CEFR Self-ratings among International, Chinese, and Thai Students at Payap University: Preliminary Report (original) (raw)

Thai First-Year University Students’ English Proficiency on CEFR Levels

Research Article, 2019

Interests in the adoption of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) for English teaching and learning have been growing among countries beyond Europe since 2001. The framework offers practical interpretations of language proficiency levels relating to real-life situations and is open to multimodality and adaptations in various educational contexts. However, little research has been conducted on English proficiency and CEFR with a specific focus on a country or region. Therefore, this study intends to address such gap by examining the English proficiency of Thai EFL learners on CEFR levels. By using Walailak University-Test of English Proficiency (WU-TEP), a comprehensive university standardized test framed by the Classical Test Theory (CTT) and CEFR, this study, conducted in July 2018, measured the English proficiency of 2248 Thai EFL learners (74% female and 26% male). The results of the analyses revealed that 77.3% of the students were at the levels of basic users (A1 and A2) in CEFR. Such levels are equal to the abilities of primary and junior high school students in the Thai education system. This study, further, suggests the implementation of a school level-focused curriculum development for future improvements.

The English Oral Communication Competency of Thai Engineering Students

2013

In the present days, English communication becomes the international mass connection between people and organizations. The crucial barriers of the English communication would be low level of competency especially for non-native speakers. Developing language profiles of graduates for higher levels of speaking skills to serve the need of workplace in Asian Economic Communities becomes a high concern in many countries including Thailand as one of the providing strategies for ASEAN association. This study investigated and identified levels of English oral communication competency of civil engineering students at a Thai university of Technology with the proposing designed instrument based on the ESP theory aiming to search for specific points for further development. The informants were assessed with tasks composed of structured interviews with pictures to draw out the linguistic features in specific work context using the constructed rubrics. Finding revealed that the participants were ...

Reviewing the Common European Framework of Reference for English Language in Thailand Higher Education

2018

In the last 15 years, the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) has become very influential for the design of language curriculum and assessment of the language learning outcomes around the world. This article presents a basic introduction to the CEFR that has arisen by Thai government and educational authorities have set out to apply the framework in the education in Thailand; especially in Thai university students.

Thai Learners' Linguistic Needs and Language Skills: Implications for Curriculum Development

International Journal of Instruction, 2017

Learners' success in language learning always has implications for curriculum and instruction. Thus, it is important to take into account the kinds of learning experiences that these learners will find helpful in learning English as a foreign language; and, highlight them when planning a curriculum and adapting classroom activities. This study, with 72 first year engineering students, 3 English for Specific Purposes (ESP) teachers of King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT) Ratchaburi, and 3 other stakeholders as respondents, aimed to identify the Thai engineering students' linguistic needs and the language skills needed for them to get a job in the future. It also assessed whether the linguistic needs and the language skills required for the students were addressed in the curriculum. Methods used in this study were modified questionnaire, focus groups and semi-structured individual interviews. Findings revealed that students wanted to go abroad and to be successful in their future careers; thus, considered speaking as the most important skill to be developed and should be emphasized in their English classes. Students preferred to learn through engaging classroom activities and strategies, exposure to the language, and use of technology in the classroom. However, the ESP curriculum did not provide these linguistic needs and language skills.

Background Factors of Thai Students’ Speaking Achievement in English Learning

Tell : Teaching of English Language and Literature Journal

In learning English as Foreign Language, there are many background factors that play important roles to be success in learning. In the case of foreign students who study English in non-English speaking country, these factors become more complex. This study aims to analyze the background factors of Thai students’ speaking achievement and the different background factors between student’s high and low scores of speaking achievement. This study used mixed method design as method of study. The theories of factors were used to answer the objective of this research such as self-esteem, inhibition, risk-taking, anxiety, empathy, extroversion, introversion, motivation, attitude, language exposure, and social situation. The subject was five students from Thailand who studied at Muhammadiyah University of Surabaya. The finding was that each of students mostly possessed different background factors. However, their intensity and ability were different among of them. All of those factors were g...