บทความทางวิชาการ

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History of English Language Teaching: A Glimpse of Thailand Scenario

Hope Cristina H. Deita

Six years of English teaching in Thailand accumulated a number of questions worthy to ponder on. Why can’t the students speak despite years of studying English? Why do Thai students clamor for native English speakers? Why can’t some Thai English teachers teach English in English? As seen in history, it is evident that English played an important role in Thai education from date of its conception to testifying its importance in the country’s economic and technological development. It has been part of the curricula from primary school to the university level and it continues to be an important element. English Language Teaching in Thailand has gone through a lot of transitions just to meet the demands of the fast-changing world. The transitions and reforms are to keep up with the principles and theories of teaching developed in the Western countries. English Language Teaching in Thailand has employed a communicative approach which focuses on teaching English for communication rather than just knowledge about the language. Regardless of all these transformations and innovations, Thailand still lags behind its neighboring countries in terms of English use. Still, there are more aspects to be considered and horizons to be explored to enable Thai students to learn more effectively and cope with global changes. Where do all these lead to? This paper aims to analyze the ELT scenario in Thailand and shed light to the issues that hinder its prosperity in this country.

 

The paper was published in Sripatum Chonburi Journal in 2015.