A Needs Analysis of English Language of Thai Pre-service Teachers

Abstract

This research examined the needs analysis of English language skills among Thai pre-service teachers at a tertiary education level. The participants included 220 senior non-English majors from universities in northeastern Thailand. Convenience sampling methods selected them. Their age ranged from 21 to 23 years old. The five-point Likert scale questionnaires were employed to collect the quantitative data analyzed using descriptive statistics and the SPSS program. The results indicate that there is a high demand for English language skills among Thai pre-service teachers. The Thai university participants reported that listening was the most required skill, followed by speaking, reading, and writing. Additionally, they reported that they were most lacking in writing skills, 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 academic writing skills and vocabulary difficulties. 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 offered fruitful information 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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