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By :
SEPTEMBER 2013
1
ABSTRACT
The research aims to survey the problems faced by the Thai students in
learning English in UniSZA. The readers will actually get to know the problems that
faced by the Thai students and finally know the solutions of this problem.
The objectives of this study was to identify the problems faced by Thai
students in learning English and the factors that affecting the Thai students in learning
Contemporary.
It was found that the most serious English problem reported by the Thai
reading skills, listening skills and the least problematic skills is writing skills.
Besides that, they also have problem in pronunciation. Some sounds are
difficult for Thai learners to produce. The English final consonant may be the
Factors that affecting Thai students faced problems in learning English are
they do not prefer to learn English because they find the subject matter boring
and they also did not have opportunity to use English in their daily lives. In
rural area, the facility is not enough and teacher in Thailand keep pronounce
2
DECLARATION PAGE
appended.
3
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We would like to express our sincere gratitude and appreciation to many people
for the invaluable help, support and encouragement without which we would not have
We are deeply grateful to our lecturer, Dr Normah Yusof, for her guidance,
ourselves very fortunate for being able to work with a very considerate and
encouraging lecturer like her. We are indebted with Thailand students from Faculty of
Islam Contemporary in UniSZA because they willing to spend time to answer our
We owe many thanks to our classmate and all of our friends, which always
support and give full attention for us to solve our problem. They always help us in
Lastly, we are most grateful to our parents, they have always loved us and
supported our every choice and gives us money to complete this research.
4
CHAPTER 1
learnt in the classroom but also medium for social and practical use (Foley,2005).
language. The main use of English language is it helps Thai students in getting great
job, improve communication skills and others. Eid & Jordan- Damschot (1989) stated
that students language ability is also related to academic success. The main goal of the
academic and non-academic English. In doing so, language learners are expected to be
pronunciation from Thai language. They also still encounter problems of difficulties in
their face to face oral communication although they use English most of the time in
the classroom. According to Yarnruksa (1997), this may be partly due to a lack of
confidence in expressing themselves in English. There are many solutions that might
help Thai students to solve their problems in learning English in Universiti Sultan
5
1.2 Statement of Problem
international students. Some of these international students are from Thailand. These
Thai students come here without sound knowledge of English. According to Jaiyai,
Thai students could not see English skills effectively, especially listening and
speaking. So, they are having problems in the usage of English language. UniSZA has
However, these Thai students still encounter problems with English language. Hence,
this research tries to find out the problems faced by Thai students in learning English.
The purpose of the study is to find out the problems faced by Thai students in learning
English language in UniSZA. Some may say that English language is not a problem to
the students in the university but attention must also be paid on the Thai students as
they are from other country. They are facing variety of problems in learning English.
This study focuses on problems faced by Thai students in learning English language in
6
1) To identify the problems faced by Thai students in learning English.
This study focus on why Thai students have problems in learning English language in
The study will give an overall picture of the problems faced by Thai students in
learning English in UniSZA. This will be beneficial for them in order to improve their
In this study, the researchers will use the help of 20 Thai students from semester 1, 3
and 5 from the faculty of Islamic Contemporary. This study utilizes the method of
The researchers is using the term of ESL which means English as a Second
Language where English taught to people whose first language is not English but who
7
live in an English-speaking country and need English to communicate in daily life.
(Macmillan, 2nd Edition: 498). The researchers also is using the term of global
people as a second language. (Oxford Online Dictionary). Besides, the researchers use
1.9 Summary
This chapter explained about the background of the study, statement of the
problem, purpose of the study, objectives of the study, research questions, significance
of the study, scope and limitation, and the definition of terms. Basically, this chapter
gives an overall explanation about the research topic which is a study on problems
of the study, the researchers give a brief explanation about the English subject which
is the global language that been used around the world. The researchers also stated the
main goal of having English course for the Thai students that is to improve the Thai
students English proficiency. This research is only focusing on Thai students who are
studying in UniSZA not in Thailand. The researchers will identify even more specific
CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
8
Introduction
In this literature review, the language learning theories, the benefits of learning
factors affecting Thai students in learning English, problems that faced by Thai
students in general and the past reviews about the Thai students problems in learning
cognitive processes involved in learning a language and of the conditions that need to
be met in order for these processes to take place. The Behaviourist Theory is the
behaviourists believe that learning is a process of habit formation. Habits are formed
by receiving the linguistic data from the surrounding environment and by the
reinforcement received for the good attempts made to repeat or imitate certain pattern.
