Before Myanmar’s independence in 1948 was gained, a significant number of records

indicate that almost all Myanmar’s university students used to speak English
fluently having taught in English as the medium of instruction during the British
colonial era, and the quality of Myanmar’s education was ranked one of the tops in
Asia.
However, as of today, the vast majority of the Burmese people still lack adequate
English language skills despite the fact that they had studied English as a compulsory
subject for eleven years in basic education. Some students are taking English language
classes even after getting a degree. It is noticeable that the number of youth who speak
English in the country is relatively low compared to other Asia Pacific countries since
it was labelled “Very Low Proficiency” on 2018 Global English Proficiency
Index. EF English Proficiency Index also reported in 2019 that the country took a
significantly lower position of 86 out of 100 countries in terms of English language
proficiency.

Source: EF EPI Asia Rankings 2019

Driving Forces behind low level of English Language
Proficiency in Myanmar
There are a number of conditions that hamper the students from becoming confident
speakers of English language. Firstly, a high proportion of English teachers employed
in the government’s schools in Myanmar – where massive population of students are
educated – are not competent users of English. A report of Australian Journal of
Teacher Education on the language competency of English teachers in Myanmar, who
participated in EfECT (English for Education College Trainers) teacher training
program of the British Council Myanmar, stated that the teachers were weak and had
low levels of English. They could not speak fluently in conversational situation, and
their English was limited to simple vocabulary – this, in the report, is pointed out as
the reason why the teachers use the native Burmese language both inside and outside
of classrooms.
Secondly, since English teachers, themselves, lack an efficient level of language
proficiency, they are not capable of conducting their classes in English and using
English as a medium of instruction – indicated by Gary V. Ireland and Robert Van
Benthuyse in their research paper entitled as Contemporary Issues in EFL Education
in Myanmar. “Our official language is not English, so we often do not use it. Even in
our own classrooms, we do not deliver our lessons in English because we are not
confident to use it, and we are more comfortable using our own language”, said a
participating teacher of EfECT program, which is also mentioned in Australian
Journal of Teacher Education. As a result, the students are not exposed to English-
speaking classroom environment and, this, in turn, costs them losing opportunities to
speak English.
 
Thirdly, teachers with a low level of English language proficiency are more likely to
employ a conventional teacher-centred pedagogy, which results passive learning and a
limited interaction between students and teachers in classrooms, - according to a
research on “Teacher Training in Myanmar: Teachers’ Perceptions and Implications”
issued by International Journal of Instruction. Accordingly, the English language
classrooms in Myanmar’s state schools are not dynamic or vibrant enough to conduce
effective language learning.
Fourth, English language teaching pedagogy used in government high schools in
Myanmar is found to be exam-oriented, training the students for a mere purpose of
achieving good grades in exams through memorization of textbook contents – rather
than facilitating the actual development of language skills – as stated in a research on
“An Analytical Study of English Teaching Skills of Teachers in Government High
Schools in Myanmar” by Ven.Suriya.
In the case of private providers of English language courses, the academic credentials
of instructors working at language schools are not properly set up in Myanmar
unlike Singapore and Malaysia, where teachers are required to hold a recognized
TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) qualification, in addition
to a bachelor’s degree to ensure that the quality of teaching is standardized. “There are
many teachers in Myanmar whose English may be defined as lower than ‘competent
user’ (IELTS Band Score 6), but are offering both online and in-person classes
nationwide”, said an experienced English teacher who prefers his name kept
anonymous.
Source: Harvard Business Review
Why Learning English has become more important to the
people in Myanmar?
Since English has been a lingua franca used in a wide range of contexts: education,
research, business dealings, science, technology and so forth, “being able to
communicate in English is perceived as a valuable asset for the academic and
professional development of individuals and the nation’s socio-economic growth as a
whole” - stated by Dr. Daniel Brooker, Senior International Education Manager from
Cambridge Assessment English, in his research. This is particularly relevant to
developing countries because English can provide people with access to various
sources of information, knowledge and skills needed to conduct knowledge-based
economic activities and produce value-added products and services.
Source: Harvard Business Review
As Myanmar is one of the developing countries, where FDI (Foreign Direct
Investment) plays an important role as part of economic reforms, it is crucial to have a
skilled and English-proficient workforce that can drive sustainable development of the
country. However, an enormous number of the Burmese population, having grown up
in an aforementioned unfavorable environment for English language acquisition, has
not unfortunately achieved a sufficient level of English Language proficiency to thrive
in this age of globalization and fast-paced world - risking repercussions on academic
growth, employment opportunities, and career advancement. Thus, it is recommended
to provide feasible approaches to effective English Language learning for the socio-
economic development of Myanmar.
Comparison between 2018 and 2019 Index
Source: EF EOU Scores Compared to 2018
EF EPI (2019) has reported that Myanmar experienced almost 2 % soar in the English
language proficiency while many Asia countries witnessed a downward trend,
compared to the year of 2018. It is somehow the good side of the coin despite low
ranking, and we are confident that the ranking will probably improve in the following
years if the following recommended strategies are systematically applied to language
learning.
What are Effective Strategies for Learning English?
 
