A Needs Analysis of English Language of Thai Pre-service Teachers
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Abstract
This research had the objective to investigate the needs related to English language skills among Thai undergraduate pre-service teachers at a university. It also seeks to determine which skills are lacking among these students and the skills they wish to improve in 4 skills (reading, speaking, listening, and writing). The participants were selected via convenience sampling methods and included 220 senior non-English majors from universities in northeastern Thailand. Participants were aged from 21 to 23 years old. The five-point Likert scale questionnaires were used to collect the quantitative data, which was analyzed using descriptive statistics and the SPSS program. The results indicate a high demand for English language skills among Thai pre-service teachers. Specifically, the Thai university participants reported that listening was the most required skill, followed by speaking, reading, and writing. In addition, they said that the skill they lacked the most was writing, followed by speaking, listening, and reading. A lack of writing skills is one of the most common problems among English learners of various levels, who experience difficulties with academic writing skills and vocabulary. Finally, the participants reported that listening was the most desired skill among Thai pre-service teachers for their future careers, followed by speaking and writing skills. The current results also offer important insights for course designers, curriculum planners and university administrators. Other valuable recommendations for future studies and the limitations of this study are also discussed.
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