they assume that a learner acquiring a second language begins with habits related to
the first language. These habits influence those required for second language
acquisition, and the learner has to form new habits (Lado1964 in Lightbown and
Spada 1993: 23). The behaviourists treat errors in second language acquisition as
interference from first language habits. This psychological learning theory is often
related to what is called the contrastive analysis hypothesis. The proponents of this
hypothesis claim that if similarities between two languages exist, the language learner
9
will acquire the second language more easily, but if differences are encountered the
acquisition of the target language will be more difficult (Klein 1986: 25). Whereas it
may be true that the first language has an influence on learning the second, it is also
suggested that the learner uses the knowledge already acquired in learning another
language (Lightbown and Spada 1993: 23). The Interactionist Theory Proponents of
the interactionist view (Long 1985) claim that interactional modification makes input
that there are no cases of acquiring a second language from natives without the
modification of speech in some way. In fact, research shows that native speakers
modify their speech when they talk with non-native speakers (Lightbown and Spada
1993: 30). Research which has been carried out to examine these claims proved that
evidence that comprehensible input causes or explains acquisition (Davies and Elder
2004: 518).
10
2.2 Benefits of Learning English
One of the primary benefits of learning English is that it is often considered the
language of global business. The international business community often uses it for
communication, even among people who do not speak the same native language.
Speaking and understanding English can let a person more easily communicate with
others and find more job opportunities not only in his or her home country, but around
the world as well. There are also many professional informative publications printed
science or research. For many people, the benefits of learning English include
People who speak two or more languages are often ideal candidates for jobs in travel,
offer work with the general public, such as positions in law enforcement or healthcare,
often look for multilingual candidates. Besides that, Many people see the ability to
communicate and talk with others as one of the major benefits of learning English.
individuals from around the world. Many people find great social and cultural benefits
in having pen pals from other countries, and the Internet makes such communication
fast and easy. Learning English language can enhance knowledge of English structure
and vocabulary (Curtain & Dahlberg, 2004). Knowing English can broaden the types
of people you can speak to, whether it is via email or on an online discussion forum. A
tremendous number of websites are available primarily in English, and anyone who
does not understand the language may have difficulty using them. For anyone
11
language, it is often essential to understand and speak it. Throughout the United
Kingdom, United States, and Canada, traveling and shopping are often made easier by
speaking the language since many individuals may not speak any other language. One
of the most important benefits of learning English is the ability to explore these
regions and more easily communicate with locals to learn about places and events that
might otherwise remain unknown. Many people in European countries learn English
in school, so knowing it can also be of benefit when traveling in locations even where
it's not the native tongue. Learning a language can also be a great way to meet people,
even if you never plan on leaving home. A class at a local community center or
college can introduce you to a wide variety of people who are also interested in
English, and give you the opportunity to interact with them in a controlled setting.
Language courses often encourage students to carry on conversations with each other
in the language being learned, and this can be a great way to break the ice with new
people. Immigrants to English-speaking countries who do not speak the language are
often at a serious disadvantage economically. It's much more difficult to get and hold a
job, find a place to live, and even do everyday tasks like grocery shopping if you don't
understand the language. Students who master in English languages may have better
career opportunities. (Carreira & Armengol 2001). Learning English not only benefits
fully in their children's lives and education. In addition, these children don't have to
distributed all over the world, and are often subtitled for people who don't speak the
language. Knowing English can allow you to better understand the subtleties of dialog
12
that subtitles frequently miss. It can be a challenge to translate concepts and terms that
don't match one-for-one between languages, and nuances of meaning can be lost.
Language is an inherently cultural construct. How people speak, the words they
choose, and the topics under discussion are deeply tied into the culture of a place. By
learning English or any other language, you are putting yourself into the mind set of a
native speaker and are introduced to many of the concepts that he finds important.
