I.

Nhiệm vụ: bài báo tiến hành nghiên cứu như thế nào & báo cáo lại nghiên cứu
của họ

1. Mục đích nghiên cứu – nêu lý do nghiên cứu

Identify problems and propose guidelines of cultural differences between Thais
and spaniards in the classroom setting in 3 different dimensions: Power distance,
Invidividualism, expressiveness

2. Reaserch questions?

3. Design of the study – Định tính

Interview spanish teachers in 2 universities (n=10)
Interview Thai students (n=40)

4. Bài nghiên cứu theo những khung lí thuyết và khái niệm nào “concept or
framework”
3 dimensions: Collectivism, power distance, expressiveness

5. Data người ta nghiên cứu ngta lấy từ đâu và bằng cách nào
They interview with semi-structured in depth interviews
List câu hỏi > order > situations

I. Interactions between teachers and students

a. Results & findings
A1. Thai Students
- Interviewed students felt spanish teachers were more friendly, less formal and
less distant, more approacheble, treated students as equals > easier to voice their
opinions
- Thai students are afraid to express and argue with Thai teachers
- Thai teachers tended to keep distance/maintain serious, formal expression.
Uptight and strict, even something not relevant to studies – Uniform, appearance
> make students tense

A2. Spanish teachers

All agree Thai ss treated their teachers with respect – sometimes become
obstacle in teaching, learning – SS did not want to interupt, ask question
In contrast, spanish students would question the teacher – what the teacher said
or even the way the teacher conducted the class > spaniards tend to question and
criticize.

b. Discussions
Sau đó có findings gì không? Discussions gì không?

All Thai Ss interviewed felt more distant, more tense with Thai teachers than
with spanish teachers:
- Significant power distance in the use of formal personal pronouns/respect
elders/strict way of teaching

Thai: Wide range of first singular personal pronouns/ second person pronouns
(because of social distance and relationship)
- Chan (male/female – informal)
- Phom (male/formal) – Dichan (female – formal)
- Khrap (male) & Kha (female)
+ Khruu (teacher), Khun (formal interlocutor), nuu (younger interlocutor),
aachaan (professor)
>>> The structure of language determine one’s thought & behavior

Spanish:
- teacher calls themselves yo (“I”) & tú (“you” informal)
>>> Once could conclude that The choice of Spanish personal pronouns makes
more intimate, relaxed

- The results are in line with findings reported by Hofstede

Thailand are high on power-distance dimension – accept unequal distribution of
power – elder and those of higher status
Spain – medium to high on this dimension – accept power is distributed
unequally but not as much as in Thai culture.

II. Expressing idea and opinion

A1. Thai Students
30, 40 Thai Ss avoid giving opinions (because being minority is viewed
negatively) One come to an exchange programme in Spanish > before and after
After: more courageous to voice an opinion and ask questions > went back to
Thai > still keep the habit
The majority of Thai can express with their spanish teachers but thai teachers
Thai teacher: not open-minded and accept of different opinons
Thai culture: think differently – get rejected. Say too much – view as knowing
better than the teacher – thai teachers take it as an offense – most thai students do
not want to have problems with their teachers.

A2. Spanish teachers

All agreed that Thai ss adhered to Thai concept of Kreng jai (being considerate
of others’feeling or condition and reticent to share.
If the Leader in the class does not answer – everyone will not ans. One starts
answer > everyone copy.
Thai Education should improve
(Opposite with spanish students)
Anwer question/do homework

Discussions

III. Emotion and non-verbal communication

6. Limitation of the rearch ( bài reaserch có gì chưa làm được)

7. Implication of the study (nghiên cứu có hàm ý là gì)

2 different cultural backgrounds
- Create a mutual understanding in different cultures > to be a better
communicator
- (Thai Education system – passive) – encourage Thai students to be more
proactive in classroom to gain more knowledge