The Development of a Curriculum for Enhancing Standard Thai Pronunciation Ability Based on Phonetic Approaches for Ethnic Students

การพัฒนาหลักสูตรส่งเสริมความสามารถในการออกเสียงภาษาไทยมาตรฐานตามแนวทางสัทศาสตร์สำหรับนักศึกษาชาติพันธุ์

Abstract

This research aimed to 1) develop and validate the quality of a curriculum for enhancing Standard Thai pronunciation abilities based on phonetic approaches for ethnic students, and 2) examine the effects of implementing the curriculum for enhancing Standard Thai pronunciation abilities based on phonetic approaches for ethnic students. This study employed a pre-experimental design using a one-shot case study approach. The sample consisted of 20 Pga K'Nyau ethnic students enrolled in the first semester of the 2025 academic year in the Bachelor of Education program at Lampang Rajabhat University, selected through voluntary sampling. The research instruments included a curriculum and supplementary materials for enhancing Standard Thai pronunciation abilities based on phonetic approaches for ethnic students, and a Standard Thai pronunciation assessment test. Statistical analyses employed percentages, means, and standard deviations.

          The findings revealed that

          (1) The developed curriculum for enhancing Standard Thai pronunciation abilities based on phonetic approaches for ethnic students comprised six components: background and significance of the curriculum, curriculum objectives, curriculum content structure, teaching and learning activities, media and learning resources, and measurement and evaluation. The appropriateness evaluation of the curriculum, as assessed by five experts, yielded an overall mean score at the highest level, while the appropriateness evaluation of the supplementary materials also achieved the highest level.

          (2) The results of implementing the curriculum for enhancing Standard Thai pronunciation abilities based on phonetic approaches for ethnic students, when compared to the 80% criterion, exceeded the threshold with a mean score of 26.40 points, equivalent to 88%.

          The key knowledge contribution from this research is a five-step learning process for developing Standard Thai pronunciation: Step 1 - Learning the principles, positions, and organs involved in sound production; Step 2 - Learning phonemes corresponding to the sound-producing organs; Step 3 - Comparing phonemes between the native language and Standard Thai to identify problematic sounds; Step 4 - Practicing pronunciation of problematic sounds in Standard Thai; and Step 5 - Assessing Standard Thai pronunciation based on phonetic approaches.