Title: The impact of English on experiencing othering: a case study of Chulalongkorn university students
Author: Mr.Alejandro Soria Higuera
Year: 2023
Keywords: Otherness, Shared Identity, International Programs, Social contexts, outside the classroom, Impact of English
Theme: Education
Advisor(s): Pimsiri Aroonsri
The full thesis available here.
Abstract: International programs in Thailand possess distinctive characteristics as nearly all students are Thai nationals who have met the standard English proficiency requirements. Instruction is entirely in English, and these programs are situated within universities where the majority of students are enrolled in Thai-language programs. Additionally, Thai faculty and staff contribute to the necessity of using the Thai language for social interactions outside the classroom. This complexity surrounding international program students in Thailand has led to the purpose of this research, which is to study the impact of English communication inside and outside the classroom on the path to acquiring competence previous to enrollment in university programs on students' experiences of otherness and social fragmentation as a potential consequence. The researcher investigated this issue by examining students' perceptions of elements that contribute to Thai identity, their self-identification as Thai, and their experiences of feeling like outsiders due to their primary language choice for social interactions. The study found that English communication abilities in non-academic contexts during high school contribute to experiences of otherness both among students within the same program and between students of different programs. These experiences of 'otherness' are associated with feelings of being marginalized due to English or Thai language skills not meeting the expectations of others or being insufficient for social integration and appear to diminish as students advance through their college education. More research is needed to address additional factors that may influence the use of English outside the classroom and the development of feelings of otherness resulting from differences in the primary language used among peer groups