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A STUDY ON PROBLEMS FACED BY THAI STUDENTS IN

LEARNING ENGLISH IN UNISZA, MALAYSIA

By :

NUR EZZATI NABIHAH BINTI MOHAMAD ALI

A PROJECT PAPER SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT

OF THE DIPLOMA IN TEACHING ENGLISH AS A SECOND

LANGUAGE (TESL) COURSE

FACULTY OF LANGUAGES AND COMMUNICATION (FBK)

UNIVERSITY SULTAN ZAINAL ABIDIN (UniSZA)

CAMPUS GONG BADAK

GONG BADAK, 21300 KUALA TERENGGANU

TERENGGANU DARUL IMAN

SEPTEMBER 2013

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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

English in UniSZA. The method uses in this study were questionnaire. 20

questionnaires were distributed to 20 Thai students from the Faculty of Islamic

Contemporary.

It was found that the most serious English problem reported by the Thai

students was speaking skills and this findings is similar to a research by

Attapol KhamKhien ( 2010). Other problems revealed in this study were

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

most difficult part of the word for Thais to pronounce.

Furthermore, Thai students also have intonation problems. Thai

language does not use intonation to differentiate questions and statements.

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

English word using Thai style.

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DECLARATION PAGE

We hereby declare that this research paper is the result of our

investigation, except where otherwise stated. Other sources are

acknowledged by quotations, giving explicit references and the bibliography is

appended.

Name : NUR EZZATI NABIHAH BT MOHAMAD ALI

Signature : ______________________ Date : ____________________

Name : NURUL SHAZWANY BT MOHAMED SALIM

Signature : ______________________ Date : ____________________

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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

been able to complete this project paper.

We are deeply grateful to our lecturer, Dr Normah Yusof, for her guidance,

patience, her constructive comments and invaluable suggestions. we consider

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

questionnaire in order to complete this research.

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

exchanging any ideas and give the enjoyable studying environment.

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.

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CHAPTER 1

1.1 Background of study

In the age of globalisation, English has played an increasingly important role as

the medium of communication among people from different non-English speaking

countries and Thailand is no exception. English is no longer a mere subject to be

learnt in the classroom but also medium for social and practical use (Foley,2005).

Therefore, English has come to be considered globally as the international or global

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

English courses on offer is to develop students’ communicative competence in both

academic and non-academic English. In doing so, language learners are expected to be

able to efficiently express themselves in the target language and successfully

communicate in real-life situations ( Lightbrown & Spada, 1999 ).

According to Boonyakarn (1991), Thai students are expected to be able to

communicate effectively in English but they have problem to differentiate English

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

Zainal Abidin ( UniSZA ).

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1.2 Statement of Problem

The internalization of the university requires UniSZA to have a certain number of

international students. Some of these international students are from Thailand. These

Thai students come here without sound knowledge of English. According to Jaiyai,

Torwong, Usaha, Danvirattana, Luangthongkam & Piyadamrongchai ( 2005 ), many

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

given 2 weeks of English classes to these Thai students as an entry requirement.

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.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

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.

Certain actions can be taken to help them solve their proble

1.4 Objectives of the study

This study focuses on problems faced by Thai students in learning English language in

UniSZA. The objectives are as below:

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1) To identify the problems faced by Thai students in learning English.

2) To identify the factors affecting Thai students in learning English.

1.5 Research questions

This study focus on why Thai students have problems in learning English language in

UniSZA. Specific guiding questions are as below :

1) What are the problems faced by Thai students in learning English?

2) What are the factors affecting Thai students in learning English?

1.6 Significance of study

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

skills and academic achievements.

1.7 Scope and limitations

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

questionnaire as the research

1.8 Definition of terms

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

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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

language” which means a language spoken international which is learned by many

people as a second language. (Oxford Online Dictionary). Besides, the researchers use

the term of “internationalization” which means make something international or

controlled by two or more countries. (Macmillan, 2nd Edition: 792).

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

faced by Thai students in learning English in UniSZA Malaysia”. In the background

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

problems in the literature review.

CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

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Introduction

In this literature review, the language learning theories, the benefits of learning

English language, common mistakes made by Thai students in English language,

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

English will be discussed.

2.1 Theories of Language Learning

A theory of language learning is an account of the psycholinguistic and

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.

