Thai and Serbian student perspective regarding teaching approaches in the university EFL classroom

Abstract

The research reported in this paper adopts a sociocultural approach to the comparative study of Thai and Serbian foreign language learning settings, seeking to identify similarities and differences in student perception of teacher approaches to teaching EFL. The participants in the research included a total of 439 Thai and 106 Serbian students. The instrument used in the study included a questionnaire constructed for the purposes of this research, comprising statements that covered general aspects of possible teaching approaches. The findings corroborate conclusions of other investigations in this field, particularly in terms of the respective communication styles of the learners, the amount of exposure to the foreign language in a natural setting and the distinction between non-native and native EFL teachers. The paper concludes with recommendations for pedagogical practice.

Keywords:

• perceptions
• teaching practices
• EFL
• university students
• Thailand
• Serbia

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the help of other project members: Viktorija Krombholc, Maja Bjelica, Ana Halas and Yaruingham Shimray. Furthermore, the authors would like to thank the Dean of the Faculty of Liberal Arts, Professor Adisa Teo, for her valuable and insightful comments on the research and her overall support of the project.

Notes

1. For an elaboration of the Croatian context with respect to joining the EU and the subsequent changes in higher education, see Pašalić (2013).

2. The complete questionnaire is available upon request.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Thailand [grant number LIA 560297S] within the research project ‘Comparative study of approaches to the development of oral English communication skills adopted by universities in EFL contexts’ and the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Serbia [grant number 178002] as part of the research project ‘Languages and Cultures in Time and Space’.