The definitive version of this article was published as Darasawang, P., (2007) English Language Teaching and Education in Thailand: A decade of Change. English in Southeast Asia: Varieties, Literacies and Literatures Newcastle D. Prescott (ed.) Cambridge Scholars Publishing pp. 187-204.
CHAPTER NINE ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING AND EDUCATION IN THAILAND: A DECADE OF CHANGE PORNAPIT DARASAWANG
Although English is used only as a foreign language in Thailand, it has played an important role in Thai education for more than a century. To teach English as a foreign language (EFL), several factors have to be taken into consideration such as choices about which language skills to teach and how, where the language will be used, learning environment, selection of appropriate content and materials, and assessment criteria (Graddol 2006). These issues
English Language Teaching and Education in Thailand: A Decade of Change 187
have been of major concern in the Thai educational system ever since English language teaching first began in Thailand. This chapter describes the history and development of English language teaching in Thailand with an emphasis on its development in the last decade. In Thailand, the last decade saw numerous social, political, and economic changes, as well as advanced science and technology, with deep impacts on Thai society and traditional ways of life. These changes in turn have demanded a reform in the Thai educational system to enable the nation to cope in the present era of globalisation. The chapter will focus on the movements/projects which have had an impact on many Thai educational institutions at the secondary and tertiary levels. Towards the end, the chapter will cover English language teaching in the
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