A study of needs and barriers in English communication skills of Thai officers using English at a government agency

In the age of globalization, English communication skills have played a crucial role for Thai government officers. The primary objective of this study was to explore the needs and barriers of Thai officers working at a government office to identify priority areas for skill development and to design training programs that effectively address the challenges.In this study, a mixed-method approach was applied for data collection and analysis. The participants of this study were 25 officers from five departments: Foreign Affairs Division, Innovation and Transparency in Public Sector Division, the Public Service Center for Investors and Foreigners, Corruption Prevention in Public Sector Division, Corruption Suppression in Public Sector Division and five executives. Quantitative data were obtained through questionnaires and analyzed using Microsoft Excel to determine means, percentage, and standard deviations (SD). Qualitative data were obtained through open-end interview questions. The study findings demonstrated that reading and listening skills were recognized as top priorities for officers who need to use English communication skills for their work. In contrast, listening, writing, and reading were rated as the most critical areas of needs from the executives’ view. Listening and writing were also identified as key obstacles for officers because of the use of technical and legal terms. Findings suggest that English communication skills are essential for Thai government officers and implementing tailored training programs could enhance their proficiencies and address existing barriers. Consequently, these results could encourage Thais to acknowledge the value of English communication skills for future competitiveness in a globalized world.