A Study Of Chinese Teaching In Thai Non - Formal Education

Non-formal education is an important part of the life-long education system. Chinese language teaching in the non-formal education field in Thailand includes forms of adult education, distance education and tutorial schools. In recent years, the Chinese language teaching system in Thailand’s non-formal education field provides a possibility for various groups to accept a higher level of Chinese education, expand the learners’social upside space, facilitate the vitality for the Chinese language teaching market, and enrich the types of education services and service levels of the Chinese teaching market. At the same time, the Chinese language teaching system in non-formal education field in Thailand still has many problems to be solved.There are many studies for non-formal education in Thailand now, but specific studies for Chinese teaching in this field is very rare. Even more, researches studying Chinese language teaching as a whole in non-formal education field in Thailand have not been found. To fill in the blank, this thesis aims to study Chinese language teaching in non-formal education field in Thailand. Using the case-based approach, the author mainly conducts the study by analyzing the survey results in the macroscopic and systematic way and comparing them with the global perspective. The author also uses other research methods, such as questionnaires and interviews. This thesis reviews the history, the current situation and the polices of the non-formal education systems in Thailand, gives an account of the current situation of Chinese language teaching in non-formal education field here, and selects several Chinese language teaching institutions with good operations to study in-depth. Finally, the author would summarize the problems and challenges facing Chinese language teaching in the non-formal education field based on the empirical research, putting forward the basic principles and teaching strategies for Chinese language teaching in non-formal education field in Thailand.This thesis firstly studies the non-formal education in Thailand and the situation of Chinese language teaching in this field. The author concludes that there are two stages for non-formal education in Thailand. Stage one is seen as an infancy stage, beginning from the non-formal education to the "Non-Formal and Informal Education Office" which was opened in 2008. Stage two is from 2008 to the present. The non-formal education in Thailand in this stage becomes more standardized, institutionalized and systematic day by day under the unified leadership of institutions.The survey for this study lasted three months. The survey samples come from 10 adult education schools,2 distance education schools and 16 Chinese language tutorial schools. There are the total of 293 learners,25 teachers and 27 administrators involved in this survey. In addition, the non-formal education center for adult education in the Mae Sai District of Chiang Rai, Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University for distance education and one Chinese language tutorial school named Potjana Surksa School in Chiang Mai are selected as three typical cases. This thesis comprehensively analyzes these three samples’Chinese curriculum and management, the teaching objects, the teaching staff, the teaching materials and the teaching equipment in order to provide scientific data for a further study.In the analysis, this thesis concludes that Chinese language teaching in non-formal education field in Thailand has made some achievement. The adult education in this field with flexible working forms provides free lessons for learners, and makes curriculum and classes to fit the local conditions and individuals. Distance education for Chinese language teaching with the characteristics of using modern teaching methods can attract more learners to enroll in, which mainly put forward the kind of teaching based on interactive remote video conferencing. Chinese language tutorial schools can effectively help learners to improve their Chinese test scores, and use a variety of teaching methods to improve learners’interest in learning Chinese. Meanwhile, there are a lot of problems of Chinese language teaching in non-formal education field in Thailand which cannot be ignored. For example, the curriculum for adult education lacks continuity; more qualified Chinese teachers need to join in; more specialized Chinese teaching materials should be provided; learners are difficult to coordinate and full of mobility; the teaching methods they used are outdated; and teaching management mechanism is not perfect. Distance education for Chinese language teaching is lack of assessments and feedbacks. Teachers in Chinese language tutorial schools are not well qualified. In mainstream schools, learners are lack of Chinese learning interest and without scientific learning plan. Those schools do not have enough multimedia equipment. They have the high ratio of the loss of learners, and also they do not have effective publicity and promotion policies.The author also summarizes the common problems of Chinese language teaching in non-formal education field in Thailand. First, the Chinese language teaching system is imperfect in this field and lack of necessary normative and systematic. Second, teachers in this field are unstable and have different levels of qualification. Third, there is a lack of Chinese textbooks which are specialized and localized, and the teaching methods are also very outdated and unitary.The author sees that it is necessary to follow the following basic principles when specifying the Chinese language teaching strategies in non-formal education field in Thailand. First, it needs to specifically serve Thai people. Second, the management principles of Chinese language teaching in non-formal education field need to be improved and enhanced. Third, it needs to follow the principles of the educational organization system, structure and management in the process of learning Chinese. Fourth, the principle of Chinese language teaching system in non-formal education field needs to be followed. Fifth, it needs to follow the principles of combination of Chinese learning with real work and living experience. Sixth, it needs to follow the principle of using the social capital.Finally, this thesis presents five specific Chinese language teaching strategies in non-formal education field in Thailand with the above mentioned six principles as the guideline. First, it needs to promote and improve the top-level design of Chinese language teaching in non-formal education field in Thailand. Second, it needs to enhance teachers’ training of Chinese language teaching and improve their qualification. Third, it needs to produce more specialized and localized Chinese textbooks for non-formal education. Fourth, it needs to use the teaching method suitable for the characteristics of learners. Fifth, it needs to improve the marketing approaches of schools.