Thank you for an interesting piece of reading. I am quite surprised to hear that you found such a belief common enough to raise it as your #1 concern.
Yes, I have come across some of these people you talked about and I think your point of view is indeed valid.
However, I think the issues we need to attack are to do more with those who want to be able to speak English but just can't do it well enough. And I personally think that part of the problem are:
- Usually we start too late. It's quite difficult to develop muscles around your mouth and to train your tongue (literally) to pronouce words correctly when you are older.
- It used to be so rare to have the opportunity learning with those who speak good English (such as a foreign teacher like yourself). Thais usually learn English from Thai teachers who are not nescessarily be a good model. I myself find learning by examples and being in the context of acutally using it work best. Not all schools in Thailand have that luxury.
- As with all languages, we need to use it or else you'll forget. We need to practise to sustain what we have learned. Listening to music, watching TV, and going to movies do help the listening skill while reading papers or surfing internet help with the reading part. But it's the speaking part that is the most problematic for the Thais (of course writing too).
Anyway, I am just babbling. : )
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