Cultural Adjustment and Readjustment
Second/Foreign Language Learning
Acculturation is the term referring to the process of acquiring a second/foreign language and culture. One cannot learn the language without learning the culture of that language. In Thailand, some students start taking their English courses in elementary school or earlier, while many other students start later. When those students are in their high school years, many of them choose to learn one or two more languages, namely , French, German or Japanese. However , the progress in their foreign language is not satisfactory. For example, the majority of Thai students who on the average have about 10-12 years of English learning in school, cannot successfully correspond in English. However, spending time and money at the language schools does not guarantee that students will get what they want. To discuss the problems of effective language learning and teaching in Thailand, one needs to understand the most important nature of a second/foreign language learning the language learning environment.
According to Douglas Brown (1980), the environment for language learning is one of the most influential factor that facilitates effective second/foreign language teaching and leaching and learning.
First and foremost, there is no doubt that the students who are sent to live in a foreign country the target county at a very early age will acquire both the language and culture of the target country as naturally as any native person will do. Let’s, then, pay attention to other types of student : student who go to study in the target country, students who go to the country where the target language is a first or an official language and students who study in their homeland.