Chapter 12. The effect of policy on English language teaching at secondary schools in Thailand

Pornapit Darasawang | King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Thailand

Richard Watson Todd | King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Thailand

In Thailand, education is the main area in which language policy is enacted, and this chapter investigates foreign language policy and practice, especially concerning English, in an attempt to shed light on language policy. We identify seven sources of English language education policy, namely, the National Education Act, national education standards, Ministry of Education recommended textbooks, isolated Ministry of Education initiatives, demand-driven changes in the types of schools, test washback, and decentralised decision making. We show that these sources present conflicting versions of language policy. To examine how the policies are implemented in practice, we interviewed principals and teachers at four representative government secondary schools. The findings show awareness of the various policies but a great diversity in how they are implemented.

Published online: 24 January 2012
https://doi.org/10.1075/veaw.g42.17dar

Cited by

Cited by 5 other publications

Darasawang, Pornapit, Hayo Reinders & Alan Waters

2015. In Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, ► pp. 1 ff.

Kaur, Amrita, David Young & Robert Kirkpatrick

2016. In English Language Education Policy in Asia [Language Policy, 11], ► pp. 345 ff.

Loo, Daron Benjamin, Wannapa Trakulkasemsuk & Pattamawan Jimarkon Zilli

2019. Examining power through social relations in teachers’ discourse about intercultural education. Intercultural Education 30:4 ► pp. 398 ff.

Pechapan‐Hammond, Sawitri

2020. In The Handbook of Asian Englishes, ► pp. 629 ff.

Todd, Richard Watson

2015. In Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, ► pp. 15 ff.

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