Frustrated readers at Khon Kaen Medical School

Ability in English is essential for Thai medical students. 34 fifth-year students completed two cloze tests from two standard English language text-books to assess their comprehension. One of these tests was from a recommended text-book. 65% of students had poor understanding of the recommended text (Text A). Results were significantly better from the other text (Text B), but only one student had good understanding. The medical course needs more appropriate English teaching and more appropriate English text-books. More information is needed about which books students learn from.