Thai Culture and Language Barriers to English Learning

Introduction

Teaching English as a foreign language is a difficult task in any culture. Countries throughout the world have mandated the learning of English as a second or foreign language, largely because of the increasingly global nature of modern society. This new global environment has led people around the world to embrace English for the purposes of business communication and cross-cultural exchange. In many cases, education systems have made the learning of English a compulsory part of the curriculum beginning in elementary school. The goal of early immersion is to increase the likelihood that children will become proficient in the language, since those who govern education systems understand the importance of communicating in English for conducting business internationally.

The nation of Thailand has a long history of attempting to guarantee that its citizens can speak English. There are many factors that influence the likelihood that individuals will learn English. In Thailand, culture and language have greatly affected the ability of the education system to help students become proficient in English. These impediments must be overcome if Thailand is to engage fully and competitively in the global market. The purpose of this discussion is to examine the relationship between Thai culture and the teaching of English as a foreign language in Thailand. More specifically, the research demonstrates that Thai culture and the Thai language create barriers to effective English teaching in Thailand.

From a global standpoint, a rapidly increasing number of people speak English as a first language, second language, or foreign language. These individuals come from linguistically and culturally heterogeneous backgrounds and use English for many different purposes (Jahan & Roger, 2006).

Overview of the Increasing Use of English Around the World

With this context in mind, the current phenomenon of Global English presents certain challenges for the principles and practices of English language pedagogy. As Jahan and Roger (2006) explain:

"The issue of the cultural manifestations associated with the English language and the way in which these are approached pedagogically in non-English speaking contexts gives rise to a number of important questions for both language teachers and learners. In seeking to learn a foreign language, learners generally expect that they will need to become familiar with the culture of those who speak this language as a mother tongue. In the case of languages that are associated with a single nation-state, the target culture associated with the language in question tends also to be defined along national lines" (Jahan & Roger, 2006, p. 2).

This framework establishes culture as an integral aspect of learning a new language and highlights the contextual differences that exist between English-speaking and non-English-speaking populations when it comes to acquiring English.

Jahan and Roger (2006) further explain that learners residing in countries where English is spoken as the primary language will automatically link the notion of the "target culture" with the visible aspects of the surrounding English-speaking culture. In contrast, in countries where English is not the primary language, the idea of a target culture associated with English may be unclear to foreign language learners.

A concentric model of English users is a useful tool for understanding the sociolinguistic profile of English on a global scale. This model is grounded in the types and patterns of spread, arrangements of acquisition, and the functional role of English in various cultural contexts (Jahan & Roger, 2006). It consists of three concentric circles: the Inner Circle, the Outer Circle, and the Expanding Circle. As the authors describe:

"The Inner Circle refers to countries such as the UK, USA, Canada, and Australia, which have the traditional cultural and linguistic bases of English. The Outer Circle (taking in Bangladesh, India, Kenya, and Hong Kong, for instance) represents the regions which have passed through extended periods of British colonisation and have subsequently institutionalized varieties of English into governmental, legal, education, and literary domains. The Expanding Circle includes countries where English has various roles and is widely studied but for more specific purposes (e.g., to conduct business, to access technology, or to access printed information in a range of academic disciplines) than in the Outer Circle. The 'performance' varieties of English used in the Expanding Circle often lack an official status and are typically restricted in their use" (Jahan & Roger, 2006, p. 4).

Thailand is part of the Expanding Circle. The country does not have a cultural or traditional basis for English use comparable to Inner Circle nations such as the United Kingdom or the United States, nor does it have a history of British colonial rule that would have made English compulsory. However, Thailand has adopted English as a means of conducting business and communicating cross-culturally. Because Thailand belongs to the Expanding Circle, the experience of learning English is qualitatively different from that of nations in the other two circles. Understanding these differences is key to developing effective and efficient curricula.

History and Overview of the Teaching of English in Thailand

Overall, the global increase in English teaching reflects the reality that, as an essential feature of globalization, countries are no longer as isolated as they once were, and the ability to communicate across cultural boundaries is essential for competing globally. Like other nations, Thailand has made the learning of English a compulsory part of its education curriculum. The following section elaborates on the role of English in Thailand's education system.

According to Foley (2005), English language teaching (ELT) in Thailand traditionally began during the reign of King Rama III, from 1824 to 1851. Over time, the growing number of Westerners living in and visiting Thailand made English increasingly necessary for administrators and high court officials. In 1921, Thailand made English compulsory for students from grade four onward. The two primary objectives associated with ELT in Thailand were to develop modern thinkers and to provide children with sufficient knowledge of English to function in English-speaking classrooms (Foley, 2005).

This form of compulsory English teaching continued until 1960, when the country's education system underwent a significant change that placed a more pronounced emphasis on English as a tool for international communication. This shift was driven in part by United States involvement in IndoChina, which began to influence various aspects of Thai life. As Foley (2005) notes, "some attempt was made to replace rote memorization and grammar translation with an audio-lingual method. However, this approach did not succeed very well as it seemed to go against the rote learning tradition that was ingrained in both the educational and religious traditions of Thai culture" (Wongsothorn et al., 2002, p. 108). By 1996, English instruction in Thailand was compulsory for all primary school children beginning in the first grade.

There are obvious cultural differences between Thailand and nations that belong to the Inner and Outer Circles of the concentric model. Nations in those circles have been immersed in English culture since their inception or through centuries of colonial rule. According to Jahan and Roger (2006), this exposure to English culture affects a nation's capacity to embrace English as a language. Their research on other nations within the Expanding Circle found that:

Conclusion

The purpose of this discussion was to examine the relationship between Thai culture and language and the teaching of English as a foreign language in Thailand. The research found that numerous cultural and linguistic differences affect Thai learners' ability to acquire English as a second language. These differences include the influence of Buddhist philosophy as a social and cultural guide, the Thai emphasis on interdependence and hierarchical social structures, and the structural contrasts between Thai and English — particularly in conditional constructions and phonology. These factors pervade the language-learning experience and can cause significant confusion for Thai learners.

Overall, the evidence indicates that Thai culture and the Thai language create real barriers to effective English teaching in Thailand. Addressing these barriers requires culturally informed pedagogy that introduces learners to the cultural contexts of English-speaking societies while respecting the integrity of Thai culture. Only by acknowledging and addressing both the cultural and structural dimensions of this challenge can instructors help Thai learners achieve meaningful proficiency in English.