This paper discusses the rationale that underpins the design of the: student needs survey, lesson plan template and an introductory lesson plan attached in Annex 1 of this paper. These pedagogical materials assist me when I work as an English language tutor, teaching native speakers of the Tai family of languages, such as “Thai”, “Lao”, “Isan” and “Lue” dialects (Enfield, 2008, pp. 439 & 441). This research paper fills a gap in the pedagogical literature. No contemporary study examines the unique problems that native speakers of the Tai languages face when they study at post-secondary level in courses that use English as the sole or main language of instruction. This paper comprises part of the ‘pedagogical leaderships’ series. In this series, I argue that scholars of critical pedagogy should aim to offer customised examples and practical teaching resources to supplement their peer-reviewed academic publications in order to avoid the ambiguity that is often inherent in abstract discussion.

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www.thefreeschool.education
Tel. + 61 2 888 00 300
Teaching English as a Foreign Language to native speakers of Tai languages
Jay Jericho D.Soc.Sc Syd
jay@thefreeschool.education
Introduction
This paper discusses the rationale that underpins the design of the: student needs survey,
lesson plan template and an introductory lesson plan attached in Annex 1 of this paper. These
pedagogical materials assist me when I work as an English language tutor, teaching native
speakers of the Tai family of languages, such as “Thai”, “Lao”, “Isan” and “Lue” dialects
(Enfield, 2008, pp. 439 & 441). This research paper fills a gap in the pedagogical literature.
No contemporary study examines the unique problems that native speakers of the Tai
languages face when they study at post-secondary level in courses that use English as the sole
or main language of instruction. This paper comprises part of the ‘pedagogical leaderships’
series. In this series, I argue that scholars of critical pedagogy should aim to offer customised
examples and practical teaching resources to supplement their peer-reviewed academic
publications in order to avoid the ambiguity that is often inherent in abstract discussion.

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Context
Since 2007, I have tutored many speakers of Tai languages at post-secondary level. I have
noticed that a disproportionate number of Thai and Laos nationals struggle to succeed when
they study programs where the English language is used to deliver the course material.
Scholarly research that focuses on Australia’s university sector independently supports my
anecdotal observations (e.g. Hawthorn, 2010, p. 17). In contrast to other Asian countries such
as Malaysia, only a minute percentage of native citizens of The Kingdom of Thailand
(Thailand) and Laos People’s Democratic Republic (Laos) speak English beyond the basic
functional level. Traditionally, resistance to learning the global lingua franca is endemic in
the social and cultural structures of Thailand and Laos. This rejection is gradually eroding as
the world becomes more globalised (Achren, 2007, pp. 2–3 & 47; Phothongsungsan &
Suwanarak, 2008, p. 17).
Linguistics
The majority of native speakers of Tai languages converse in English with a distinctive
accent. Most struggle to pronounce English words correctly as some sounds in the English
language do not exist in Tai languages. For example, the sound ‘sh’ (as in ‘English’) does not
exist in the Thai language. The closest sound to ‘sh’ in Thai is ‘ch’. This explains why many
Thai speakers pronounce ‘English’ as ‘Englich’ (Bradley, 2010, p. 101).

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No recent in-depth studies quantitatively compare Tai and English morphology and
phonology. The most recent study to accomplish this is dated 1984 (i.e. Bradley & Bradley,
1984, cited in Bradley, 2010, p. 101). This absence in the literature is somewhat problematic
as the Governments of Thailand and Laos continues to devise policies that enforce Standard
Thai and Standard Lao as their respective national language. The standardisation of Lao and
Thai languages has evolved and grown rapidly over the past three decades in all social
contexts in Laos and Thailand (e.g. Buripakdi, 2008, p. 205; Lew, 2014).
Socio-linguistics
For the English language tutor to succeed working with native Tai speakers, it is useful for
them to understand the socio-linguistic history of the Laos-Thai region. Most speakers of Tai
languages are proud of the fact that few natives of their homeland speak English and that
English language symbols have comparatively low visibility in this Asian region (Hart-
Rawung & Li, 2008). Many Thai and Laos natives believe that countries such as Singapore
have significantly higher numbers of English speakers because these countries were unable to
repel imperial invaders, whereas Thailand and Laos do not share this colonial past (e.g.
Buripakdi, 2008, pp. 99, 108 & 130). Speakers of Tai languages are therefore more likely
than are other Asian students to resist Western-centric teaching models in their country and
abroad (Raktham, 2012, pp. 82–85).

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Some Thai students purposely speak a vernacular of English known as ‘Thai English’. This is
an imperfect form of English as it creates new words and violates grammatical rules of
Standard English (Bradley, 2010, p. 101). The use of this language is often a conscious
rejection of European colonialism and is akin to speakers of Tai languages choosing to speak
English on their own terms (Buripakdi, 2008, pp. 135 & 163). This mindset is problematic if
these students refuse to use Standard English during an international English language exam
such as the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Using neutral language,
I explain to my students that they must speak Standard English in order to improve their
IELTS score.
Many native speakers of Tai languages struggle to master English language skills partially
because of low levels of exposure to this language in the school system and their social
environment. Furthermore, many students dislike speaking English as they associate it with
cultural imperialism and this rejection may be subconscious (Buripakdi, 2008, pp. 14–43). On
the other hand, many students who are speakers of Tai languages consciously aim to develop
their English language skills. These scholars believe that the possession of advanced English
language skills is an essential criterion to gaining the image of a cosmopolitan citizen.
Realising this ‘elevated’ status in the global arena may aid them to secure professional work
offshore in wealthier nations, especially in those countries where English is an official
language or the official language (Buripakdi, 2008, pp. 95–108).

