Embracing English as a Global Language

Embracing English as a Global Language: A Big Leap Forward for Thailand’s Sustainable Development

By Janpha Thadphoothon

Abstract

This paper suggests a language-driven way for the development of Thailand in a more sustainable fashion. It provocatively calls for Thailand to embrace English, not as a foreign language, but as a truly global one, and Thai teachers and the Thai public to ‘voice their soil and soul’ more in English. In the sphere of education, it outlines the role English plays in the Thai context, the roles of English teachers and learners as text producers. In particular, the author explains why and how he has used English to express his concerns for the degradation of the environment and the destruction of local ways of life. In the paper, the author calls for the conception and appreciation of English as a means to represent Thailand on the world stage. The assumption proposed here is that if a practice or idea is not articulated and/or represented in English, it will not get enough attention to stay alive and prosper on a global level. The author proposes that one way to improve Thailand’s English language ranking and a way to preserve Thai culture is to do it through creative writing activities. It would be a big leap for Thailand. With proper content and process, it would be a factor contributing to the development of Thailand’s education and Thailand’s sustainable development.

Keywords: English as a global language, Creative writing, Sustainable development, equality