Applied Linguistics

The current study aims to investigate (1) common cohesive devices used in the writing development of Thai undergraduate students majoring in English, (2) the frequency of cohesive devices used in the writing of Thai undergraduate students majoring in English, and (3) the relationship between the number and types of cohesive devices and the quality of the writing as rated by writing experts. Thirty junior students majoring in English contributed thirty academic essays as sample texts in the study, with a total number of 16,856 words. Halliday & Hasan’s (1976) taxonomy of cohesion was used as an analytical framework of cohesive devices, while a writing assessment rubric developed by Hogue & Oshima (2007) was used to determine students’ writing quality. His findings revealed four types of cohesive devices frequently used by Thai undergraduate students including reiteration, reference, conjunction, and ellipsis. A one-way ANOVA revealed significant difference numbers of cohesive devices...

The current study aims to investigate (1) common cohesive devices used in the writing development of Thai undergraduate students majoring in English, (2) the frequency of cohesive devices used in the writing of Thai undergraduate students majoring in English, and (3) the relationship between the number and types of cohesive devices and the quality of the writing as rated by writing experts. Thirty junior students majoring in English contributed thirty academic essays as sample texts in the study, with a total number of 16,856 words. Halliday & Hasan’s (1976) taxonomy of cohesion was used as an analytical framework of cohesive devices, while a writing assessment rubric developed by Hogue & Oshima (2007) was used to determine students’ writing quality. His findings revealed four types of cohesive devices frequently used by Thai undergraduate students including reiteration, reference, conjunction, and ellipsis. A one-way ANOVA revealed significant difference numbers of cohesive devices...

The current study aims to investigate types of corrective feedback used in two classroom settings (i.e. EFL and international school classrooms) and to compare the frequency of corrective feedback types used in the two classrooms. The participants of this study were 31 students from two classrooms (6 international and 25 in EFL classrooms) and their respective teachers; one in each classroom. Data was collected through four classroom observations and one semi-structure interview conducted with the teacher from each classroom. The findings revealed that all six types of feedback were provided by the teachers in the two classrooms. A comparison of the frequency of the use of corrective feedback in two different classrooms revealed that recast was the most frequently used type of feedback in the EFL classroom while metalinguistic clues were used the most in the international school classroom. Data from the interviews suggested that teachers from both classrooms provided the feedback to students without awareness of how the feedback types should be used appropriately for different foci of the content. This study recommends the need for teacher training on corrective feedback so that the teachers will be able to analyze, select, and provide appropriate feedback types to learners.

The objective of the current study was to investigate undergraduate students’ motivation in learning three East Asian languages (Chinese, Japanese, and Korean), with intended effort used as a measure of motivation, based on Dörnyei’s L2MSS theory (2005) and five other predictors. The study’s participants were 95 undergraduate students, recruited by convenient random sampling on a voluntary basis, eight of whom volunteered to participate in interviews. Descriptive data and Pearson correlations were used to identify language learning motivations and the relationship between predictors and the intended effort, while a qualitative content analysis was used to support quantitative findings. The results revealed that the participants showed high levels of motivation in learning East Asian languages. A strong linear relationship was found between L2 learning experience, with all languages studied, and the ideal L2 self component. Moreover, the factor of intended effort had a positive relat...

The term multiliteracies has been coined by a group of scholars who realized importance of the fast change of technology, increasing people’s awareness of cultural diversity, and global connectedness that would change the way people communicate. The change influences the evolving nature of texts and messages that are presented through different channels. As a result, a pedagogy of multiliteracies required different way of thinking about texts and assessment (Jacobs, 2013, p. 623). As English is a prevailing means for global communication, and is presented through different kinds of channels, modes, and media, English language teachers and learners are required to possess three multiliterate skills: proficiency of the language, awareness of global diversity, and interpretation of meaning from multimodal texts. This paper aims to address (1) how multiliteracies pedagogy influences learning and instruction in the 21st century, especially in the English language classrooms, and (2) to d...

This study was conducted with the aims to measure intelligibility of English menus used in Thai restaurants as perceived by Thai and non-Thai speakers and to explore the most salient unintelligible features found on the menus as identified by native Thai speakers. Ninety-six participants agreed to complete an online survey. They were asked to rate their intelligibility level and identify the sources of confusing features found on Thai English menus. Independent t-test and simple descriptive statistics such as mean score, percentage and standard deviation were utilized for data analysis. The results suggest that there is the distinction between intelligibility of restaurant menus rated by Thai and non-Thai speakers. Translation is likely to be the most frequent rated as a source of unintelligible features. The data presented here leads to the conclusion that Thais seems to be harsher in rating intelligibility level. Further implications have also been discussed in this study.

