The Problem of the Teachers and Students
In connection with the transition to communicative learning, the possibilities of a foreign language have increased in solving the urgent tasks of modern society in the field of educating the younger generation and increasing the educational, educational, and developing potential of the subject foreign language. Therefore, much attention should be paid to the structure of the lesson, its logic, the nature of the tasks and the organization of all the work of the teacher and trainees, which increasingly acquires the features of genuine communication. Consequently, English language education in Thailand has two main sides of the problem: teaching and students.
First of all, it should be noted that the professionalism of teachers does not reach the desired values. In addition, this is due to the fact that education workers face overcrowding in schools and a large workload (Sripathum 2013). Together with the low professionalism and knowledge of culture of Thai teachers, the level of English is low (Sripathum 2013). This, in turn, is reflected in the position of students who seek to acquire the necessary skills. They face the fact that they lack opportunities to use language in everyday life (Sasum & Weeks 2018). In addition, due to the low level of teachers, educational classes do not provide the necessary information and opportunities for practice (Sasum & Weeks 2018). It is also important to note the personal aspect since students lack motivation or are too shy to practice the language (Sripathum 2013). Consequently, the poor quality of English language education in Thailand has two main sides of the problem that need to be addressed.
Public Problem
One of the biggest problems in learning English is the inability to communicate fluently, fear and language barrier. Regardless of how well or poorly students speak the language aspects, the issue of the language barrier and the inability to conduct a free conversation in English can put them at a dead end. The ability to communicate with native English speakers is a major factor and an important part in overcoming language difficulties and barriers in learning a foreign language. Consequently, the low level of English language education is a public problem, as it affects the general state of modern society. Many aspects of the professional life of future specialists depend on this, who must possess a number of modern world competencies (Sasum & Weeks 2018). In addition, the low level of professionalism of teachers also affects the state of the entire state education. This is reflected in the fact that outdated methods are used that do not meet modern standards.
The task of a foreign language teacher is to form students’ communication skills to achieve mutual understanding. Teaching foreign languages is directly related to the innovative processes taking place in the world, in society. Modern communication technologies are being developed, the main mission of which is to optimize interaction and mutual understanding in human society (Draper, 2019). The formation of the foreign language communicative competence of the younger generation depends on the professional competence of school and university teachers, their skills. In addition, it affects the education of morality, respect for another culture, successful communication, and mutual understanding between peoples.
Market or Government Failure
This problem is dependent on the state policy regarding teachers and education in general. This is reflected in the fact that not enough attempts are being made to improve the qualifications of teachers. All this becomes an insurmountable problem, as low professionalism correspondingly affects the skills of students (Draper, 2019). They correspondingly lack the opportunities that educational institutions should provide. Namely, this should manifest itself in various extracurricular activities. On the other hand, the government largely intervenes in the development of a free education market. This is reflected in the fact that there are a number of laws prohibiting non-native English teachers from working. This approach has nothing to do with reality and serves as an obstacle to attracting professionals from all over the world to work (Draper, 2019). A native speaker is not always a competent teacher, as they may not have sufficient knowledge in the theory of language. Moreover, the market problem is the prevalence of intermediary agencies that provide teaching services. Due to their activities, teachers’ salaries are significantly reduced, which contributes to their outflow.
Type of Failure
The main type of state problem in the field of English language education in Thailand is information failure. State regulation of educational activities is achieved through licensing of entities engaged in educational activities, the establishment of uniform educational standards and monitoring of their compliance. The government sets requirements for the quality of educational services (Draper, 2019). These requirements are established in the form of state educational standards that define the mandatory minimum content of educational programs, the amount of academic load, requirements for the level of training of graduates, as well as the conditions for the implementation of educational programs (Sasum & Weeks 2018). However, in the case of English language education in Thailand, attention should be paid to the lack of a competent and consistent policy. In many aspects, the government intervenes in the activities of the market, not allowing various educational institutions to attract a wider range of special specialists. This affects the fact that the level of professionalism of teachers remains at a low level.
References
Draper, J. (2019). Language education policy in Thailand. In Kirkpatrick, A. & Liddicoat, A.J. (eds.), The Routledge international handbook of language education policy in Asia (pp. 229-242). Routledge.
Sasum, S., & Weeks, B. (2018). Why some Thai students cannot speak English fluently? Rangsit University International Research Conference, 361–367.
Sripathum, N. (2013). English-Teaching problems in Thailand and Thai teachers’ professional development needs. English Language Teaching, 6(11), 139–147.