KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT OF ENGLISH-SPEAKING SKILLS IN POPULAR TEMPLE- BASED TOURISM DESTINATIONS IN CHIANG RAI PROVINCE

Abstract

This study aimed to: 1) examine the level of English-speaking skills among monks at popular temples in Chiang Rai Province, and 2) develop approaches for enhancing their English-speaking skills. A qualitative research design was employed. Five key informants were purposively selected from monks responsible for providing information to Thai and foreign tourists at popular temples in Chiang Rai Province. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions and analyzed using content analysis.
The findings indicated that the monks’ basic English-speaking skills required systematic and urgent development in three areas: basic communication with foreign tourists; providing clear and comprehensible responses to questions concerning Buddhism; and explaining fundamental Buddhist teachings in English. The proposed approaches for developing English-speaking skills comprised three dimensions. First, at the policy level, each popular temple should have at least one monk with adequate English-speaking skills. Second, at the qualitative level, an English-language learning manual should be developed. Third, at the quantitative level, at least one monk should be trained annually to enhance English-speaking skills and serve as a center for knowledge management and information services for foreign tourists. These approaches were expected to enhance the image of temples and support sustainable religious and cultural tourism.