STRATEGICALLY SPEAKING

Setting a national language policy requires a vision and a strategic approach by policy makers. In a world where the market depends largely on workers with highly developed language skills, setting the language policy is often a question of national identity versus market forces.

``Most of the time, it's not the problem of fewer people speaking the national language, but the problem of the status of the language,'' says David Graddol, a UK applied linguist, addressing the keynote speech, ``English Next,'' at the conference. ``If you learn a foreign language as an older pupil, in a more academic way, it's not a threat to national identity in the same way that it is if very young children are learning the foreign language,'' Graddol adds.

In Thailand, the government has supported the study of English language in primary schools since 1995. The main goal for English language study in schools, says Education Ministry's Permament Secretary Khunying Kasama Varavarn Na Ayutthaya, is to enable children to communicate in English and use the Internet to search for information from the World Wide Web.

``While basic comprehension of English will also bring about a better understanding of other cultures, not just American or British culture, the country also needs to support those who have the potential to excel in the language, for trade negotiation and higher education purposes,'' Khunying Kasama says.

In its latest strategy paper, the ministry supports a bill to establish an accelerated English Programme in schools, in which students spend up to 15 hours per week studying various subjects in English, or mini-English programmes, with eight to 14 hours of English per week. This strategy, says Kasama, breaks away from the country's tradition of having every student spend the same amount of hours per week, usually three to five hours, studying English.

In recent years, Chinese has also emerged as a second priority to English, with increasing academic collaborations between Thailand and China. Rather than introducing Chinese at the primary level, however, the ministry's strategy aims at the upper secondary level.

``Chinese was originally introduced as an additional choice for foreign language studies. But the past five years have seen a boom in the study of Chinese language. As a result, some schools have also introduced Chinese classes at the primary and lower secondary levels,'' she says.

Remaining challenges

The age question is not the only challenge to Thailand's education administrators. More important than the lack of English language teachers, Khunying Kasama says, is the lack of relevant, locally written English language materials. So far, she adds, the ministry has not been able to supply both bilingual schools or schools with an English programme with locally written textbooks in English.

Using textbooks written in English by authors from native-speaking countries, as those used in international schools, is not the best solution. To Graddol, doing so poses the greatest obstacle to the preservation of national identity, as far as the national language policy is concerned.

``[Language] is a way of negotiating social values in the communities that are distinctively Thai,'' Graddol says. ``Whatever is done regarding English must not let in all those other global cultural values. It's still got to be done in a way that's appropriate for the local community and serve local values.''

One way to meet this challenge is to adopt China's model. China, Graddol says, is highly concerned about conserving national identity. ``They insist on international English language providers, like big publishers working with local publishers within guidelines established by the government.

``Also, these publishers must work with local textbook authors, so that they learn and acquire all the skills needed to develop their own textbooks in the future,'' he adds. This is one way to make sure that the textbooks serve a national purpose. The lack of native-speaking teachers, on the other hand, can more easily be overcome through hiring non-native teachers. ``We don't always have to hire native-speaking teachers,'' says Khunying Kasama, ``as long as we can select those who are competent in teaching, has good English language skills, and possess qualified academic knowledge in their areas.''

Filipino teachers, Khunying Kasama adds, are very good in primary schools because they are experts in introducing students to many learning activities, while Indian teachers are good at teaching science. No matter which direction the national language policy is heading, the key is to involve everyone into the project, rather than having ministry administrators dictating how the schools and teachers should implement the policy.

``That doesn't work anywhere in the world,'' says Graddol. ``It has to be done in a way in which different ministers all agree that there's a unity of purpose and agreement because this is a national issue, not just an educational one,'' he adds.

The two-day conference, Future English? English Language Policy for Global Transition, took place from September 25-26, at the Intercontinental Hotel in Bangkok. For more information on the conference, contact the British Council Thailand at 02 652 5480-9 ext. 607, 410 or visit http://my.britishcouncil.or.th/?future-perfect