English Language Teaching in the Modern Globalized World: Thai L2 Learnersʼ Views on Global Englishes

Abstract

As a global language, English plays a dominant role in various fields such as international business, politics, diplomacy, and education. Even so, the ideology of native-speakerism remains prevalent in some ELT communities, especially in expanding circle countries where native-speakers are treated as role models. To respond to calls for change in the current ELT community, the present study explored Thai university studentsʼ attitudes toward Global Englishes (GE) and compared these attitudes across sociocultural factors (i.e., gender, years of study, and fields of study) in order to inform the design and development of general English courses that promote the GE paradigm. The study utilized a quantitative research approach through an online survey distributed to 1,399 students enrolled in general English courses at 10 universities located in Bangkok and its surrounding areas. The study yielded insights into Thai university students' perceptions regarding the varieties and ownership of English, revealing significant factors influencing these perceptions, particularly their fields of study, and highlighting directions for developing GE-informed general English courses aligned with those perceptions.