Learn about Thai proficiency tests
Now Playing: Lesson Audio
Get a breakdown of the dialogue and translations instantly with the Premium line-by-line Audio. Sign up for your Free Lifetime Account Now and get 7 Days of Premium Access including this feature.
Get this lesson’s key vocab, their translations and pronunciations. Sign up for your Free Lifetime Account Now and get 7 Days of Premium Access including this feature.
Unlock Lesson Notes and Transcripts for every single lesson. Sign Up for a Free Lifetime Account and Get 7 Days of Premium Access.
| Michael: What are some common Thai proficiency tests? |
| Arnon: And how do I choose the right one for me? |
| Michael: At ThaiPod101.com, we hear these questions often. Imagine the following scenario: Emma is talking to Nipaporn about her attempts to motivate herself to study Thai harder. She says, |
| "I want to take the CU-TFL exam." |
| Emma Emsiri: ฉันต้องการสอบ CU-TFL (chăn dtâawng gaan sàawp CU TFL) |
| Dialogue |
| Emma Emsiri: ฉันต้องการสอบ CU-TFL (chăn dtâawng gaan sàawp CU TFL) |
| Nipaporn Niyom: การทดสอบสมรรถภาพภาษาไทยของจุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัยนะเหรอ? (gaan thót sàawp sà-mát thà phâap phaa-săa thai khǎawng jù-laa-long-gaawn má-hăa wít-thá-yaa-lai ná rǒoe) |
| Michael: Once more with the English translation. |
| Emma Emsiri: ฉันต้องการสอบ CU-TFL (chăn dtâawng gaan sàawp CU TFL) |
| Michael: "I want to take the CU-TFL exam." |
| Nipaporn Niyom: การทดสอบสมรรถภาพภาษาไทยของจุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัยนะเหรอ? (gaan thót sàawp sà-mát thà phâap phaa-săa thai khǎawng jù-laa-long-gaawn má-hăa wít-thá-yaa-lai ná rǒoe) |
| Michael: "The Chulalongkorn University Proficiency Test of Thai as a Foreign Language?" |
Lesson focus |
|---|
| Michael: There are many reasons people learn the Thai language, and each person definitely has their own. Perhaps, you want to live and work in Thailand, or maybe study there for a few years. Regardless of what your reasons may be, obtaining a certificate is one of the best measurements of your attainment so far. And what better measurement of your fluency in the Thai language than the CU-TFL, or the Chulalongkorn University Proficiency Test of Thai as a Foreign Language? |
| [Recall 1] |
| Michael: To learn more about the CU-TFL, let's take a closer look at the dialogue. |
| Do you remember how Emma Emsiri says "I want to take the CU-TFL exam?" |
| (pause 4 seconds) |
| Arnon as Emma Emsiri: ฉันต้องการสอบ CU-TFL (chăn dtâawng gaan sàawp CU TFL) |
| [Recall 2] |
| Michael: And now let's take a look at our second sentence. |
| Do you remember how Nipaporn Niyom says "The Chulalongkorn University Proficiency Test of Thai as a Foreign Language?" |
| (pause 4 seconds) |
| Arnon as Nipaporn Niyom: การทดสอบสมรรถภาพภาษาไทยของจุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัยนะเหรอ? (gaan thót sàawp sà-mát thà phâap phaa-săa thai khǎawng jù-laa-long-gaawn má-hăa wít-thá-yaa-lai ná rǒoe) |
| Michael: The Chulalongkorn University Proficiency Test of Thai as a Foreign Language, or CU-TFL for short, is a standardized proficiency test for speakers of Thai as a foreign language. It's the most popular Thai language assessment test and was designed by the Sirindhorn Thai Language Institute to evaluate the proficiency of non-natives in Thai in terms of |
| Arnon: การพูด (gaan phûut) |
| Michael: speaking, |
| Arnon: การอ่าน (gaan àan) |
| Michael: reading, |
| Arnon: การฟัง (gaan fang) |
| Michael: listening, |
| Arnon: การเขียน (gaan khĭian) |
| Michael: and writing skills. There are several reasons for taking the CU-TFL. For instance, international students who wish to study in Thailand must take and pass this test. It's also ideal for business people who have networks in Thailand and wish to communicate better in the Thai language. Finally, educational institutions that want to improve their teaching standards would also benefit from this test. The CU-TFL classifies examinees into one of six proficiency levels: |
| Arnon: ดีเด่น (dii dèn) |
| Michael: Distinguished, |
| Arnon: ดีมาก (dii mâak) |
| Michael: Superior, |
| Arnon: ดี (dii) |
| Michael: Advanced, |
| Arnon: กลาง (glaang) |
| Michael: Intermediate, |
| Arnon: ฝึกฝน (fùek fŏn) |
| Michael: and Novice. The first part of the test is the Listening Section. This section includes 50 multiple-choice questions and takes about one hour to complete. In this section, examinees will be tasked to listen to short monologues, |
| Arnon: บทพูดคนเดียว (bòt phûut khon diiao) |
