Lack of English no longer an option

Postbag

Published: 14/02/2012 at 03:32 AM
Newspaper section: News

Re: ''The great English-language deficiency hype'' (BP, Feb 12). Kimie Takahashi should know that when the Japanese went to start their Toyota and Honda plants in America, their management teams were trained to speak in English and also learn about American work culture. It was a necessity, not an option.

Language is a tool to succeed in an expanding global market dominated by multinational companies. Knowing more than one language is always a good thing, knowing English is even better. The reasons are obvious.

Human capacity-building is not the primary goal of every industry. Training their workforce in English or providing on-the-job training is an additional burden for any company. The educational system of a country is supposed to prepare people for mobility and high-paying jobs. Such preparations may include proper skills and proficiency in English.

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Ozman_Bkk
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Discussion 6 : 14/02/2012 at 10:05 PM6
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There is no way around it. Whether you like it or not the ability to read, write and speak English is a must in a global economy. My girlfriend [Thai] gets a higher salary because of this ability. I am sure there are tens of thousands of such examples all over Thailand.

So resist if you wish, but be prepared to be left behind.
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bluebottle
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Discussion 5 : 14/02/2012 at 03:13 PM5
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Whilst I agree with most of you perceptions you make about education and training I disagree with you statement training is a burden.on the contrary it is an asset.To be successful a company has to train its workforce to keep in front of its competitors.Stop training and the only way is down.
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Renaissance
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Discussion 4 : 14/02/2012 at 11:26 AM4
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Robin: On the surface things look rosey because of very clever stage management. But we are still in the calm period before the storm, which will reach Force 10 as Khun Yingluck helps her brother to achieve his personal vision. Then perhaps your opinion may change.
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dao
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Discussion 3 : 14/02/2012 at 11:24 AM3
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Thailand recovering has less to do with Yingluck and more to do with the fact that Thaksin isnt on the war path anymore now he has some relatives in place to fight his corruption charges .
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Ozman_Bkk
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Discussion 2 : 14/02/2012 at 08:37 AM2
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Righly or wrongly a female in public life is judged on her appearance. For males it is easy. Suit and tie. Bang, done. But for a woman it is clothes, shoes, hair, make-up. The whole 9 yards.

So Khun Yingluck has to accept that people will look at her appearance long before they listen to what she has to say.
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jerradoug
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Discussion 1 : 14/02/2012 at 08:19 AM1
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Mr Bradley you seem to be mistaken as to who a PM is accountable to - she is only accountable to voters of a country as they are the ones who will judge her performance at the next election. Unless you have become or are a Thai citizen then there is no accountability to you whatsoever. Even if you pay taxes and run major industries - no matter, an elected official is accountable only to the voters.

While I don't have a preferred side of Thai politics, politicians at all levels cancel meetings and re-prioritize often - is there any evidence that she had a 'secret encounter' at a hotel or is this just supposition?

The truth about politics is that there are many dreams that an elected official may have, but they also have limited time and limited money. Often great ideas are put to the side due to them being too difficult to implement now, or politically unsound, or may interfere with a broader agenda.
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Lack of English no longer an option | Bangkok Post: opinion