Problems-solving Strategies in English Communication of Thai Students in a Social Innovation Camp 2019
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Abstract
This research aims to find out English communication problems of Thai students who participated in the Learning Express program 2019 at Rajamangla University of Technology Lanna Chiang Mai, and the strategies they used in communicating with their foreign peers in English. The students were selected by the program committee using an English proficiency test as part of the selection process. The research was conducted by using a 5 Likert Scale questionnaire adapted in relation to the communication problem-solving strategy concept. The questionnaires were distributed to the students and then collected for analysis. There were also open-ended question items for them to express their opinions together with interviews with four selected students for in-depth details. It was found that the problems that the Thai students encountered most were limited vocabularies (x̄= 3.19, S.D.=0.962), incompressible pronunciation, or accent (x̄=3.07, S.D.=0.958), and the lack of proper English grammar (x̄=2.78, S.D.=1.013) respectively. For the strategies, the students reported using body language or facial expression the most at (x̄= 4.11, S.D.=1.188), followed by asking friends with better English for help at (x̄=4.00, S.D.=1.074), and using fillers to allow them to think before speaking at (x̄=3.93, S.D.=0.829). The researchers noticed that a broader range of vocabulary was vital for these students, and non-verbal communication helped fulfill their limited words. It is suggested that a preparation course for the program next year emphasize strengthening students' vocabulary and their pronunciations.
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