Because behaviourists consider language maturation as a matter of forming habits,

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

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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

comprehensible which, in turn, facilitates and promotes acquisition. Therefore,

interactional modification must be necessary for language acquisition. Long argues

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

conversational tuning can aid comprehension, but no research provided conclusive

evidence that comprehensible input causes or explains acquisition (Davies and Elder

2004: 518).

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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

in English, which means it is often an essential language for anyone working in

science or research. For many people, the benefits of learning English include

broadening their employment opportunities, since it is used so commonly in business.

People who speak two or more languages are often ideal candidates for jobs in travel,

international business, or translation. Many government agencies and employers that

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.

Even outside of a professional environment, people often like to be able to talk to

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

interested in traveling to countries in which English is the primary or common

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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

immigrants themselves, it also helps families by allowing parents to be involved more

fully in their children's lives and education. In addition, these children don't have to

translate for their parents, allowing them to be kids instead of interpreters.

Furthermore, A huge amount of popular entertainment comes out of Hollywood, and

nearly all of it is produced in English. American movies and TV programs are

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

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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.

Scholars interested in doing research at an academic level, or working on new

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

many countries, many other nations teach it as a requirement in schools. It is estimated

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

become available to someone who understands it. Anyone interested in attending a

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

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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.

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2.3 Common Mistakes Made by Thai Students

Language is a cognitive skills, which includes productive skills of writing and

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 /ϖ/. As example, van and every. /Τ /or /th/

represent thin and breath. Sounds of /∆ /or /th/ represent the word of mother, then /ζ/

shows the word of zero, and nasal. /Σ /or /sh/ e.g. share, notion; /Ζ / or /zh/ e.g casual,

beige; /tΣ/or /ch/ e.g. future, cherry; /dΖ /or /j/ e.g. gentle, jelly and /γ/ 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

are different from Thai equivalents as to distribution, though existing in Thai.

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 as unreleased instead of released sounds because these sounds 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

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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 /ε/ 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

English becoming Englit. The mispronunciation of English final consonants may

make it difficult for English native speakers to understand Thai pronunciation.

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

cannot co-occur in English. However, some collocation restrictions are violated by

Thai learners. For example: My hair is busy (instead of My hair is messy.) . In brief,

the formation of words in the respective languages is different. In English, morphemes

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

because we do not have an obvious boundary of a sentence. In Thai, we can go from

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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

Thai sentential characteristics impede Thai students from developing an accurate

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

falling. These variations produce intonations that may be described as 'tunes' or

'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

have level intonation(Jones, 1988). Intonation is another significant feature in English.

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

Yes-No questions or statements are not different.

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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

understand or express ideas effectively. Although people communicate on a daily

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

language learning, such as ICTs as well as language laboratories, particularly 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

technology by PTA or NGOs. Altenberg’s study (2005) reported the interference of

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, Yamada’s 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

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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

pronunciations. Those Thai pronunciations are not intelligible pronunciations. In other

country, these pronunciations cannot be easily understood. Moreover, The

Romanization of Thai language influences the pronunciation of English. It is very

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

inventory of the Thai language. Different languages distinguish different sets of

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

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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 teacher’s 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.

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2.5 Problems That Faced by Thai Students in General

English is generally the first foreign language that students must study in

schools (O’Sullivan & Tajaroensuk, 1977). Thai students’ level of English proficiency

is low compare to other countries in Asia such as Malaysia, Philippines, and

Singapore. According to the Ministry of University Affairs, in March 2000 the

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

students have problems in listening to dialogues and texts as well as problems in

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

in communication. In Thailand, Ekwannang (2004) and Noreewong (2006) conducted

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,

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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

and foreigners. As a conclusion, Thai students having many problems in learning

English from the general scope of problems until the main problems that faced by

them.

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2.6 Past reviews

There have been a number of previous research revealing problems of English

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

lacked responsibility in their English learning, teaching materials were neither

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

Administration students had difficulty in speaking related to business contexts. They

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

writing skills. In the context of physical education, Jai-ngam (1990) investigated

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

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teachers needed the English content to be improved to suit the ability and the

professional area of the students. Appropriate English language textbooks, reference

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,

participate in English teaching seminars or trainings in order to enrich themselves with

language abilities and teaching methods. The problems and needs or wants of the

previous studies were considered as a basis in designing an instrument used in this

current study.

2.7 Summary

This chapter covers the theories of language learning, benefits of learning

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.

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CHAPTER 3

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Introduction

This section discusses the methodology of the research. The main purpose

of this research is to study problems faced by Thai students in learning

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

data which are questionnaires. In this methodology it will conclude five

sections which are introduction, research instruments, respondents of study,

research procedure and the last part is summary.