Gaining a better understanding of other cultures can help you to enrich your own
understanding of the world and how others see it. Many of the most prominent and
well known publications throughout the world are written and printed in English.
scientific developments, should consider the benefits of learning English to read these
periodicals and publish their own work. Publication in peer-reviewed journals is often
required for someone who wishes to remain in academia, and the ability to read and
write in English may be necessary to maintain such a position. Even learning about
current events often requires an understanding of the language, since so many global
publications and news websites use it. Nowadays, English is a world language for
that over a billion people in the world speak English on at least a basic level. For
many people, the benefits of learning English involve the new opportunities that
university in the US, for example, needs to speak it or be able to pass a test proving
that he or she is fluent. People who do decide to learn English may need to consider
what type of English is best for them to know. The two most common forms are
British English and American English, and they can be quite different in some
respects. The fundamental underlying language is the same, and people who learn one
13
are likely to still be easily understandable by someone who speaks the other, but there
will be instances in which words are phrases don't mean the same thing. Many of the
decision about which type of English to learn will depend on where a student is
learning it and what his or her ultimate goals are. To understand the language
generally, any type of class will be of help. Many people don't have a wide variety of
options to choose from, and a local college may only teach British English, for
example. Someone who lives in Europe is more likely to be taught this form simply
because he or she is closer geographically to the United Kingdom. In shorts, there are
many benefits of learning English and by learning it will be easy for us to survive in
foreign country.
14
2.3 Common Mistakes Made by Thai Students
speaking and receptive skills of reading and writing (Wongsothorn and Pongsarupipat,
1992). In most cases, pronunciation problems result from the loss of muscular
plasticity in the mouth of an adult foreign language learner (Brown, 1987). In other
words, it is hard for an adult language learner to pronounce certain sounds that are
unfamiliar to them. Jotikasthira (1999) stated that the English sounds which are
considered problem sounds for Thai can be divided into 3 categories. Firstly, sounds
that do not occur in Thai. These sounds are //. As example, van and every. / /or /th/
represent thin and breath. Sounds of / /or /th/ represent the word of mother, then //
shows the word of zero, and nasal. / /or /sh/ e.g. share, notion; / / or /zh/ e.g casual,
beige; /t/or /ch/ e.g. future, cherry; /d /or /j/ e.g. gentle, jelly and // e.g. gamble,
legal. Normally Thai students cannot pronounce these sounds because they do not
exist in the Thai language. Next, sounds that do not occur at the final position. They
Although some English sounds exist in Thai, they do not occur at the final position in
Thai and most Thai students fail to pronounce them when they appear finally in
English words (Jotikasathira, 1999). As example, /p/, /b/, /t/, /d/, and /k/ are
pronounced unreleased when they occur in final position in Thai words. Lastly, sounds
that are phonetically different from Thai equivalents which are /r/, /i/, /e/, /u/, and /o/
that is, their production is not the same. The English /r/ sound can be formed in the
ways depending upon different speakers and dialects. For example, retroflex and bent
back is common throughout the Midland area (Francis, 1958). This retroflex /r/ is
15
made by moving the sides of the tongue against the back teeth. The front of the tongue
is lowered but the tip is turned upward. Thai people are confused by the sounds /l/ and
/r/ as in rice and lice. The English final consonant may be the most difficult part of the
word for Thais to pronounce. For example, Thai final stop sounds are all unvoiced.
Therefore, it is hard for Thai students to produce a final voiced consonant such as bed,
or bid. The influence of the voiced final consonant /d/ on the preceding vowel // and
/I/ lengthens the sounds of the vowels. Thus, some Thai students tend to say bate
instead of bed and beat instead of bid. Moreover, in many cases, final consonant
sounds such as /d/ ,/s/,///dz/ are changed into an alveolar stop sound such as /t/ as in
Problem in stress pattern also is one of the common mistake. Thais usually give a
stress at the end of an English word. For Thais, there is no difference in the stress
patterns of the pair. They pronounce economy and economic, library and librarian
with the same stress pattern. Other mistake is problem in collocation. Some words
Thai learners. For example: My hair is busy (instead of My hair is messy.) . In brief,
form a word, but in Thai, words are monosyllabic. Sometimes, compound words are
formed. Therefore, Thai learners seldom retain English suffixes. English collocation
restrictions are also violated. Besides, problem with grammar. Probably grammar is
the most difficult part for Thai students. The difficulty results from many factors: the
typological differences between the two languages and the negative influence of the
mother tongue. The concept of subject verb agreement is hard for Thai learners
16
one sentence to another. The subject can be deleted if assumed known between the
addresser and addressee. The verb or adjective is the center of a sentence. All these
English sentential concept. Futhermore, Thai students also have intonation problems.
