Implementing English as an International Language in EFL Contexts: A Qualitative Case Study of Teachers’ Challenges in Thai Secondary Education
Keywords:
English as an International Language (EIL), high-stakes assessment, Thai secondary education, Global Englishes, qualitative case studyAbstract
English as an International Language (EIL) emphasizes intelligibility, linguistic diversity, and intercultural communication. Yet in high-stakes secondary contexts, its integration often conflicts with examination-driven curricular structures. This qualitative case study investigates the challenges of implementing EIL in Thai secondary English classrooms, focusing on how curriculum and assessment requirements shape pedagogical practice. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis, and analyzed using qualitative content analysis to identify recurring themes and structural tensions. The findings reveal that although national curricula promote communicative competence, classroom practice is strongly regulated by high-stakes examinations, prescribed textbooks, and limited instructional time. These institutional pressures restrict opportunities to integrate EIL-informed practices, such as engagement with diverse English varieties and intercultural communicative tasks. Teachers demonstrate increasing awareness of EIL principles but must negotiate these ideals within an assessment-oriented system prioritizing standardized norms. The study extends Global Englishes scholarship by showing that EIL implementation in Expanding Circle settings is mediated by systemic assessment constraints rather than teacher disposition alone. By conceptualizing teachers as pedagogical mediators, the study underscores the need for closer alignment among curriculum policy, assessment design, and teacher education to enable sustainable EIL integration.
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