Cross-Cultural Interview and Reflection Project

Cross-Cultural Interviewand Reflection Project

The cultural differences betweenThailand and China.

Content Interviewee’s background The interesting topics frominterview Analysis and reflection

Interviewee’s background Name: Ms. Jai xiol lin Nationality: Chinese Address: Wuhan city, Hubei province of China Job: A Chinese Language Teacher of Chinese Program Education: Center China Normal University (CCIU) Workplace: Faculty of Education at Valaya Alongkorn Rajabhat University under the Royal Patronage

The interesting topics from interview

The interesting topics from interview1. Why do you decide to teach in Thailand?2. How many languages do you speak with Thai students?3. What is the different between Thai and Chinese students?4. Have you learned Thai culture before? How? Where?5. Have you ever encounter “culture shock ’’ in Thailand? Can you tellme more and how did you do?

The interesting topics from interview6. Do you have any problems communicating with Thai people/people in your workplace/ classmate, etc.? What are they?7. What do you do when Thai people don’t understand yourChinese or English?8. If you lose the way, lose your money and mobile phone then youmeet Thai people who can’t speak English and Chinese. Supposethat you cannot speak Thai. What should you do?

The interesting topics from interview9. When you talk to different people, boss, colleagues, friends,or students. How to talk politely and suitably?10. Do you think different culture background effect the waypeople communicate? Why?

1.Why do you decide to teach in Thailand?

Why do you decide to teach in Thailand? 1. Her university sent her here because between two universities between VRU and CCIU have a negotiation and cooperation to built Chinese language department,

So they need the teacher from CCIU and her university sent her here because she is a local native speaker of Chinese language and she also a teacher in her university.2. When she was in high school her classmate wanted to go to Thailandfor travelling and she told her about what she has seen in Thailand, Soin her eyes. She thinks Thailand isa beautiful country and people are nice.

2. How many languages do you speak with Thaistudents?

How many languages do you speak withThai students? She can speak three languages. There are Chinese, English and some of Thai words.

3. What is the different betweenThai and Chinese students? vs

What is the different between Thai andChinese students? There are two kinds of difference.

1. The economic in China developed too fast. Everyone faces withproblems and the challenges, So young people or students needto be very much competence to be good quality and to have good jobin the future. Students feel a lot of pressure more than Thai students.For example, in her university have a big library. Almost floorsoccupied with students, especially the end of the semester.

You may not find the seat if you go there very late becausepeople rush there and occupy chairs or desks they need. Some ofthem may be get up at 6.30 and go to their room and put their booksto occupy a seat. If you come late after 8 maybe no seat, but here Ifound that in the library, there are not so many students even fromMonday to Friday. In China, especially some famous university they willfeel a lot of pressure. They need to push themselves to study morethan others.

2. The different attitude. Because she can’t see many Chinesestudents don’t believe in religion. They may not like a Thai people.They believe in Buddhism and they pay respect to monks when theywent to the temple. She thinks the attitude is more positive and people are very nice and students respected to teachers very much.

4. Have you learned Thai culture before? How? Where?

Have you learned Thai culture before?How? Where? She reads a book about Thailand and Thai people.

5. Have you ever encounter “culture shock ’’ inThailand? Can you tell me more and how did you do?

Have you ever encounter “culture shock ’’ in Thailand?Can you tell me more and how did you do? Yes, she thinks it’s very sensitive and it’s hard to answer. In her class, there are boys but they don’t regard themselves that they are male. They act as they want to be girls. Although she fell a little culture shocked, she respects them because we have different culture.

6. Do you have any problems communicating with Thai people/ people in your workplace/classmate, etc.? What are they?

Do you have any problems communicating withThai people/ people in your workplace/classmate, etc.? What are they? The problem has two aspects .1. Language embarrassment, some of her students may not speakChinese language well and also cannot speak English well. Before shegoes to her class she needs to consult from her Thai colleagues.She will tell her some Thai words. She writes Chinese and Thai languageon the black board to compare between two languages.

2. The different of culture society. Students feel different. If you areChinese students, they need to study hard. They need to pushthemselves a little bit harder. Thai students, they told her that they lovelearning Chinese language but they just think but they don’t work hard. VRU has a ceremony to show the respect and gratefulness to teachers then teachers say something good or some advices for students.

Almost teachers would say good luck, wish youeverything goes well. There is no teacher will say please studyhard but in China teachers and parents would say that. It’s away to show caring and love but here teacher will not do this.

7. What do you do when Thai peopledon’t understand Chinese or English?

What do you do when Thai people don’t understandChinese or English? She will ask some helps from her colleagues andsuggest her students to look up their dictionary book orelectronic dictionary. She wants Thai student to learn Chinesewell so she don’t want to speak Thai and she motivates them totalk Chinese with her.

8. If you lose the way, lose your money andmobile phone then you meet Thai people who can’tspeak English and Chinese. suppose that you cannot speakThai. What should you do? +

If you lose the way, lose your money and mobile phone thenyou meet Thai people who can’t speak English and Chinese.suppose that you cannot speak Thai. What should you do? 1. she may use gestures, facial expression, and body language to show that she lost the way, money and mobile phone. 2. She may look for policeman to ask for help.

9. When you talk to different people, boss, colleagues,friends, or students. How to talk politely and suitably?

When you talk to different people, boss, colleagues,friends, or students. How to talk politely andsuitably? To everyone no matter position you are, she always smile. She will be nice and friendly.

10. Do you think different culture background effect the waypeople communicate? Why?

Do you think different culture background effectthe way people communicate? Why? Yes, she thinks that If people are from western country they will communicate directly, but Our Asian country is interact way. For example, her students are boys but they want to be girls. It’s ok for her because it’s their freedom. Although she will confuse in her heart, she thinks it’s from cultural influence.

Analysis and reflection

•Does your interviewee have any problems communicating with people from different cultural background? If yes, what are they? How does s/he do to sol1. Does your interviewee have Yes, she does. when she teachesany problems communicating Chinese language in her class then she has awith people from different communicative problem with students becausecultural background? If yes, some of her students can’t speak Chinesewhat are they? How does she do language well and also can’t speak Englishto solve the problems? language. She solves the problem by asking for help from herThai colleagues who tell her some Thai words and she suggests her students to look up their dictionary book motivating her students to speak Chinese language also.

We agree withAs she told us that We have different culture background between Thailand and western countries such as sexuality ,language,religion and perspectives. 2. Do you agree with your interviewee? Why? Yes, we do. She told us that we have different culture background between Thailand and western countries such as sexuality, language, religion and perspective.

3. What have we learned from the interviewee?1. The different perspective 2. The different sexuality We compare between Thai and In Thailand we have a lotChinese students that Thai students lack of sexuality which is normal in Thaiof pressure to study on the other hand society but in China may not havestudents in China have a lot of pressure transgender so the interviewee mayand competition. confuse about sexual identity3. The different language We should not only learn just language butwe have to learn culture in each country also.

Behind the scene





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Prepared by Mr. Pornsatrian Whoungmaitree 56181020202 Mr. Watcharapong Maichandi 56181020219 Ms. Wilai Khlongsamsib 56181020221 Mr. Sitron Khumpradit 56181020224 Ms. Apinya Khammool 56181020238 Ms. Orapan Samang 56181020240 English Program - Section 2 The Faculty of Education Valaya Alongkorn Rajabhat University under the Royal Patronage