The pitch of the voice with which a voiced sound is pronounced is called it intonation.
In Oxford English Dictionary, intonation is defined as "the rise and fall of your voice
while you are speaking". In connected speech the voice-pitch is continually rising and
'patterns'. When the pitch of the voice rises we have a rising intonation; when it falls
we have a falling intonation; when it remains on one note for an appreciable time, we
Gilbert (1994) pointed out that the purpose of intonation is "helping the listener to
follow". It is a navigation guide for the listener. Thai language does not use intonation
to differentiate questions and statements. So it's not unusual that Thai students use
rising tones for both Yes or No questions and Wh -questions or the tones used in the
17
2.4 Factors Affecting Thai Students in Learning English
Most of students do not prefer to learn English because they find the subject
matter boring and the four skills are quite hard for them. The subject matter is not
familiar, and it is presented in a strange language which they have to try very hard to
basis, they do not always succeed in reaching their communication goals (Hybels &
Weaver, 1995). When people from different countries interact in order to reach the
goal of understanding each other, there are problems found within this group due to
variations in the languages used by them. Teaching Methods are not attractive or
engaging for students. Most of teachers still use grammar and rote learning methods
for teaching English. They focus on reading and writing skills, not listening and
speaking skills. They seldom set up interesting activities to encourage their students to
have fun learning English. Besides that, they did not have opportunity to use English
in their daily lives, lack of exposure about English language and do not have
motivation to use English. Moreover, There is not enough technology support for
schools in rural or remote areas throughout the country. In contrast, big schools in
Bangkok or other major cities are provided with such language learning support
the first language in pronunciation. It was found in this study that the first language
was the cause of mispronunciation in the second language. Similarly, Yamadas study
(2005) showed that the first language affects their speaking ability in the second one.
Besides that, the borrowed words from English into Thai language are pronounced in
Thai ways. This is can be include in speaking skills where the Thai students have
18
problems in pronouncing English words. Thus, it can be one of the factors
contributing to Thai students having problems in four skills. For example, the words
of computer, technology, cream, and etc. All of these words are borrowed directly
into Thai language without noticing that they are actually not in Thai vocabulary. So
when Thai people meet these words, they tell themselves that they know them already
and refuse to learn their intelligible pronunciations again and just because of this
reason, when they use them they use the pronunciations that they knew before. They
are saying that they have a lot of borrowed English words applied with Thai
normal to read the word Kitima into Gidima, pum into born, Prance into branee, and
so on. Thai students read all th into t, ph into p, kh into k, p into b, t into d, and k into
g. This can be include in reading skills where they have problems in reading English
words. This kind of articulation definitely has a strong influence on the students who
have no chance to study English Phonics. This phenomenon are due to the phonemic
phonemes as the minimum sound units that distinguish meaning among words. Thai
intonations are applied into English pronunciations. Thai language can borrow English
words and use them directly in their daily life without feeling anything awkward, at
least to Thai language itself. For example, if Thai people borrow the word 'computer'
from English and pronounce it like that(applying only a little Thai intonation), it's
quite comfortable. This characteristic helps common Thai people learn English. It is
quite normal to meet some uneducated people who can speak some English to you.
Some teachers in Thailand use Thai style to pronounce English word is another cause
19
of students' unintelligible English pronunciation. On the other hand, a language
teacher's pronunciation is served as a model for the students. The students have to
imitate their teachers pronunciation, otherwise the teacher will correct the students'
pronunciation or they have to cover their ears. Since the teacher's pronunciation is in
Thai style, the students' pronunciation will be the same. Thai final consonants are
always unvoiced so it is difficult for Thai students to pronounce aspirated /p/ and /k/or
voiced /m/ and /n/ in English words. Furthermore, cultural shock also is one of the
factors affecting Thai students having problems in learning four skill in learning
English. Culture shock usually occurs about six months after entering a new culture
when the second language learner beings able to compare the values and pattern of the
new country with those of his/her native country (Kim, 1997; Schumann, 1978). This
can be related to this factors because the Thai students feel new and hard for them to
communicate in English. This falls under a skill of speaking. In short, there are many
factors that lead to on why Thai students having problems in learning four skills in
learning English.