The current study aimed to investigate the tendency to use temporal markers (TMs) in English writing by three different levels of Thai writers. Data used in this study were based on the Corpus of Thai Writers of English. The corpus size of approximately 8,800,000 words consisted of essay writing produced by intermediate and advanced student writers and professional writers from two Thai English newspapers. Fraser’s (2005) taxonomy of temporal markers was used as an analytical framework. Microsoft Excel was used to calculate the frequency of occurrences, while a Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was the primary research tool for data analysis. A one-way ANOVA reveals a statistical difference in the use of TMs among three groups of writers (p =.000). The intermediate and professional writers were found to prefer using temporal markers at a comparable ratio. However, the intermediate group used temporal markers in a more diverse attitude than the advanced ones. Six tem...

The present study investigated psychosocial and psychocultural variables contributing to willingness to communicate in English as a second language (L2WTC) and determined the influence of the variables towards L2WTC of Thai undergraduate students in the immersion programs. Three hundred and forty-one students in the immersion programs at a Thai public university participated in the study. A mixed-method research design was employed with a questionnaire, focus group interview questions, and observation record. Data were analyzed utilizing frequency, percentage, one-way ANOVA, and multiple regression analysis. The findings revealed that the psychosocial variables influencing L2WTC of the participants were communication apprehension, introversion, and instrumental motivation, and select psychocultural variables of kwam kreng jai, fear of losing face, unity, and teacher status. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the variables altogether accounted for 78% of influencing variables...

This study adopted mixed method research to investigate motivating factors of Thai undergraduate students who took foreign language courses at a Thai university in the Greater Bangkok area, using Dörnyei’s (2009) L2MSS as a study framework. One hundred and seventy-three undergraduate students completed a questionnaire, 25 of whom agreed to participate in the semi-structured interview session. Quantitative data were analyzed utilizing frequency, mean, standard deviation, one-way ANOVA, and two-way ANOVA, while interview data were content analyzed. The findings revealed different motivating sources for the students who had taken or were taking foreign language courses. English and Korean students reported the Ought-to L2 Self as their primary source of motivation, while French, Chinese, and Japanese students reported the Past L2 Learning Experience. The study suggested that teachers provide an adequate and supportive learning experience to foreign language students, leading to higher ...

This research is aimed at identifying the propaganda techniques of the warfare utterances used among the characters in Glee Season 4 TV Series and describing the response of the hearer to the warfare utterances that are shown in the TV Series. The findings of this research were presented in narrative or textual description because the research employed a descriptive qualitative approach. The data of this research were taken from Glee Season 4 TV series which aired on Fox channel in the United States of America from 13 September 2012 to 9 May 2013 consisting of 22 episodes. The data were propaganda or warfare utterances found in the form of words, phrases, clauses and sentences in the context of dialogue of the characters in Glee Season 4 TV series. In order to establish the reliability of the data and to enhance the trustworthiness, triangulation techniques were applied in this research. The results of this research are as follows. (1) Six out of seven propaganda techniques are empl...

This mixed-method study had two aims. One was to explore Thai university EFL teachers' perceptions toward online education during the COVID-19 pandemic. The other was to exemplify the influential relationships between teachers' perceptions and their instructional practices. To do so, the researcher recruited 26 EFL teachers from four research universities in the Greater Bangkok Area. All completed and returned a questionnaire; 14 agreed to be interviewed; and 11 consented to classroom observations. Findings were discussed in twofold. Numerical data demonstrated teacher participants' neutral feelings toward online education. Descriptive data listed several factors influencing these teachers' capabilities with online education. They were, for example, prior experiences with online education, computer literacy, personal comfort, and digital readiness, to name only a few. The qualitative study also revealed that online platforms and students were the main factors that influenced changes in teachers' practices. Overall, findings of this current study revealed factors contributing to EFL teachers' readiness for the sudden shift to online education during the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand. The mandatory sudden shift to online education left teachers without a choice. As a result, they tended to perceive more difficulties, particularly those who have limited experience. However, over time they found certain strategies along with the help to resolve the difficulties. This study also amplified teachers’ voices in calling for the betterment of future online teaching and learning through five strategies.

