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RESEARCH ARTICLE

The Survey of British English and American English Vocabulary


Usage of Thai Students
Nantana Sittirak1 and Suthida Pornjamroen2

M.A.(Language and Culture for Communication and Development), Lecturer,


E-mail: nantana.si@psu.ac.th
2
M.Ed.(Teaching English as a Foreign Language), Lecturer,
Faculty of Commerce and Management, Prince of Songkla University
1

Abstract
This research is aimed at surveying the knowledge of British English and American English vocabulary
usage of Thai students in terms of spelling, classification, and meaning, as well as presenting the problems of
British and American English vocabulary usage of Thai students. The samples consisted of 400 freshmen,
sophomores, juniors, and seniors from Chiang Mai University, Khon Kaen University, Srinakharinwirot
University and Prince of Songkla University at Trang Campus. These students were studying in the second
semester of the academic year 2006, and were selected by systematic sampling. The method used for collecting
data were questionnaires, and the data was then analyzed by descriptive statistics. The findings were as follows:
1) In terms of spelling, out of 7 selected words, only 2 could be answered correctly by more than 50 per cent of
the students. In terms of vocabulary classification, out of 25 selected words, only 8 could be answered correctly
by more than 50 per cent of the students, and in terms of meaning, out of 5 pairs of selected words, more than
50 per cent of the students gave the incorrect answers. Furthermore, there were a significant number of the
students who were unable to specify whether the selected words were British or American spellings, whether
Songklanakarin Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities 15(4) Jul. - Aug. 2009 : 559 - 575
7 2551 - 5 2551
5 2552

Songklanakarin J. of Social Sciences & Humanities


Vol. 15 No. 4 Jul. - Aug. 2009

560

The Survey of British English and American English...


Nantana Sittirak and Suthida Pornjamroen

the selected words were British or American, and whether the selected words had the same meaning.
Consequently, they put the check in the unsure columns on the first two parts of the questionnaire. In addition,
there was another group of students who were unable to provide any answers; as a result, they put the check in
the unanswerable columns on the first two parts of the questionnaire while they gave no answers on the third
part of the questionnaires. 2) The selected groups of the students had problems with British and American
spelling, vocabulary classification, and meaning at a high level.
Keywords: American English, British English, vocabulary

.
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561

1 2

.. ( ), ,
E-mail: nantana.si@psu.ac.th
2
.. (), ,

1



1-4 2
2549 4
400

1)


50 2 7
50 8
25 5 50

2)


: , ,

Songklanakarin J. of Social Sciences & Humanities


Vol. 15 No. 4 Jul. - Aug. 2009

562







(2003, 106)



19
20







20



75


(2537, 12-13)

The Survey of British English and American English...


Nantana Sittirak and Suthida Pornjamroen

..2424





(2003, 106)

.
15 4 .. - .. 2552

...

563


80




563



(British English)
(American English)








flat apartment
(Hornby, 2005, 587)
organization z
organisation
s




(Chaleo Ekniyom, 2006)











Songklanakarin J. of Social Sciences & Humanities


Vol. 15 No. 4 Jul. - Aug. 2009

564






Please give
me the rubber.

Please give me the eraser.

rubber
(Hornby, 2005, 1328)









(concept)

The Survey of British English and American English...


Nantana Sittirak and Suthida Pornjamroen

1.



2.


1.

2.

3.

1.

2.

3.

.
15 4 .. - .. 2552

...

565

1.

565
2

1
2


Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Vocabulary Notebook
A
Z
1

8
1
2

207

1


25
3

5


(pre-test) 20

1-4


2.









1-4
2 2549 25
(systematic sampling)
10
25
10

10
25
100
400
3.


1.

Songklanakarin J. of Social Sciences & Humanities


Vol. 15 No. 4 Jul. - Aug. 2009

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The Survey of British English and American English...


