NEEDS ANALYSIS ON ENGLISH LANGUAGE USE AMONG YOUNG SMART FARMERS OF THAILAND

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<b>NEEDS ANALYSIS ON ENGLISH LANGUAGE USE AMONG YOUNG SMART FARMERS OF THAILAND </b>

<b>BY </b>

<b>MISS SIRIKANYA RUENVONGSA </b>

<b>AN INDEPENDENT STUDY PAPER SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF </b>

<b>THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN CAREER ENGLISH FOR </b>

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<b>AMONG YOUNG SMART FARMERS OF THAILAND </b>

<b>BY </b>

<b>MISS SIRIKANYA RUENVONGSA </b>

<b>AN INDEPENDENT STUDY PAPER SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF </b>

<b>THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN CAREER ENGLISH FOR </b>

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was approved as partial fulfillment of the requirements for

the degree of Master of Arts in Career English for International Communication

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Independent Study Paper Title NEEDS ANALYSIS ON ENGLISH

LANGUAGE USE AMONG YOUNG SMART FARMERS OF THAILAND

Major Field/Faculty/University Career English for International Communication

The study aimed to investigate the needs regarding English language use among Young Smart Farmers (YSF) of Thailand to find out which English communication skills they need to develop. A total of forty-one participants responded to a questionnaire that asked them to rate their level of agreement with various Likert-scale statements regarding the need to improve the four English language skills. The findings revealed that the majority of Thai YSFs needed to improve their reading skill the most, followed by listening, speaking, and writing skills, respectively. The qualitative data showed that YSFs would like to get various types of support from the government sectors in improving their English language skills for self and business development. The study provides suggestions on what the government and other related sectors can do to assist YSFs in enhancing their English proficiency in order to be more competitive in the global market.

<b>Keywords: Needs Analysis, Young Smart Farmers </b>

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<b>ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS </b>

This study would not have been possible without the support of many people. First and foremost, I am extremely thankful from the bottom of my heart to my adviser Dr. Sichon Koowuttayakorn, for her graceful guidance and support with full encouragement and enthusiasm. I highly appreciated her valuable comments and the opportunities she has given me to make this independent study a success.

I would also like to thank all of the instructors at the Language Institute, Thammasat University, who provided me with in-depth understanding and broadened my horizons with a lot of knowledge. I also gratefully recognize the generosity of Khun Siriwon, Khun Pafun and other program staff at LITU, who helped solve my problems and remove the obstacles during the journey.

Thank you to all CEIC friends for their good teamwork and friendship when working in classes throughout the two years at LITU.

Last, but not least, I would like to also express my deepest gratitude to my family and brother Bo for their tremendous support, encouragement, and everything that they have given me.

Miss Sirikanya Ruenvongsa

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2.3.1 Needs analysis of agricultural students 9 2.3.2 Needs analysis in other professions 10

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4.2 English language needs relating to YSF's lifestyles 18

CHAPTER 5 DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 24

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<b>LIST OF TABLES </b>

3.1 Range of reliability and coefficient of Cronbach's alpha 14

4.2 Needs to improve listening skills in English 18 4.3 Needs to improve speaking skills in English 19

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<b>CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION </b>

<b>1.1 Background </b>

English is considered a global language (Crystal, 2003), which is widely taught and spoken as a foreign language around the world. The British Council (2000, as cited in Cambridge English & QS, 2016) reports that approximately 85% of international organizations use English as one of the working languages. Regardless of a nation’s official language, nowadays everyone in every nation uses English as a global language for communication in some parts of their lives. In the 21st century, globalization has led to many developments and collaborations among countries (Pieterse, 2012). Therefore, English is the language often chosen for international participants to communicate with each other.