This study delves into Thai university students' motivation to learn English as a Foreign Language (EFL). The research involved 33 participants from a Thai research university, with 15 students from the Faculty of Engineering (EG) and 18 from the Faculty of Liberal Arts (LA). The main objectives were to (1) identify the primary motivation underlying students' willingness to learn English, (2) identify the differences in motivation between EG and LA students, and (3) verify that students' milieu has a role in their motivation. The study employed a questionnaire on attitudinal constructs—integrative and instrumental motivation. Additionally, three open-ended questions were used. Results revealed that (1) both student groups displayed higher scores in integrative motivation, (2) while no significant differences were observed in motivation underlying students' willingness to learn English, LA students exhibited higher scores in both motivations compared to EG students, and (3) milieu played a pivotal role in shaping students' motivation to learn English. Furthermore, this study has significant implications for educators, emphasizing the necessity of acknowledging and addressing students' unique motivations and goals across various majors. While both groups exhibit integrative motivation, instrumental motivation provides additional support.

This current research aims to explore and document teachers' and students' perceptions toward an online teaching and learning platform used for EFL teaching and learning at a tertiary level. Of total, five university EFL teachers and 14 students involved in online teaching and learning consented to participate in the study. They completed a questionnaire and participated in a one-on-one interview. The findings revealed the participants' rather negative perceptions toward an online teaching and learning platform. Most participants were strongly dissatisfied with the online platform and vociferously criticized it. Descriptive data indicated the reasons for such dissatisfaction. They were, for example, lack of interaction between teachers and learners, lack of administrative support (lack of equipment and insufficient financial resources), limitation to teachers' own creativity, unchallenging, and learning inefficiency.

This mixed-method study had two aims. One was to explore Thai university EFL teachers' perceptions toward online education during the COVID-19 pandemic.  The other was to exemplify the influential relationships between teachers' perceptions and their instructional practices. To do so, the researcher recruited 26 EFL teachers from four research universities in the Greater Bangkok Area. All completed and returned a questionnaire; 14 agreed to be interviewed; and 11 consented to classroom observations. Findings were discussed in twofold. Numerical data demonstrated teacher participants' neutral feelings toward online education. Descriptive data listed several factors influencing these teachers' capabilities with online education. They were, for example, prior experiences with online education, computer literacy, personal comfort, and digital readiness, to name only a few. The qualitative study also revealed that the online platforms and students were the main factors that influenced changes in teachers' practices. Overall, findings of this current study revealed factors contributing to EFL teachers' readiness for the sudden shift to online education during the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand. The mandatory sudden shift to online education left teachers without a choice. As a result, they tended to perceive more difficulties, particularly those who have limited experience. However, over time they found certain strategies along with the help to resolve the difficulties. This study also amplified teachers’ voices in calling for the betterment of future online teaching and learning through five strategies.  The results of this study reveal often overlooked difficulties and factors  contributing to teachers favor toward online education, particularly during the Covid19 pandemic. This study provides the documentation needed for future researchers, policymakers, teachers, and other stakeholders to better understand and foresee the needs for online education in the future. More importantly, this study raises three major concerns for the future use of online education. They are: (1) digital pedagogy, (2) digital divide, and (3) digital oppression.  These concerns need to be systematically attended to in order to assure a better and a more successful use of online education.

This research is aimed at identifying the propaganda techniques of the warfare utterances used among the characters in Glee Season 4 TV Series and describing the response of the hearer to the warfare utterances that are shown in the TV Series. The findings of this research were presented in narrative or textual description because the research employed a descriptive qualitative approach. The data of this research were taken from Glee Season 4 TV series which aired on Fox channel in the United States of America from 13 September 2012 to 9 May 2013 consisting of 22 episodes. The data were propaganda or warfare utterances found in the form of words, phrases, clauses and sentences in the context of dialogue of the characters in Glee Season 4 TV series. In order to establish the reliability of the data and to enhance the trustworthiness, triangulation techniques were applied in this research. The results of this research are as follows. (1) Six out of seven propaganda techniques are employed by the characters in Glee Season 4 TV series. They are name-calling, glittering generality, transfer, plain folks, card-stacking and bandwagon. Testimonial employed by none of the characters because there is nothing or no one that is promoted. The most frequently used technique is namecalling  because of the easiness of finding the ideas to compare the hearer’s appearance to something worse. Furthermore, when the characters employ warfare utterances, they use particular themes in each technique in order to achieve their goal. (2) In Glee Season 4 TV series, the characters employed either face saving act or face threatening act to respond to the warfare utterances. The responses given to the warfare utterances found can be divided into three types. They are verbal response, non-verbal response, and no-response. All three types of response are found in both face saving act and face threatening act. Face saving act is more desired than face threatening act. This happens because the characters want to shape public opinion and be recognized as kind, obedient, and avoid causing further problem.