Literacy in Local Languages in Thailand: Language Maintenance in a Globalised World1

1. This paper discusses the Thai situation before the coup of 19 September 2006.

Abstract

In a globalised world, literacy in local languages is affected by at least three significant trends: globalisation, regionalisation and nationalism. Literacy in local languages plays a major role in language maintenance and the management of identity. Local literacies in local languages can also be a source of resistance to the rapid sociocultural change and the emerging multilingual markets. Literacy in the national or an international language may be an assimilating force, as literacy is increasingly seen as a capital investment for future. This paper discusses local language literacy in the maintenance of ethnolinguistic minority languages in Thailand. Until recently, most activities have been implemented by the civil society, but State involvement is increasing. The increasing government attention to minority languages is revolutionary when compared to the situation in Thailand before the 1990s.

Keywords:

• globalisation
• literacy
• local language
• minority language
• Thailand
• language maintenance

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to Dennis Malone, Kirk Person, Audra Philips, Christopher Stroud, Lionel Wee and three anonymous reviewers for their invaluable comments and suggestions.

Notes

1. This paper discusses the Thai situation before the coup of 19 September 2006.

2. Muslim insurgent's bomb attacks and shootings have been sparked by general discontent with the assimilationist government policies. The government has responded with force and sent more troops to the South. As the military has attempted to control the law and order situation, many more people have died, and by mid-2006 the conflict had claimed some 1700 lives and more than 2000 people had been injured (Nation, 4 September 2006).

3. Unavailability of published research constrains this area of research in Thailand in general. Therefore, newspaper articles and personal communication with researchers, officials and other people involved in minority language development are the main sources of data used. Some points are based on long-term personal observations on the basis of my work in Thailand since 1998. The Thai newspapers are cited as follows: The Bangkok Post = BP; The Nation = Nation.

4. English has even more prestige, but its use is limited to only the highest elite of the society, and to limited domains, such as tourism, international business and some tertiary education.

5. It is likely that the language of literacy, Standard Thai, is a factor for these not very satisfactory results. Language, however, is not the only reason. A study on the education standards in Thai schools showed that thousands of schools with millions of students have ‘alarmingly poor standards’ according to many criteria (Nation, 23 August 2006).