The The Analysis of Headlines in Thai Daily Newspapers: Thairath, Komchadluek, and Naewna

Abstract

            This study aimed to analyze the sentence structure and word choices in the headlines of Thai daily newspaper, to construct the exercise package for Chinese students learning Thai language at Chiang Rai Rajabhat University. The data source recruited 276 issues of Thai daily newspapers i.e. Thairath, Komchadluek, and Naewna. The population was Chinese students learning Thai language at Chiang Rai Rajabhat University. The research instruments were analysis tabular forms for analyzing sentence structure, word choices and language use appeared in the headlines of Thai daily newspapers. The results showed that:

1. The mostly found sentence structure in the headlines of Thai daily newspapers were sentence beginning with noun 131 issues accounting for 47.46%, followed by sentence beginning with verb 129 issues accounting for 46.74%, sentence beginning with modifiers 8 issues accounting for 2.90%, and sentence beginning with conjunction 1 issue accounting for 0.36% respectively.
2. The analysis of word choices in the headlines of Thai daily newspapers comprised 5 types: 1) Use of person’s name by addressing the person’s real name 29 issues, nickname 47 issues, position 48 issues, profession 63 issues, organization 48 issues; 2) Use of antonomasia 2 issues; 3) Use of abbreviation 121 issues; 4) Use of short form 34 issues; 5) Use of foreign words in descending order i.e. Pali, English, Sanskrit, Khmer, Pali & Sanskrit, Mon, Chinese, Portugal and Japanese.
3. The efficiency of the constructed exercise packages on Thai Language Use in the Headlines of Thai Daily Newspaper revealed that Exercise Package No.1 Sentence Structure showed efficiency scores at 80.5/85.65, No.2 Word Choices showed efficiency scores at 82.79/86.65, and No.3 Foreign Language showed efficiency scores at 81.72/87.35.