Attitudes of teachers and students at a Thai public school towards accents of English

ทัศนคติของครูและนักเรียน ณ โรงเรียนรัฐบาลไทยแห่งหนึ่งต่อสำเนียงภาษาอังกฤษ

Name: Aran Sahrai

LCSH: Burapha University -- English for Communication

Classification :.DDC: 420

LCSH: English language -- Pronunciation

LCSH: English language -- Phonology

LCSH: Teachers -- Attitudes

Abstract: Native speakers’ accents are generally viewed as models of English accents. However, in real-world communication where English has become an international language, English users encounter a wide variety of accents. The present study aimed to investigate the attitudes of Thai teachers and students towards native speakers’ accents, Asian accents, and the participants’ own accents. The participants were six Thai teachers and 123 Thai students in a public secondary school. The questionnaire and the semi-structured interview were employed to collect the data. The results from the questionnaire revealed that American, British, and Filipino accents were favorable to Thai teachers and students. Chinese and Indian accents were generally perceived negatively in terms of language quality, particularly by Thai teachers. Thai accents, on the other hand, appeared to be unacceptable to Thai teachers, while Thai students expressed acceptance towards all accents. The qualitative data also provided consistent findings. Asian accents were perceived as sounding unintelligible but sociable by Thai teachers, while Thai students found them intelligible. Regarding the attitudes of Thai teachers and students towards their own English accents, it was observed that despite their negative views of their ThaiEnglish accents, perceiving them as deficient and impacting their confidence and selfimage, their accents remained intelligible for effective communication. Although there was a desire to attain native-like competence, the participants' accents were still comprehensible. In addition, Thai teachers and students give significance to mutual intelligibility and concern English as a tool for communication. The implications of these findings underscore the significance of exposing students to diverse accents for fostering positive attitudes and improving intelligibility. They also suggest the need for suitable teaching materials that acknowledge Asian accents as valid pronunciation models. Moreover, teacher education plays a critical role in promoting effective teaching practices through opportunities for reflection, exposure to different English varieties, and raising awareness of English as a lingua franca.

Burapha University. Library

Address: CHONBURI

Email: buulibrary@buu.ac.th

Name: Sutraphorn Tantiniranat

Role: Principal advisor

Name: On-Usa Phimsawat

Role: Co-advisor

Created: 2023

Modified: 2024-03-11

Issued: 2024-03-11

วิทยานิพนธ์/Thesis

application/pdf

CallNumber: Th 420 Ar662a

eng

DegreeName: Master of Arts

Level: Master's Degree

Descipline: English for Communication

Grantor: Burapha University

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