20
2.5 Problems That Faced by Thai Students in General
English is generally the first foreign language that students must study in
schools (OSullivan & Tajaroensuk, 1977). Thai students level of English proficiency
average Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores of Thais were the
same as for Mongolians but higher than for North Koreans and Japanese
(Wiriyachitra, 2004). From the previous studies of the levels of Thai students English
ability in speaking and listening between 1972 and 1988, Sukamolson (1989)
concluded that students listening skill in Grade 7- 9 was very poor. Many Thai
pronunciation. Wiriyachitra (2001) asserted that researchers have also suggested that
the English curriculum in the Thai university cannot meet the demands of English
used in the workplace. The skills used most such as listening and speaking that are not
the focus skills in the Thai tertiary education English curriculum. Though English has
been compulsory for all Thais from primary school level to university level, but still
they fail to enhance their English proficiency, especially in their listening and
speaking skills (Srivarakan, 2002). The second language learners often have
communicative intentions. They find difficulty in expression when they are engaged
similar studies regarding problems that affected communication between Thai people
and foreigners in their workplace. The findings in these two studies showed the same
types of difficulties during conversations. They concluded that problems occurred due
to the following factors which are misinterpretation of the contexts and the contents,
21
the accents of people from various parts of the world, and the level of language.
Furthermore, they claimed that some cultural barriers such as common characteristics
of the Thais and cultural differences resulted in miscommunication between the Thais
English from the general scope of problems until the main problems that faced by
them.
22
2.6 Past reviews
teaching and learning at higher education institutions. Chanudom (1993) reported that
teachers college students taking a Foundation English course had serious problems in
listening comprehension, English speaking, reading for main ideas, and writing. Other
problems that faced by them was lacking a language laboratory or having no chance to
use it and the inadequate number of English teachers and English native speakers.
Phofa (2003) explored the problems with advanced dramatic arts students in Colleges
of Dramatic Arts in the central region. The previous study found that the students
adequate nor modern, and teaching methods were uninteresting. The students there
preferred to practice speaking and reading skills with more contact hours. For
specialized English courses, Sinthuchai (1991) reported that the second-year Business
had low ability in reading English newspapers and business letters and in writing
credit letters, credit forms, and reference letters. As far as the need in English learning
was concerned, the students wanted to practice the listening, speaking, reading, and
problems and needs of English language teachers and students in Physical Education
Colleges, Thailand. She found that students English language skills were at a very
low level. Physical education students did not give any attention to the English
subjects. The English content was too difficult for the Thai students to understand.
English textbooks and chances to practice in a language laboratory were also rare and
leads to the problems in learning English language. In relation to the needs, English
23
teachers needed the English content to be improved to suit the ability and the
books, teaching aids and an effective language laboratory were needed. English
language teachers would like to join a study tour abroad for a short period of time,
language abilities and teaching methods. The problems and needs or wants of the
current study.
2.7 Summary
English, common mistakes made by Thai students and factors affecting Thai students
in learning English and the past reviews about the problems face by the Thai students
in learning English. The first sub-topic which is the theories of language learning give
a specific information about the definition of the English and the theories itself in
order to make it clear for the reader. Next, the researcher also give information about
the benefits of learning English in general at first then specific it into the Thai students
. This actually lead to the research questions in the chapter 1. The research also stated
the common mistakes that always made by the Thai students. As example, the
pronunciation of the Thai students. The method on how to do this study will be
explained in chapter 3.
24
CHAPTER 3
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Introduction
This section discusses the methodology of the research. The main purpose
English in UniSZA and this research also will give an overview about problems
faced by them in four skills which are speaking skills, reading skills, writing
skills and listening skills. Data for this research were collected through primary
because the researchers will collect the results based on the questionnaires
yes-no, open-ended and scales were used in the questionnaire. The different
25
sections of the questionnaire were a) demographic background, b) problems
faced by Thai students in the skills which are speaking, listening, reading and
writing and the last section is c) comments. The researchers had distributed
Gong Badak which were at cafeteria and student hall. The researchers had
student hall. All the questionnaires have been distributed after class session.
it can be carried out by the researchers with limited affect to its validity and
way.
The respondents of the study were first, second and third year undergraduates
26
3.3 Research Procedure
campus which are cafeteria and student hall after class session. Appointment
was set through a representative from Thai students to gather all the Thai
3.4 Summary
respondents were from semester one, three and five. The total numbers for
questions for the questionnaire was 51. As a conclusion, the objective for the
methods that have been used by the researchers during this research is to
gain more information and data about problems faced by Thai students in
learning English among semester one, three and five from University Sultan
27
CHAPTER 4
DATA ANALYSIS
Introduction
This chapter will present the research findings which are demographic
background, the result of data analysis and research finding and discussion.
