The most frequent question from either non-Thai or the native speaker of English tongue toward Thai students is how long or how many years had you been studies English. These popular questions always lead to an awkward answer from most Thai students.
Why?
The number of years using to study English is 9 years in the compulsory education system: 6 years in primary-school and 3 years in middle-school. In some case, we need to add another 3 years for high-school student. Moreover, the university graduate should receive more or less chance to encounter with English language in their study. Then, the answer should be 9 years, 12 years or even more than 16 years for the university student. That’s mean, neither blue-collar nor white-collar will awkwardly face similar challenges. Though, the blue-collar could or at least might be able to avoid these questions by using the so-called Freudian “Defence Mechanisms” to explain their education inferiority that lacking sophisticated English training. Conversely, the white-collar might go further by bringing Thai history of non-colonial supremacy and legacy, many educated-class Thai always connects the ability to handle foreign language with the degree of colonialism. Using a tasteless and anachronistic sense of extreme nationalism in the age of globalization seem to be very smart and rationale for them; but both Thai and some foreign observers seem to be unconvinced by an unintelligent explanation proposed above.
The most important question to ask about English and the second or third language education in Thailand is “What went wrong?” To answer this question, we need to understand the reality of education in Thailand. When they were asked by foreigners about their English, many Thai might lose consciousness, timid in character, or too limited in English to answer the question. I would like to answer the question for them, in the longer period than decade of English education in Thailand, each class provides 1 teacher per 50 students. Each class contains 60 minutes timeslot. Most of the student averagely study two hour per day, luckily, three hour per day. In private elite-school the number of student per teacher is between 25-30 students per teacher or even lower.
Unimaginably about how teacher need to mark student homework or practice in ordinary public school, that is totally a time-consuming. In vice versa, how many minutes for student to engage with his or her teacher. The concern problem does relate only with the ration of learners per teaching staff. In some rural area, more problems involved budgetary constraints, job market, and bureaucratic processes etc. some schools need to carry on without the teacher from another subject that equipped with unrelated knowledge.
The institution problems in Thailand are decreasing competitiveness and the chance to improve the capacity in English skills. The chance to expose to different learning methods is help the learner in both social competency and language skill. The method proposed by Myers is promising because the content will be create and rewrite by the learner in a very active way that opposite with a very passive using by a teacher to convey a one-way knowledge to the learner.
Amnuayvit
Thitibordin
14
December, 2012
The most frequent question ^ asked of Thai students ( from either ) ^ by both non-Thai ( or ) ^ and ( the ) native ( speaker ) ^ speakers of English ( tongue toward Thai students ) is how long or how many years ( had you been studies ) ^ they have been studying English. ( These ) ^ This popular ( questions ) ^ question almost always ( lead ) ^ leads to an awkward answer from most Thai students ( . ) ^ : (¶ ) Why?
ReplyDeleteThe number of years ( using to study ) ^ spent studying English ( is 9 years ) in the compulsory ^ Thai education system ^ is nine years: ( 6 ) ^ six years in primary ( - ) school and ( 3 ) ^ three years in middle ( - ) school. In ( some case ) ^ the case of high school students, ( we need to add ) another ( 3 ) ^ three years ^ are required. ( for high-school student. ) Moreover, the university graduate should ( receive ) ^ by the end of her studies have received ( more or less chance to encounter with English language in their study. ) ^ significant further instruction and exposure to the English language. (Then, ) ^Thus, the answer ^ to the question of how much English instruction a Thai student receives should be ( 9 years, 12 years ) ^ either nine, 12 or even more than 16 years for the university student. ( That’s mean, neither ) ^ These facts leave both blue(-)collar ( nor ) ^ and white(-)collar Thais ( will awkwardly face similar challenges. ) ^ in an awkward situation: in spite of these not insignificant years of learning English, they still have trouble speaking the language.
( Though, the ) ^ ¶ The blue(-)collar ^ worker ( could or at least ) might be able to avoid ( these questions ) ^ embarrassment in answering this question by using ( the ) so-called Freudian “Defence Mechanisms” to explain ( their ) ^ the inferiority of his English training. ( education inferiority that lacking sophisticated English training. ) Conversely, the white(-)collar ^ Thai might go further by bringing ^ up the long Thai history ^and legacy of non-colonial supremacy ( and legacy, many ) ^ . Many educated-class ( Thai ) ^ Thais always ( connects ) ^ connect the ability to handle foreign language with the degree of colonialism. Using a tasteless and anachronistic sense of extreme nationalism in the age of ( globalization seem ) ^ globalisation seems to them to be very smart and ( rationale for them ) ^ rational ; but both Thai and some foreign observers seem to be unconvinced by ( an unintelligent explanation ) ^the explanations proposed above. . . .
. . . The most important question to ask about English and the second or third language education in Thailand is “What ( went ) ^ has gone wrong?” To answer this question, we need to understand the reality of education in Thailand. When they ( were ) ^ are asked by foreigners about their English, many ( Thai might lose consciousness, ) ^ Thais grow timid in character ( , ) or ^ are too limited in English to answer the question. I would like to answer the question for them ( , in the longer period than decade of English education ) ^ . Over the course of the decade (give or take) in which English has been systematically taught in Thailand, each class ( provides 1 ) has provided one teacher per 50 students. Each ( class contains ) ^ English lesson falls into a 60 ( minutes timeslot) ^-minute time slot. Most of the ( student averagely ) ^ students study two ( hour ) ^ hours per day ( , luckily, three hour per day ) ^ on average: three hours per day if they are lucky. In ( private elite-school ) ^ elite private schools, the number of ( student ) students per teacher is between 26 – 30 students per teacher ^ , or even lower.
ReplyDelete( Unimaginably about ) ^ It is unimaginable how ^ much marking of students' homework and practice exercises a teacher ( need to mark student homework or practice in ordinary public school, that is totally a time-consuming. In) ^ in an ordinary public school needs to do; it is prohibitively time consuming. And vice versa, ^ consider how ( many ) few minutes ^ there are for ^ a student to engage with ( his or ) her teacher. The ( concern ) problem ( does relate only with the ration ) ^ , however, is not limited merely to the ratio of learners ( per teaching staff. ) ^ to teachers. In some rural ( area, more ) ^ areas, other problems ( involved ) ^ include budgetary ( constraints, ) ^ and job market ( , ) ^ constraints, ( and ) bureaucratic processes ^ , etc. ( some ) ^ Some schools ( need to carry on without the teacher ) ^ have to make due with teachers from ( another subject ) ^ other subjects ( that ) ^ , equipped with unrelated knowledge.
The ( institution ) ^ institutional problems in Thailand ( are decreasing ) ^ decrease our students' competitiveness and ( the chance ) ^ their chances to improve the capacity ( in ) ^ of their English skills. The chance to ( expose ) ^ be exposed to different learning methods ( is help ) ^ helps the learner in both social competency and language skill. The method proposed by Myers is promising because ( the ) content ( will be create ) ^ is created and ( rewrite ) ^ rewritten by the learner in a very active way ( that ) ^, which is the opposite ( with a ) ^ of the very passive using ^ method usually used by ( a teacher) ^ teachers to convey ( a ) one-way knowledge to the learner.