FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
nationthailand

Misplaced Thai nationalism blocks English proficiency

Misplaced Thai nationalism blocks English proficiency

Re: “No more failing marks in English”, Editorial, September 8.

The Nation deserves praise for pinpointing the reasons why Thais are so poor at communicating in English, especially when compared with our neighbours the Vietnamese. Besides the reasons offered, two other factors are behind the standstill in progress.
First, we are too nationalistic. This can be seen especially among civil servants, who hide what is generally a very poor command of English behind exaggerated displays of patriotism. Some still insist that foreigners in Thailand should speak Thai. That authoritarian attitude has caused others to hide their deficiencies. They ignore the fact that few people beyond our borders can speak Thai.
Second, many Thais simply do not understand that English is a universal language that gives its speakers an information advantage over those who have to rely exclusively on Thai media. Global news in Thai, especially on economics, is usually reported two days late, which causes errors in decision-making by those who depend on it.
In short, to improve, we simply have to cultivate a more global mindset. The recent protest against the decision to employ a foreign architect to design our tallest building demonstrates we still have a long way to go.
Songdej Praditsmanont
 
nationthailand