The use of English in Thailand, while far from being as developed as in the Netherlands, Germany, the Scandinavian countries or the Philippines, is nevertheless slowly increasing through the influence of the media and the Internet. Thai university applicants scored an average 28.34% in English in recent university entrance exams. Thailand produces a "workforce with some of the world's weakest English-language skills." In a recent IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook Thailand was ranked 54th out of 56 countries globally for English proficiency, the second-lowest in Asia. Singapore was third, Malaysia 28th and Korea 46th.
The government has long realised the importance of the English language as a major core subject in schools, and it has been a compulsory subject at varying levels for several decades. Since 2005 schools are being encouraged to establish bilingual departments where the core subjects are taught in English and to offer intensive English language programmes.
Notwithstanding the extensive use of and exposure to English in everyday life in Thailand, the standard of correct English in the schools is now the lowest in Southeast Asia. In 1997 Thailand was still in the forefront, but by 2001 Laos and Vietnam had caught up, and by mid-2006 were clearly ahead.
Thai teachers
Following the announcement of the University of Cambridge to launch a new course and qualification for non-native speaker teachers, a survey was carried out in February 2006, with the collaboration of the University of Cambridge as part of a field trial, by one of the country's largest groups of independent schools of its 400 or so teachers of English.
The project reported that in over 60% of the teachers, the knowledge of the language and teaching methodology was below that of the syllabus level which they were teaching. Some teachers for age group 11, or lower, in the language were attempting to teach age groups 15, 16, and even 17. Of the remaining top 40%, only 3% had a reasonable level of fluency and only 20% were teaching grades for which they were qualified and competent.
Within the group of over 40 schools representing nearly 80,000 students in elementary and secondary education, random parallel test groups of elementary school pupils often scored higher in some tests than many of the teachers in other schools of the same group. The schools resisted the initiative of the central governing body to provide intensive upgrading programmes for the teachers. In spite of the evidence, the schools doubted the results and, to save face, argued that their teachers had qualified through their universities and colleges and either had nothing more to learn or could not afford the time.
In the government schools the standards are similar and many elementary teachers freely admit that they are forced to teach English although they have little or no knowledge of the language. A debate began in academic circles as to whether teaching English badly during the most influential years is better than not teaching it at elementary level. Whatever results that any formal research may provide, there clearly exists room for much improvement.
The situation is further exacerbated by a curriculum, which in its endeavour to improve standards and facilitate learning, is subject to frequent change, and thus misinterpreted into syllabuses by the teachers themselves at levels often far too advanced for the cognitive development of the students.
Native-speaker teachers
Several thousand native-English speakers are employed in public and private schools throughout the country. This is being encouraged by the need to develop students' oral expression and knowledge of foreign culture; much of their time, however, is taken up with remedial teaching: putting right any grammar, orthography, pronunciation and cultural background that has been wrongly taught and which leads to great misunderstanding -- they see this as a greater priority.
The official version of English, although not always practical in its dispensation, is British. Qualified native teachers with a background in linguistics may ensure that students are exposed to both major variations of the language and understand them and their differences, whichever version the students choose to speak.
Language classes, sponsored by the governments of English-speaking countries such as those provided by the British Council, enjoy an excellent reputation for quality, both for general English, and for the preparation for international exams such as the American English TOEFL and the British English IELTS, which are prerequisites for the entry into many professions, particularly aircrew and tourism. There is no shortage of cramming schools, usually franchise chains, in the capital and larger cities; although they are staffed mainly by highly motivated, qualified native speakers and have excellent resources, they are often branded by cynics as 'the McDonalds of English language'.
There has been a dramatic increase since 2000 in the number of Thailand-based TEFL/TESOL (Teaching of English as a Foreign Language / Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages) teacher-training institutions. Some dispense internationally recognised teaching certificates and diplomas that follow the courses of established universities, and some provide courses and certification franchised from other organisations and universities. Still others dispense their own courses and certification.
Currently, to teach English in licensed schools, public or private, the minimum academic qualification for native speakers is a bachelor's degree in any subject. However, the government is in the process of exercising greater control, particularly to combat the use of bogus certificates or degrees issued by diploma mills and to prevent access to schools by persons with doubtful motives. In 2008, the government announced plans to improve requirements for native-speaker teachers in mainstream schools. They now require academic qualifications in either education or linguistics, in addition to their bachelor's degrees, and to complete a government course in Thai culture and language.
In 2008 applications for TESOL posts in Thailand experienced a significant drop, and many posts are being taken up by second-language English speakers from Asian countries where the use of English may be of a high standard and officially recognized, but not as a first language. Parents, particularly those with children in fee-paying schools, believe that native English speakers should have Western ethnic origins.
There is also a no fail policy in Thailand and often in most schools a multiple choice marking. This can be for many reasons, such as there are just too many students in the classroom, and so teachers feel no choice but to employ multiple choice marking. But even in private schools this can be the case. Few students are taught to read and write on any great level. Thai also as a language does not have any or many spaces or fullstops, and so for students to use them is even a challenge. This added to the feeling that students should not be embarrassed or made to feel bad in the classroom means that many do not understand the importance of trying, getting it wrong and learning from their mistakes. Parents often castigate foreign teachers when their children fare badly and blame the teacher, and so there is little incentive to try and for them to learn complex reading and writing. Instead most of the emphasis is on grammar which few understand or appreciate the importance of it. Because Thai is so different, they feel Thai is easier and rarely do they speak English outside of their lesson.
Filipino teachers have taken up many jobs but they are seen as less qualified since the parents prefer white Europeans or Americans. Even African Americans are often considered not to be native speakers simply because they are not white. Education in Thailand will continue to produce students who feel too scared to speak, read and write English, because of the emphasis on grammar, little writing and reading and on rote learning. Games are also considered an essential part in the clasroom even when they do not understand anything else.
There is no Teacher's Union in Thailand, foreign teachers have few rights, and can often be fired overnight which means that often foreign teachers feel they are abused. Few of the government agencies are able to help such as the Ministry of Education or Ministry of Labour and often schools flout rules when it comes to assisting, paying and helping with work permits in Thailand. Many contracts are not upheld and often tax deducted is not paid to the right department or at all.