The Communicative Predicaments and Coping Mechanisms of Filipino Teachers in Thailand

Abstract ―​

Filipinos are highly recognized in other countries not only for their skills but also for their profound competence in academics especially in teaching the English language. Filipino educators are in high demand worldwide as more non-English speaking nations such as Japan, China, South Korea, and Thailand extend their curricula to include the English language as one of their subjects. This qualitative research employed the descriptive design and administered a semi-structured interview to eight (8) Filipino teachers working in Thailand. The participants are randomly selected among teachers who are Filipinos teaching in primary, secondary, and tertiary schools, and language centers teachers in Thailand for at least two years. The findings of the study indicated that Filipino teachers in Thailand experience various communicative problems such as language barriers, preferential treatment, racial prejudice, and intercultural differences. Thus, Filipino teachers apply coping mechanisms in adjusting to the cultural differences that led to communicative predicaments in Thailand. Filipino teachers found different coping mechanisms to be able to adapt to their environment such as code switching, repetition, speaking slower, and approximation of the words that they use in communicating with the local people. It is found that these helped them adjust and adapt to their living situations. The identified experiences and problems of the Filipino teachers in Thailand are intercultural communication sensitiveness which is the commonly recommended coping mechanism of the Filipino teachers in the communicative predicaments mentioned. Therefore, it is recommended to better understand Thailand; teachers can take advantage of the country's low cost of living and vacation opportunities to gain deeper understanding of Thai culture which will help them avoid misunderstandings.