3.1 Research Instrument

This research utilized quantitative research methodology. The instrument used

to collect data was questionnaire. “The questionnaire is an important

instrument of research, a tool of data collection” (Oppenheim, 1992:47)

because the researchers will collect the results based on the questionnaires

given to the respondents. A set of questionnaire containing 51 questions

divided into 3 sections was developed based on a questionnaire used

previously by another study (Ratana, 2007). Different question types such as

yes-no, open-ended and scales were used in the questionnaire. The different

26

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

the questionnaires at two locations in University Sultan Zainal Abidin, campus

Gong Badak which were at cafeteria and student hall. The researchers had

distributed 8 questionnaires at cafeteria and the rest (12) questionnaires at

student hall. All the questionnaires have been distributed after class session.

There are many benefits of using questionnaire as research instrument.

According to Milne (1999), the responses are gathered in a standardized way,

so the questionnaires are more objective rather than interviews, it is practical,

it can be carried out by the researchers with limited affect to its validity and

reliability and large amounts of information can be collected from a large

number of people in a short period of time and in a relatively cost effective

way.

3.2 Respondents of Study

The respondents of the study were first, second and third year undergraduates

from Faculty of Contemporary Islam in various courses at University Sultan

Zainal Abidin. A total of 32 questionnaires were distributed to the Thai

students at a classroom of the university. Out of 32, only 20 students from

various courses at UniSZA returned the questionnaires. Of these numbers, 2

were male students while the rest (18) were female.

27

3.3 Research Procedure

The questionnaires were distributed at the various locations locations on

campus which are cafeteria and student hall after class session. Appointment

was set through a representative from Thai students to gather all the Thai

students to distribute the questionnaire.

3.4 Summary

In chapter three, the researchers included introduction, research

instruments, respondents of study, and research procedure. The respondents

for this research were Faculty of Contemporary Islam students. The

respondents were from semester one, three and five. The total numbers for

the respondents were 20 students consist of 2 males and 18 females. The

researcher used questionnaire as research instrument. The total number of

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

Zainal Abidin (UniSZA) by using questionnaire.

28

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.

SECTION A: DEMOGRAPHIC BACKGROUND

Number Questions Yes (%) No (%)

2 Have you ever lived

in an English

speaking country?

25 75

3 Do you think that it

is important to speak

with good

pronunciation?

85 15

4 Do you think it is

important for you

to practices

correct English in

your classes?

65 35

5 Do you think that

learning English

will be interesting or

important in your

daily life?

100 0

29

6 Do you think it is

important to

increase people

awareness to

practise correct

English?

75 15

7 Is it hard for you to

practise English?

50 50

8 Do you have

interests to study

English?

95 5

9 Do you think it is

possible to be a

good speaker in

English?

95 5

10 Is it important for

you to make your

English

pronunciation

sounds correctly?

90 10

11 Do you think it is

important to

communicate in

English with your

friends in a

classroom ?

90 10

12 Do you refer to

dictionary if you

have problem to find

certain words in

English?

65 35

Number Question English (%) Native language

(%)

13 Which language do

you prefer?

25 75

Table 4.1

As can be seen in table 4.1 above, from question number 2, 75% of

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

country before. For question number 3, majority of the respondents agreed

30

that it is important to speak with good pronunciation. Besides that, all of the

respondents agreed that learning English will be interesting or important in

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

native language in classes. For question number 7, half of the respondents

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

questions number 8, 9, 10 and 11, we can see that majority of the

respondents agreed that they have interests in study English, it is possible to

be a good speaker in English, it is important for them to make their English

pronunciation sounds correctly and it is important for them to communicate in

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.

31

SECTION B : PROBLEMS IN SKILLS

SPEAKING SKILLS

Numbers Questions Always

(%)

Usually

(%)

Occasionally

(%)

Rarely

(%)

Never

(%)

