Needs and difficulties in using English skills of sales support staff in a private company in Thailand

The purpose of this study was to investigate the needs and difficulties in using English skills of sales support in a private company in Thailand. The data were collected from 68 sales supports through a close-ended and open-ended questionnaire. The findings revealed that all English language skills were necessary for the sales support, especially the reading skill, which was the most needed skill, as it was used for reading daily emails. The study also showed that the listening and speaking skills were the most difficult for the sales support. Listening to Indian accents and idiomatic English was very difficult for the sales support in this study. Although, in general, the reading and writing skills were rated as moderately difficult, the reading and writing of documents of terms and conditions were very difficult for the participants. This study created understanding about the particular needs and difficulties in each skill. This could be beneficial for the organization’s human resource development plan in improving the necessary skills for its sales support.