Language and Linguistics

Bridging Theory to Empirical Insights: Revisiting Thai Caused-Separation Verbs

Nitipong Pichetpan — Thu, 25 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0700

Studies of Thai caused-separation verbs elucidate how speakers conceptualize and articulate events involving physical separation. While prior research has examined this verbal domain through both rule-based (henceforth, prescriptive) and usage-driven (empirical) approaches, a systematic comparison between the two frameworks remains lacking. This study aims to bridge the gap by offering the first comprehensive, comparative analysis of Thai caused-separation verbs across prescriptive taxonomies and empirical usage data. Methodologically, it proceeds in two stages: (1) reviewing both prescriptive and empirical accounts of Thai caused-separation verbs, and (2) assessing the degree of convergence or divergence between them in terms of syntactic realization, semantic categorization, and lexical selection. Findings reveal that, although prescriptive models capture certain structural generalizations, they often overlook the contextual and pragmatic variability observed in usage. Thai caused-separation verbs exhibit notable syntactic flexibility—particularly through serial verb constructions—and often display overlapping or fluid categorization shaped by instrument type, object properties, and communicative intent. By comparing theoretical constructs with real-world language usage, this study offers a novel analytical lens, reinforcing the need for a hybrid, probabilistic model of verb categorization that more accurately reflects how Thai speakers select and organize verbs. The results have broader implications for linguistic typology, cognitive semantics, and corpus-based language modeling of syntactic variation and context-sensitive verb use, with applications to Thai lexical resources for language education, lexicography, and natural language processing.

Enhancing ELT through Local Language Policy: a Case from Phuket, Thailand

Saranya Pathanasin — Thu, 25 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0700

For success in English language teaching (ELT), all stakeholders need to work together to achieve the goal. Local government has a crucial role as a policy maker and a supporter. How policy is translated into practice should be analyzed and the voices of practitioners should be heard. This research aims to analyze the ELT policy established by the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organization (PPAO) and how it has been implemented in schools. The participants in the study are school administrators and teachers working under the supervision of PPAO. Data were obtained by a semi-structured interview method and were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results reveal that the school network has been taking the right path collaboratively under a feasible and fruitful policy. Areas in which potential for improvement is perceived are identified. The results benefit local governments in making language policies for local schools in Thailand.

Visual Grammar and Cultural Perception in Thai Tourism Memes: A Study of the ‘Farangs Gone Wild’ Instagram Page

Lertphon Subin, Mareeyadar Teedaaksornsakul — Thu, 25 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0700

This study qualitatively examines a set of 20 visual memes related to tourism in Thailand from the “Farangs Gone Wild” Instagram page using Kress and van Leeuwen’s Visual Grammar (2006) and Goss’s (1966) perceptual tendencies. The goal was to examine how visual and textual elements convey meanings and reflect perceptions of the memes’ creator. The findings suggest that the memes convey representational, interactive, and compositional meanings. In terms of representational meaning, the findings suggest an interplay between processes within tourism memes, revealing their function as sites for meaning construction and cultural commentary. Furthermore, the memes are influenced by closure and expectation based on Goss’s (1996) perceptual tendencies. This research highlights the role of the interplay between images and texts as dynamic forms of digital communication. However, future research should involve a wider and more diverse sample across social media platforms to strengthen the findings.

Vietnamese Accent of Viet Kieu in the Yuan Samsen Community

Patthida Bunchavalit — Thu, 25 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0700

This research aimed to analyze the Vietnamese accent of Viet Kieu in the Yuan Samsen community in Bangkok. The data were collected from six Viet Kieu, consisting of three males and three females, by eliciting 248 Vietnamese words during interviews, with attention to pitch, contour, glottalization, and duration. The findings revealed that the Vietnamese tonal system of Viet Kieu has six tones: ngang/ŋaːŋ¹/, huyền/hwieːn²/, sắc/sak³/, hỏi/hɔːi⁴/, ngã/ŋaː⁵/, and nặng/naŋ⁶/, which is the same number as in Northern Vietnamese, with specific phonetic characteristics. The characteristic of ngang is a mid-tone corresponding to Northern Vietnamese. The characteristic of huyền is a mid-falling tone corresponding to Central Vietnamese. The characteristic of sắc is a mid-rising tone corresponding to Northern Vietnamese, while the mid-falling-rising tone has a contour corresponding to Central Vietnamese. The characteristics of hỏi are a mid-falling tone corresponding to Northern Vietnamese, and a mid-falling-glottal stop contour corresponding to Central Vietnamese. The characteristic of ngã is a mid-falling-upward tone with a glottal stop that has a contour corresponding to Northern Vietnamese. The characteristic of nặng is a mid-falling tone with a contour corresponding to Northern and Southern Vietnamese, but it does not occur with a glottal stop, while the mid-falling-upward tone has a contour corresponding to Southern Vietnamese with an accompanying glottal stop. The pitch of some variants of sắc, hỏi, and ngã is higher than what is typically found in the Vietnamese tone system. The Vietnamese tones of Viet Kieu in the Yuan Samsen community are considered a blend of phonetic characteristics from the three main Vietnamese dialects, consistent with the background of the Yuan Samsen community, which has experienced multiple periods of migration of Viet Kieu and people of various ethnicities.

