Writing Assignment: English as an Official Language in Thailand

Introduction

Suppose that it is the year 2015! ASEAN is now officially beginning. English speakers from Singapore, Malaysia, the Philiphines, and Brunei are coming to Thailand. And you are the Prime Minister of Thailand. One of the hot issues right now is whether the English language should be added as an official language in Thailand. The Thai House of Representatives has divided views; one side supports the adoption of English and the other is concerned about the country not being ready for the change. Both sides have provided you with detailed information that will help you make your final decision.

You, as the leader, have thw power to make the final decision on this matter, based on the debate in parliament.

Task

Your task is to assume the role of the Thai Prime Minister. As the leader of the country, you will need to read and study all aspects of English as an official langauage in Thailand from the websites the advocates and opponents have provided to you.

Your final deliverable is to write a 1-page-A4 summary of your final decision. In the written paper, you must state your position, and the reasons that support your decision. You should also compare and contrast the different points of view and contribute your opinion for each argument. In addition, the final deliverable will be presented in front of the parliament (the class) next week.

Process

The process you need to follow is summarised in the bullet points:

1. Get on the Internet. Read the following news reports and articles. Your cabinet members are splitting into two groups: advocates (supporting English as an official language) and opponents (objecting to the idea, and wanting to defer implemention of English throughtout the country until Thai people are ready).

Advocates:

1.Why is English so important for AEC 2015?

http://www.wallstreetenglish.in.th/wall-street-english/aec/?lang=en

2. Improve English Skill

http://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/learning-from-news/243140/improving…

3. English skills receive boost.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/news/185082/english-skills-receive-…

4. Is Thailand ready for ASEAN economic community?

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/Is-Thailand-ready-for-Asean-Eco…

Opponents:

1. Thailand not ready english language instruction

http://www.edvantage.com.sg/content/thailand-not-ready-english-language…

2. Thailand lagging behind in English

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Thailand-lagging-behind-in-Eng…

2. Summarize each news item and article in 5-6 sentences. Present only the main idea or interesting points you need for your decision. Summarize each of those in 5-6 sentences.

3. Find additional sources that relate to the topics. You can type keywords into Google.com to get some more insight and information you need before finalizing your thoughts.

www.google.com

4. Make a decision. It's time to take sides after reading and studying the links.

5. Write a summary of your decision on an A4 paper. Include the following:

5.1 Your position: Which side do you take? Advocate or Opponent?

5.2 WHY do you choose that? Provide at least 3 reasons to support your decision.

5.3 Compare and contrast the two parties' perspectives.

5.4 Any concerns from your decision and how to handle them properly?

5.5 Conclusion

6. Prepare to make an oral presentation in front of the class, in which classmates act as the House of Representatives in the parliament.

Evaluation

Topics Dimension	Need to improve 1	Sufficeint 2	Good 3	Excellent 4
Contents
Final Decision	Does not state clear decision or unidentifiable position	States unclear and vauge but emerging position	States identifiable position on the decision	States clear,precise, and purposeful position
3 Reasons	Gives only 1 reason	Gives 2 reasons	Gives 3 reasons	Gives more than 3 reasons
Compare & Contrast perspectives	The paper compares or contrasts but not both. There is no supporting information or support is incomplete.	The paper compares and contrasts clearly. But the supporting information is incomplete.	The paper compares and contrasts clearly. The supporting information is too genery,	The paper compares and contrasts clearly. Gives specific postions to support the idea.
Conclusion	Little or almost none. Does not relate to the main idea or position.	Trackable conclusion but is vauge and does not support the position.	There is a conclusion that summarizes the paper or restatement.	The conclusion has clear, concise and give the reader some new perspective.
Organization & Cohesion	Lack of sequence or presents in illogical event	The paper creates a sequence and progression of the idea.	The paper creats a smooth progression of the idea.	The paper creates a seamless progression of the idea and use chronological sequence.
Spelling	Misspellings appear throughout the paper. More than 50% misspelled.	Misspellings are found in multiple places. Or 40% misspelled	Misspellings are found a few places. Or 30% misspelled.	Misspelling are found in difficult words. Or 20% misspelled.
Grammar Sub & Verb Agreement Conjunction indirect speech Adverb	Insufficient use of grammar. Student assembles a random series of words without regard for the rules of the target grammar.	Limited ability to use target grammar. Uses correct target structure 50%-60% of the time. There are multiple errors in grammar and usage.	Sufficient ability to use target grammar. Uses correct target structure 61%-80% of the time. There are a few distracting errors in grammar and usage.	Consistent use of target grammar. Uses correct target structure above 80% of the time. Though there are a few minor errors in grammar and usage.

Conclusion

Lastly, I hope that our Thai Prime Minister can make the right decision for the country. And it is very important that Thai people should listen and show your spirit after the PM's decision has made. When presenting in class, you will be questioned by all cabinet members. So be ready!

For further detail about English language as an official language in Thailand

Please visit web search engine: www.google.com

Fun Fact: Currently (2014), Thailand has only one official language, Thai.