Journal of English Language and Linguistics

The English varieties in Thai higher education: Views of international university students across Kachru’s circles

Musa Sanoh, Eric A. Ambele — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0700

This qualitative study aimed to investigate the perceptions and adaptation strategies of international university students from Kachru’s Inner, Outer, and Expanding Circles regarding English varieties in Thai higher education. For data collection, the study used semi-structured interviews with six students chosen through purposive sampling: one from the Inner Circle, two from the Outer Circle, and three from the Expanding Circle. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the data. The research aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding of how these students experience and engage with English varieties within their English programs. The context of globalization and internationalization highlights the growing prevalence of English programs in Thai universities, making it essential to explore how diverse linguistic backgrounds impact students’ learning experiences. The findings reveal that students encounter distinct challenges based on the English varieties, affecting the participants’ academic adaptation and overall engagement. The study underscores the importance of acknowledging and incorporating multiple English varieties into educational practices to support international students better. This research contributes to the broader discourse on Global Englishes (GE) by analyzing qualitative data from interviews, emphasizing the need for inclusive and adaptable pedagogical approaches.

Genre analysis of hybrid texts: Language used in online course introduction of international universities

Sirikarn Thongmak — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0700

This study thus aimed to examine a spoken discourse genre of new hybrid texts in the online course previews extracted from an online learning website. The corpora consisted of 12,735 words compiled through 30 pieces of the top five online course previews within the three sub-categories including Business, Academics, and How-to of Coursera websites. The results showed that there were marked features of the discourse as hybrid text which displayed the combination of promotional and academic properties. The unique rhetorical organization in terms of employing the obligatory move structures: detailing the course, establishing credentials, and indicating the benefit of learners was extensively found. Besides this, the grammatical feature of if- conditional forms and the lexical bundle “be going to”, were discovered to purposively support the rhetorical organization to create the persuasive effect on the target audience to enroll the full courses. Implications of the present study in relation to the genre analysis of the new hybrid text were also discussed.

The relationship between intrinsic motivation, self-efficacy, self-regulated learning, and English learning achievement in Chinese high school students

Zhiyao Chen, Apisak Sukying — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0700

This study investigated the relationships between intrinsic motivation, self-efficacy, self-regulated learning, and English learning achievement among Chinese high school students. A total of 237 10^th-grade students in China participated, responding to a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire. Using descriptive and referential statistical analyses, the study found that self-efficacy had a strong correlation with SRL strategies, particularly goal setting and planning. Intrinsic motivation also showed positive, though slightly weaker, correlations with these SRL strategies. Both intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy were closely linked to English language achievement, with self-efficacy demonstrating a stronger relationship. Additionally, SRL strategies such as goal setting, monitoring, and effort regulation were significantly associated with better English learning outcomes, emphasizing their crucial role in academic success. The findings suggest that enhancing intrinsic motivation, self-efficacy, and SRL strategies can substantially improve English language learning. The study recommends educational strategies that focus on these key factors to boost students’ performance and offers suggestions for future research and educational practices.

A study of translation strategies used in the translation of Walt Disney songs into Thai

Thanaporn Leelasoorayakan, Pennapa Riabroi, Jiraporn Dhanarattigannon — Thu, 28 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0700

Song translation poses a unique challenge for translators, requiring them to balance linguistic elements, cultural nuances, and musicality. This study aims to analyze the number of syllables and words of the English Walt Disney songs and their Thai translations and to examine the strategies used in the translation of Walt Disney songs into Thai. Nine Oscar-winning songs from Walt Disney’s animated films were analyzed, revealing that the Thai versions tend to have fewer syllables and words than the originals. In addition, of the seven translation strategies proposed by Lefevere (1975), six were identified in the translations, namely literal translation, metrical translation, verse to prose translation, rhymed translation, blank/free verse translation, and interpretation. Interestingly, interpretation emerged as the most frequently employed strategy, showcasing the creativity required in adapting songs to new linguistic and cultural contexts. This study may serve as a valuable reference for translators and contribute to further research in the field of translation studies.