A Comparison of Pragmatic Competence of ‘Mai-Pen-Rai’ between Learners of Thai as a Second Language and Artificial Intelligence (ChatGPT)

Deeana Kasa — Thu, 25 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0700

Pragmatic differences between second language learners of Thai and artificial intelligence (AI) have significant implications for the effectiveness of language teaching and intercultural communication. This study aims to compare pragmatic competence in the use of the expression “mai-pen-rai” between Thai language learners and AI, by employing a Discourse Completion Test (DCT) designed to cover four major pragmatic functions of “mai-pen-rai” (Panpothong & Phakdeephasook, 2014): a response to apologizing and thanking, a refusal strategy in the face of an offer, a remark of consolation, and a strategy to terminate verbal conflict. Participants were 25 international students and the AI system ChatGPT-4o. The results revealed that the Thai language learners demonstrated marked improvement in pragmatic competence after instruction, especially in contexts involving a refusal strategy and a strategy to terminate verbal conflict, as well as showing a greater tendency to use combined strategies to promote emotional support and relationship building. In contrast, while AI was able to use “mai-pen-rai” accurately in all scenarios, it lacked the subtlety and adaptability required for interpersonal appropriateness and situational nuance. The findings suggest that, despite AI’s accuracy in language form, pragmatic understanding and interpersonal competency remain human strengths, particularly when supported by targeted instruction within Thai cultural contexts. Therefore, Thai language teaching for second language learners of Thai should integrate pragmatic competence development and utilize AI as a supplementary tool to enhance effective pragmatic skills.

Isan Traditional Textiles Naming: Semantic Domain Analysis

Pongsatorn Chaowalitkitkuson, Rattana Chanthaow — Thu, 25 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0700

This qualitative study in the field of Thai language aims to examine the meanings of traditional textile pattern names from the Isan region of Thailand, with a focus on identifying their semantic categories and exploring how they reflect local cultural identity. The study adopts Nida’s (1979) semantic categorization framework to analyze and classify the meanings of these names, with findings presented through descriptive analysis. The dataset consists of 215 pattern names sourced from official government publications. The results reveal that Isan textile pattern names fall into three primary semantic categories: entities (278 occurrences), events (98 occurrences), and abstract concepts (76 occurrences). Subcategories are strongly associated with animals, plants, raw materials, and places. The analysis further indicates that these textile names embody regional identity, as demonstrated by lexical items such as “mai” (silk) and “matmee” (weft Ikat). Many names carry meanings across multiple semantic categories, illustrating creative innovation in pattern design to represent the distinct cultural heritage of each locality. Additionally, the study underscores the connection between government soft power initiatives and the creation of new textile designs, highlighting their role in fostering the development of Isan weaving traditions. These initiatives not only preserve local weaving wisdom but also enhance the cultural value of textiles, contributing to community income generation and the promotion of cultural heritage. Notably, although these fabric patterns are native to Northeastern Thailand, their names are mostly in Standard Thai, likely reflecting the influence of state language policy combined with local cultural capital, resulting in forms distinct from the Isan dialect.

Note from the Editor

Chutamanee Onsuwan — Thu, 25 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0700

Table of Content

กองบรรณาธิการ ภาษาและภาษาศาสตร์ — Thu, 25 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0700

About the Journal

กองบรรณาธิการ ภาษาและภาษาศาสตร์ — Thu, 25 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0700

Editorial Team

กองบรรณาธิการ ภาษาและภาษาศาสตร์ — Thu, 25 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0700