ไทย
中文Written by Dr. Peewara Panpat
Doctorate in Education in Teaching from the United Kingdom
Over 30 years of experience teaching Thai people to speak English
“If I want to become good at English, where should I start?”
Before answering this question, I would first like you to ask yourself:
“Why do I want to become good at English?”
Because being “good at English” means something different to each person.
Some people want to be able to communicate with foreigners. Some need English for work. Some are preparing to move abroad, while others need to prepare for the IELTS exam.
When the goals are different, the way we learn should also be different.
Step 1: Know your current English level
Before you begin learning, you should understand your current level in Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing, Vocabulary, and Grammar.
Do not look only at an overall score, because a learner may be very good at reading but still have very weak Speaking skills.
Step 2: Set measurable goals
Instead of setting a goal such as:
“In three months, I must be good at English.”
Try changing it to:
“In three months, I want to be able to introduce myself, explain my work, and have a continuous 10-minute conversation with a foreigner.”
This type of goal is clear and allows you to measure your progress.
Step 3: Learn vocabulary that is relevant to your life
You do not need to begin by memorizing thousands of difficult words.
If you work in a hotel, learn Hotel English.
If you work in sales, learn useful sentences for Sales and Customer Service.
If you are preparing to travel or move abroad, begin with Travel English and Daily Conversation.
Vocabulary that you use regularly is more valuable than difficult vocabulary that you memorize but never use.
Step 4: Practise Listening every day
Speaking English well begins with “listening.”
When you hear enough English, your brain gradually becomes familiar with the sounds, rhythm, connected speech, and sentence patterns of the language.
Step 5: Practise Pronunciation
The goal does not have to be to sound exactly like a native speaker 100%.
But your pronunciation should be clear enough for other people to understand you easily.
Step 6: Make sure you have real Speaking time
This is extremely important.
If you attend a two-hour Conversation class but actually speak for only 10 minutes, your Speaking development will naturally be limited.
So you should always ask yourself:
“How many minutes did I actually speak English today?”
Step 7: Evaluate and improve your Weak Points
Everyone has different weaknesses.
Some people have poor Pronunciation.
Some have limited Vocabulary.
Some have good Grammar but respond slowly.
Some are good at Listening but are afraid to speak.
Effective learning should therefore involve regularly identifying your weak points and checking whether they are improving.
The CEFR framework from the Council of Europe also places importance on what learners are actually able to “do” with language in different situations.
So do not measure your English ability only by asking:
“How many textbooks have I finished?”
Instead, ask:
“What can I actually do in English now?”
That is a more important result.
About the Author
Dr. Peewara Panpat
Dr. Peewara Panpat completed a doctorate in Education in Teaching in the United Kingdom and has more than 30 years of experience teaching Thai people to speak and use English.
References
Council of Europe. Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
Cambridge University Press & Assessment. English Language Teaching resources.
Oxford University Press. English Language Teaching resources.