Needs Analysis of English Skills at Ban Manik Community in Phuket as an International Community

Abstract

Abstract

        The purpose of this research was to analyze the needs for English language by the members of Ban Manik Community in Phuket as an international community. They need English to create media to inform the public of their community and local products. The researchers used a questionnaire and semi-structured interview to collect data from 60 participants on a voluntary basis. Their responses of the questionnaire were analyzed by frequency, percentage, mean scores and standard deviation. The data derived from the open-ended questions and the interviews were coded and analyzed by categorized contents. The results indicated that the members of Ban Manik Community need English skills for communicating with tourists or foreign customers, ranked first from speaking, followed by listening, reading, and writing, respectively. They preferred speaking practice in class with native English teachers. In addition, they also wanted to have picture books of objects and products displayed in the learning center labeled with both Thai and English words.

 Keywords: Needs analysis, English language, speaking skill, community-based tourism, Ban Manik Community