A Comparative Study of Four Types of Sentence Structures of English and Shan Languages used in Ward 4 Panglong Town, Loilem Township, Shan State of Myanmar

บทคัดย่อ

This study investigates the syntactic structures of English and Shan, focusing on four primary types of sentence constructions. This research aimed to 1) examine the four types of sentence structures in both English and Shan languages and 2) compare how these sentence structures were used in Ward 4 Panglong Town, Loilem Township, Shan State of Myanmar. The population for this study consisted of 583 people living in Ward 4, Panglong Town. To determine a sample for a population of 583, the table suggests that a sample size of approximately 232 individuals was selected to complete the questionnaire; nevertheless, for various reasons, only 226 completed responses were available, so 226 were analyzed, and ten active participants were interviewed to answer the research questions. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used as instruments for data collection. The questionnaire gathered quantitative data from 226 respondents, while in-depth interviews provided qualitative data from ten individuals. The data analysis involved statistical methods, including frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation (SD) for quantitative data and content analysis for qualitative data.  

The general demographic of the respondents included 95 males and 131 females. The age distribution was as follows: 105 respondents (46.46%) were aged 15-25, 74 respondents (32.74%) were aged 26-30, and 47 respondents (20.79%) were aged over 31.

Findings Objective one: The data analysis revealed an average satisfaction score (mean = 42.22, SD = 958), and findings Objective two: The results for this objective showed an average score of (mean = 35.91, SD = 815), with most respondents agreeing with the statements related to this objective.

According to the research objectives. Thus, the average scores were found for all items: 674 (45.63%) strongly agree, 529 (36.17%) agree, 165 (11.14%) fairly agree, 71 (4.80%) disagree, and 39 (2.66%) do not agree at all.

The researcher has found that most people who had learned English and the Shan language were less likely to use these languages in everyday communication due to circumstances in their homes and communities. English was perceived as a language used primarily in schools and outside the country. In contrast, Shan, being their native language, posed no significant challenges. To use English effectively in communication, individuals need guidance and the confidence to practice it daily.