The barriers in English speaking and listening of Thai teaching staff at a bilingual school in Bangkok

This study investigates the barriers faced by Thai teaching staff in developing English speaking and listening skills when communicating in English at a bilingual school in Bangkok. It also explores the communication challenges of international staff when communicating with Thai teaching staff. The participants included 30 Thai and 21 international teaching staff members working in the foundation phase, all of whom voluntarily participated in the study. A quantitative research design was employed, utilizing a questionnaire featuring open-ended questions distributed via Google Forms. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation. The findings indicate that Thai teaching staff experienced moderate difficulties in English speaking, with key challenges related to grammatical structure, verb tense usage, and the habitual translation from Thai to English. In terms of listening, moderate barriers were associated with understanding idiomatic expressions, foreign accents, complex conversations, and cultural differences. The difficulties include differing communication styles, limited vocabulary, accent variation, and intercultural misunderstandings. These findings have implications for international schools aiming to reduce language barriers and promote more effective communication. Tailored professional development programs may enhance Thai teachers’ English proficiency, thereby fostering more collaborative and inclusive educational environments.