Local Culture Preservation through Southern Thainess-Based English Lessons
Main Article Content
Abstract
Due to the existing trend of English as a global language, coupled with the emerging trend of regionalisation, individual national culture and identity have attenuated. Concerns regarding the increasing influx of foreign influence through a multitude of channels have been exacerbated by the augmented popularity of social media that permeates most aspects of people’s lives. As a consequence, particularly in the Thai context, Thai culture and identity is vulnerable. This presentation represents an attempt to avoid such imminent subjugation and simultaneously preserve the national identity of Thai learners. Specifically, this study highlights local cultural features pertaining to southern Thailand, manifested through a set of English lessons constructed and subsequently implemented to elementary students in southern Thailand for ten weeks. Based on the tests devised to measure the students’ southern Thailand knowledge and associated English vocabulary, the southern Thainess-based English lessons exert a significantly positive impact on English language learning and cultural awareness. As demonstrated, the local culture-based English lessons can be manipulated as a viable and legitimate channel to address learners’ local culture. By extension, English education can be deemed as an ideal and promising avenue to integrate other academic disciplines to empower learners to be equipped for the demands of the 21st century.
Article Details
![Creative Commons License](http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by/4.0/88x31.png)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
Asfima, R. and Ovilia, R. 2016. Be proud of Indonesian cultural heritage richness and be alert of its preservation efforts in the global world. Humanus XV(2): 195–206. https://doi.org/10.24036/jh.v15i2.6428
Byram, M. 1997. Cultural awareness as vocabulary learning. Language Learning Journal 16(1): 51–57. https://doi.org/10.1080/09571739785200291
Byram, M. and Fleming, M. 1998. Language learning in intercultural perspective approaches through drama and ethnography. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Chotipaktanasook, N. 2016. Using social media in the EFL classroom for the enhancement of low affective filter and willingness to communicate. Paper presented at the Seventh CLS International Conference (CLaSIC 2016), Singapore, 1–3 December.
David, M.K. and Govindasamy, S. 2017. The construction of national identity and globalization in multilingual Malaysia. In Language policy, culture and identity in Asian contexts, eds. B.M. Tsui and J.W. Tollefson, 55–72. New York: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315092034-4
Dorjiss. 2013. Activity based teaching method. Teaching Strategy, 5 May. Retrieved from http://dorjigss.blogspot.com/2013/05/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none.html.
Fenner, A.S. 2000. Cultural awareness. In Approaches to materials design in European textbooks: Implementing principles of authenticity, learner autonomy and cultural awareness, eds. A.B. Fenner and D. Newby, 141–150. Graz, Austria: European Centre for Modern Languages.
Foley, J. and Thompson, L. 2003. Language learning. London: Arnold.
Herron, C., Cole, S.P., Corrie, C. and Dubreil, S. 1999. The effectiveness of video-based curriculum in teaching culture. The Modern Language Journal 83(4): 518–533. https://doi.org/10.1111/0026-7902.00038
Kanoksilapatham, B. 2016. Promoting global English while forging young northeastern Thai learners’ identity. 3L: The Southeast Asian Journal of English Language Studies 22(3): 127–140. https://doi.org/10.17576/3L-2016-2203-09
———. 2014. Thai elementary school teachers’ English pronunciation and effects of teacher variables: Professional development. TESL-EJ The electronic Journal for English as a Second Language 18(1): 1–13.
Kanoksilapatham, B. and Channuan, P. 2018. EFL learners’ and teachers’ positive attitudes towards local community-based instruction. Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics 7(3): 504–515. https://doi.org/10.17509/ijal.v7i3.9790
Kanoksilapatham, B. and Khamkhien, A. 2020. The final research report, “English language learning and teaching of our neighboring country: Lessons learned from Vietnam”. Nakhon Pathom, Thailand: Silpakorn University.