14 I can have an

informal

conversation

in English

0 0 90 0 10

15 I can have a

formal

conversation

in English

0 15 50 30 5

16 I can perform

academic

presentation

in English in

the classroom

0 5 30 65 0

17 I have an

adequate

English

vocabulary

for effective

speaking

0 10 50 35 5

18 I can explain

my idea

clearly in

English

5 0 40 50 5

19 My friend, a

native

speaker,

understand

my

pronunciation

0 15 40 40 5

20 I find it easy 5 0 75 15 5

32

to express

myself in

English

21 I can ask

questions in

English in the

classroom

0 5 35 50 10

22 I feel

comfortable

in talking

with a native

speaker

instructor in

the classroom

0 0 45 50 5

23 I never have

a speaking

problem

0 10 25 50 15

Table 4.2

As revealed in table 4.2, for question number 14, majority of the

respondents can have an informal conversation in English occasionally while

the rest of them which is 10% stated that they never have an informal

conversation in English. For question number 15, 15% of the respondents

usually can have a formal conversation in English, 50% of them occasionally,

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

respondents can perform academic presentation in English in the classroom

while 30% of them occasionally and majority of them rarely can perform

academic presentation in English in the classroom. For question number 17,

we can see that 10% of the respondents answered usually they have an

adequate English vocabulary for effective speaking. Half of them occasionally,

35% of them rarely and 5% of the respondents never have an adequate

33

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%

of the respondents occasionally feel comfortable in talking with a native

instructor in a classroom while 50% of them rarely and another 5% never feel

comfortable in talking with a native instructor in a classroom.

LISTENING SKILLS

Number Question Always

(%)

Usually

(%)

Occasionally

(%)

Rarely

(%)

Never

(%)

24 I understand

the tone of

voice of a

native

speaker

0 35 55 10 0

25 I can

understand a

native

speaker

speaking at

normal speed

0 35 40 25 0

26 I can

understand an

attitude,

customs, and

social

circumstances

of a native

speaker

10 40 45 5 0

27 I can

understand

classroom

lectures in

English

5 40 45 10 0

28 I can 0 45 45 5 0

34

understand

comments

given by

native

English

speakers

29 I participate

class

discussions in

English

0 45 40 15 0

30 I participate

group

discussions in

English

0 45 45 5 5

31 I feel

comfortable

in listening a

native

speaker

instructor in

the classroom

5 45 50 0 0

32 I can

understand

the main idea

of the native

speaker

instructor

5 40 50 5 0

33 I never have a

listening

problem

5 50 40 5 0

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

speaker. From question number 25, 35% of the respondents usually

understand a native speaker speaking at normal speed while 40% of them

occasionally and 25% of them rarely understand the tone of voice of a native

speaker. Question number 27 stated that 45% of the respondents occasionally

understand classroom lectures in English while 40% of them rarely understand

35

classroom lectures in English. Moreover, 10% of the respondents usually

understand and 5% of them not understand classroom lectures in English.

From question number 30, 45% of the respondents stated that they usually

participating group discussion in English, 45% of them occasionally, 5% of

them rarely and another 5% of them never participate group discussion in

English. Lastly, from question number 31, 5% of the respondents always feel

comfortable in listening a native speaker instructor in the classroom while 45%

of them usually and majority of them occasionally feel comfortable in listening

a native speaker instructor in the classroom.

READING SKILLS

Numbers Question Always

(%)

Usually

(%)

Occasionally

(%)

Rarely

(%)

Never

(%)

34 I can read

an

academic

textbooks

in English

0 25 35 25 15

35 I can read

a magazine

in English

0 10 45 25 20

36 I can guess

the

meaning of

new

vocabulary

10 20 40 25 5

37 I can

understand

English

idioms

0 45 45 10 0

38 I can

explain the

main idea

and

summary

the

passage

5 35 55 5 0

36

39 I never

have a

reading

problem

5 45 35 15 0

Table 4.4

From table 4.4 above, for question number 34, 25% of the

respondents usually can read academic textbooks in English while 35% of

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

magazine in English. Next, question number 37 stated that 45% of the

respondents usually can understand English idioms while 45% of them

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

explain the main idea and summary the passage.

37

WRITING SKILLS

Number Question Always (%)

Usually (%)

Occasionally (%)

Rarely (%)

Never (%)

40 I can write an academic paper in English

10 25 55 10 0

41 I can write reports, projects, letters, and class assignments in English

15 60 20 5 0

42 I can paraphrase English passages

5 50 40 0 5

43 I can write an essay within limited time

5 40 50 5 0

38

44 I can use perfectly grammatical rules in writing any papers

10 60 25 5 0

45 I can choose appropriate vocabulary to write my paper

5 65 20 10 0

46 I have an adequate English vocabulary for writing essays

10 50 35 0 5

47 I am able to develop a suitable structure for the content

0 35 65 0 0

48 I never have a writing problem

0 50 40 5 0

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

paraphrase English passages. From question number 45, majority of the

respondents answered they rarely can choose appropriate vocabulary in their

writing while 20% of them answered occasionally. Moreover, 10% of them

39

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

question number 47, most of the respondents which is majority answered

occasionally they able to develop a suitable structure for the content while

35% of the respondents answered rarely they able to develop a suitable

structure for the content.

