An Investigation Into Current Status Of Cross-cultural Awareness Of Thai Students

So far the majority of studies about cross-cultural awareness in China are almost subjects concerning students’ cross-cultural awareness research in college English teaching, while there are not so many similar studies in college teaching of Chinese as the second language. Besides, any empirical study about cross-cultural consciousness with respect to the Thai students majoring in Chinese among colleges in Thailand had never emerged. At present, students majoring in Chinese in various districts of Thailand have weak cross-cultural awareness, and the promotion of it still had failed to pay close attention. Therefore, it is required by reality to carry out studies on current crosscultural awareness of students majoring in Chinese among Thailand universities.By means of methods like questionnaire and interview, investigation and analysis on the current status of cross-cultural awareness of 40 Thai students in the Chinese Studies Department of Walailak University are performed from the three perspectives of intercultural knowledge, intercultural interaction and cross-cultural sensitivity, so as to probe into its current status and the factors which might prevent the improvement of students’ cross-cultural awareness.The study shows that, so far it has revealed a relatively weak cross-cultural awareness of junior Thai students in the Chinese Studies Department of Walailak University. First of all, they were gravely lacking in intercultural knowledge. The students had seldom gone into the inner level of knowledge about the culture, history or geography in China with an active attitude. Secondly, the students, in terms of interpersonal behavior, showed comparatively lower ability in establishing crosscultural communicative relationship due to a lack of Chinese language environment and insufficient knowledge reserve. Lastly but not the least, the Thai students revealed the cross-cultural sensitivity of medium level for that matter. To be specific, they showed higher competence in behavior than in other aspects, but they exposed the significantly low ability in cultural integration. Apart from that, there were mainly two factors, namely external environment and self-factor which prevented the students from crosscultural awareness improvement. By analysis on the findings, this paper puts forward pieces of advice that leaders, administrative department and Chinese teachers in Walailak University should work together to improve the learning environment in this university, the number of Chinese teachers should be increased, proper and useful courses should be arranged, and diversified intercultural training activities should be performed, to enable students to promote their cross-cultural awareness more conveniently, quickly and effectively.This paper consists of five parts. The first chapter generally introduces the background, crucial problems prepared to deal with, purpose, significance, research methods and specific content of the study; in Chapter Two, it makes an overview on domestic cross-cultural awareness studies and studies of cross-cultural communication for Thai students from the angles of concept and structure of cross-cultural awareness as well as studies about cross-cultural awareness of college students; in the third chapter, it gets to know the real current status of cross-cultural awareness of students in the Chinese Studies Department of Walailak University by adopting questionnaire and interview; Chapter Four discusses the factors that prevent the Thai students in the Chinese Studies Department of Walailak University from improving their cross-cultural awareness in terms of external environment and self-factor of the students; in the fifth chapter, this study proposes corresponding enlightenment and suggestion with respect to various factors which prevent the Thai students in the Chinese Studies Department of Walailak University from cross-cultural awareness improvement; in the six chapter, this study probes into the results of investigation.