This document summarizes a seminar for instructors on internationalizing communication studies curriculum in Thailand. It discusses teaching communication classes in English and some strategies for effective instruction. Some key points include: focusing on content over English proficiency; the importance of accent and avoiding Thai in English classes; and comparing communication education in countries like the US, UK, Australia and Singapore. Challenges of teaching in Thailand like cultural differences in classroom norms are also addressed. Suggestions are provided for leading discussions, handling questions, and using social media in instruction.

1. Seminar for Instructors
Faculty of Mass Communication, Chiangmai University
23 July 2015
Internationalizing Communication
Studies Curriculum in Thailand:
Teaching Communication Studies
Classes in English
Suwichit Chaidaroon, Ph.D.
University of Westminster, London
(Facebook, LinkedIn, Slideshare)

2. ● Instructors who are assigned to teach classes in
English should speak English perfectly with no
mistakes.
● Good accent of the instructors is very important
when teaching classes in English.
● Everyone, including the instructors, should not speak
Thai at all in class when the subject is supposed to
be taught in English.
● Instructors should focus more on content, not the
English language of students, in Communication
classes which are taught in English.
● Native speakers can teach Communication classes
in English better than the non-native instructors.
Strongly Agree (5) ….. Strongly Disagree (1)

3. Journals
◦ Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies
◦ Communication Education
◦ Communication Monographs
◦ Communication Teacher
◦ Critical Studies in Media and Communication
◦ Journal of International and Intercultural Communication
◦ Journal of Applied Communication Research
◦ Quarterly Journal of Speech
◦ The Review of Communication
◦ Text and Performance Quarterly
National Communication
Association (www.natcom.org)

4. Journals
◦ Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly
◦ Journalism & Mass Communication Educator
◦ Journalism & Communication Monographs
Annual Conference
◦ Held in early to mid August
◦ Call for papers due around early April.
Association for Education in Journalism
and Mass Communication (www.aejmc.
com)

5. International Communication Association
(ICA)
www.icahdq.org

6. Journals
Media International
Australia
Australian Journal of
Communication
Annual conference
Held in early July
Call for papers due
around February
Also consider New
Zealand Communication
Association (www.nzca.
org)
Australia & New Zealand Communication
Association (ANZCA) (www.anzca.net)

7. Journals
◦ Global media and communication
◦ International communication gazette
◦ New media and society
Annual Conference
◦ Held in late July
International Association for Media and
Communication Research (iamcr.org)

8. Journals
◦ Asian Journal of Communication
◦ Media Asia
Annual Conference
◦ Held in mid-July
Asian Media Information and
Communication Centre (www.amic.org.sg)

9. Comparison of Communication Education
in US, UK, Australia, & Singapore
USA UK & Australia Singapore
Roots ● English & Rhetoric
● Psychology
● Sociology
● Political Economy
● Cultural Studies
● Linguistics
● Political Sciences
● Psychology
● Political Economy
● Dependent on key faculty
members at certain point
Advant
ages
● Flexibility
● Encourage critical thinking
through discussion based
education (small classes)
● Strong training on
empirical skills
● Clear focus among
research vs. teaching
institutions (liberal arts)
● Strong emphasis on critical
perspectives
● Strong emphasis on
political comm & cultural
studies of mass media
● Strong ties to industry
● Strong training on
empirical skills
● Extensive research outputs
from students
● Strong support from
communities & local
organizations
Disadv
antage
s
● Too ambiguous
● Separation between
journalism/mass comm vs.
comm studies
● Dependent on location &
facilities
● Needs more quantitative
skills
● Separation between
coursework and research
programs
● PR, Ad, IMC seems to be
more relevant to Business
Schools
● Needs to be more relevant
to industry’s needs
● Less emphasis on practical
and creative skills

10. ● List the benefits of having
Communication classes
taught in English.
● List the concerns/worries
you have when teaching
Communication classes in
English.

