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Q: "I want to have an accent like a native English speaker, but haven't had much of a chance to talk to native speakers. How can I get this accent?" (Anusorn Pubanchuen, 21, senior student, Faculty of Management Science, Suan Dusit Rajabhat University.)

Wright: "It's not possible for Thais to have the accent of a native speaker, unless they have been speaking English from childhood.

It's okay to speak English with a Thai accent because it is part of your identity. Americans, the British, Australians, South Africans, Indians and Singaporeans each have their own accent and it depicts the identity of each nation. You shouldn't pressure yourself into trying to have a native speaker's accent because it can make things worse and you may end up with no one, including foreigners and Thais, understanding what you're saying.

What is more important is pronunciation. Foreigners understand you better if you say the word correctly, rather than having the "right" accent. If you say the word incorrectly, it can have a different meaning.

Let's say you want to say "I want to pray at the temple" but you don't pronounce the "r" in "pray". It could come out as "pay", or if you say it with an "l", it could be "play"."

Q: "When I speak English with non-native English speakers, I feel confident that they understand me. But when I speak English with native speakers, my confidence just disappears." (Mallika Pannoppa, 24, load control supervisor for an airline service.)

Wright: "It's a psychological effect. When some Thais see farang with blond hair and blue eyes, they get scared and it becomes a block for them. My advice is to "run towards it". You will never be able to overcome your fear if you keep running away.

You should change from the attitude of "What is different is dangerous" to "What is different makes me curious".

Whenever you feel yourself hesitating, just go ahead and do it. Of course, you'll be nervous and it can turn out well or badly. But you'll always learn from it. When something turns out well, you celebrate it and remember. So you'll do it again next time. But when it turns out badly, you admit it and find out what is wrong with it and correct it for the next time."

Q: "I don't want to speak English. I'll make grammatical mistakes." (Sarawut Chaigaroun, 34, mathematics teacher, Wat Puangnimit, Sa Kaew.)

Wright: "Some Thais think that when they make grammatical mistakes, English speakers look down on them like their [Thai] English teachers do. You should bear in mind that English is not your first language. It's not your mother tongue. Speaking English with correct grammar is a bonus. But speaking it incorrectly doesn't mean you've "lost". It's not a waste.

[The process] should start with opening your mouth to speak and seeing whether you [and an English speaker] understand each other. When you try to speak, people will at least understand some of what you say. When people understand, you'll be happy and gain confidence. And that's the achievement of speaking English. Correctness is the last thing you should concern yourself about.

If you want to be a writer or write English well, you must have good grammar. But if you want to use it for everyday communication, keep it simple and use the easiest word. Some Thais see proficiency in English as a luxury item. They use it to show off and try to use difficult words.

English is not a tool for being cool. It's used for communication. And you don't have to speak posh English with perfect grammar to speak English well."

Q: "Should Thai students be encouraged to speak English for the sake of communication even if their grammar is poor? How would it affect them in the long run?" (Waraporn Losawattanakij, 27, librarian at an international school in Bangkok.)

Wright: "Language is not a habit and it can be corrected. The more people practise, the better they use the language. The first goal is to encourage them to speak. People who speak well are people who dare to speak and make mistakes. They notice their mistakes and learn. Also it depends on the individual. Some people just don't care if they speak English with poor grammar as long as they can communicate and people understand them.

Some Thais are so conscious and strict about right and wrong grammar and accent that everything must be right from the beginning. Sometimes you have to let go and gradually learn to improve."

Wright's story

British-Thai Christopher Wright, 29, has been teaching English at tutorial schools since he was a freshman at Mahidol International University. When he graduated, he became both a full-time and part-time teacher at several universities, including Rangsit, Ramkhamhaeng and Kasem Bundit.

Last year, he launched his first two pocketbooks in Thai, "Farangs kao jai khon Thai get" I and II (English That Foreigners Understand And Thais Know How To Use). In July, Wright went on a local talk show, "Jor Jai", talking about Thais and their problems speaking English. With its content and his humour and unique character, he became the talk of the town and his two books sold out.

In October, two more of his books will be launched. In November, he will open his own English school, Wright English Club, at RCA, Rama IV.

Wright doesn't have a degree in teaching but he says he's done a lot of self-study and taken short courses in the subject.

By Rojana Manowalailao

The Nation