According to the EF English Proficiency Index in 2020, Thailand’s English proficiency score had fallen for the third year in a row, dropping from 74th of 100 countries to 89th after having fallen to 74th from 64th out of 88 countries in 2019 (Ashworth, 2020). In Southeast Asia, Thailand ranked above only Myanmar (93rd) and was 20th in Asia out of 24 countries (Thai Visa News, 2020). These statistics suggest that Thais should be better equipped with essential communication skills in English to be able to work proficiently in their career in international contexts (Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board, 2018) because English is widely used as the medium to expand products in the global market (Tapanapunnitikul & Prasunpangsri, 2014). Consequently, English is seen as one of the important skills that an individual should acquire for making the most of life’s opportunities, and it will be more profitable if a person can use it proficiently (Mena et al., n.d.).

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) (2019) reported that Thailand— the second largest economy in Southeast Asia after Indonesia—was the 14th biggest exporter of agricultural products to the U.S., such as natural rubber, frozen shrimp, and canned products, as well as the leading exporter of sugar and rice. Thai economy in 2020 declined in GDP by 6.1 percent, and it has dropped by 2.6 percent in the first quarter of 2021 because of COVID-19. Nevertheless, Thai export goods, including

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machinery, automotive and electronics parts, and agricultural products, have enjoyed rising demand in the global market (The World Bank, 2021). The European Commission report in 2021 predicted that Thailand's market share in rice and poultry exports to the EU and between 12 FTA partners—namely Australia, Canada, Chile, Indonesia, Mexico, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam— will increase, enabling it to become the market leader by 2030 (European Commission, 2021 as cited in Far Eastern Agriculture, 2021). Thus, agricultural products are one of the backbones that support the Thai economy. Accordingly, farmers are crucial for Thailand’s agricultural market. The new generation of farmers, or the so-called “Young Smart Farmers” (YSFs) aged between 17-45, is valuable because they are expected to drive Thailand’s agricultural industry, using technology to increase yields and market products. YSFs are also encouraged to participate in an overseas program to obtain knowledge and know-how in agro-conduct as well as to display their farming intelligence and technology on the global stage (Sarabun, 2019 as cited in Bangkok Post, 2019). This is the reason why farmers are important individuals who drive and expand Thailand’s agricultural industry.

<b>1.2 Statement of the problem </b>

As evaluated by the annual EF English Proficiency Index (2020), Thai students who did this international assessment performed poorly in various aspects of English language communication skills. Currently, the National Strategy Committee (NSC) has drawn up a 20-year National Strategy (2018-2037) aimed at driving Thailand to become a developed country. One of the six strategies, which is most relevant to this study, is The Strategy for Human Capital Development and Strengthening. It states that Thai citizens are expected to be equipped with 21<small>st</small>-century skills including acquiring communication skills in English and a third language, so that they are able to make use of their skills to develop the country (Office of the National Economic and Social

<b>Development Board, 2018). </b>

Because of the importance of Thai agriculture, a new generation of farmers, or Young Smart Farmers (YSF), is the group of people who have the agricultural skill and production capability in using technology to increase productivity. It is hoped that they can accelerate Thailand’s agricultural development and increase its competitiveness in

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the global market. Acknowledging the important role of YSFs as the new drivers of Thailand’s agricultural sector, this study aimed to understand the English language skill needs of YSFs. The results of the study will be informative for both the private and public sectors in supporting their needs in English language skill development. It is also hoped that the results can be applied as guidelines or suggestions in developing English training programs and workshops with specific syllabuses or activities that are suitable for enhancing Thai farmers’ knowledge and skills to further prepare them to take part in the country’s development. To understand the needs and suggestions of new generation farmers or YSFs, the research questions were formulated as follows:

1. What are the needs of English language communication among the Young Smart Farmers in Thailand?

2. What is the support from the government that the YSFs need in developing their English communication skills?

<b>1.3 Research Objectives</b>

In order to understand the needs of English language use among YSFs, this study aimed to:

1. examine the needs in English communication skills of the Young Smart Farmers; and

2. find out what support from the government the YSFs need for improving their

<b>English language use. </b>

<b>1.4 Definition of Terms</b>

1. Young Smart Farmer refers to Thailand's new generation farmers who engage in agriculture on the basis of effective English communication and internet skills. Their age ranges from seventeen to forty-five years old, and they are considered official YSF members when they participate in and pass the YSF training program.

