Preparing Thai Students’ English for the ASEAN Economic Community: Some Pedagogical Implications and Trends

Abstract

In the globalized world, English is used in an outer and expanding circle and therefore plays a vital role in the global economy. Many parents believe that learning English can give their children chances of getting a good job and a hope for having a better standard of living. However, as the national examination or what is called “Entrance Examination” in Thailand influences teaching and learning, the use of multiple choices for grammar rules and reading is emphasized in the classroom. Little attention is paid to developing students’ speaking and listening abilities since they are not assessed in the University Entrance Examination. Most of the time, L1 is the language used in the classroom, resulting in both opportunities for and threats to developing communicative competence and learning English. The notion of standard English is viewed as that used by the inner circles, leaving attention for English as used by a larger number of users in the outer and expanding circle. Therefore, this article suggests and discusses some pedagogical implications and trends for developing Thai students’ communicative competence and skills and attitudes towards English in the globalized era, in the hope of preparing Thai students for the arrival ASEAN economic community in 2015 in which English is regarded as a working language.