We need better studies of English proficiency
Thailand’s lowly ranking in a recent international report on proficiency in English came as no surprise. We didn’t need the international Education First (EF) institute’s report
Yet consolation can be found in evidence that many other Asian countries are having trouble grappling with English. It should also be noted that the EF study contained some dubious findings.
In one simple example, the study found that people from South Korea and Japan are generally more advanced in English than their counterparts in Hong Kong. That’s right – Koreans and Japanese are supposedly better English-speakers than citizens who lived under British colonial control for a century, and who could thus be regarded as native speakers! These two nationalities also scored higher on the EF English Proficiency Index than do Filipinos. (Filipino English teachers are plentiful in Thailand, yet how many from South Korea and Japan does one see here?)
Such findings cast doubt on the validity of the study. What exactly was the institute measuring? Speaking, listening, writing or reading, and how did it measure them?
So, while on the surface things might look dire in Thailand, we need better studies than Education First provided if we are to gauge an accurate picture of proficiency here.
Thai teacher in Penang