The results of data analysis and research finding will explain about the result.
28
6 Do you think it is 75 15
important to
increase people
awareness to
practise correct
English?
7 Is it hard for you to 50 50
practise English?
8 Do you have 95 5
interests to study
English?
9 Do you think it is 95 5
possible to be a
good speaker in
English?
10 Is it important for 90 10
you to make your
English
pronunciation
sounds correctly?
11 Do you think it is 90 10
important to
communicate in
English with your
friends in a
classroom ?
12 Do you refer to 65 35
dictionary if you
have problem to find
certain words in
English?
Table 4.1
respondents agreed that they have lived in an English speaking country. The
rest of the respondents stated that they never lived in an English speaking
29
that it is important to speak with good pronunciation. Besides that, all of the
their daily life. Majority of respondents agreed that it is important for them to
practices correct English in their classes. The researchers think some of the
respondents did not agreed with the question because they prefer to use their
stated that it is hard for them to practice English language while the other half
of the respondents stated that it is not hard for them to practice English. From
English with their friends in a classroom. From question number 13, we can
see that majority of the respondents prefer their native language rather than
English language.
30
SECTION B : PROBLEMS IN SKILLS
SPEAKING SKILLS
31
to express
myself in
English
21 I can ask 0 5 35 50 10
questions in
English in the
classroom
22 I feel 0 0 45 50 5
comfortable
in talking
with a native
speaker
instructor in
the classroom
23 I never have 0 10 25 50 15
a speaking
problem
Table 4.2
the rest of them which is 10% stated that they never have an informal
30% of them rarely and another 5% never can have a formal conversation in
English. Result from question number 16 stated that usually only 5% of the
while 30% of them occasionally and majority of them rarely can perform
we can see that 10% of the respondents answered usually they have an
32
English vocabulary for effective speaking. From question number 21, 5% of
the respondents can ask questions in English in the classroom while 35% of
them occasionally, half of them rarely and 10% of them never can ask
questions in English in the classroom. Next is from question number 22, 45%
instructor in a classroom while 50% of them rarely and another 5% never feel
LISTENING SKILLS
33
understand
comments
given by
native
English
speakers
29 I participate 0 45 40 15 0
class
discussions in
English
30 I participate 0 45 45 5 5
group
discussions in
English
31 I feel 5 45 50 0 0
comfortable
in listening a
native
speaker
instructor in
the classroom
32 I can 5 40 50 5 0
understand
the main idea
of the native
speaker
instructor
33 I never have a 5 50 40 5 0
listening
problem
Table 4.3
From table 4.3 above, question number 24 stated that 35% of the respondents
usually understand the tone of voice of a native speaker while half of them
occasionally and 10% of them rarely understand the tone of voice of a native
occasionally and 25% of them rarely understand the tone of voice of a native
34
classroom lectures in English. Moreover, 10% of the respondents usually
From question number 30, 45% of the respondents stated that they usually
English. Lastly, from question number 31, 5% of the respondents always feel
READING SKILLS
35
39 I never 5 45 35 15 0
have a
reading
problem
Table 4.4
From table 4.4 above, for question number 34, 25% of the
them occasionally, 25% of them rarely and 15% of them never can read
academic textbooks in English. From question number 35, we can see that
10% of the respondents usually can read a magazine in English while 45% of
them occasionally, 25% of them rarely and 20% of them never can read a
occasionally and 10% of them rarely can understand English idioms. For
question number 38, half of the respondents answered they can explain the
main idea and summary the passage occasionally while 35% of them can
explain the main idea and summary the passage rarely. Furthermore, 5% of
the respondents answered never and 5% of them answered usually they can
36
WRITING SKILLS
37
44 I can use 10 60 25 5 0
perfectly
grammatical
rules in
writing any
papers
45 I can 5 65 20 10 0
choose
appropriate
vocabulary
to write my
paper
46 I have an 10 50 35 0 5
adequate
English
vocabulary
for writing
essays
47 I am able to 0 35 65 0 0
develop a
suitable
structure for
the content
48 I never have 0 50 40 5 0
a writing
problem
Table 4.5
As can be seen in table 4.5 above, for question number 42, 5% of the
respondents stated that they always can paraphrase English passages while
half of them usually, 40% of them occasionally and 5% of them never can
38
answered usually and 5% of them answered they cannot choose the
appropriate vocabulary in their writing. Next, from question number 46, 10% of
the respondents stated that they always have an adequate English vocabulary
for writing essays, half of them usually, 35% of them occasionally and 5% of
