The Multi-Cultural and Language Studies: Fundamental Data in The Thai Language Learning and Teaching as a Foreign Language, and The Knowledge of which Direction of Thinking and the Case Study of Thai-Korean Culture, Pusan University of Foreign Studies

Boorawd Chotivachira
(Faculty of Education, Chiang Mai University, Thailand)

Abstract: The first objective of the research on multi-cultural and language studies: Fundamental data in the Thai language learning and teaching as a foreign language, and the knowledge of which direction of thinking and the case study of Thai-Korean culture, Pusan University of Foreign Studies, was to study how people were thinking about Thai and Korean culture between the Korean students whose major subject was the Thai language at the Pusan University of Foreign Studies and the Thai exchange students who were majoring the Korean language. The sampling group consisted of 25 sophomore Korean students who majored in the Thai language and 10 Thai students whose major subject was the Korean language of the first semester and the second semester, academic year 1979. The method of Specific Type was applied. The following tools applied in the research were the experiment to measure the success in perceiving the Thai culture and Thailand, the questionnaire to test the knowledge and the path of perception in Thai and Korean cultures of the Korean students whose major subject was the Thai language, and the survey of the understanding pertaining to Korean culture and Korea of the Thai students who majored in the Korean language, and the interviewing report resulted from interviewing the Thai students who majored in the Korean language. The researcher utilized the obtained data in the analyzing process by using the descriptive statistics method, and presented in the way of the descriptive narration. The researcher had found that: (1) The initial data of learning-teaching the Thai language as a foreign language — case study: Thai department, Pusan University of Foreign Studies disclosed the significant information or key factors in learning-teaching the Thai language as a foreign language. They are personal data of students, curriculum, instruction management, project and activities, and existing problems/obstacles in general in learning the Thai language at the Pusan University of Foreign Studies, Thai department. These were included the points of view and suggestions of the instructors and students. (2) The knowledge and path of thinking of the Korean student who learned the Thai language as a foreign language at Pusan University of Foreign Studies, and the Thai exchange students who majored in Korean language as a foreign language disclosed interesting factors such as the level of Korean students’ understanding in the Thai language learning-teaching, integrated knowledge and how the Korean students thought about the Thai customs and traditions beside the result of surveying how well the Thai exchange students understood the Korean culture and Korea. These were also included various points of view and suggestions pertaining to the Korean language and the Thai language learning-teaching management and the path of thinking about Thai culture related with the Korean culture and traditions.

Key words: the multi-cultural; Thai language study; Thai language learning; Thai-Korean culture