Say what you will, but say it correctly, please

Thanks to slang and the use of shorthand for texting and Internet chats, the younger generations are losing their ability to communicate in proper Thai

Published on July 7, 2008

Native speakers of most modern languages tend to take the language they were born into so much for granted that many do not bother to learn how to use it properly to communicate effectively in speech and writing.

The same is true of many Thais, particularly those of the younger generations who feel more at ease firing off text messages filled with Net lingo on their mobile phones or in Internet chat rooms than fulfilling school assignments to compose grammatically correct and intelligible reports or essays.

Fluency in online lexicon may be cool for casual communication among today's wired teenagers. But everybody knows that once one leaves school and enters the workforce, proficiency in language and mastery of verbal and written communication in Thai and other languages will become a major factor determining career prospects.

Would-be employers do not take kindly to a badly written resume or poor speaking skills of a job applicant during an interview.

Functionally illiterate

Many educators and parents have been alarmed by reports that many students still suffer from functional illiteracy after finishing junior high school, or nine years of schooling.

Functional illiteracy differs from illiteracy in that illiteracy is the inability to read or write in any language while functional illiteracy is the inability of an individual to combine the use reading, writing and computational skills effectively in real-life situations. For example, a functionally illiterate person is unable to make sense of a railway schedule.

It is good that the Royal Institute has taken the initiative to devise proficiency tests to accurately measure the ability to read, write and speak the Thai language. The creation of standard tests will enable students to assess their language skills and teachers their effectiveness as instructors.

The results of such tests, which all school leavers at different levels must take in order to pursue further studies or seek employment, can be used to analyse problems in the learning and teaching of the Thai language in schools so that solutions can be found to address them.

The preservation of the national language, its regional dialects and languages of minority ethnic groups is important to the preservation of cultural identity in today's multicultural world.