2. Needs analysis is the step taken before designing a language course in order to find out learners’ wants and needs.

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<b>1.5 Scope of the Study </b>

The study was conducted with Thai YSF members in closed LINE groups who participated in and completed the YSF training program. The questionnaire in Thai language was distributed between April 1-31, 2021, in order to explore the English language needs among this particular group of YSF members.

<b>1.6 Significance of the Study </b>

The results of the study will be beneficial in terms of providing an understanding of English usage and the English language needs among Thai Young Smart Farmers. It is hoped that the results will be informative for the agricultural government sectors such as the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, and the Department of Agricultural Extension, allowing them to design appropriate English language training programs in accordance with the farmers’ needs and suggestions.

<b>1.7 Organization of the Study </b>

This study is divided into five main chapters as follows:

Chapter 1 shows the background of the study, statement of the problem, research objective, definition of terms, scope of the study, significance, and organization of study.

Chapter 2 provides the review of related theoretical concepts and previous related studies.

Chapter 3 contains the research methodology, which consists of participants, instrument and data collection, and data analysis.

Chapter 4 presents the findings of the study.

Chapter 5, the last section, contains the summary, conclusion, discussion, and recommendations.

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<b>CHAPTER 2 </b>

<b>REVIEW OF LITERATURE </b>

The purpose of this chapter is to review the literature related to the research questions on the needs in English language use for YSF. The content consists of three main sections: (1) Thai Young Smart Farmers, (2) Needs Analysis, and (3) Previous

<b>Related Studies. </b>

<b>2.1 Thai Young Smart Farmers </b>

Smart Farmers is a key policy in the agricultural development strategy of Thailand. According to the country’s Eleventh National Economic and Social Development Plan (2012-2016), the vision of the Agricultural Development Plan is that farmers should have good quality of life while people need food and security. From the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives’ viewpoint, a smart farmer refers to a farmer who has thorough knowledge in the agricultural profession, as well as an excellent strategic thinking and planning especially as it pertains to the understanding of supply chains. Moreover, a smart farmer is able to increase production efficiency, is ready for ASEAN Economic Community, can solve problems quickly, and is able to apply technology in agriculture (Apiwongkhum & Umbangtalad, 2018). The target group of Thai Young Smart Farmer (YSF) is farmers aged 17-45 years old who are proud of themselves and strive to realize their potential. They fully become a member of the YSF community after taking and passing the Young Smart Farmer’s course (Driving of Smart Farmers, n.d.).

Over half of the population in Thailand are employed in agricultural fields, which are important to national development. Over the last 40 years, Thai farmers and agricultural associations have developed their own techniques by consistently using technology, research, and on-the-farm learning. Better farm productivity and storage technology increase the value of Thai agricultural products. Focusing on appropriate technology can be a crucial part in helping Thailand remain one of the largest food exporters in Asia, as well as the world’s leading exporter of rice, rubber, canned fruit, and other agricultural products (Phatarathiyanon, 2012). Hence, the agricultural sector

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is a crucial sector in Thailand. It has grown continuously in the previous years, even amid economic downtrends. In 2020, Thailand’s total agricultural exports were worth 1.58 trillion Thai baht, which dropped 3.2% from 2019 owing to the COVID-19 pandemic (Statistical Research Department, 2020). Nevertheless, Thai agricultural exports have been flourishing under free trade agreements (FTAs), and Thai products have stayed in a positive position as evidenced by the increase in agricultural exports by 2.2% from 2019. Moreover, Thailand has an average trade surplus in agricultural products of 3.7% with nine ASEAN FTA partners: China, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, India, and Peru (The Nation, 2021). Because Thai agricultural products have been growing in international markets, farmers play an important role in driving and expanding Thailand’s agricultural productivity using their knowledge of modern agricultural technology.

