the world, often far removed in both distance and in beliefs and values, from the cultures of the
original English speaking countries (Baker, 2003). Though English has been introduced in Thai
classrooms for a very long time now, the language remains invisible in Thai communities. One
reason probably is the importance of English as a whole in Thai society. This is because Thai culture
promotes Thai language as part of its identity as a nation. In the classroom, the minimal periods of
time for English classes are highly evident, except in the expensive schools with English programs.
Another reason may be due to lack of English teachers or the lack of interest among students towards
English. With this situation in mind, the best way to learn the language is applying it often in daily life
situations. The bottom line is that it is not our accent that matters, it is how we convey our messages in
the conversation, so that the people who we are talking to will be able to understand what we mean.
English language teaching in Thailand has become more popular these days, as it aims towards
global competitiveness. Because of this aim, the demand for English teachers, especially foreign,
native speakers, has soared. As a result, the continuous infl ux of these foreigners has become
unabated.Consequently, while many Thai students learn the English language with foreign teachers, it
is undeniable that most of them have been facing cultural gaps apart from the language barrier, which
is one of the most visible issues in the classroom. This research, through a socio-cultural perspective,
has explored the effects of cultural differences between Thai students and foreign teachers in language
learning which primarily aims to promote a mutual cultural understanding, and to narrow the cultural
HRD JOURNAL Volume 2. Number 2. December 2011
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differences between Thai students and foreign teachers in language learning which primarily
aims to promote a mutual cultural understanding, and to narrow the cultural gaps among
them. To illustrate this multicultural use of English, this paper has explored the effects of the
cross-cultural issues on language learning in Thai classrooms.
The second language learning of English in Thailand, for example, has indeed
motivated me to conduct this field of study, as more and more foreign teachers nowadays are
engaged to teach English language in Thai classrooms. This is because foreign teachers in
fact include not only ‘farang teachers’ (or Westerners), but also Asian teachers. Indeed, I
personally have experienced teaching the language to Thai students for about five years along
with a number of both native and non-native English speaking teachers. Thai students have
obviously shown different attitudes and feelings toward the foreign teachers, especially
L a n g u a g e L e a r n i n g
Crosscultural