The English Language Needs of Thai Computing Professionals

Abstract

The study surveyed the English language skills most needed by the computing professional in the Thai context. The purpose was to obtain empirical information to validate the type of language use and skills emphasized in the existing commercial ESP materials in the area of computer science as well as to generate implications for language pedagogy in this specialized discipline with regard to course/syllabus design, materials development, and teacher training. Structured interviews with the use of a questionnaire constructed for the study, were conducted with 25 subjects from 22 firms . Data obtained from the interviews showed consistency in the subjects' answers on the most needed skills: speaking skills were of great importance in almost all positions, followed by reading and writing respectively. Practical suggestions about the direction of language pedagogy for students in computer science were also given by the subjects.