Introduction

One difficulty in teaching in the provinces is finding appropriate textbooks that match my students’ educational needs. Most English books at our Rajabhat University library were written with western readers in mind, and the textbooks on Bangkok shelves tend to be overpriced. Students show little interest in reading these western-biased publications. In consequence, I send students into the local community to produce material of their own. As a teaching method, I required students to conduct ethnographic interviews with their elders. They communicated this data back to me in written reports, which I edited and consolidated into simpler paragraphs. This material can be later reworked to match the appropriate Thai age group or to emphasize certain grammatical structures. Likewise, teachers can also add appropriate vocabulary words, related sidebars, or photographs as they see fit. The general idea of this community-based learning is to have students produce their own educational tools and share it with future classes. The reports are the outcome of these ethnographic interviews.

Students have gathered ethnographic interviews about a number of topics during this semester. The initial goal was for them to produce information about the Ayutthaya province, and to practice English skills by communicating about their research with me. These reports were community-based learning involving interviews with their elders. At first, I persuaded them to discuss their family’s origins in the Ayutthaya province. I followed this exercise up with ethnographies about generational differences in education, so that they could appreciate their modern opportunity to learn. I was surprised with the positive results that I got. Many students put extra effort into the assignment. They produced valid research rather than material copied on-line. Before long, I could see potential in continuing with ethnographies as a teaching method. This is why I have decided to share this date with others on this website. Readers should also get a better grasp of Ayutthaya and its people.  

The focus was placed on the relationship between the environment and each student’s village. There are some minor inaccuracies for the time being, but we can fine tune it later. The primary goal at this point is to inspire communication. Ultimately, this information will illustrate the diversity and changing face of Ayutthaya.

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