Thai Business Chinese Target Situation Analysis

Abstract

This study conducted a target situation analysis on five positions for Chinese-speaking talents in Thailand: Chinese interpreters, salespersons, purchasers, human resource managers, and assistants to managers. By interviewing 15 working graduates of business Chinese or Chinese majors, we identified their target situations for using Chinese. It was found that the five positions share common responsibilities, including conference interpreting, on-site interpreting, and document translation. The most frequent physical spaces for using Chinese are 1) offices, 2) conference rooms, and 3) restaurants. Analysis of Chinese usage time revealed that tasks such as conference interpreting and document translation require longer periods of using Chinese, whereas on-site interpreting or product sales typically involve shorter durations, except for real estate sales where Chinese is used for a relatively longer time. The primary targets of Chinese usage are, firstly, Chinese department managers and colleagues, followed by senior leaders of Chinese enterprises and Chinese customers. In terms of instrumental aspects, statistics show little variation in Chinese media, modes, and channels among the five positions, except for "Sales 2," which involves retailing and thus limits Chinese usage to offline face-to-face communication. Analysis of the target situations highlighted the importance of translation skills in the workplace, suggesting that Thai Chinese language educators should prioritize cultivating students' responsive abilities.