The YSF program was established by the Department of Agricultural Extension (DOAE) in 2008. The purpose is to support the new generation of farmers in order to increase their productivity and business management skills, as well as enable them to use information technology. The farmers who apply for the YSF training program should have the primary qualifications as follows: 1) aged between 17-45 years old, and just started their farming career; 2) determined to develop their agricultural potential, and be able to participate fully in the YSF training program; and 3) already have registered as a farmer with the Department of Agriculture Extension (DOAE). If applicants are selected to be a part of the YSF program, the members will participate in training courses for six months. After that, the young farmers have to do practice on a real farm for another six months. The goals of training YSF is to replace elderly farmers, to be a model of successful YSFs for the new generation of farmers, and to become leaders in their hometowns who have links to all levels of agricultural economics (Sarabun, 2019). The YSF training consists of four processes: 1) to generate creative ideas; 2) to set up innovative smart farms and digital markets; 3) to set up agricultural businesses; and 4) to upgrade young farmers and prepare them for global competition. The aim of the program is that, after completing the YSF training program, young farmers should able to use technology and innovations related to agriculture, and create new ideas to increase product value and productivity. Furthermore, they should be self-reliant and expand their networks (Agricultural Research Development Agency, 2018).

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There are six criteria used to assess YSF’s qualification as follows: 1) Have knowledge in their agricultural field; 2) Be able to access knowledge sources and to use data management; 3) Understand how to manage productivity and supply chains; 4) Be aware of the quality of products and customer safety; 5) Take responsibility for the environment and society; and 6) Be proud of being a farmer (Sarabun, 2019). Accordingly, the knowledge and skills relating to internet technology is an essential part of agricultural “modernization” as farmers must be trained to gain benefits from digital agriculture (Bronson, 2018). It is undeniable that to reach the digital economy, basic literacy including digital literacy, which refers to the ability to read and use digital tools, is required to make use of digital content. Additionally, the ability to communicate, read, and write in English or other widely spoken languages is also needed (Bukht & Heeks, 2018).

According to the English Proficiency Index by EF (2020), Thailand’s score has fallen for three years in a row, from 64th in 2018, 74th in 2019 to 89th in 2020 (Ashworth, 2020). These rankings were classed as “very low proficiency”; in comparison, other Asian countries were ranked much higher, for instance, Singapore (10th), the Philippines (27th), Malaysia (30th), Vietnam (65th), Cambodia (84th), and Myanmar (93rd), respectively (EF English Proficiency Index, 2020). Thus, it is obvious that English language proficiency in Thailand is quite a worrying situation when compared with neighboring countries. By region in Thailand, people in Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Chiang Mai, Chonburi and Khon Kaen were found to be quite effective in communicating in English, while the central and northern regions were ranked higher than the northeast and south (Taylor, 2019). Draper’s study (2012) showed that most middle-aged and elderly farmers in Khon Kaen Province were illiterate in English. Only a small group of people were able to help their children do English homework. At present, there is more English language learning in schools in the region, and hence the young generation of lower-middle class Isan people are better able to acquire basic English literacy. Accordingly, the curriculum and teaching materials in schools should be adjusted to be more international so that Thai people’s English language proficiency

<b>can be further developed throughout the country (Puriwat & Tripopsakul, 2020). </b>

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<b>2.2 Needs Analysis </b>

In general, needs are the requirements of learners in language course at present or in the future regarding the knowledge they expect to have learned when the course is finished (Widdowson, 1981). Learners’ needs are their “wants” or “desires”, or what they want to learn (Bindley, 1984) which includes the information of the learners in class (Richterich, 1980). According to Dudley-Evans and St. John (1998, as cited in Juan, 2014), needs can be classified into two types: internal and external needs. The objective needs or perceived needs are the external needs drawing from facts, what learners already have known, and what can be proved. Meanwhile, subjective needs or felt needs take place internally based on learners' cognitive and affective factors. This present study focused on external needs, which were based on information regarding what the participants would get if they could communicate in the English language, such as expanding products to global markets, getting new agricultural information, and helping each other improve language skills.