them never have an adequate English vocabulary for writing essays. For
occasionally they able to develop a suitable structure for the content while
4.6 Findings
The most serious English problem reported by the Thai students was
( 2010). Other problems revealed in this study were reading skills, listening
skills and the least problematic skills is writing skills. Major tasks of speaking
the classroom, ability to explain idea clearly in English and ability to ask
pronunciation. Some sounds are difficult for Thai learners to produce. The
English final consonant may be the most difficult part of the word for Thais to
39
Furthermore, Thai students also have intonation problems. Thai language
does not use intonation to differentiate questions and statements. So it's not
unusual that Thai students use rising tones for both Yes or No questions and
Wh-questions or the tones used in the Yes-No questions or statements are not
different. Next, factors that affecting Thai students faced problems in learning
English are they do not prefer to learn English because they find the subject
matter boring. Most of teachers still use grammar and rote learning methods
for teaching English. They also did not have opportunity to use English in their
daily lives, lack of exposure about English language and do not have
Besides that, there are some teachers in Thailand use Thai style to pronounce
4.7 Discussion
This study concluded that speaking skills was the most difficult English
and writing skills. This may be because the cause of the speaking is the
first, and often seems to be the most difficult skills since it involves
pronunciation, grammatical items and word choice. Besides that, they would
native speakers speed rate due to scarcity of the authentic material and
40
practice. Hence, the native-English speakers speaking factor seems to be
another main obstacle in listening for Thai students. In reading skills, lots of
practice is needed, and for readers to persist with a lot of practice, they must
they are reading. Michael John Strauss ( 2008 ) stated that this situation in
Thailand is not so very different compared to the situation in the West. There
are so many Thai people are reluctant readers not because of some
exclusively Thai lack of reading culture, but because of elements in their home
and education backgrounds which have not been conducive to the fostering of
students did not have chance to practice English with their friend and family. In
many places in Thailand, the facility in school is not enough for them to
practice English. Computer or audio materials are useful for them to practice
to pronounce English word. We all know that teacher serves as role model, if
teacher in Thailand keep doing mispronunciation, the students will have the
4.8 Summary
that the most problematic skills faced by Thai students is speaking skills while
the least problematic skills is writing skills. They occasionally can have an
41
Moreover, they did not really comfortable in talking with native speaker
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CHAPTER 5
Introduction
This research conducted to study the problems faced by Thai students in learning
English in UniSZA. It is important to solve this problem.The results shows that the
Thai students having problems in many aspects. One of the common problem that
in the speech process (spoken language) when the speaker achieves the goal to
involves several stages, beginning with the speakers ideas and ending with the
understanding of those ideas by the listener (Dauer, 1993). Pronunciation is not just a
sport or musical instrument. The Thai students also have problems in terms of four
skills which are speaking, reading, writing and listening. The results show that they
have problems in terms of speaking. They are not able to speak in English.
Furthermore, the Thai students itself have the problems in the writing skills because
5.1 Recommendation
The researchers recommended so many ways in order to solve the problems faced by
Thai students in learning English in UniSZA. The ways to solve these problems are by
43
giving motivation to the Thai students, UniSZA have to provide more English Classes
for the Thai students and UniSZA also have to provide more facilities.
spending class time discussing with learners their own ideas about what is involved in
learning pronunciation. The teachers should motivate the Thai students by providing
them with the benefits of learning English in order to grab their attention. This will
make them feel eager and finally fall in love with English subject. The teacher also
should motivate the Thai students by giving them a rewards if they done their best in
learning the four skills which are speaking, reading, writing and listening. Maybe the
teacher should motivate them by giving them benefits of learning writing and
speaking skills. This is because when they are good in speaking skills, automatically
they will be good in communication with other people surrounding them. As a whole,
motivation is one the key that can lead them to love and start learning English .