| Michael: short conversations, |
| Arnon: บทสนทนาสั้นๆ (bòt sŏn-thá-naa sân sân) |
| Michael: and news |
| Arnon: ข่าว (khàao) |
| Michael: The examinee will be provided with three sets of papers, one for the test, one for marking answers, and one for note-taking. Before the test begins, the examinee will receive instructions and will be given a sample question. The actual test involves listening to a story or conversation, followed by a question with four choices, from which the examinee will only have to pick one for their answer. |
| Michael: In the last part of the test, the examinee will listen to one long conversation that's either about an expression of one's opinion or an interview of three different people. In this section, the examinee will also be tested for their ability to comprehend, analyze, and summarize a story. The next section is the Reading Section. This is also a multiple-choice test of 50 questions and should take 60 minutes to complete. In this section, the examinee will be tested for their ability to understand punctuation, |
| Arnon: เครื่องหมายวรรคตอน (khrûueang măai wák-dtaawn) |
| Michael: and numbers |
| Arnon: ตัวเลข (dtuua lêek) |
| Michael: used in daily life. The examinee will also be tested for their ability to understand a story and analyze it according to their knowledge of Thai society and culture, or |
| Arnon: สังคมและวัฒนธรรมไทย (săng-khom láe wát-thá-ná-tham thai) |
| Michael: For this section, the examinee will be provided with two sets of papers: the test paper and the answer sheet. There is no time limit for each part of this section, so it's up to the examinee to allot time for each of the five parts of the test. The next section is the Writing Section. This is a subjective exam that involves one question. The examinee will be tasked to write their opinion regarding a given topic in essay form. The essay should be at least 250 words in length and must be completed within an hour. In writing the essay, the examinee must be able to use punctuations and numbers correctly, provide the correct spelling, |
| Arnon: การสะกด (gaan sà-gòt) |
| Michael: use the right vocabulary, |
| Arnon: คำศัพท์ (kham sàp) |
| Michael: and follow correct sentence structure, or, |
| Arnon: โครงสร้างประโยค (khroong sâang bprà-yòok) |
| Michael: The final part of the exam is the Speaking Section. This section lasts 40 minutes and involves three parts. In the first part, the examinee will have a conversation with the tester. In the second part, the examinee will perform a monologue expressing their opinion. Finally, the examinee will be interviewed by the tester for further evaluation. |
| Michael: While the CU-TFL is the official proficiency test for speakers of Thai as a foreign language, there are other exams you can take to test your proficiency in the Thai language. One of these tests is the TPA Thai Language Proficiency Test offered by the Technology Promotion Association (Thailand-Japan). Depending on your test scores, you will be given a certificate that will indicate your level of proficiency. The first level is |
| Arnon: ระดับเริ่มต้น (rá-dàp rôoem dtôn) |
| Michael: or the Beginner Level. At this level, the examinee is expected to have the ability to read and write in Thai, as well as understand basic vocabulary and grammar. The examinee is also expected to be able to form short sentences regarding daily life situations. The next level is |
| Arnon: ระดับประถมศึกษา (rá-dàp bprà-thŏm sùek-săa) |
| Michael: or the Elementary Level. At this level, the examinee is expected to be able to write in Thai fluently and comprehend daily life vocabulary and grammar well. The examinee is also expected to have good listening comprehension and the ability to communicate using daily life expressions. The next level is |
| Arnon: ระดับกลาง (rá-dàp khlaang) |
| Michael: or the Intermediate Level. At this level, the examinee is expected to be able to understand complex sentences in Thai, as well as understand general news and magazine articles. The examinee should also be able to use the Thai language in the workplace. Next to this is |
| Arnon: ระดับสูง (rá-dàp sǔung) |
| Michael: or the Advanced Level. At this level, the examinee is expected to be able to understand more complicated sentences and can comfortably read and listen to content about politics, social issues, and economics. At this level, the examinee should be able to communicate in Thai without any difficulties. The final level is |