Nantana Sittirak and Suthida Pornjamroen

58.5
117 29.25
1
47 11.75 2
0.5
( 1)
117 29.25
1. aluminium ( cheque)
223
4. colour
55.75 231
105 26.25 57.75
71 17.75 1 124 31
0.25 43 10.75 2
223 55.75 0.5
231
( aluminum)
2. arty 57.75 ( color)
113 28.25
5. jewelry
163 163
40.75 123 40.75
30.75 1 161 40.25
0.25 72 18 4
113 28.25 1
161 40.25
( artsy)
3. check ( jewellery)
234
6. kerb
1

1. aluminium
2. arty
3. check
4. colour
5. jewelry
6. kerb
7. math
8. tyre


223
113
234
231
163
93
198
119

55.75
28.25
58.5
57.75
40.75
23.25
49.5
29.75


105
163
117
124
161
171
134
173

26.25
40.75
29.25
31
40.25
42.75
33.5
43.25

71
123
47
43
72
135
68
108

17.75
30.75
11.75
10.75
18
33.75
17
27

1
1
2
2
4
2
-

0.25
0.25
0.5
0.5
1
0.5
-

.
15 4 .. - .. 2552

...

567

93 23.25
171
42.75 135
33.75 2

0.5 567
93 23.25
( curb)
7. math
198 49.5
134
33.5 68
17
134 33.5 (
maths)
8. tyre
119 29.75
173
43.25
108 27
119
29.75 ( tire)
8

50
2 aluminium colour
55.75 57.75

400
8
10.75
33.75
6 0.25 1
2.

2
2

1. aeroplane
223 55.75
113
28.25 63
15.75 1
0.25
223 55.75
( airplane)
2. biscuit
227 56.75
126
31.5 46
11.5 1
0.25
227 56.75 (
cookie)
3. crisp
191 47.75
137
34.25 7
17.75 1
0.25
191 47.75 (
potato chip)
4. drugstore
216 54
114
28.5 64
16 6
1.5

Songklanakarin J. of Social Sciences & Humanities


Vol. 15 No. 4 Jul. - Aug. 2009

568

The Survey of British English and American English...


Nantana Sittirak and Suthida Pornjamroen

1. aeroplane
2. biscuit
3. crisp
4. drugstore
5. elevator
6. flat
7. grill
8. holiday
9. icing sugar
10. janitor
11. knickers
12. letterbox
13. movie
14. notice board
15. operating room
16. petrol
17. queue
18. rubber
19. schedule
20. tick
21. underground
22. vest
23. windscreen
24. yard
25. zip


223
227
191
216
204
261
157
271
196
161
154
248
225
221
249
158
108
235
194
199
263
181
166
159
159

55.75
56.75
47.75
54
51
65.25
39.25
67.75
49
40.25
38.5
62
56.25
55.25
62.25
39.5
27
58.75
48.5
49.75
65.75
45.25
41.5
39.75
39.75


113
126
137
114
109
84
143
94
117
121
113
65
124
90
87
138
191
94
132
94
90
106
128
139
148

114 28.5 (
chemists)
5. elevator
204 51
109
27.25 85
21.25 2
5

28.25
31.5
34.25
28.5
27.25
21
35.75
23.5
29.25
30.25
28.25
16.25
31
22.5
21.75
34.5
47.75
23.25
33
23.5
22.5
26.5
32
34.75
37

63
46
71
64
85
53
97
32
86
115
129
85
50
81
60
102
99
70
70
104
46
110
103
101
92

15.75
11.5
17.75
16
21.25
13.25
24.25
8
21.5
28.75
32.25
21.25
12.5
20.25
15
25.5
24.75
17.5
17.5
26
11.5
27.5
25.75
25.25
23

1
1
1
6
2
2
3
3
1
3
4
2
1
8
4
2
2
1
4
3
1
3
3
1
1

0.25
0.25
0.25
1.5
0.5
0.5
0.75
0.75
0.25
0.75
1
0.5
0.25
2
1
0.5
0.5
0.25
1
0.75
0.25
0.75
0.75
0.25
0.25

109 27.25 (
lift)
6. flat
261 65.25
84
21 53
13.25 2
0.5

.
15 4 .. - .. 2552

...