Kanoksilapatham, B. and Suranakkharin, T. 2018. Celebrating local, going global: Use of northern Thainess-based English lessons. The Journal of Asia TEFL 15(2): 292– 309. https://doi.org/10.18823/asiatefl.2018.15.2.3.292
Kartini, K., Tolla, A., Jasruddin, J. and Juanda, J. 2019. The design of local culturebased Indonesian language teaching materials. Journal of Language Teaching and Research 10(2): 363–371. https://doi.org/10.17507/jltr.1002.19
Khan, I. 2014. Teachers’ perceptions of the significance of local culture in foreign language learning. Journal of English Language and Literature 1(3): 65–70.
Kramsch, C. 2001. Language and culture. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Nambiar, R., Hashim, R.S. and Yasin, R.M. 2018. Impact of integrating local culture into language materials on communicative ability of Malaysian lower secondary learners. 3L: The Southeast Asian Journal of English Language Studies 24(4): 13– 26. https://doi.org/10.17576/3L-2018-2404-02
Nguyen, T.T.T. 2017. Integrating culture into language teaching and learning: Learner outcomes. The Reading Matrix: An International Online Journal 77(1): 145–154.
Nieto, S. 2010. Language, culture and teaching: Critical perspectives. New York: Routledge.
Nurlia, R. and Arini, F. 2017. Effect of bringing local culture in English language teaching on students’ writing achievement. The 4th international conference on language, society and culture in Asian contexts, 187–194. Dubai: Knowledge E. https://doi.org/10.18502/kss.v1i3.738
Putnam, R.T. and Borko, H. 2000. What do new views of knowledge and thinking have to say about research on teacher learning? Educational Researcher 29(1): 4–15. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X029001004
Risager, K. 2008. Language and culture: Global flows and local complexity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Rumelhart, D. 1980. Schemata: The building blocks of cognition. In Theoretical issues in reading comprehension, eds. R.J. Spiro, B.C. Bruce and W.F. Brewer, 33–58. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315107493-4
Saluveer, E. 2004. Teaching culture in English classes. MA diss., University of Tartu.
Schmidt, R. 1993. Awareness and second language acquisition. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics 13: 206–226. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0267190500002476
Sercu, L. 2005. The future of intercultural competence in foreign language education: Recommendations for professional development, educational policy and research. In Foreign language teachers and intercultural competence: An international investigation, ed. L. Sercu, 160–181. Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters. https://doi.org/10.21832/9781853598456-01 2
———. 1998. In-service teacher training and the acquisition of intercultural competence. In Language learning in intercultural perspective approaches through drama and ethnography, eds. M. Byram and M. Flemming, 255–289. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Sitthirak, C. 2013. Social media for language teaching and learning. Retrieved from https://www.academia.edu/2612052/Social_Media_for_Language_Teaching_and_Learning.
Spencer-Oatey, H. and Franklin, P. 2012. What is culture. A compilation of quotations. Coventry, UK: GlobalPAD/University of Warwick.
Stern, H.H. 1992. Issues and options in language teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Sudartini. 2012. Inserting local culture in English language teaching to promote character education. Jurnal Pendidikan Karakter 1: 45–54.
Tananuraksakul, N. 2015. An investigation into the impact of Facebook group usage on students’ affect in language learning in a Thai context. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education 27(2): 235–246.
The Bangkok Post. 2018. Thailand makes top 10 in social media use, 1 March. Retrieved from https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/news/1420086/thailand-makes-top10-in-social-media-use.
Tomlinson, B. 2011. Material development in language teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Institute. 2009. The UNESCO framework for cultural statistics. Canada: UNESCO Institute.
Van Van, H. 2016. Renovation in curriculum design and textbook development: An effective solution to improving the quality of English teaching in Vietnamese schools in the context of integration and globalization. VNU Journal of Science: Education Research 32(4): 9–20. https://doi.org/10.25073/2588-1159/vnuer.3845
Xiao-hui, L., Jun, W. and Wei-hua, W. 2007. Analysis of schema theory and its influence on reading. US-China Foreign Language 5(11): 18–21.