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Aesthetics
The design of my survey and lesson plan template contains subtle Thai/Lao images and
greetings. The intention of these additions aims to relax the student and make them feel like
they are working with a person who regards their language and culture as important and
interesting. Embedding Thai/Lao images and text into these documents also serves to remind
me that I should aim to customise my lesson plans to meet the peculiar needs of this linguistic
group. This pedagogical approach draws on the notion of the ‘negotiated curriculum’. Student
outcomes are invariably maximised when the components of a teaching regime, such as the
design of the lesson plans, match the unique linguistic needs and objectives of the individual
or an ethnic group (Buripakdi, 2008, p. 61).
The design of the teaching materials shown in Annex 1 also aims to remind me that the
peculiar linguistic skills and socio-linguistic factors that confront me in this context do not
apply to all Asian students. For example, in contrast to most Tai languages that use a Sino-
Tibetan script, Asian national languages such as Vietnamese, Bahasa and Malay use a Latin
based alphabet. In contrast to speakers of Tai languages, many other Asian students are
familiar with pronouncing and writing most letters of the English alphabet. This explains why
these students tend to learn the phonetic and syntax structures that underpin the English
language faster than speakers of Tai languages (Wei, 2005, pp. 3, 5, 14 & 18).

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Pedagogical structure
The design of the lesson plan template draws on best practices for working as a tutor in a one-
on-one encounter with a speaker of a Tai language. I aim to use the self-paced blended
learning approach, customised to suit each student’s personal objectives, abilities and
background (Buraphadeja & Kumnuanta, 2011). Prior to the first lesson, I survey each
student to determine these factors (see Annex 1). I customise all lessons based on a
combination of factors. These include the student’s most recent IELTS test scores and the
objectives that they wish to obtain from each lesson.
All students may complete the introductory survey and lesson plans within Excel. Students
may update only the cells highlighted yellow. The lock cell feature protects all other cells in
the Excel workbook. Students normally opt to update the workbook if I am tutoring them via
Skype. This notably includes those who live in their homeland or in another location away
from Sydney, Australia.
In many cases, Tai speaking students are reluctant to engage proactively and offer a
suggested lesson plan. This is because of the belief in kreng jai that is dominant among ethnic
Thais as well as Laos speaking persons who live in Thailand’s northeastern region, Isan.
Kreng jai refers to the reluctance of people from these ethnic groups to impose themselves on
others (Raktham, 2012, p. 89). The importance of kreng jai in Thai and Laos cultures

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explains why I never ask a native speaker of a Tai language two or more times to prepare a
lesson plan. I always complete my own customised plan as a backup option.
Conclusion
Native speakers of Tai languages are among the most difficult Asian students to teach
English as a second or foreign language. More of these pupils thrive as English language
learners when their tutor has a good knowledge of the socio-political history and lingual
customs of Thailand and Laos and uses this knowledge to adapt their teaching style and
content to accommodate these scholars’ unique needs and aspirations.

8. 8
References
Achren, L. (2007), Whose development? A cultural analysis of an Ausaid English Language
Project in the Lao Democratic People’s Republic (Unpublished Doctor of Philosophy
Thesis), Melbourne, Australia: Victoria University.
Bradley, D. & Bradley, M. (1984), Problems of Asian students in Australia: Language,
culture and education, Canberra, Australia: Australian Government Publishing
Service.
Bradley, D. (2010), Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, in Ball, M. (Ed), The
Routledge handbook of sociolinguistics around the world (pp. 98–107), New York,
USA: Routledge.
Buraphadeja, V. and Rajabhat, C. (2011), Enhancing the sense of community and learning
experience using self-paced instruction and peer tutoring in a computer-laboratory
course, Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 8, 1, 338–1, 355.
Buripakdi, A. (2008), Thai English as discourse of exclusion and resistance: Perspectives of
Thai professional writers on the notion of Thai English (Unpublished Doctor of
Philosophy Thesis), Pennsylvania, USA: University of Indiana at Pennsylvania.
Enfield, N. J. (2008), Lao linguistics in the 20th
century and since, In Goudineau, Y. &
Lorrillard, M. (Eds), Recherches nouvelles sur le Laos (pp. 435-452), Paris, France:
Ecole Française d'Extrême-Orient.
Hartrawung, P. & Li, L. (2008), Globalisation and business communication, English
communication skills for Thai engineers, World Academy of Science: Engineering
and Technology, 48, 320–330.
Hawthorn, L. (2010), How valuable is two step migration? Labour market outcomes for
international student migrations to Australia, Asian and Pacific Migration Journal,
19(1), 5–36.
Lew, S. (2014), A linguistics analysis of the Laos writing system and its suitability for
minority orthographies, Writing Systems Research, 6(4), 25–40.

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Mee-Udon, F. (2009), The contribution of universal health Insurance coverage scheme to
villagers’ wellbeing in Northeast Thailand, Unpublished Doctoral dissertation, Bath,
England: University of Bath.
Phothongsungsan, S. & Suwanarak, K. (2008), Native and non-native dichotomy: Distinctive
stances of Thai teachers of English, ABAC Journal, 28(2), 10–30.
Raktham, C. (2012), How Thai national culture can be used to explain students’ behaviour, in
Muller, T. et al. (Eds), Innovating EFL teaching in Asia (pp. 82–94), London,
England: Palgrave Macmillan.
Wei, Y. (2005), The relationship between phonological awareness and reading ability of
Thai students in English and Thai in primary schools of Thailand, Unpublished
Doctor of Philosophy Thesis, Maryland, USA: University of Maryland at College
Park.
Citation
Jericho, J. (2015), Teaching English as a Foreign Language to native speakers of Tai
languages, The Free School Occasional Paper Series, Number 2: May 2015, Sydney,
Australia.
Annex 1 commences on p. 10, overleaf

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