LANGUAGE ATTITUDES AND IDENTITY CONSTRUCTION OF THAI SPEAKERS OF ENGLISH IN THE WORKFORCE

Abstract

As English has become a world language, many scholars have called for a shift of teaching paradigm from teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) to English as an international language (EIL). While such view seems to be practical when English is being increasingly used as a global language, it also calls for a study of people’s attitudes towards different English varieties since attitudes can play a role in identity construction, second language learning, and educational practices. This study aims to investigate (1) how Thai working adults perceive native varieties (British English and American English) and non-native varieties (Philippine English, Singaporean English, and Thai English) in terms of social status, social attractiveness, and linguistic quality, (2) which English varieties they aim for, (3) how they construct their identities through linguistic choices, and (4) how they position themselves and others in ELF encounters through the use of Verbal Guise Test (VGT) (80 participants) and semi-structured interviews (10 participants). The results showed that native varieties were still the dominant English accents that Thai speakers of English want to learn and use due to intelligibility, the ownership of English, and identity reasons. The results from the semi-structured interviews also indicated that most participants aimed for native varieties and had the ability to achieve the accent they aimed for. In addition, the study also reveals the potential effects of educational discourse on how Thai speakers of English positioned themselves and others in ELF encounters. The study suggests the significance of awareness raising about the diversity of English varieties to prepare them for the interactions in ELF contexts.