The following strategies can be deemed effective for a successful acquisition of
English language proficiency. These learning approaches apply to not only the
Burmese students but also wider Burmese population, particularly those who have
spent decades on studying English, but still do not reach sufficient level.
1. Expose yourself to the language on a regular basic
According to International TEFL and TESOL training, the more you are exposed to
the language, the more learning opportunities you have to get a good grasp of the
language and sound natural. Even though you are neither raised in an English-
speaking country nor surrounded by either native or non-native English speakers in
your environment, you can still make it possible to get exposure to the language:
taking advantage of the Internet and technology, you can have access to a variety of
free resources designed for learning English, and thus read and listen to as much
English language as possible.
Moreover, you can join English speaking clubs in your area, and actively participate
in speaking activities whenever opportunity is given. Furthermore, you can write
English essays for your school’s or university’s monthly magazine or chat online in
English. It would be more effective if you can dedicate to practicing all four skills of
the language on a daily basis.
2. Find interesting things in English to watch, read and listen to
British Council recommends learning English through things that interest and excite
you in order to succeed in learning. It is true that having an enjoyable learning
experience can help you get regular exposure to the language. Watching TV shows or
movies, listening to songs and podcasts, and reading books and magazines in English,
for example, can be engaging and gripping enough to motivate you to get into the
habit of learning English on a regular basis - in such a way that is entertaining.
In addition, as vlogging has become a trend, following English speaking vloggers on
Youtube and other social media platforms, would also be an ideal way to level-up
your language skills while natural English with different accents can be exposed to.
Learning English through these resources can provide you with enormous
opportunities to learn real-life language input - authentic and varied language, which
can hardly be learned in your classroom, reinforcing natural flow as you produce the
language.
3. Enhance Productive Skills through improving Receptive Skills
Reading and listening are referred to as receptive skills, which is also known
as passive skills, since the learners receive information (language input) whereas
speaking and writing are labelled as productive skills or active skills as it requires
learners to produce the language. Although it is true that you need to speak and write
in English frequently in order to improve your oral and written communication, it is
also crucial to have acquired sufficient language input through reading and listening
so that you can gain more fluency and confidence, and sound natural when writing
and speaking.
Starting with reading and writing, these two skills are inseparable in learning English:
the more one reads, the better they write - having learnt a better vocabulary and
recognized the nuances of the language. Because, it is very unlikely to produce a good
written work of your own without experience of reading quality pieces.
Likewise, there is no exception to listening and speaking in this case. Practicing
listening skills can have a significant impact on your speaking skill. Through listening
to various native speakers of English, you can understand what they say in different
contexts and how they say it using appropriate vocabulary, and you can, at the same
time, learn pronunciation and intonation.
4. Be Active and Take Control of Your Own Learning
British council also highlights the importance of learners’ autonomy in effective
language learning. In essence, you should choose to take more responsibility for your
own learning - setting your own goals, doing self-study, and seeking opportunities to
practice outside the classroom to upgrade your language skills; rather than being
completely reliant on teachers for your progress. Since motivation is one of the most
fundamental elements for a successful language acquisition, you should always be
motivated to devote yourself to learning English and enhance your language
proficiency through various ways.
5. Persevere and Stay Passionate
Throughout your learning journey, you need to bear in mind “Rome was not built in a
day”- meaning it is very unlikely to develop a very high level of language
competencies overnight. It requires you to exert relentless efforts, and maintain
perseverance for a considerable period of time to become a fluent language user. You
may not therefore reach your targeted level of proficiency unless you are not
passionate and committed enough to learning the language for a certain period of
time.