JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE, RELIGION AND CULTURE

The The Use of First-Person Pronouns in Isan Creative Speech

Itsarate Dolphen — 2026-05-15

This study examines the use of first-person pronouns in Isan Creative Speech; a stylized public speaking genre performed in the Thai-Isan dialect in northeastern Thailand. Creative speech is a competitive rhetorical performance that combines persuasive discourse, cultural storytelling, and regional identity expression. While previous research on Thai pronouns has focused primarily on everyday interaction and politeness strategies, relatively few studies have investigated pronoun use in performative speech contexts.

The objectives of this study are threefold: (1) to identify the forms of first-person pronouns used in Isan Creative Speech, (2) to analyze the frequency and distribution of these pronouns, and (3) to examine their sociolinguistic functions in terms of identity construction, personal positioning, and rhetorical stance. The study adopts a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative frequency analysis and qualitative discourse analysis. The dataset consists of 30 speeches from the Creative Isan Speech Contest held between 2021 and 2023 (Data collected by Ploypailin Ponsongkhor).

The findings reveal five first-person pronouns, namely เฮา /haw/, ผม /phǒm/, ข่อย /khɔ̀j/, ข้อย /khɔ̂j/, and ดิฉัน /dìʔ-chǎn/. Among these forms, เฮา /haw/ overwhelmingly dominates the dataset, accounting for 90.8% of all pronoun tokens. This pattern reflects a strong orientation toward collective identity construction and in-group alignment with the audience. Less frequent pronouns, such as ผม /phǒm/, ข่อย /khɔ̀j/, ข้อย /khɔ̂j/, and ดิฉัน /dìʔ-chǎn/, are used strategically to express personal stance, gender identity, or rhetorical emphasis.

By integrating quantitative distribution with discourse-level interpretation, the study demonstrates that first-person pronoun choice functions as an important rhetorical resource in Isan Creative Speech, enabling speakers to construct social identity, express cultural values, and strengthen audience engagement.

Language Use in Songs of Public All-Boys Schools and Desirable Masculine Ideology

Thinnawat Sroikudrua — 2026-05-15

This study aims to investigate language use in songs of state all-boys schools and to explain the role of language in constructing desirable masculinity within the Thai educational context. The study adopts a qualitative approach, employing textual analysis and discourse-oriented perspectives as analytical frameworks. The data consist of six institutional songs from two state all-boys schools, namely Suankularb Wittayalai School and Debsirin School, selected based on their recurrent use in institutional ceremonies and activities. The analysis focuses on linguistic features at the lexical and phrasal levels, including collective reference and pronoun use, evaluative vocabulary, and modal expressions indicating appropriateness or obligation, in order to examine the relationship between linguistic form, meaning, and ideology. The findings reveal that evaluative and moral expressions are more prominent than explicit directive forms. Such a hierarchical arrangement of linguistic prominence contributes to naturalizing institutional ideology and rendering it acceptable as a normative framework. Furthermore, language in these songs plays a crucial role in constructing desirable masculinity across multiple dimensions, including moral integrity, institutional loyalty, achievement within institutional norms, and the voluntary acceptance of institutional regulation. The study highlights the significance of linguistic organization in ideological transmission and contributes to a deeper understanding of the relationship between language and ideology in contemporary Thai educational contexts.

“Sae” A Symbol of Chinese Identity among Thai-Chinese People in Thai Society

Thumwadee Siripanyathiti — 2026-05-20

“Sae”, the Chinese surname, serves as a significant cultural symbol reflecting the roots, history, and origin of the Chinese people in Thai society. It functions as an indicator of kinship, lineage, and the maintenance of a collective identity for the Thai-Chinese community in Thailand. The persistence of “sae” plays a crucial role in strengthening ethnic bonds and promoting the continuation of Chinese customs and traditions to subsequent generations. Although the adoption of Thai-style surnames has replaced the traditional “sae,” it still appears in its phonetic form or as part of newly established surnames. This illustrates the adaptation of overseas Chinese in Thai society while harmoniously preserving their original identity.