Lu (2002) claims that learners suggest they should practise speaking. Learners
need help in overcoming both their expectation that pronunciation is a subject which
can be learned by listening to a teacher, and the psychological and social barriers that
make it difficult for them to practise effectively. In addition, there is also a significant
44
involving a kind of concept formation rather than as a purely physical skill. Learners
must be made aware of aspects of their pronunciation that result in other people being
unable to understand them. The teacher and the UniSZA should set classroom
and outside of the classroom often. Suter (1976) and Suter and Purcell (1980)
concluded that pronunciation practice in class had little effect on the learners
pronunciation skills. The teacher itself has to come out with variety activities such as
practicing them in a group. They should have a discussion where they speak within
each other in order to improve their pronunciation. In terms of improving the Thai
students writing skills, the teacher itself may come out with a huge of vocabulary in
the lecture. This will enhance the Thai students writing skills because they have been
Learners must be given the opportunity to practise aspects of the English sound
system which are crucial for their own improvement (Avery & Ehrlich, 1992). There
micro-level skill, learners should be trained both in segmental (a study of sounds) and
1991; Gilbert 1984 and Wong, 1987). Celce-Murcia, Brinton and Goodwin (1996),
Gilbert (1990), and Morley (1991) describe segmental as the basic inventory of
distinctive sounds and show the way that they combine to form a spoken language.
45
The Thai students need to hear a lot of English words before they can develop a feel
for the sounds of English. Thus, the learners become more confident and motivated in
learning the language because of the teaching aids and materials such as tape
recordings of native speakers, pictures of mouth and articulations used in the class
along with the provision positive reinforcement (Phinit-Akson, 2002; Quilter, 2002;
Estrada & Streiff, 2002; Wu, 2002; and Jay, 1966). UniSZA itself have to provide
more facilities for this Thai student to learn English. Facilities such as audio-visual
aids should be provided more to them in order to grab their attention and finally they
practice themselves by hearing the pronunciation of each words in English using that
kind of aids. UniSZA also have to provide more academic books at the library, so that
they can read more and they will have a huge vocabulary indirectly through readings.
This actually can give a positive effect in their reading skills indirectly. As a whole,
46
5.2 Conclusion and Further Research
students in learning English in UniSZA. The objective of the study are the researchers
wants to know the problems that faced by Thai students in learning English language.
Besides, the researchers also want to identify the factors affecting Thai students in
learning English. The respondents of this research involves were 20 Thai students
consisting of two male and eighteen female from the Faculty of Islamic
Contemporary.
The problems faced by researcher are the Thai students were not given full
cooperation in order to answer the questionnaire and the feedback is not desired. To
that all of Thai students in UniSZA aware about the importance to have good and
fluent English. Besides that, researchers also hope that they will improve their English
proficiency.
5.3 Summary
This chapter covers the recommendation and conclusion for this study. In the
recommendation part, the researchers gives an overall pictures of the problems faced
by the Thai students in learning English in uniSZA based on the results that the
researchers get through the questionnaire at the first place. Then, the researchers gives
variety of ways to solve the problems that faced by Thai students in learning English
47
in UniSZA. The researchers also conclude about the problems faced by Thai students
48
APPENDIXES
QUESTIONNAIRE
Course:
Program :
Semester:
Gender
Male Female
Age:
Yes No
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3. Do you think that it is important to speak with good pronunciation?
Yes No
Yes No
Yes No
Yes No
Yes No
Yes No
Yes No
correctly?
Yes No
friends in a classroom ?
50
Yes No
12. Do you refer to dictionary if you have problem to find certain words in
English?
Yes No
51
SECTION B : PROBLEMS IN SKILLS
Please circle a number to indicate your most appropriate description you by using
the scale below.
2
5 always 4 usually 3 occasionally rarely 1 never
SPEAKING SKILLS
52
5 always 4 usually 3 occasionally 2 rarely 1 never
LISTENING SKILLS
53
5 always 4 usually 3 occasionally 2 rarely 1 never
READING SKILLS
54
5 always 4 usually 3 occasionally 2 rarely 1 never
WRITING SKILLS
55
SECTION C : COMMENTS
_____________________________________________________________
2. From your opinion, what are the problems that you face when
learning English?
____________________________________________________
________________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
THANK YOU
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
www.esp-world.info.
Raynaud, M. (n.d.). I Know Why Your Students Dont Speak English And What to
woods.html.
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