| Arnon: ระดับเชี่ยวชาญ (rá-dàp chîiao-chaan) |
| Michael: or the Proficient Level. Examinees at this level are expected to be proficient in the Thai language and be able to use it in all areas of life without difficulty. |
| Michael: Another test you can take to measure your proficiency in Thai is the test offered by the Official ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI). This test is a valid and reliable means of evaluating how well you speak a language, and covers languages such as Arabic, Cambodian, French, Italian, and Russian. The OPI test is a one-on-one interview that lasts between 20 and 30 minutes, and is done with a certified ACTFL tester. It is proficiency-based, or |
| Arnon: ขึ้นอยู่กับความชำนาญ (khûen yùu gàp khwaam cham-naan) |
| Michael: and assesses a person's ability to use a language that's effective and appropriate in real-life situations. Examinees are assessed in four areas. The first one is |
| Arnon: การนำไปใช้ (gaan nam bpai chái) |
| Michael: or Function. In this aspect, the examinee's ability to successfully accomplish a task by using functions stated in the guidelines will be considered. The examinee will be evaluated by how well they can ask questions, narrate, describe, and make opinions using a particular language. The second factor is |
| Arnon: ความถูกต้อง (khwaam thùuk dtâawng) |
| Michael: or Accuracy. The examinee will also be evaluated by how clearly they can speak and whether they can be properly understood or not. They will be evaluated by how well they use vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation, among other things. The third factor is |
| Arnon: เนื้อหาและบริบท (núuea-hăa láe baaw-rí-bòt) |
| Michael: or Content and Context. The examinee will be evaluated by how well they respond to the topic on hand, whether their response is appropriate for the context or not. The last factor is |
| Arnon: ประเภทข้อความ (bprà-phêet khâaw khwaam) |
| Michael: The examinee will be evaluated on how much language they can produce and how well organized their production is. A proficiency rating will be awarded to the examinee based on their proficiency level. The ACTFL OPI test is a unique test in a way that it is designed to assess an examinee's spontaneous unrehearsed language ability. For this reason, the test does not provide review or practice materials. However, the examinee can review the test guide to familiarize themselves with the format of the test. |
| [Summary] |
| Michael: In this lesson, we had a look at the official language proficiency test for Thai, which is the Chulalongkorn University Proficiency Test of Thai as a Foreign Language, or |
| Arnon: การสอบวัดระดับภาษาไทยเป็นภาษาต่างประเทศของจุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย (gaan sàawp wát rá-dàp phaa-săa thai bpen phaa-săa dtàang bprà-thêet khǎawng jù-laa-long-gaawn má-hăa wít-thá-yaa-lai ) |
| Michael: Two similar tests that you can take are the Thai Proficiency Test offered by the |
| The School of Language and Culture of the Technology Promotion Association and the Official ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI). Ratings from all three tests can be used for a variety of purposes in the government, commercial, and academic communities. You can find further information on the websites of each of these tests, which will be linked in the lesson notes. |
| Cultural Insight/Expansion |
| Michael: In Thailand, there is only one location where you can take the CU-TFL exam, and that's at the Sirindhorn Thai Language Institute in Chulalongkorn University, or |
| Arnon: จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย (jù-laa-long-gaawn má-hăa wít-thá-yaa-lai ) |
| Michael: It was founded by King Chulalongkorn in 1899 and was intended for training the royal pages and civil servants of Thailand at that time. It is a research-intensive university and is considered as one of the most prestigious universities in Thailand. It is actually ranked 45th in Asia and 1st in Thailand and is one of the universities in the world that produces the most employable graduates. |
| Michael: Taking the CU-TFL in Thailand lets you kill two birds with one stone: finding out your proficiency level in the Thai language and getting to visit one of the country's most prestigious and historical educational institutions. |
Outro |
| Michael: Do you have any more questions? We're here to answer them! |
| Arnon: แล้วพบกันใหม่เร็วๆนี้ครับ (láaeo-phóp-gan-mài reo-reo-níi khràp) |
| Michael: See you soon! |
Comments
Hide