An Analysis of Personal Pronouns used in the Thai Textbooks for Chinese Learners: A Sociolinguistic Study

Abstract

 This article aims to study the use of personal pronouns in Thai dialogues in Thai textbooks for Chinese learners based on sociolinguistic methods. The results show that various commonly used Thai personal pronouns are presented in the dialogues found in Thai textbooks for Chinese learners, including the first personal pronouns, the second personal pronouns, and the third personal pronouns. The first personal pronouns found in the textbooks are phom, dichan, chan, nu, rao, nickname/name, kin terms, and occupation terms. The second personal pronouns found in the textbooks are khun, thoe, nu, nai, nickname/name, kin terms, and occupation terms. The third personal pronouns found in the textbooks are khao, than, kae, nickname/name, kin terms, and occupation terms. The social factors related to the interlocutors in the dialogues are diverse, including factors of age, gender, status of the interlocutor, relationship between interlocutors and the situation of the conversation, which enables students to see the use of personal pronouns in Thai according to different social contexts. Most personal pronouns used in the dialogues are correct and appropriate. However, some inappropriate uses of personal pronouns have also been found, which may result in learners encountering obstacles in real interaction.