McKillip (1987) explained that “needs are value judgments that a target group has problems that can be solved” (p. 7). Accordingly, needs analysis is the tool that helps make a decision concerning the evaluation and identification of learners’ needs in education and human services. The needs analysis process is likely to focus on the relevance of the solutions and problems. McKillip expressed that there are five steps in needs analysis as follows: First, the users of the analysis should know that the process focuses on the problems and solutions. Second, the process should describe the target group and other relevant groups. Third, the process should identify the types of problems, the solutions and expected outcomes. Fourth, the needs are assessed after the problems and solutions are analyzed. Lastly, the results of the needs analysis have to be communicated to the relevant groups of people such as users and decisions makers.

Needs analysis is an important step in designing foreign language courses. This study adapts the needs analysis theory proposed by Hutchinson and Waters (1987). They classified needs into two types: target needs and learning needs. Target needs relate to learners’ “necessities”, “lacks” and “wants”, which focus on the target situation. First, “necessities” are the requirements of the target situation, which the learners have to meet to be successful in learning. Second, “lacks” refer to the gap between the “target proficiency” and the “existing proficiency”, which is related to the

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necessities and what learners already know. Last but not least, “wants” are the understanding of objective needs and subjective needs. Learners usually have their own feelings and expectations regarding their language needs, and teachers should ensure that their objectives respond to learners’ subjective needs. Hence, course designers should be aware of what learners would like to know after taking a course. Learning needs are related to learners’ motivations and attitudes, interests, personal reasons, learning styles, time and available resources. The learning process should be enjoyable, satisfying, manageable, and creative in accordance with the learner’s motivation, existing knowledge and skills (Juan, 2014).

The concept of needs analysis proposed by Dudley-Evan and St. John (1998, as cited in Piwong, 2011) has been applied extensively in creating English for specific purposes (ESP) courses. According to the researchers, course developers should pay mind to eight factors in conducting needs analysis: 1) learners’ professional information; 2) learners’ personal information; 3) language information about target situations; 4) learners’ lacks; 5) learners’ needs from a course; 6) language learning needs; 7) how to communicate in target situations; and 8) environmental situation or means analysis. Considering these factors will be beneficial to both curriculum developers and teachers in designing appropriate English language courses for learners.

<b>2.3 Previous Related Studies </b>

Few previous studies are directly relevant to needs analysis of English language use for smart farmers. Therefore, this section will be presented in two parts: the needs analysis research conducted with agricultural students, and the studies of needs of Thai people in other professions.

<b>2.3.1 Needs Analysis of Agricultural Students </b>

Veranita et al. (2017) conducted research to investigate the needs of English skills among the vocational school students in an agricultural studies program in Indonesia. Their aims were to prepare the students for careers in agriculture with English for specific proposed courses, as well as to develop the curriculum based on the current situation, globalization, environmental issues, technology, and international education. The fifteen participants were comprised of two English instructors, six

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instructors of the productive program, one program assistant, and six alumni who worked in fields relevant to agriculture. This study collected both qualitative and quantitative data using interviews and a questionnaire. The findings showed that the most important skills for students were reading and speaking because English language appeared in vocational textbooks and in the labels or manuals of agricultural products and farming equipment. Speaking skill was useful since students should be able to make conversation using correct agricultural terms, as well as to describe how to use farming equipment. The limitation of the study, however, was that it did not collect data from the students.

