Before he left, outgoing Education Minister Woravat Au-apinyakul introduced a project that requires Thai
students to speak English at least one day a week. How is it working
I just found out there is a video to accompany this story. In it, you will meet the class teacher – not a native speaker of English – and see how he teaches. You will also meet two students, one speaking in English, the other in Thai.
Most Thai students go through their day with little or no need to communicate in English.
The Thai language works very well – too well, according to some government and business leaders who are worried about how the country will compete in the Asean Economic Community scheduled to begin in 2015.
Outgoing Education Minister Woravat Au-apinyakul believed a bit of compulsion was necessary to get Thai students accustomed to using the English they learn in schools.
His English Speaking Year 2012 project requires that all schools nationwide stimulate their students and teachers to speak English at least one day a week.
Recently, the Bangkok Post’s Lamphai Intathep visited some Bangkok area schools to find out how the project was working.
Rossukhon Seangma, a Mathayom 6 student at Kunnatee Ruttharam Wittayakom School in Din Daeng district had mixed feelings.
"Yes, the project will enable us to speak more English, but we are still unsure whether our spoken English will improve," she said.
Ms Rossukhon said she has studied English for more than a decade but her speaking ability is still poor. That's because she rarely speaks.
She said her school had designated Wednesdays as the day on which students and teachers must speak English, but she wondered how many of them would be able to keep it up for a whole day.
"We are Thais. We seldom speak English in our daily lives," she said.
Panya Sukawanich, the school director, admitted the task ahead would be difficult.
"Many of our students have poor English. Some Mathayom 1 students still can't write A-Z. We have to teach them the fundamentals again and again," he said.
Horwang School in Chatuchak district has asked its students and teachers to speak English every Monday.
"Students read news in English broadcasts every Monday morning," said school director Phacharapong Treetepa.
His school also hands out daily conversation brochures in English to students and teachers.
Interestingly, Mr Phacharapong thinks the English-speaking project doesn’t go far enough. “I think students
should also be learning the languages of neighbouring countries, such as Myanmese, Lao and Malay," he said.
VIDEO.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/easier-stuff/275993/mission-impossible-getting-thai-students-to-speak-englishAdapted from a story by Lamphai Intathep in today’s Bangkok Post. You can read the full story here:
http://bit.ly/zo0IBK
