The Impact of Language Policy in the Basic Education Core Curriculum in Thailand

The Impact of Language Policy in the Basic Education Core Curriculum in Thailand Indonesian Journal of EFL and Linguistics Vol. 2 No. 2, 2017 eISSN: 2503-4197, pISSN: 2527-5070 www. indonesian-efl-journal.org The Impact of Language Policy in the Basic Education Core Curriculum in Thailand Khattiyanant Nonthaisong Princess Chulabhorn’s College Buriram, Thailand Miguel Mantero The University of Alabama, United States e-mail: Abstract: Over the last 10 years, much research has been completed in the area of English language policy in Thailand. The majority of studies have focused on the pedagogy and methods involved in the teaching practices of Thai EFL educators at primary school level (Prapaisit de Segovia & Hardison, 2009; Tongpoon-Patanasorn, 2011;Li, 2017) and secondary school level (Darasawang & Watson Todd, 2012; Nonkukhetkhong, Baldauf, & Moni, 2006). The present study delves deeper into teaching practices and addresses how English language policy is perceived and interpreted at the classroom level through the practices of Thai English teachers in a rural government secondary school in the northeast part of the country. To date, there is only one study which examines the impact of English language policy in the core curriculum on the teaching practices of EFL teachers at both primary and secondary school level has been completed (Fitzpatrick, 2011). In an effort to frame the present study, we apply Hornberger’s (2006) integrative framework as an attempt to support case study methodology. This approach provided us the opportunity to research “one or more instances of a phenomenon in its real-life context that reflect the perspective of the participants involved in the phenomenon” (Gall, Gall, & Borg, 2007, p. 447). And, it offered a grounded view of how this English language policy is being enacted in Thailand. Keywords: Language Policy, Basic Education, Core Curriculum Indonesian Journal of EFL and Linguistics, 2(2), 2017 71 The Impact of Language Policy in the Basic Education Core Curriculum in Thailand 1. ENGLISH IN THAILAND Generally, English has been used in Thai society to aid social mobility, allowing those that learn and use it to have more access to political and economic power (Baker, 2008). English has been linked to middle and upper middle classes; it has been used as a form of gate keeping with respect for the university entry for their children, meaning that other students who perform poorly in English may not be able to get into the institution of their choice. However, English still has little relevance for the majority of Thai lives in general. In Bangkok and other major tourist cities like Chiang Mai or Phuket, foreigners can communicate even though they do not know Thai language since most people can communicate with basic English. On the other hand, if they go to the small cities or rural areas in Thailand, the chance to communicate in English is almost nonexistent. Thailand is the only country in Southeast Asia which has never been colonized and is described by Kachru as a nation in the “expanding circle” of English users in Asia (1998, p. 93) where English is primarily used as a foreign language for education and business purposes. English was first introduced in Thailand in the 17th century for the purpose of modernizing the country in response to the threat of Western colonization and the pressure of internal politics (Darasawang, 2007). It was first taught to a group of elites in the royal schools, and in later years opportunities were open to common people when more schools for commoners were established. English language in Thailand has gone through a considerable evolution ever since and has always maintained its status as a foreign language. In 2010, there was an attempt by the Minister of Education to promote improved learning of English, suggesting that English should be made the official second language of the country (Darasawang & Watson Todd, 2012). He further proposed that he would import thousands of native-speaker teachers and upper secondary school math and science instruction would be taught in English. Nevertheless, because of the strong criticism that it could lead to the misunderstandings that Thailand had been colonized in the past, he immediately withdrew this proposal. Internationally, the role of English has become more crucial for Thailand and the other nine neighboring countries in the region as a lingua franca since 2009 when it was adopted as the official working language of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) (Kirkpatrick, 2012). In 2015, the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) will bring together the 10 ASEAN members, including Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, into a single market to compete in the global economy. This economic integration will provide for the free movement of trade, labor, and capital within the region. Therefore, in order to work effectively and compete with other countries in the region, Thailand does need to develop English communicative skills for its people who are now considered at low level of English proficiency, compared to the neighboring countries in the region (Assavanonda, 2013). In response to the crucial role of English in the globalization era, Thailand reformed its language policy with the goal of improving communicative abilities in English Indonesian Journal of EFL and Linguistics, 2(2), 2017 72 The Impact of Language Policy in the Basic Education Core Curriculum in Thailand for Thai citizens as well as providing a more supportive, clearer framework for English instruction throughout the educational system (Ushioda, 2017; Nunan, 2003; Wongsothorn, 2000). Currently, the English language policy has been mainly implemented at a national level by the Office of Basic Education Commission (OBEC) in the Ministry of Education. The present curriculum was revised from the Basic Education Curriculum B.E. 2544 (A.D. 2001) in order to provide clearer guidelines on how the major learning areas should be taught and assessed (Ministry of Education, 2008). These eight learning areas include: Thai language; mathematics; science; social studies, religion, and culture; health and physical education; arts; occupations and technology; and foreign languages. Within these guidelines, English is made compulsory from Prathom 1 (Equivalent to Grade 1) in primary school to Mattayom 6 (Equivalent to Grade 12) in secondary school. While students take a minimum of 1 hour of English a week in primary school, secondary school students take at least 3 hours of English a week. Moreover, English is one of the compulsory subjects for the Ordinary National Educational Test (O-NET) which students are required to pass in order to graduate at the primary (Prathom 6), lower secondary (Mattayom 3), and upper-secondary (Mattayom 6) school levels. Mattayom 6 students also need these O-NET scores for university admission. Other (...truncated)