The Use of English in an English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) Context : A Case Study of ASEAN International Students at a Thai University

Abstract

The number of study abroad programs is growing within the ASEAN community and English is serving as a lingua franca within these programs. However, there have been few studies examining how students are navigating these new English environments. This study aimed to do that by exploring the role of English in the lives of ASEAN international students at a Thai university. Fifty-five graduate students from six ASEAN member nations at Prince of Songkla University-Hat Yai participated in this study, which employed a lengthy questionnaire to determine how often English was used and for what purposes, as well as participants' perceptions of their English proficiency and their attitudes toward the use of English in Thailand. Then twelve of the 55 participants participated in focus groups designed to investigate participants' perspectives on the challenges of using English during their studies in Thailand. Frequency, means, percentages, standard deviation and t-tests were calculated in the quantitative analysis while thematic analysis was conducted on the qualitative data. Findings from the quantitative analysis showed that English played a critical and extensive role in both students' academic and social lives in Thailand which, in turn, had a significant impact on students' views and perceptions of their competency and confidence in using English. The qualitative data revealed that participants' reliance on English as the central means of communications played a role in limiting their access to knowledge and resources. Participants reported that they often faced language barriers with Thai classmates, advisors and lecturers. Information on websites and signage was sometimes limited to Thai, making it inaccessible to the participants. Additionally, the participants reported encountering problems writing papers and theses as a result of not having adequate knowledge of academic English writing. These findings provide useful insights for students who are considering participating in an ASEAN-based study abroad program and those interested in how English as a lingua franca functions within one of these programs.