Published on August 17, 2005
Re: “Better English teaching needed”, Letters, August 15. The Nation is right when it says grammar and repetition are not the ways to improve English, and that a more communicative approach is desirable. But the editorial does not mention the most powerful means of improving English test scores, as well as developing proficiency in general: massive recreational reading. Our own research, as well as the research of others, consistently shows that those who read more for pleasure in English show superior development of reading ability, writing ability, vocabulary, grammar, and spelling. We recommend schools vastly improve their collections of interesting, comprehensible reading material, and provide some time for students to do extensive, self-selected reading.
Any student who has read widely in English – who has, for example, read “Goosebumps”, “Fear Street”, and the Harry Potter series in English, and who has studied English for a few years in a well-planned communication-based English programme – will do very well on any test of English, and will have no trouble conversing in English on a wide range of topics.
Kyung-Sook Cho, PhD, Busan National University of Education, South Korea Stephen Krashen, PhD, University of Southern California Sy-Ying Lee, PhD, National Taipei University Ching Kang Liu, PhD, National Taipei University Beniko Mason, EdD, International Buddhist University, Japan ---------------------------------------------- Why not be open to creative instruction techniques? Re: “Better English teaching needed”, August 15). The key to Thai educational reform is earning how to unlock inherent creative-thinking and analytical abilities. Galileo observed: “You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him find it within himself.” Creativity is everyone’s birthright. All human beings have a basic need and unlimited capacity for self-expression and critical thinking, but few are given the opportunities or outlets to fully develop their innate creativity potential and development of related skills. Visualisation and creative perception involve seeing and understanding things differently; expanding horizons beyond givens and rules; exploring unknowns while applying practical aspects of experiential knowledge; and setting vivid imaginations free. Creative thinking can make the same different, the old new, the ordinary unique. We never stop learning, but learning strategies, abilities, styles, rates and ways of learning vary from individual to individual. The encouragement and nurturing of creative thinking innovations help guarantee healthy growth, self-esteem and respect for others – essential elements for building caring humanitarian values featuring compassionate understanding. Pax vobiscum. Dr Chanchai Prasertson Bangkok ---------------------------------------------- Plenty of reasons for why students are tongue-tied Re: “Better English teaching needed”, August 15). Indeed, it is disheartening to accept the blatant truth that the English language skills of Thai students have not improved significantly over the years. But to blame the education ministers or to the government alone is insensitive and malicious, not to mention preposterous. Also, it is arrogance, if not ignorance, for somebody to fault Thai students for not being able to master the language swiftly in comparison to other students of different nationalities. English is hard for them to learn due to the inert influence of the Thai language in them, which is evidently shown by their inability to correctly pronounce English words irrespective of their years of learning. It is also reasonable to note the fact that majority of those students who studied the language abroad speak better than those locally taught, regardless of the educational institution. This simply shows that the teachers play a crucial role in the delivery of skills and knowledge. Who are the teachers then and what are their qualifications? Scan an English language newspaper ads section; it will give more than the answer: “Wanted English teachers. Qualification: native English speakers. No teaching certificates necessary, we train you”. Thai people should comprehend that a person who fluently speaks English is not automatically a good English teacher. Teaching is an art and a skill that requires years of experience to master. Do not be impressed by the often flowery and pompous English of an institution’s administrators when choosing schools for your kids. Dig deep into the qualifications of every single teacher. Bong and Pla Bangkok ---------------------------------------------- Those of modest means have their place in the world Re: “Decent salaries attract qualified instructors”, Letters, August 16. Backpackers are not Cheap Charlies. Backpackers are responsible for finding most of the places five-star tourists pay an arm and a leg to stay in. They were there years before, enjoying the place before it was spoiled by over-development. They choose where they stay and when and how they travel. If you think being led around in a group tour and paying for overpriced accommodation means you are travelling, better to stay at home. Charlie Stanford Bangkok ---------------------------------------------- Admirable flexibility, or unhelpful wavering? Thaksin deserves some praise in proposing varied and changing plans to restore peace in the South. However, it appears to me that he always sends out the wrong signals without giving consistent efforts to his plans. First, he instructed tough action against insurgents. On the other hand, he gave out cash compensation generously to those killed and/or injured as the consequence of the security forces’ tough action to bring about public order and respect of the country’s sovereign law. I speak specifically of the Tak Bai and Krue Sue incidents. The security forces made arrests of suspects and they were released later for lack of evidence. Come on, PM – do you expect to have proof before these suspects could be prosecuted? Why do we need to bring them to a court of justice in the first place? These bandits killed mercilessly and you expect proof to prosecute? To me, the government should just arrest whoever they suspect (after a time of surveillance) and throw them all onto an isolated island without much fuss. The southerners’ assertion that they are being treated as second-class Thai citizens does carry some weight. If the majority of civil-service workers and administrators in the South are non-Muslims, how can they be expected to interact with locals under their jurisdiction since they don’t even understand the culture and way of life led by the southerners? These civil servants cannot even communicate in the Malay language. However, I do not agree with the recent protests of some against the PM’s remarks that southerners should master the Thai language as well, in addition to the local Malay language. What sort of mentality do these protesters possess? Can’t they accept the fact that the Thai language is the country’s national language and, as Thais, it is important that they must have a good command of the national language to ensure a brighter future? I strongly support the PM in advising the southerners to master the Thai language as well if they want to enjoy the progress of the country collectively. Southern mice Bangkok ---------------------------------------------- Northern flooding caused by poor land management Basic Forest Management 101 describes how important a watershed is, both to control flooding and keep the basic environment in a healthy state. Over the past 25 years it has been well-documented how illegal logging by the rich and powerful has gradually destroyed the primary and secondary watersheds in the North. Readers may remember a long time ago when a well-known monk pointed all this out to the general public. That has all been ignored and once again we see the results. The good news is that the government once again has the perfect excuse. The root cause for the flooding must once again be the foreigners, I mean, they keep on ordering all that orange juice, don’t they? Christian Lloyd Bangkok ---------------------------------------------- Awash in unhelpful television programming in Chiang Mai We, among the many, who have been hard hit and stranded by the overflowing Ping River for the last couple of days, rely on the latest information about the situation. Channel 11, which is supposed to cover Chiang Mai and the North, has so far done a very poor job of keeping us up to date. In a catastrophe like this information is of the utmost importance and non-essential programmes should be pushed to one side to allow for this. People need to know where they can go for help, and if they’re stranded at home they need advice on what to do. Situations requiring medical attention and how to avoid being electrocuted are just two things that spring to mind. Must we rely on the radio? Chiang Mai Mike Chiang Mai ---------------------------------------------- Dual pricing isn’t purely a Thai phenomenon Re: “Is two-tiered pricing unconstitutional?” Letters, August 11. Justin D Wilhere states that dual pricing is acceptable for government-run attractions. Mr Wilhere, private attractions in Thailand are not the only entities that have dual pricing. If a Thai person, or any other tourist visits Disney World in Orlando, Florida, they will pay more to visit than a resident of Florida. I have no idea how often, or in how many places, this scenario is repeated, but please be assured that whether it is sponsored by the government, or private organisations, dual pricing exists in other countries than Thailand. The tourist has the option to accept the pricing disparity, or not visit the attraction. What is different here? Can we put an end to the whining now? JM Joyce Bangkok
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