Terblanché (2006) examined the need for a new generation of farmers and the role of agriculture in South Africa. The participants were grade 12 students from 254 schools in Limpopo Province. They were requested to evaluate their performance in the final examination on various subjects. The results showed that the subjects that students indicated as essential to their career were accounting, physical science, English, mathematics, and biology. Moreover, the majority of the students spent between 60-180 extra hours per month reading English texts at home. The researcher concluded that every government section should collaborate to support agricultural training and the development of education programs to further develop agriculture in the country.

<b>2.3.2 Needs Analysis in Other Professions </b>

Lekkla (2013) conducted a needs analysis of English among MRTA officers in Bangkok, Thailand. Data were collected from 30 participants who were engineers and administrators in the Construction Management department using a questionnaire. The results showed that knowledge of technical English and English communication skills were required in the department. The most needed skill for MRTA officers was reading, followed by writing, listening, and speaking, respectively. Moreover, they expressed the need to improve writing skills and participate in grammar courses to improve their writing English proficiency. The study suggested that there are different needs of English usage in the workplace depending on situations and responsibilities. Therefore, it is necessary to survey the needs of employees to design proper courses for developing their abilities.

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Chumporn (2016) carried out a study investigating the needs of English skills among workers at a medical device importing company in Bangkok. A questionnaire was distributed to 50 employees from all departments in the company. The results showed that all four English skills were needed at very high and high levels. The researcher discovered that the respondents needed to improve all English communication skills, whereas listening skill was the biggest obstacle for them because they were unfamiliar with the foreign accents of international customers and suppliers. The workers were required to be proficient in speaking; they need to understand customers’ needs, and need to properly greet and converse with foreign suppliers. In regards to reading, the workers are required to read brochures, manuals, email, or specific documents. The participants wanted to improve all English skills in general communication because of the nature of work in this company. They needed to understand general requirements from suppliers, write the product names, as well as greet and converse with customers.

Chamnankit (2015) studied the English language needs of fifty receptionists at boutique hotels in the Sukhumvit area in Bangkok using a questionnaire. The findings showed that the receptionists found speaking more difficult than other skills as they did not want to make mistakes, such as pronouncing some words incorrectly when speaking with foreigners. On the contrary, writing skill was the least needed among the four skills as the job responsibilities mainly required them to speak clearly for effective communication. Accordingly, they found writing business e-mail in formal formats difficult for them. As for listening skill, they were good at listening to and understanding customs’ comments and advice, but they were weak in understanding different accents. Similarly, the front office staff faced difficulty in reading official letters with specific terms, but they were fluent in terms of reading content on the Internet. The researcher suggested that English training and evaluation should be held consistently every year or half a year.

Piwong (2011) examined the needs for English skills and the communication ability of sales staff in English bookstores in Bangkok. Forty questionnaires distributed at six English bookstores were returned and analyzed using the SPSS program. The results revealed that listening and speaking were the most needed skills, while the least needed skill was writing. The highest-level listening problem among staff was listening

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to the requirements of customers, while having general conversations such as offering help and giving information about products and payment methods were problematic speaking tasks for them. The main problem found in reading was accessing information from websites or catalogs, while writing e-mail, tax forms, and memos were problems they found in writing in English. The researcher concluded from the findings that the course designer should focus more on listening with both general and specific English courses. In the part of content, participants needed to practice conversation, to learn the vocabulary used in various situations, and to practice English in various media forms using authentic materials.

Surakkithikul (2020) investigated the needs and problems of support staff in the workplace at an international university in Nakhon Pathom Province, Thailand. A questionnaire was distributed to thirty-one support staff. The overall results showed moderate needs for improving English skills. The participants needed to improve listening, reading, speaking and writing skills, respectively. They always used listening in communication and reading e-mails from teachers and students, but they had a problem understanding fast speech with different accents as well as understanding English idioms or technical terms in reading. As for speaking skill, they mostly used simple greetings and were unable to converse in complicated English sentences with foreigners. Lastly, the support staff expressed the need to improve writing skill for composing complex English sentences, especially when writing an e-mail. This study advised that there should be informal style training courses and interactive activities taught by native-speaking English teachers. These training courses would help participants get used to native accents and gain more confidence in English communication.

