as English teachers. Obviously, all Farangs are presumed to be native speakers of English."

[Mekong]

 

Defacing currency !!!! Your going to jail for that one Mekong

 

You may have noted that :-

 

a) I used the reverse side of the note depicting His Majesty King Ananda Mahidol (King Rama VIII) and not the current Monarch.

 

Letters were place in the blank area of the note and dont obsure any part of the image.

[Mekong]

 

The girl did a stint of English lessons with a teacher from school. Made no fucking difference what so ever, seriously doubt the teacher spoke English well herself.

 

 

There are many Thais who speak excellent English usualy because they studied taking "English Language Course" at a Thai Uni (that is to say lessons and lectures conducted in English), and / or studied overseas.

 

As a result of such they are able to land well paying jobs in the Private Sector and would never consider working as a Goverment teacher which in many cases pays less than 20% of what they are currently earning.

 

Mrs Mekong is a perfect example of such, in fact she is TOEFL Certified, but will only teach younger family members and sometime runs "In House" English courses for the company she works for.