Quality of English Thai Public School Teachers - Ajarn Forum

russellsimpson · 8th December 2006, 08:28

I've gotta say that the four teachers in the English department where I work have reasonable quality English, I think I'm lucky in this respect.

Ninety nine percent of the time when I visit primary and secondary schools it is often the case that the teachers English ability is less than some of my M3 students. Actually, less than some M1's. I'm talking no English to speak of, yet teaching and often heading the department.

My understanding is that people who become "redundant" in other departments are forced to teach English. Also H.O.D. carries no additional salary, just more work.

This has got to go a long way towards explaining why students emerging from Thai Public schools have such a pitifull level of proficiency.

Maybe it's different in different parts of the country. What's your experience?

MisterStretch · 8th December 2006, 08:41

I have to say, of the six countries that I have worked in that most Thai English teacher's proficiency levels are far poorer than other countries.

I've observed classes in several places in Thailand...and by and large I'm not impressed. Perhaps if they lost that stupid 'losing face' mentality and asked for help they could improve.

During last student holiday I offered free English lessons to all the Thai teachers (in every discipline). Started out with twenty and in a week there was a rotating group of 6. The English teachers were the first to bail, and they needed the most help. Go figure.

panhunger · 8th December 2006, 08:41

At my first school, I was surprised at the high level of fluency among the English teachers. Many of them improved dramatically after we natives arrived. They got ample opportunity to jabber away with us and that made a big difference.

At my current school and EP, our director is above average and is actually quite good. In the regular program, only the department head and one of the other Thai teachers can communicate at a functional level.

I think the dismal quality of English speaking and writing in Thailand stems, to a large degree, on face. They just don't want to look like fools trying to choke out a few phrases. It's a shame because as anyone who has begun to learn Thai or any foreign language, you must fail repeatedly before you can become proficient.

Jellybean · 8th December 2006, 09:24

I teach distance courses and one of my students is an English teacher from Pattani. Her spoken English is excellent and her writing is pretty good, but is terribly formal and stilted.

She also has great problems with idioms and even when I explain the particular one, she can't see why we would use them and thinking about it, I can see her point.

Just another BOF · 8th December 2006, 11:29

I work in an English program and if you are particularly inept or lazy, the main school offer you the choice of get out or transfer to the EP. I don't know why but most Thai schools treat their EP programs like shit. It's time parents voted with their wallets. If you want my 120,000 p.a. give my child a quality education.

Covertjay · 8th December 2006, 11:31

It's all about the corruption networks they form to embezzle later in life, not learning.

DunceCap · 8th December 2006, 11:49

There are some great teachers in my area but few and far between. In my region, I would estimate 20% good speakers, 20%adaquate, and 30% comprehend but not speak, 30% can not comprehend or speak.

40% okay to teach English
--------------------------------
60% a disservice to the students

So, really what I have seen is teachers interpreting written material, and passing on that ability to the students. (but speaking and listening...none)

but being human, 12 years of learning to read and write English, should produce a student who can write and read quite well...but sadly that isn't even the case. I think it has to do with the management of the system plain and simple.

LDMA · 8th December 2006, 12:23

I was once asked by our former HOD to suggest ways in which her staff could improve their English.

I suggested that they should speak to each other in English at all times while in the English department staffroom.

I was told this was out of the question as they would be too shy to do this in front of each other. Even today, the only time they speak English to each other is when they want to be silly or show off. It's otherwise 98% Thai.

Until recently there was absolutely nothing in the Staffroom to indicate it was an English department. No posters, pictures, and everything was in Thai. We have at least had the communal timetable labelled in English so that everyone can use them effectively. There are still no posters though.

markg · 8th December 2006, 13:05

I think some of it stems from the "no one can fail exams" attitude.
We had some Thai "English" teachers here who CANNOT converse. They can string an odd sentence together but they cannot hold a conversation. But they passed all their English tests...............go figure.
Just today one of them asked a new teacher, "He Engling?"
I'm not taking this pee out of Thais trying to speak English. I would never do that. This was a woman who TAUGHT English for a number of years before us natives wrestled it from her

panhunger · 8th December 2006, 13:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by markg

"He Engling?"

LDMA · 8th December 2006, 16:20

There was also the time when a lady was temporarily hired to do some admin for our EP. The lady was Thai bu had lived with her husband in Australia for over 10 years and had been working in the private sector over there. She was driven, fluent in English, and a top notch administrator. She sorted all the problems the school was having, the communication with the foreign teachers was getting sorted, but there was one problem. She wanted paying the same as the native speakers if she was to continue on a permenant basis, but the school refused because she was "only a Thai" and offered her 10k a month.

Unsurprisingly she told them to get stuffed and left.

peelieorion · 8th December 2006, 18:03

I have only met 1 Thai English teacher in 14 months in Isaan who can speak English. Problem up here is teacher training which is often done by unqualified volunteers in their numbers making good photo opportunities. Me and my colleague with 42 years teaching experience have offered our services to the education department who were not interested in our ideas. the english teacher job is a poisoned chalice trying to teach kids who have never learnt phonics. Passat Thai is taught phonectically but English through memory. A teacher once told me that Thai teachers would find teaching phonics difficult. i replied that how come i had 4 students in Anuban 3 who could read simple sentences. Poor wages and laziness I think play a part together with a over reliance of grammar and dull and irrelevant textbooks. Thai teachers are poorly paid granted but dont allow students to think outside the box

markg · 8th December 2006, 18:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by peelieorion

..................................a over reliance of grammar and dull and irrelevant textbooks. Thai teachers are poorly paid granted but dont allow students to think outside the box

I couldnt agree more.

russellsimpson · 8th December 2006, 18:47

Quote:

A teacher once told me that Thai teachers would find teaching phonics difficult

.

Yes, I would agree. That's a huge problem. I'm not sure how you get around it. Phillipinos won't be able to do it either. So you're left with true native speakers and then you have to pay the piper.

I spend a good percentage of my time teaching strictly phonics and the results are pretty rewarding. But it takes time and real persistence. Many teachers are "lazy" with English, i.e most commonly not bothering with pronouncing the final sound, "S" in particular, but the "t's", and all the other common errors that make so much difference in the product. With persistence even the "r" and "l" in consonant blends can be corrected.

But it's labour intensive and requires continuous practice and exposure. Lay off for a month and it's downhill.

It's a major problem.

Hopefully someone will eventually come out with superior sound recognition technology and that will be a godsent here.

The best talking dictionaries I've seen, would tend to do more damage than good.

Chalk Face · 8th December 2006, 19:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jellybean

She also has great problems with idioms and even when I explain the particular one, she can't see why we would use them and thinking about it, I can see her point.

A tefl guru once told me that if you teach a Thai student 100 idioms and they meet a Chinese student who also knows 100 idioms, they will have two in common. It's an easy lesson that has no value because they always cock 'em up anyway.

It's odd because Thai is full of idioms. There's a new thread here somewhere.