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<b>CHAPTER 3 </b>

<b>RESEARCH METHODOLOGY </b>

This study aimed to determine the needs in English language learning and uses among Thai YSFs. In order to answer the research questions, a questionnaire was used in this study. Although the research approach applied in this study was primarily quantitative, open-ended questions were also included in the questionnaire in order to obtain both numerical data and opinions from the participants. The chapter describes the participants of the study, the instruments and data collection, and the data analysis process.

<b>3.1 Participants </b>

The participants of this study were 41 Thai YSFs aged between 17 to 45 years old who had completed the YSF training course. This group of participants builds networks and contacts one another via LINE groups, a mobile messaging application. The YSF members in this community use LINE to share news and agricultural information. At the time the study was conducted, there were approximately 1,100 members in the YSF LINE group, and a total of 41 questionnaires were completed and available for the data analysis.

<b>3.2 Instrument </b>

The instrument used in this study was a questionnaire consisting of close-ended and open-ended items in Thai language. It was divided into two parts. Part 1 was demographic information containing seven checklist questions about participants’ personal data. Part 2 asked about English language needs relating to YSF’s lifestyles. In this part, the participants were asked to read thirty-one statements carefully and rate their needs for improving the four English language skills: reading, speaking, listening, and writing. The items were measured using a five-point Likert scale.

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The data obtained from the questionnaire were calculated for reliability using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. The reliability of a questionnaire was evaluated with Cronbach’s alpha at 0.978, which indicates an excellent level.

<b>Table 3.1 </b>

<i>Range of reliability and coefficient of Cronbach's alpha (Glen, n.d.). </i>

Part 3 of the questionnaire asked for other suggestions from the participants. It consisted of two open-ended questions asking about the reasons they would like to improve their English language skills and what kind of English language learning support they want to get from the government.

<b>3.3 Data Collection </b>

In the first step in the data collection process, the researcher contacted the YSF leader to inform him of the objective of this study. After getting permission, the link to an online questionnaire was distributed to YSF members in the LINE group between April 1-31, 2021. A total of forty-three members filled out the questionnaire. After checking the returned questionnaires, two sets of data had to be removed since the participants had not fully participated in YSF training program. Therefore, forty-one completed questionnaires were used for the data analysis.

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<b>3.4 Data Analysis </b>

The quantitative data obtained from the participants were analyzed using SPSS to identify the descriptive statistical values. First, percentage and frequency distribution were used to analyze the demographic information, including gender, age and educational background, found in Part 1 of the questionnaire. Then, a five-point Likert scale was used to score the level of the needs to improve English language skills. Arithmetic means and standard deviations were used to measure the average level and data variability in order to determine the opinions of the participants. A five-point Likert scale defined the range of the mean scores using the following criteria:

<b>Table 3.2 </b>

<i>Five-point Likert scale criteria for needs </i>

<b>Scale Criteria Mean Range </b>

The qualitative data from the open-ended section of the questionnaire was descriptive information about the participants’ additional suggestions for improving YSF’s English language use, and the assistance from the government they need for developing their English language skills. This set of data was analyzed to extract additional suggestions relevant to the data from two previous parts. The data gained from the descriptive parts can reveal their needs, which will be useful for designing appropriate English language courses to serve them.

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<b>CHAPTER 4 RESULTS </b>

This chapter discussed the results of the data collected from the participants in exploring their need to improve English language skills. The data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics in the SPSS program presenting frequency (F), percentage (%), mean (x̄), and standard deviation (S.D.). The questionnaire was separated into three parts as follows: (1) the demographic information of the participants, (2) English language needs relating to YSF’s lifestyles, and (3) open-ended questions and suggestions.

