The best teaching and learning approaches have been controversial since the origins of language teaching and learning. This study aims to explore the Thai EFL preservice teachers’ perceptions towards the best teaching and learning approaches through the written test. A qualitative research design and purposive sampling were employed to collect data from 46 participants who completed teacher training for at least one semester. Research ethics were obtained prior to data collection. The research instrument was a 150-word written test from 46 participants. The results show that there were 17 features of the best teaching and learning desired by Thai EFL preservice teachers, which can be put into four aspects: lesson, classroom environment, teachers, and students. In detail, lessons should be learned in a group setting using meaningful, real-life situations, simplified language, communication practice, language practice, and thinking practices. The classroom environment should be active, fun, and enjoyable, allowing for freely expressing ideas and opinions and peer-supported learning. Teachers should scaffold, increase motivation, and provide mental support to students. Finally, students must be able to manage their own emotions, have a sense of control over their own learning, and become autonomous learners. The mentioned features are likely to comply with Communicative Language Teaching (CLT). The reasons that the participants weighed in on this approach can probably be due to ready-to-use materials to be used in different communicative situations, exciting and motivating approaches with active activities, and technology-supported language learning, leading to idealized pedagogical implementation.

To have necessary and ready skills for careers in the 21st century, students should be given awareness of the importance of English, not only in formal but also non-formal and informal education. However, students still lack English abilities, and their English communication skills are still in need of development. Thus, this study aims to analyse the non-formal education students’ problems and needs for improving their English communication skills. The participants in this study are students from the Offices of Non-Formal and Informal Education in the eastern economic corridor (EEC), Thailand. To obtain the data, research instruments, including questionnaire and semi-structured interview were employed in the study. Then, the data were analyzed statistically by using the SPSS program to find percentage, mean and standard deviation, and the content analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data collected from the instruments employed in this study. The findings from this study demonstrated that the students had moderate problems with English communication skills. The students required “conversation in daily life” activities to develop their listening and speaking skills the most and “letter or e-mail” activities to develop their reading and writing abilities the most. Additionally, the results from semi-structured interview, yielded the teachers’ perceptions of the students’ English communication skills in various aspects. As a result, this study would provide pathways for teachers to find effective teaching methods and activities to eliminate the students’ problems and thoroughly fulfil their needs on English communication skills.