ENGLISH COMMUNICATION DEVELOPMENT BY USING SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING

Abstract

This academic article presents the concept of English communication development by using self-directed learning. As the world and the society have changed quickly together with the increasing roles of technology and communication that connect all regions of the world via the use of the English language as the common media, it is very important to improve the potential of English communication of Thai people. Based on the English instruction reform policy of the Ministry of Education, English language instruction has been changed from the instruction focusing on grammar to become the instruction for communication starting from listening to be followed by speaking, reading and writing, respectively. The teaching method gives importance to communication competencies with the focus on the efficiency of communication more than teaching language for mastery of learning on language structure. The instruction focuses on enabling the students to communicate in English and organizing the activities that help them acquire learning skills and characteristics so that they can have self-directed learning and verify their own learning according to the learning goals in the 21st Century. The teachers change their roles to become the learning facilitators, organize the learner-centered learning activities, encourage the learners to construct their own body of knowledge (Constructivism) by themselves from learning and using languages through various language activities resulting in learning development. The learning not only takes place in the classroom but also anywhere else outside the classroom because new knowledge is occurring all the time. It is always necessary to keep learning to acquire new knowledge, to develop oneself to cope with the changes in present society, and to be the way for self-development to be a person with lifelong learning.