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The Impact of the SMILE Project on Thai EFL Learners: Collaborations between Thai and Japanese L2 Learners

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Title: The Impact of the SMILE Project on Thai EFL Learners: Collaborations between Thai and Japanese L2 Learners
Language: English
Authors: Prapaipun Pornthanachotanan, Shigenori Wakabayashi, Jun Iio, Junji Sakurai, Yohei Honda, Teera Insawat, Pornsiri Singhapreecha
Source: LEARN Journal: Language Education and Acquisition Research Network. 2024 17(1):662-687.
Availability: Language Institute of Thammasat University. The Prachan Campus, 2 Prachan Road, Bangkok 10200 Thailand. e-mail: learnjournal@gmail.com; Web site: https://www.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/learn
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 26
Publication Date: 2024
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Grade 12
High Schools
Secondary Education
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, English (Second Language), Second Language Learning, Peer Relationship, Electronic Learning, Grade 12, Public Schools, High School Students, Cooperative Learning, International Educational Exchange, Student Experience, Metacognition, Psychological Patterns, Student Attitudes, Cultural Influences, Outcomes of Education, Internet
Geographic Terms: Japan, Thailand (Bangkok)
ISSN: 2630-0672
2672-9431
Abstract: This study presents an international collaboration in the Students Meet Internationally through Language Education (SMILE) project and investigates how the SMILE project impacts Thai EFL students. This program provides students with opportunities to use English as an Authentic Communication Tool (E-ACT) by sharing their experiences and culture with high school peers in Japan online. Thirty-one Thai twelfth graders from a public high school in Bangkok participated in the SMILE project in the 2022 academic year. The course of the SMILE project we describe in this paper consisted of four collaboration classes (50 minutes, four times), and each class consisted of two sessions (25 minutes, twice). In each session, the Thai students met Japanese students in the same school grade in small groups with four or five students in total. These classes were conducted via online channels. Thai students' data were collected from class observations, interviews, and questionnaires. The results revealed that the Thai students: (1) increased their confidence in using English; (2) gained broader perspectives from the cultural exchange sessions; (3) were eager to have similar collaborations with new Japanese students; and (4) showed clear enjoyment in their activities. Given these benefits, we conclude that the experience that student participants gained through the SMILE project had a substantial impact on them, which is likely to change their attitude toward studying English in the future. Besides, we discuss how current approaches to learner psychology may or may not be applied to our findings. Based on the results, the authors argue that having students with different first languages meet online should be conducted more widely in EFL circumstances.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2024
Accession Number: EJ1415535
Database: ERIC
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  Data: The Impact of the SMILE Project on Thai EFL Learners: Collaborations between Thai and Japanese L2 Learners
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Prapaipun+Pornthanachotanan%22">Prapaipun Pornthanachotanan</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Shigenori+Wakabayashi%22">Shigenori Wakabayashi</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jun+Iio%22">Jun Iio</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Junji+Sakurai%22">Junji Sakurai</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Yohei+Honda%22">Yohei Honda</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Teera+Insawat%22">Teera Insawat</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Pornsiri+Singhapreecha%22">Pornsiri Singhapreecha</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22LEARN+Journal%3A+Language+Education+and+Acquisition+Research+Network%22"><i>LEARN Journal: Language Education and Acquisition Research Network</i></searchLink>. 2024 17(1):662-687.
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  Data: Language Institute of Thammasat University. The Prachan Campus, 2 Prachan Road, Bangkok 10200 Thailand. e-mail: learnjournal@gmail.com; Web site: https://www.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/learn
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22English+%28Second+Language%29%22">English (Second Language)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Second+Language+Learning%22">Second Language Learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Peer+Relationship%22">Peer Relationship</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Electronic+Learning%22">Electronic Learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+12%22">Grade 12</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Public+Schools%22">Public Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22High+School+Students%22">High School Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cooperative+Learning%22">Cooperative Learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22International+Educational+Exchange%22">International Educational Exchange</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Experience%22">Student Experience</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Metacognition%22">Metacognition</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychological+Patterns%22">Psychological Patterns</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Attitudes%22">Student Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cultural+Influences%22">Cultural Influences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Outcomes+of+Education%22">Outcomes of Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Internet%22">Internet</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Japan%22">Japan</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Thailand+%28Bangkok%29%22">Thailand (Bangkok)</searchLink>
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  Data: 2630-0672<br />2672-9431
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  Label: Abstract
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  Data: This study presents an international collaboration in the Students Meet Internationally through Language Education (SMILE) project and investigates how the SMILE project impacts Thai EFL students. This program provides students with opportunities to use English as an Authentic Communication Tool (E-ACT) by sharing their experiences and culture with high school peers in Japan online. Thirty-one Thai twelfth graders from a public high school in Bangkok participated in the SMILE project in the 2022 academic year. The course of the SMILE project we describe in this paper consisted of four collaboration classes (50 minutes, four times), and each class consisted of two sessions (25 minutes, twice). In each session, the Thai students met Japanese students in the same school grade in small groups with four or five students in total. These classes were conducted via online channels. Thai students' data were collected from class observations, interviews, and questionnaires. The results revealed that the Thai students: (1) increased their confidence in using English; (2) gained broader perspectives from the cultural exchange sessions; (3) were eager to have similar collaborations with new Japanese students; and (4) showed clear enjoyment in their activities. Given these benefits, we conclude that the experience that student participants gained through the SMILE project had a substantial impact on them, which is likely to change their attitude toward studying English in the future. Besides, we discuss how current approaches to learner psychology may or may not be applied to our findings. Based on the results, the authors argue that having students with different first languages meet online should be conducted more widely in EFL circumstances.
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  Data: EJ1415535
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      – Text: English
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        PageCount: 26
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        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: English (Second Language)
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      – SubjectFull: Second Language Learning
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      – SubjectFull: Student Experience
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