ACADEMIC AND CONTEXTUAL DIMENSIONS OF PERCEIVED LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF ENGLISH AND CHINESE AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN PHUKET
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This study examines how academic and contextual dimensions influence perceived English and Chinese language proficiency among secondary school students in public schools in Phuket, guided by Communicative Language Teaching (CLT). Drawing from an accessible population of 2,693 students across five schools, Yamane's formula required a minimum sample of 348 students; however, 533 completed and usable responses were obtained. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire with content validity confirmed by three experts (IOC > 0.50). The data were then analyzed using exploratory factor analysis and multiple regression. Results revealed that academic dimensions—such as curriculum, assessment, and instructional exposure—consistently and significantly predicted all language skills in both English and Chinese. In contrast, contextual dimensions—including teaching style, teacher characteristics, and school support—significantly enhanced all English skills but showed weaker and inconsistent effects for Chinese, particularly in speaking. These findings reveal a structural asymmetry: English benefits from both academic and contextual support, whereas Chinese remains largely dependent on academic structures due to limited institutional readiness. The study extends CLT by demonstrating that the effectiveness of contextual factors depends on institutional conditions and that the academic–contextual distinction varies across languages. The findings suggest practical implications for Chinese teacher development, communicative curriculum design, and language-enriched school environments in tourism-driven contexts.
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