Why Thai students cannot read English well?

Reading English problem is the most important thing that we have to concern and emphasis on the problem.
As we are English teacher in the future,We have to ask our self that How can we help them to read in English well?
There have many causes that why Thai student cannot read English well.
In my point of view, I think most of Thai student cannot read English well
because they cannot read in the first language (Thai)well so it is cause to the second language (English) also.
I means that If they can read well in the first language, they will read in the second language well also.

Arissaraporn4EN 041

The Thai learner problem is that English is just another in a long line of subjects that the students must endure and score points in so that they can enter university. Very few students have any intention of using acquired English skills in their later lives and even fewer have any idea at all about what profession they will choose in the future. Most will live in Thailand, work with Thai colleagues and never use English skills, so what's the attraction of English for them?

Amolwan 050 4EN

As I see that Thai educational system didn't focus on much English, they teacher always teach only grammar and never ask student and care them what the right thing to do. the students are never understood by teachers. teachers just put them a lot of information and knowledge and finally test them by the difficult exam so how can their reading and speaking be developed? the ways to help them improve their English are to think beyond, try to use English like a Thai language everyday not try to put or force much information to them, tell them how English is important to their lives, practice them every chance we have.

Thanongsak Chaisena 017 4EN

I agree with Arissaraporn that Thai students need to be able to read Thai language correctly and fluently first before studying to read in English language. Nowadays many Thai students cannot read Thai and that will be the great problem to the teacher to have a responsibility to solve that problem. Studying Thai language is a fundamental thing they need to achieve first before studying other subjects. If the students want to read English well, they have to read Thai well first! Moreover, the teaching style of most of English teacher in Thailand is also bored to the students that focuses on grammar and translation with less opportunities to practice speaking or reading English sentences. As we will be a teacher in the future, we have to change! change! and change! the old teaching style like this.
I hope we can do something for the new generation of children and give good things back to our mother land.

Tanawat 059 4EN

Based on my experience, reading skill is so difficult.
There are some research showed that most Thai students
hardly ever read books. They read few books especially English books.
In my opinion, They can't read English well because they don't know about
vocabulary or the meaning of the words. This is one of problem in reading skill.
So, the teacher need to create the way to motivate students reading many books.

Suphawan 064 4EN

As I see that Thai educational system didn't focus on much English,
they teacher always teach only grammar and never ask student
and care them what the right thing to do. the students are never understood by teachers.
teachers just put them a lot of information and knowledge
and finally test them by the difficult exam so how can their reading
and speaking be developed? the ways to help them improve their English are to think beyond,
try to use English like a Thai language everyday not try to put or force much information to them, tell them how English is important to their lives, practice them every chance we have.

Thanongsak Chaisena 017 4EN

I think that it is not easy to answer this question.
For myself, Thai students cannot read English well
because Thai students don't like to read book any more.
I think that we have to let students love to read.
Begin with read any thing that they interested.

Pannida Pimsorn
4EN 061

I think, education system and social context don't focus about how English is very important.
Students don't have any inspirations to read or learn English. They think it is not their business.
To inspire students to read English better is trying to adjust their attitude and also understand that English is not mother language.


Nantanut 024 4EN

They think in Thai language and translate to English when they speak. It is better if they change their thinking; instead Thai thinking, they think English when speaking in English. Other way, they should learn like natural model like a baby who speaks in easy conversations naturally. If they would like to speak English well, they have to change the way they do think. Of course it is a very difficult work. However they overcome the difficulty if they are patient.


PORNPAN 024 3EN

I think the main cause is the unknown word.
They think it's hard to understand and they don't want to read it again.
For me, I can read but can't write and I find the way to solve.



Kavintra 045 3EN

Reading and writing in English are the skills that Thai teachers like to teach,
but it is maybe because of the easily changed education system.
Thai teachers neglect the students' needs and interests so they give them a lesson
from the book created by the author who is not a teacher.

Thitiphong 012 4EN