<b>4.1 Demographic Information </b>

The first section presented the demographic data of the participants, namely gender, age, education, additional occupation, agricultural group, and English language network.

<i><b>Table 4.1 </b></i>

<i><b>Demographic Information of Participants </b></i>

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<small>Farmer’s Descendant & Working in Other Fields </small>

As shown in Table 4.1, the personal information revealed that a little more than half of the participants (56.1%) were male, while the rest (43.9%) were female. The majority of the respondents (75.6%) were aged between 37 to 45 years. Regarding their educational background, the majority (41%) held a bachelor’s degree, followed by diplomas from secondary or vocational schools (39%). As for the agricultural groups, most of them (73.2%) were farmer’s descendants, followed by people working in other fields (43.9%). Compared to the data in each group, the majority were farmer’s descendants (56.1%), while only a few farmers had graduated from an agricultural related field (2.4%). The group of participants working in other fields (22%) and the group of farmer’s descendants who worked in other fields (19.5%) were slightly different. Last but not least, about 70% of the respondents did not have an English language network, while the rest (34.1%) had some kind of network where they exchanged knowledge regarding English language use.

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The demographic section also contained open-ended questions asking the participants to further clarify their occupation. The data revealed most of YSFs have managed rice farming, integrated farming, and livestock farming. As for the data asking about additional occupations, over seventy-five percent of participants had second occupations in different fields such as grocery sellers, beverage vendors, fertilizer retailers, processed food sellers, government officers, and beauticians. About one-third (34.1%) of the participants had networks sharing English language knowledge, and they mostly used YSF groups to exchange or question English knowledge, while a few participants asked friends and relatives, or surfed the Internet to seek knowledge regarding English language.

<b>4.2 English Language Needs Relating to YSF’s Lifestyles </b>

In this section, the YSFs were asked to read each statement in the questionnaire carefully and rate their needs in regard to improving English language skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing, respectively. The data were calculated into means (x̄ )

<i>and standard deviations (SD) as follows: </i>

<i><b>Table 4.2 </b></i>

<i>Needs to Improve Listening Skills in English </i>

<small>3) I need to listen to understand English movies or TV programs. </small>

<small>4) I need to listen to communicate with foreigners. </small>

<small>5) I need to listen to agricultural lectures or news about agriculture. </small>

<small>7) I need to listen in order to do side jobs or fulfill personal interests (e.g. cooking, mechanical work, etc.) </small>

<small>8) I need to listen to take English language proficiency tests (e.g. TOEIC, TOEFL, IELTS) </small>

<i><small>Note. The top three rankings are highlighted.</small></i>

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As indicated in Table 4.2, the overall mean score of listening was 4.13 (SD = 1.07), which represented a high-level need for improving English language skill. The three items with the highest mean scores were the need to listen to agricultural lectures or news about agriculture (M = 4.49, SD = .95), the need to listen to communicate with foreigners (M = 4.39, SD = 1.02), and the need to listen to general news (M = 4.37, SD = .99).

<i><b>Table 4.3 </b></i>

<i>Needs to Improve Speaking Skills in English </i>

<b><small>Speaking Skill N Mean (x̄) </small></b> <i><b><small>SD </small></b></i> <b><small>Level of </small></b>

<small>13) I need to speak to communicate with teachers or students in the </small>

<small>16) I need to speak to converse with or teach my family members. </small>

<i><small>Note. The top three rankings are highlighted. </small></i>

Table 4.3 shows that the level of speaking needs was at a high level (M = 4.03,

<i>SD = 1.11). The top three needs were the need to speak to contact with non-Thai clients </i>

<i>(M = 4.41, SD = .91), the need to practice speaking for self-improvement (M = 4.37, </i>

<i>SD = .96), and the need to speak to converse with foreigners (M = 4.29, SD = 1.05). </i>

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