With the advent of the integrated ASEAN Community in
2015, Thai students have become more interested in learning ASEAN languages.
Although English is to be used as the working language of
ASEAN, the languages of various countries in the region are also important as
they will bring members of the ASEAN Community closer together.
Associate Professor Dr. Montira Rato, a lecturer at the
Faculty of Arts of Chulalongkorn University, cited the establishment of the
ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) as a major factor making Thai students pay
greater attention to ASEAN languages.
She said that more students at Chulalongkorn University
take the Vietnamese language as an elective subject each year. Previously, only
a few students at the Faculty of Arts chose to study Vietnamese, but now
students from other faculties, such as the Faculty of Engineering, the Faculty
of Law, and the Faculty of Economics, have enrolled in the Vietnamese language
course.
Dr. Montira, who is also Deputy Director of the Institute
of Asian Studies, Chulalongkorn University, said that the Vietnamese language
is not difficult to learn. Its sentence structure is similar to that of the
Thai language. Learners should seek opportunities to communicate with
Vietnamese speakers to make sure that they give each word its correct
pronunciation.
The Office of the Basic Education Commission earlier
reported that, among the ASEAN languages, Bahasa Malaysia has become the most
popular language among Thai schoolchildren, as it can be used for communication
with ASEAN people not only in Malaysia, but also in Indonesia and Brunei
Darussalam. The languages of neighboring countries, such as Cambodian, Lao,
Myanmar, and Vietnamese, are also being taught in many schools in Thailand.
While more Thais are interested in learning Vietnamese,
the Thai language is also a popular subject in Vietnam. The Office of the
Vocational Education Commission recently sent teachers to teach the Thai
language in Vietnam. Many Vietnamese believe that Thailand will become a trade
and investment center in ASEAN and that learning Thai will provide them with
good opportunities to do business with Thai companies. A number of Thai
factories are operating in Vietnam. Moreover, many Thai tourists visit Vietnam
each year. For these reasons, learning the Thai language is getting a boost in
Vietnam.
Meanwhile, the National Food Institute, an independent
organization under the Ministry of Industry, quoted a survey indicating that
Thai food products in the Vietnamese market stand a good chance for further
growth, as Vietnamese consumers recognize the quality of Thai products. This is
considered an advantage of Thai consumer goods, so they are likely to gain more
popularity in the Vietnamese market.
(thailand.prd.go.th)