569

261 65.25 ( 154 38.5


apartment)
113
7. grill 28.25 129
157 39.25 32.25 4


569143 1
35.75 97 154 38.5 (
24.25 3 0.75 panties)

12. letterbox
143 35.75 ( 248 62
barbecue)
65
8. holiday 16.25 85
271 67.75 21.25 2
94 0.5
23.5 32 248 62 (
8 3 mailbox)
0.75
13. movie
271 67.75 ( 225 56.25
vacation)
124
9. icing sugar 31 50
196 49 12.5 1
117 0.25
29.25 86 124 31 (
21.5 1 film)
0.25
14. notice board
196 49 ( 221 55.25
confectioners sugar)
90
10. janitor 22.5 81
161 40.25 20.25 8
121 2
30.25 115 221 55.25 (
28.25 3 bulletin board)
0.75
15. operating room
121 30.25 ( 249
62.25 87
caretaker)
11. knickers 21.75 60

Songklanakarin J. of Social Sciences & Humanities


Vol. 15 No. 4 Jul. - Aug. 2009

570

15 4
1
87 21.75 (
operating theatre)
16. petrol
158 39.5
138
34.5 102
25.5 2
0.5
158 39.5 (
gasoline)
17. queue
108 27
191
47.75 99
24.75 2
0.5
108 27 (
line)
18. rubber
235 58.75
94
23.25 70
17.5 1
0.25
235 58.75 (
eraser)
19. schedule
194 48.5
132
33 70 17.5
4 1
132
33 ( timetable)

The Survey of British English and American English...


Nantana Sittirak and Suthida Pornjamroen

20. tick
199 49.75
94
23.5 104
26 3 0.75

199 49.75 (
check)
21. underground
263 65.75
90
22.5 46
11.5 1
0.25
263 65.75 (
subway)
22. vest
181 45.25
106
26.5 110
27.5 3 0.75

181 45.25 (
undershirt)
23. windscreen
166 41.5
128
32 103
25.75 3
0.75
166 41.5 (
windshield)
24. yard
159 39.75
139

.
15 4 .. - .. 2552

...

571

34.75 101
25.25 1
0.25
139 34.75 (
garden) 571
25. zip
159 39.75
148
37 92 23
1 0.25
159
39.75 ( zipper)
25

50
8 aeroplane
55.75 biscuit 56.75 flat
65.25 holiday 67.75 letterbox
62 notice board 55.25
rubber 58.75 underground
65.75
400

25 8 32.25

0.25 2
3.


10




5

3
3

1. flat
apartment
72 18

1. flat
2. gasoline
3. hire
4. rent
5. cookie
6. petrol
7. vacation
8. apartment
9. biscuit
10. holiday

Songklanakarin J. of Social Sciences & Humanities


Vol. 15 No. 4 Jul. - Aug. 2009

572

The Survey of British English and American English...


Nantana Sittirak and Suthida Pornjamroen

1. flat
apartment
2. petrol
gasoline
3. hire
rent
4. biscuit
cookie
5. vacation
holiday

72

18

312

78

16

45

11.25

277

69.25

78

19.5

40

10

299

74.75

61

15.25

30

7.5

358

89.5

12

87

21.75

307

76.75

1.5

312 78
16 4
2. petrol
gasoline
45 11.25
277 69.25
78 19.5
3. hire
rent 40
10
299 74.75
61 15.25
4. biscuit
cookie
30 7.5
358 89.5
12 3
5. vacation
holiday
87 21.75
307 76.75
6 1.5


50

1.5
19.5







50 2
7

50 8 25
5
50

.
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...

573






573

(Richard Frost, 2007)






(Pavicic, 1999 Pavicic, n.d.)
(Marianne Celce-Marcia, 1991, 308)











(Marianne Celce-Marcia, 1991, 302-303)





(Chaleo
Ekniyom, 2006)



Songklanakarin J. of Social Sciences & Humanities


Vol. 15 No. 4 Jul. - Aug. 2009

574


(Chaleo
Ekniyom, 2006)

1 1


The Survey of British English and American English...


Nantana Sittirak and Suthida Pornjamroen

. (2537). .
: .
Chaleo Ekniyom. (2006). British English or American
English or Both? World Congress on the
Power of Language, Queen Sirikit National
Convention Center. 24 May.

.
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575

Crystal, D., (2003). The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Marianne, C.E., (1991). Teaching English as a
the English Language. (2nd ed). England:
Second or Foreign Language. USA: Heilnle
& Heilnle Publishers.
Cambridge University Press.
Frost, R., (2007). Teaching English. (online). Pavicic, V., (n.d.) Teaching English (online).
Available: http://www. teachingenglish.
Available: http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/
575
org.uk/think/vocabulary. Accessed: [2008,
think/vocabulary. Accessed: [2008, January 18]
Hornby, A.S., (2005). Oxford Advanced Learnerss
January 18]
th
Dictionary. ( 7 ed.). Oxford: Oxford
University Press.

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