4.6 Findings

The most serious English problem reported by the Thai students was

speaking skills and this findings is similar to a research by Attapol KhamKhien

( 2010). Other problems revealed in this study were reading skills, listening

skills and the least problematic skills is writing skills. Major tasks of speaking

skills problems are the ability to perform academic presentation in English in

the classroom, ability to explain idea clearly in English and ability to ask

questions in English in classroom. Besides that, they also have problem in

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

pronounce. According to Brown (1987), pronunciation problems result from the

loss of muscular plasticity in the mouth of an adult foreign language learner.

40

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

motivation to use English. Moreover, there is not enough technology support

for language learning, such as ICTs as well as language laboratories,

particularly for schools in rural or remote areas throughout the country.

Besides that, there are some teachers in Thailand use Thai style to pronounce

English word in classes.

4.7 Discussion

This study concluded that speaking skills was the most difficult English

language problem that Thai students encounter, followed by reading, listening

and writing skills. This may be because the cause of the speaking is the

productive skills in the speaking mode. It is more complicated than it seems at

first, and often seems to be the most difficult skills since it involves

pronunciation, grammatical items and word choice. Besides that, they would

have better performance in listening activities if native speakers spoke English

more slowly. It is inappropriate for Thai teachers of English to simplify the

native speakers’ speed rate due to scarcity of the authentic material and

41

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

become engaged in some way captured cognitively or affectively by the texts

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

keen, independent readers. English language is not a familiar subject in

Thailand, so they have to try very hard to understand or express ideas

effectively. Peoples in Thailand prefer to speak in their native language, so the

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

correct English pronunciation. Moreover, teachers in Thailand use Thai style

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

same problem too.

4.8 Summary

Based on the data obtained by the researchers, it can be concluded

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

informal conversation in English and express themselves in English.

42

Moreover, they did not really comfortable in talking with native speaker

instructor in the classroom.

43

CHAPTER 5

RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION

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

faced by the Thais is pronunciation problems. Pronunciation is a very important factor

in the speech process (spoken language) when the speaker achieves the goal to

communicate effectively by being understood. The speech process is a process that

involves several stages, beginning with the speaker’s ideas and ending with the

understanding of those ideas by the listener (Dauer, 1993). Pronunciation is not just a

cognitive ‘knowing-that’, it is also a physical ‘knowing-how’, similar to playing 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

they lack in terms of vocabulary

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

44

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.

5.1.1 Motivation for Thai students

Learners need motivation and time to really practise pronunciation. It is worth

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 .

5.1.2 UniSZA have to provide more English classes

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

cognitive component in pronunciation learning, which is much less often

acknowledged. It is useful to think of learning to pronounce a new language as

45

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

environment to be less serious. They should be encourage more to speak English in

and outside of the classroom often. Suter (1976) and Suter and Purcell (1980)

concluded that pronunciation practice in class had little effect on the learner’s

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

introduced with a variety of vocabulary in the class by the teacher.

5.1.3 UniSZA provides more facilities

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

many ways to improve this pronunciation problems among Thai students.

Pronunciation training includes micro-level skill (accuracy-based learning), macro-

level skill (fluency-based learning) and awareness-raising classroom activities. At the

micro-level skill, learners should be trained both in segmental (a study of sounds) and

segmental features (training in stress, intonation, rhythm, linking) (Morley, 1979,

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.

46

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,

good facilities in UniSZA can contribute to the solving of this problem.

47

5.2 Conclusion and Further Research

This research was conducted to investigate the problems faced by Thai

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

overcome this problems, researchers have make decision to give rewards to

respondents and modified the questionnaire to be more specific. Researchers hope is

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

48

in UniSZA. The researchers also conclude about the problems faced by Thai students

in learning English in UniSZA in the conclusion part.

49

APPENDIXES

QUESTIONNAIRE

A STUDY ON PROBLEMS FACED BY THAI STUDENTS IN LEARNING

ENGLISH.

We are from UniSZA’s TESL 5 students. This questionnaire is to identify problems

in learning English among Thai students in UniSZA.

SECTION A: DEMOGRAPHIC BACKGROUND

Please answer the following questions in the spaces provided.

