Sutraphorn Tantiniranat (Khwan) The Manchester Institute of

Education,The University of Manchester

Mapping the Intercultural (Communicative) Competence

Territory: Analyzing Educational Policy

Documents within an ASEAN Economic

Community Context (Thailand)Kaleidoscope Graduate Student Research Conference

University of Cambridge, UKMay 30th, 2014 (Theme: Opening up the ivory tower)

Outline

•Background and purposes•Methodology•Findings •Implications•How my study might have a potential to open up the ivory tower Nelson's tower, Calton Hill,

Edinburgh

Thailand and the ‘single ASEAN’ economic

community

English as the regional and global lingua franca

for intercultural communication

The working language of ASEAN shall be English.

(ARTICLE 34, ASEAN CHARTER)

Part I: The context and purposes

2.1 Research questions

1) To what extent do the chosen policy documents respond to or comment on the intercultural age?

2) What skills or attributes do these policy documents focus on with regard to Thai graduates functioning in this intercultural age?

Part II: Methodology

(Concerns for Intercultural Communication)

(Intercultural (Communicative) Competence)

2.2 The selected documents

• consider the impacts of the establishment of

ASEAN Economic Community (AEC)

• 1 ASEAN policy document

• 2 Thai policy documents written by the Office of

Higher Education Commission of Thailand (OHEC)

Part II: Methodology (Cont.)

Name of the policy Published Aim/focus Version1) Cha-Am Hua Hin Declaration on Strengthening Cooperation on Education to achieve an ASEAN Caring and Sharing Community

Adopted at 15th ASEAN Summit 2009 by the ASEAN leaders

To develop human resources through closer cooperation in education and life-long learning, and in science and technology, for the empowerment of the peoples of ASEAN and for the strengthening of the ASEAN Community.

- English+ Thai translation

2) The Executive report,Framework of the Second 15-year Long Range Plan on Higher Education of Thailand B.E. 2551 – 2565 (2008-2022)

Published in October 2008 by Thai OHEC

Quality of Thai Higher Education which leads to the quality to the graduates.

- Thai - English

3) The Strategies of Thai Higher Education for the Preparation for the ASEAN Community in 2015

Published in 2010 by Thai OHEC

The preparations for the establishment of the AEC in 2015 and in response to the 15-year long range plan on Higher Education of Thailand (2008-2022)

- Thai + English summary

Part II: Methodology (Cont.)

2.3 Data Analysis

Open coding categories themes concept maps (using MAXQDA) interpretations

Part III: Key findings

Finding 1: The extent to which the chosen policy documents respond to or comment on the

intercultural age

วิ�สั�ยทั�ศน์: บั�ณฑิ�ตไทัยมี�ควิามีสัามีารถใน์ระดั�บัสัากล และมี�ควิามีร�บัผิ�ดัชอบัใน์ฐาน์ะสัมีาช�กประชาคมีอาเซี�ยน์และประชาคมีโลก [Vision: Thai graduates have international quality, are responsible as members of the ASEAN and world community.](Code: “beyond ASEAN” from The Strategies of Thai HE for the Preparation for the ASEAN Community in 2015 )

Examples of coded segments

Universities should reflect multifaceted and multicultural nature of a society. (Code: “multiculturalism” from the Framework of the Second 15-year Long Range Plan)

RECOGNIZING the importance of education sector in contributing to the establishment of an ASEAN Community that is people-centred and socially responsible with a view to achieving enduring solidarity and unity among the nations and peoples of ASEAN by forging a common identity and building a caring and sharing society which is inclusive and where the well-being, livelihood, and welfare of the peoples are enhanced;(Code: “people-to-people interaction” from Chaam-Huahin Declaration)

Part III: Key findings (Cont.)

Finding 2: Skills /attributes regarding to Thai graduates

functioning in this intercultural age

Part IV: Implications for Thai TESOL and practitioners

Emerging concerns for the intercultural age in the top-

level discourse

Challenges of integrating the intercultural aspects

into curricula

Possibility to teach ‘intercultural competence’ through English language

teaching in Thailand

Quote

Adding more views to ‘the ivory tower’

Problematizing ‘the ivory tower’

Part V: Conclusion

Offering some

implications for Thai

TESOL and

Practitioners

Hope you enjoy the view from the top!

ขอบคุ�ณคุ�ะ

Thank you

Special thanks to my main supervisor: Dr Richard Fay

Example quote:Challenges of integrating the intercultural aspects into curricula “Hence, the strategy strongly encourages higher education

institutions to produce the graduates of international quality who equipped with professional skills, language skill and inter-cultural skill. To fulfill this ambition, the strategy calls for a reform of languages education, an additional student mobility programme, which emphasises on the credit transfer, and a cultural exchange programme”.(From the strategies of Thai HE for the Preparation for the ASEAN Community in 2015 )