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Decolonising the TESOL Curriculum in Thailand through Global Englishes: A Wake-Up Call

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Title: Decolonising the TESOL Curriculum in Thailand through Global Englishes: A Wake-Up Call
Language: English
Authors: Banchakarn Sameephet
Source: LEARN Journal: Language Education and Acquisition Research Network. 2025 18(2):594-632.
Availability: Language Institute of Thammasat University. The Prachan Campus, 2 Prachan Road, Bangkok 10200 Thailand. e-mail: learnjournal@gmail.com; Web site: https://www.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/learn
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 39
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Tests/Questionnaires
Descriptors: English (Second Language), Second Language Learning, Second Language Instruction, Language Variation, Power Structure, Core Curriculum, Native Speakers, Teaching Methods, Decolonization, Educational Change, Language Attitudes, Teacher Attitudes, Language Teachers, Grounded Theory, Cultural Awareness, Teacher Selection, Teacher Qualifications, Foreign Countries
Geographic Terms: Thailand
ISSN: 2630-0672
2672-9431
Abstract: In Thailand's schools, after almost 20 years of using the Basic Education Core Curriculum 2008, alarm bells are finally ringing. We know well that native speakerism ideologies are embedded in the curriculum, but we know little about their impact on TESOL practices. Native speakerism stems from colonial power structures, privileging White Western knowledge and culture over non-native perspectives. It perpetuates unjust discrimination and biased values by assuming that native speakers are inherently superior. My study employed the decolonial turn as its theoretical framework alongside Global Englishes (GE) as the conceptual framework to decolonise the Thai TESOL curriculum. I investigated the negative impact of native speakerism ideologies, examined teachers' need to emphasise GE, and identified barriers to integrating GE into the curriculum. I utilised a qualitative approach, drawing on texts, images, and oral accounts as data sources. The curriculum was analysed to examine language ideology and norm. Eight teachers were interviewed to gain insight into their experiences and perspectives as curriculum users. Images reflecting native speakerism were collected as empirical evidence of their practices to support the interview findings. The data was analysed using grounded theory. The findings confirmed that native-speakerism played a crucial role in language models and teaching culture in implementing the curriculum. Teachers expressed concerns about the resistance to varieties of Englishes in teaching practices and the exclusion of qualified non-native English-speaking teachers in hiring practices at their schools. Their colleagues' strong preference for American and British English, as well as the school authorities' firm favouritism towards White native English-speaking teachers, hindered the promotion of GE awareness in the curriculum. This paper is a call for Global Englishes in action to decolonise the TESOL curriculum to better reflect the realities of today's world.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1479901
Database: ERIC
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  Data: In Thailand's schools, after almost 20 years of using the Basic Education Core Curriculum 2008, alarm bells are finally ringing. We know well that native speakerism ideologies are embedded in the curriculum, but we know little about their impact on TESOL practices. Native speakerism stems from colonial power structures, privileging White Western knowledge and culture over non-native perspectives. It perpetuates unjust discrimination and biased values by assuming that native speakers are inherently superior. My study employed the decolonial turn as its theoretical framework alongside Global Englishes (GE) as the conceptual framework to decolonise the Thai TESOL curriculum. I investigated the negative impact of native speakerism ideologies, examined teachers' need to emphasise GE, and identified barriers to integrating GE into the curriculum. I utilised a qualitative approach, drawing on texts, images, and oral accounts as data sources. The curriculum was analysed to examine language ideology and norm. Eight teachers were interviewed to gain insight into their experiences and perspectives as curriculum users. Images reflecting native speakerism were collected as empirical evidence of their practices to support the interview findings. The data was analysed using grounded theory. The findings confirmed that native-speakerism played a crucial role in language models and teaching culture in implementing the curriculum. Teachers expressed concerns about the resistance to varieties of Englishes in teaching practices and the exclusion of qualified non-native English-speaking teachers in hiring practices at their schools. Their colleagues' strong preference for American and British English, as well as the school authorities' firm favouritism towards White native English-speaking teachers, hindered the promotion of GE awareness in the curriculum. This paper is a call for Global Englishes in action to decolonise the TESOL curriculum to better reflect the realities of today's world.
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      – SubjectFull: Second Language Instruction
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      – SubjectFull: Thailand
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      – TitleFull: Decolonising the TESOL Curriculum in Thailand through Global Englishes: A Wake-Up Call
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