Course:

Program :

Semester:

Please tick appropriate answer for this survey.

Gender

Male Female

Age:

18-20 21-23 24-26

1. At what age did you start to learn English?

5-6 7-8 9 and above

2. Have you ever lived in an English speaking country?

Yes No

50

3. Do you think that it is important to speak with good pronunciation?

Yes No

4. Do you think it is important for you to practices correct English in your

classes?

Yes No

5. Do you think that learning English will be interesting or important in your

daily life?

Yes No

6. Do you think it is important to increase people awareness to practise correct

English?

Yes No

7. Is it hard for you to practise English?

Yes No

8. Do you have interests to study English?

Yes No

9. Do you think it is possible to be a good speaker in English?

Yes No

10. Is it important for you to make your English pronunciation sounds

correctly?

Yes No

11. Do you think it is important to communicate in English with your

friends in a classroom ?

51

Yes No

12. Do you refer to dictionary if you have problem to find certain words in

English?

Yes No

13. Which language do you prefer?

English native language

52

SECTION B : PROBLEMS IN SKILLS

Please circle a number to indicate your most appropriate description you by using

the scale below.

5 always 4 usually 3 occasionally 2

rarely 1 never

SPEAKING SKILLS

14. I can have an informal conversation in 5 4 3 2 1

English.

15. I can have a formal conversation in English. 5 4 3 2 1

16. I can perform academic presentation in

5 4 3 2 1

English in the classroom.

17. I have an adequate English vocabulary for 5 4 3 2 1

effective speaking.

18. I can explain my idea clearly in English. 5 4 3 2 1

19. My friend, a native speaker, understands my 5 4 3 2 1

pronunciation.

20. I find it easy to express myself in English. 5 4 3 2 1

21. I can ask questions in English in the

5 4 3 2 1

classroom.

22. I feel comfortable in talking with a native 5 4 3 2 1

speaker instructor in the classroom.

23. I never have a speaking problem. 5 4 3 2 1

53

5 always 4 usually 3 occasionally 2 rarely 1 never

LISTENING SKILLS

24. I understand the tone of voice of a native 5 4 3 2 1

speaker.

25. I can understand a native speaker speaking 5 4 3 2 1

at normal speed.

26. I can understand an attitude, customs, and 5 4 3 2 1

social circumstances of a native speaker.

27. I can understand classroom lectures in

5 4 3 2 1

English.

28. I can understand comments given by native 5 4 3 2 1

English speakers.

29. I participate class discussions in English. 5 4 3 2 1

30. I participate group discussions in English. 5 4 3 2 1

31. I feel comfortable in listening a native 5 4 3 2 1

speaker instructor in the classroom.

32. I can understand the main idea of the native 5 4 3 2 1

speaker instructor.

33. I never have a listening problem. 5 4 3 2 1

54

5 always 4 usually 3 occasionally 2 rarely 1 never

READING SKILLS

34. I can read an academic textbooks in English 5 4 3 2 1

35. I can read a magazine in English 5 4 3 2 1

36. I can guess the meaning of new vocabulary 5 4 3 2 1

37. I can understand English idioms 5 4 3 2 1

38. I can explain the main idea and summary

5 4 3 2 1 the passage

39. I never have a reading problem 5 4 3 2 1

55

5 always 4 usually 3 occasionally 2 rarely 1 never

WRITING SKILLS

40. I can write an academic paper in English. 5 4 3 2 1

41. I can write reports, projects, letters, and 5 4 3 2 1

class assignments in English.

42. I can paraphrase English passages. 5 4 3 2 1

43. I can write an essay within limited time. 5 4 3 2 1

44. I can use perfectly grammatical rules in

5 4 3 2 1

writing any papers.

45. I can choose appropriate vocabulary to write 5 4 3 2 1

my paper.

46. I have an adequate English vocabulary for 5 4 3 2 1

writing essays.

47. I am able to develop a suitable structure for 5 4 3 2 1

the content.

48. I never have a writing problem. 5 4 3 2 1

56

SECTION C : COMMENTS

Please answer the following questions in the spaces provided.

1. How do you plan to improve your English?

_____________________________________________________________

2. From your opinion, what are the problems that you face when

learning English?

____________________________________________________

________________________________________________

3. From your opinion, what types of teaching methods that

you prefer in learning English?

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

THANK YOU

57

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Woo, S. (2005). Non-native speakers should and can teach pronunciation.

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