Needs Analysis for English Communication Skills of Thai Officers, A Case Study: Department of Fisheries

Abstract

This case study investigates the need of English for intercultural communication for government officers, Department of Fisheries, Thailand. 50 respondents including 25 government officers, 16 government workers, and 9 contracted office temps were purposively selected based on their duties which directly handle with international activities relating to fisheries via questionnaires. The findings portrayed that respondents realized the importance of English however most training courses were available only for government officers and English training courses were arranged by some divisions due to their budget limitation. Speaking and reading were found to be the most two critical skills which participants wanted to improve. In terms of qualitative data half of the respondents wanted more opportunities to practice English and requested a training in General English (GE) and English for Specific Purposes (ESP). Factors related to English as a Lingual Franca (ELF), cultural knowledge and communicative strategies should also be considered. Further suggestions are presented in the final part.