ENGLISH USAGE: FACULTY OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION, RAJAMANGALA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY THANYABURI

Abstract

The research aimed to: 1) study the current and desirable characteristics of English usage and 2) study the guidelines for English usage development of students of Faculty of Technical Education, Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi. The sample group consisted of 322 Bachelor’s degree students of Faculty of Technical Education, Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi by Proportional Stratified Random Sampling. The instruments used for collecting data were questionnaire, structured interview, statistical analysis by frequency, percentage, mean, Standard Deviation, Priority Needs Index, and data analysis by content analysis.

The findings were revealed as follows:

1. The current characteristics of English usage as perceived by students overall were at an average. The aspect of four English skills, it was found that the current characteristics average respectively was reading, speaking, writing and listening. The desirable characteristic overall was at a high level. The aspect of four English skills, it was found that the desirable characteristic average respectively was speaking, listening, writing and reading. The needs of four English skills were at high level. The priority needs index of four English skills was listening, speaking, writing and reading respectively.
2. The guidelines for the English usage development of students in four English skills. The faculty provided the activities to develop students' English skills in classroom through greetings, lectures, teaching materials, exercises, exams, and projects in English regularly. The faculty provided the various faculty media, an English-language club with native speakers to serve as the English club officer, English medias, English language training courses, English language competition activities such as Q&A, presentations, reading and writing essays, etc.