SK

Attitudes of Thai Graduates toward English as a Lingua Franca of ASEAN

Article Overview

  • Authors: Phanyamon Ploywattanawong & Wannapa Trakulkasemsuk

  • Study Focus: Attitudes of Thai graduates toward English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) in ASEAN.

  • Participants: 50 Thai graduate students from King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, specializing in engineering, science, and technology.

Key Findings

  • Grammatical Features of ASEAN ELF:

  • No distinct grammatical features of ASEAN ELF were fully accepted or rejected by Thai graduates.

  • Most grammatical features received a neutral judgment for acceptability.

  • All grammatical features were deemed understandable, posing no communication difficulties.

English as a Lingua Franca (ELF)

  • Definition: English used among speakers from different native language backgrounds without adherence to native standards (Seidlhofer, 2005).

  • ASEAN Context: English serves as a de facto lingua franca within the ASEAN community, facilitating inter-member communication.

Attitude Dynamics

  • Previous studies indicate:

  • Non-native speakers (NNSs) may not always accept non-native varieties as equal to native ones.

  • Teachers and students often hold a perception that native English varieties are superior (Matsuda, 2003; Friedrich, 2003).

  • However, the acceptance of differing English varieties is growing, particularly amid globalization.

Methodology

  • Participants Selection: Targeted graduates were chosen based on their fields which are crucial for the ASEAN job market.

  • Questionnaire Design: The questionnaire assessed participant opinions on the acceptability and understandability of ASEAN ELF grammatical features through 24 model sentences reflecting shared ASEAN English characteristics.

Findings on Specific Grammatical Features

  1. Articles:

  • Omission or unnecessary use of articles was rated as ‘Average', indicating understanding of context.

  • Example: "my mother is first love in my life."

  1. Number:

  • Ratings found participants confused on the distinctions between countable and uncountable nouns due to differing language structures.

  • Example: "I want to know about all country, not just one countries."

  1. Verb Forms:

  • Common errors related to modal verbs were noted, with most participants misinterpreting their use.

  • Example: "You should to call him."

  1. Inversion:

  • Simple subject-verb inversion in questions is not a norm in Thai, leading to unconventional forms.

  • Example: "What I should dress for the party?"

  1. Prepositions:

  • Misuse of prepositions is prevalent; participants tend to assess their understanding of phrases more holistically.

  • Example: "You can see Thailand to the right of this map."

  1. Pronouns:

  • Many issues arose from misclassification of pronouns, leading to assessments of ‘Bad’ usage, indicating a firmer grasp of correct forms.

  • Example: "Everything depends on you and I."

Conclusion

  • Understandability was consistently rated high for all grammatical features, indicating that while Thai graduates may not accept these features as traditional English, they can still communicate effectively.

  • The study suggests a potential shift in acceptance as interactions within the ASEAN community increase, advocating for less rigid adherence to native English norms.

  • Recommendation: Educational frameworks should incorporate and normalize ASEAN ELF features to enhance practical communication skills among Thai speakers.