IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/asi/ijells/v13y2024i4p544-557id5250.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Unlocking pragmatic competence: The influence of intercultural communication on Thai learners during the study abroad program

Author

Listed:
  • Thongpanh Malivong
  • Apisak Sukying

Abstract

This mixed-methods study examines how intercultural communication influences social interaction and pragmatic competence in Thai learners of English during a 12-week study abroad program. Sixteen individuals with varied educational backgrounds were given a questionnaire, an assessment tool measuring pragmatic competence and a semi-structured interview. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics whereas the qualitative data were transcribed and coded to identify patterns. The findings demonstrated a significant enhancement in social interaction and pragmatic competence due to intercultural communication. The average scores increased from 40.83% to 68.75%. The results uncovered a complex relationship between the ability to interact effectively across cultures, active participation in social activities, and the development of pragmatic competence. The qualitative data highlighted that engaging in meaningful conversations with native and non-native English speakers enhanced L2 learners’ pragmatic competence. Additionally, the study found that intercultural communication, social contact, and pragmatic competence gradually improved throughout the study abroad period. This study showed that study abroad programs significantly improved learners’ pragmatic competence through immersive intercultural communication and social interactions. The results indicate that study abroad programs promote linguistic and cultural growth providing learners with crucial communication abilities that allow them to thrive in an interconnected world.

Suggested Citation

  • Thongpanh Malivong & Apisak Sukying, 2024. "Unlocking pragmatic competence: The influence of intercultural communication on Thai learners during the study abroad program," International Journal of English Language and Literature Studies, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 13(4), pages 544-557.
  • Handle: RePEc:asi:ijells:v:13:y:2024:i:4:p:544-557:id:5250
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://archive.aessweb.com/index.php/5019/article/view/5250/8124
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Intercultural communication; L2 learners; Pragmatic competence; Social interaction; Study abroad; Thai learners.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L2 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:asi:ijells:v:13:y:2024:i:4:p:544-557:id:5250. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Robert Allen (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://archive.aessweb.com/index.php/5019/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.