Native English Speaking Teachers’ Beliefs about Difficulties in Teaching English to Thai Learners

Abstract

This study aims to investigate native English speaking teachers’ beliefs about difficulties in teaching English to Thai learners. The data were collected from 34 native speaker (NS) teachers who are employed by a private language school in Bangkok, Thailand. The instrument used was a questionnaire consisting of both closed-ended questions with rating scales and open-ended questions. The results revealed that the participants believed that teaching English for Thai learners tended to be easy; however, there were some difficulties that the participants encountered, including certain characteristics of Thai learners, the Thai educational system, teaching techniques, classroom management, school management and cultural differences. Additionally, the participants suggested some useful solutions for other NS teachers and they also commented on the Thai educational system.