Sutraphorn Tantiniranat (Khwan) The Manchester Institute of Education, The University of Manchester Mapping the Intercultural (Communicative) Competence Territory: Analyzing Educational Policy Documents within an ASEAN Economic Community Context (Thailand) Mapping the Intercultural (Communicative) Competence Territory: Analyzing Educational Policy Documents within an ASEAN Economic Community Context (Thailand) Kaleidoscope Graduate Student Research Conference University of Cambridge, UK May 30th, 2014 (Theme: Opening up the ivory tower)

Outline Background and purposes Methodology Findings Implications How my study might have a potential to open up the ivory tower Nelson's tower, Calton Hill, Edinburgh

Thailand and the ‘single ASEAN’ economic community English as the regional and global lingua franca for intercultural communication The working language of ASEAN shall be English. (ARTICLE 34, ASEAN CHARTER) Part I: The context and purposes

2.1 Research questions 1)To what extent do the chosen policy documents respond to or comment on the intercultural age? 2)What skills or attributes do these policy documents focus on with regard to Thai graduates functioning in this intercultural age? Part II: Methodology (Concerns for Intercultural Communication) (Intercultural (Communicative) Competence)

2.2 The selected documents consider the impacts of the establishment of ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) 1 ASEAN policy document 2 Thai policy documents written by the Office of Higher Education Commission of Thailand (OHEC) Part II: Methodology (Cont.)

Name of the policyPublishedAim/focusVersion 1) Cha-Am Hua Hin Declaration on Strengthening Cooperation on Education to achieve an ASEAN Caring and Sharing Community Adopted at 15th ASEAN Summit 2009 by the ASEAN leaders To develop human resources through closer cooperation in education and life- long learning, and in science and technology, for the empowerment of the peoples of ASEAN and for the strengthening of the ASEAN Community. - English + Thai translation 2) The Executive report, Framework of the Second 15-year Long Range Plan on Higher Education of Thailand B.E – 2565 ( ) Published in October 2008 by Thai OHEC Quality of Thai Higher Education which leads to the quality to the graduates. - Thai - English 3) The Strategies of Thai Higher Education for the Preparation for the ASEAN Community in 2015 Published in 2010 by Thai OHEC The preparations for the establishment of the AEC in 2015 and in response to the 15-year long range plan on Higher Education of Thailand ( ) - Thai + English summary

Part II: Methodology (Cont.) 2.3 Data Analysis Open coding  categories  themes  concept maps (using MAXQDA)  interpretations

Part III: Key findings Finding 1 : The extent to which the chosen policy documents respond to or comment on the intercultural age

วิสัยทัศน์ : บัณฑิตไทยมีความสามารถในระดับสากล และมีความรับผิดชอบในฐานะ สมาชิกประชาคมอาเซียนและประชาคมโลก [Vision: Thai graduates have international quality, are responsible as members of the ASEAN and world community.] (Code: “beyond ASEAN” from The Strategies of Thai HE for the Preparation for the ASEAN Community in 2015 ) Examples of coded segments Universities should reflect multifaceted and multicultural nature of a society. (Code: “multiculturalism” from the Framework of the Second 15-year Long Range Plan) RECOGNIZING the importance of education sector in contributing to the establishment of an ASEAN Community that is people-centred and socially responsible with a view to achieving enduring solidarity and unity among the nations and peoples of ASEAN by forging a common identity and building a caring and sharing society which is inclusive and where the well-being, livelihood, and welfare of the peoples are enhanced; (Code: “people-to-people interaction” from Chaam-Huahin Declaration)

Part III: Key findings (Cont.) Finding 2: Skills /attributes regarding to Thai graduates functioning in this intercultural age

Part IV: Implications for Thai TESOL and practitioners Emerging concerns for the intercultural age in the top-level discourse Challenges of integrating the intercultural aspects into curricula Possibility to teach ‘intercultural competence’ through English language teaching in Thailand Quote

Adding more views to ‘the ivory tower’ Problematizing ‘the ivory tower’ Part V: Conclusion Offering some implications for Thai TESOL and Practitioners

Hope you enjoy the view from the top! ขอบคุณ ค่ะ Thank you Special thanks to my main supervisor: Dr Richard Fay

Example quote:Challenges of integrating the intercultural aspects into curricula “Hence, the strategy strongly encourages higher education institutions to produce the graduates of international quality who equipped with professional skills, language skill and inter-cultural skill. To fulfill this ambition, the strategy calls for a reform of languages education, an additional student mobility programme, which emphasises on the credit transfer, and a cultural exchange programme”. (From the strategies of Thai HE for the Preparation for the ASEAN Community in 2015 )