11. From http://sea-globe.com/effortaseanqualityeducation/

12. Lecturing

13. •Identify characteristics of a good
lecturer from the clip then
compare with your own list.
•Discuss if the list you have are
applicable in the Thai context.
Watch “The Mirror Has Two
Faces”

14. ● Prospective Teachers
● In-service Teachers
● Experienced Teachers
Staton-spicer, A.Q., & Bassett, R. E. (1979). Communication concerns of preservice and inservice elementary school
teachers. Human Communication Research, 5, 138-146.
Communication Concerns of Instructors

15. •Thought groups
•Prominence
•Pitch change
Discourse Intonation
(Gorsuch et. al., 2013)

16. •Make it relevant
•Introduction- Body- Conclusion
•Clear structure & organizational
cues
Structuring the Lecture

17. Giving overview Emphasizing
main points
Giving an
example
Making a
transition
between ideas
Closing
“This morning
we’re going to
look at …”
“Today’s lecture
will focus on …”
“In this lab, I plan
to cover …”
“Today, I’d like
to talk about …”
“The main thing
is ….”
“Let me say again
that …”
“This is
important
because …”
“The key point is
…”
“Take, for
example, …”
“Let me give you
an example to
show …”
“An example of
this is …”
“For instance,
…”
“Al right, let’s go
on to another
aspect of …”
“Now, let’s take a
look at …”
“OK. Just a
general
conclusion, then
…”
“First, … Second,
… Third,…”
“OK. Let’s move
on to the next
part of …”
“Next, …”
“In conclusion,
…”
“To summarize,
let me say that
…”
“Let me end by
saying …”
“Finally, …”
Organizational cues for lectures
(Smith et. al., 2007)

18. 1. Practical example- give an example from the students’
experience
2. Personal example- give an example from your own
experience
3. Analogy- make an analogy to some other concept that
students know
4. Comparison or contrast- compare the term with a
similar term or contrast it with an opposing term
5. Word origin- tell about the origin of the term
6. Visual means- provide a visual illustration or model of
the term: a picture, drawing, diagram, or chart.
Language and communication skills-
Explaining terms (Smith et. al.,2007)

19. • Think of the ways you used the
above strategies to explain
“communication” terms to your
students.
• Now select a term and prepare a
short explanation using one of
the above strategies to explain to
your classmates.
Your turn!

20. 1. Make some kind of verbal and nonverbal response to the question within
three seconds to acknowledge the question.
2. Repeat or rephrase the question in order to
1. Verify that you have understood the question correctly
2. Make sure all the students have heard the question
3. Change the question, if necessary, into one that is more appropriate for
the class
4. Give yourself more time to think about the answer
3. Answer.
1. Clearly so that the students will understand
2. Concisely in order not to waste time
4. Check with the students who originally asked the question to see if you
answered in a satisfactory way.
Methods of handling questions
(Smith et. al., 2007)

21. 1. Give one-sentence answer to the question
2. Supply an example or several facts related to the
question. Stay on the topic and avoid other
answers that were not asked.
3. Check with the student to be sure you have
answered the question.
4. If students still do not understand, repeat
information in a slightly different way.
5. If students still do not understand again, invite the
individual students to speak to you in person.
Clarity of response to questions
(Smith et. al., 2007)

22. Challenging Situations When Teaching
International Programs in the Thai Context

25. Plagiarism
Rhetorical patterns in writing
Sharing work (= helping a friend or cheating?)
Disagreeing with a professor or author
Speaking up in class
“Interrupting” a professor in her/his office
Different Cultural Perspectives
on…

26. Active learning
Cooperative learning
Inductive teaching and learning
Student-Centered Pedagogy

27. Pay attention to students-teacher interactions
What makes this class interactive?
Can this happen in Thai classrooms?
Can this happen in a class taught in English?
Discussion-based classroom

28. Leading Discussion
• Introduce rationale & background of the topic
• Set up ground rules
• Start asking questions most likely from lower to
higher levels in Bloom’s taxonomy
• Listen attentively, paraphrase, and summarize
occasionally
• Redirect the discussion as you see appropriate
• Provide opportunities for everyone to
participate & encourage shy participant to speak
up
• Wrap up and highlight key learning points

35. Flipped Classroom

36. ● Sharing information
● Generating discussion
● Platform for students’ work presentations
● Promoting faculty and students’ work
Social Media in Instruction

37. Gorsuch, G., Meyers, C. M., Pickering, L., Griffee, D. T. (2013). English
communication for international teaching assistants (2nd ed.). Long
Grove, IL: Waveland.
Ross, C., & Dunphy, J. (Eds.) (2007). Strategies for teaching assistant
and international teaching assistant development: Beyond micro
teaching. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Smith, J. A., Meyers, C. M., & Burkhalter, A. J. (2007). Communicate:
Strategies for international teaching assistants. Long Grove, IL:
Waveland Press.
References