Manutsat Paritat: Journal of Humanities

The Concept of Mother India: The Images of Women in the Short Story “My Mother Pattu” of Saras Manickam

Sirivijit Pantrakul — 2025-06-27

This article examines the portrayal of women across three generations, Grandmother, Mother Pattu, and Lalita, in Saras Manickam's “My Mother Pattu,” through the concept of 'Mother India.' The study shows how these women embody characteristics linked to both the kind Shakti and fierce Samashan Kali. These two images reflect the complex and contrasting ideals of 'Mother India.' The traditional 'Mother India' belief, maintained by Tamil migrants in Malaysia, shapes intergenerational relationships and creates conflict within the family, particularly between the grandmother and Mother Pattu. However, the granddaughter Lalita emerges as a modern 'Mother India,' serving as a light for society. Her empathy and ability to reconcile diverse community beliefs challenge outdated notions of daughters bringing sorrow, and she becomes the center of a community where people with diverse beliefs coexist. Importantly, she restores happiness and demonstrates how women can live their lives in diverse societies beyond rigid social norms.

Zur Kollokationsbewusstheit und zum Kollokationsbewusstsein bei thailändischen DaF-Studierenden im Vergleich verschiedener Jahrgänge

Rasmus Teroerde — 2025-06-27

Research in the field of German as a foreign language has long been concerned with the linguistic phenomenon of collocations, which has gained new relevance particularly in the context of the so-called "Wortschatzwende" or “vocabulary turn”. There has been considerable focus on the concept of collocational competence, defined as the ability to reflexively and productively master collocations. However, less attention has been given to what underpins collocational competence. From the author’s perspective, the concepts of "collocational awareness" and "collocational consciousness" play a central role in developing collocational competence among learners. Therefore, this paper demonstrates, through a study involving participants from various undergraduate cohorts, what levels of collocational awareness and consciousness the participants possess, and whether both aspects are enhanced in a comparative analysis of the cohorts, even within the context of an implicit approach to the subject in teaching and therefore without explicit instruction. In the course of the present article, the concept of collocation will first be redefined, and the current state of research will be presented, upon which the study is based. This study includes a questionnaire to assess collocational awareness and a test to evaluate collocational consciousness. Following the study, key reasons for making collocations explicit in DaF (German as a foreign language) instruction will be presented, along with strategies for enhancing collocational awareness and consciousness. Finally, a conclusion and a perspective on the future of teaching collocations in DaF will be formulated based on the results of the study.

The Naming of Lanna Food in Chiang Mai Province and Tai Yai Food in Taunggyi, Shan State

Thu Zar Oo — 2025-06-27

This research aims to compare the components and structures of Lanna food names with Tai Yai food names. Data for Lanna food names were collected from the Lanna Food Database website of Chiang Mai University, totaling 153 names. Data for Tai Yai food names were obtained through interviews with Tai Yai individuals in Taunggyi, Shan State, resulting in 131 names. The component analysis revealed that Lanna food names have six components, while Tai Yai food names have seven components. The majority of these components pertain to ingredients and methods of preparation. In terms of the number of components, both Lanna and Tai Yai food names most frequently consist of two components. Structurally, Lanna food names can be categorized into five types. Most Lanna food names start with the "method of preparation," followed by names starting with the "type of food." In contrast, Tai Yai food names can be divided into four types, with most names starting with the "ingredient type," followed by names starting with the "type of food." It is evident that while Lanna and Tai Yai food names share similar components, they often differ in their structural patterns. This research highlights the culinary cultures of the Lanna and Tai Yai people, reflecting both the shared characteristics of the Tai ethnic groups and the unique aspects of their local cultures.

The Effects of Digital Project-based Learning on EFL Students’ Pronunciation

Phinyarat Phokaew — 2025-06-27

This research study examined the impact of integrating technology into project-based learning, specifically digital project-based learning (DPBL), in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom. The primary objective was to explore the effects of DPBL on students’ pronunciation, particularly focusing on final sounds. Additionally, the study sought to gather students’ opinions about their experience with DPBL. The participants comprised 35 ninth-grade students from a public school, selected through a purposive sampling method. The instruments employed included lesson plans, a task, a pronunciation test, and a questionnaire. Quantitative data were analyzed using mean scores, standard deviations, and a dependent samples t-test, while qualitative data were assessed through content analysis. The results highlighted the promising potential of applying DPBL in the EFL classroom. Specifically, the mean score of the posttest (40.80) was significantly higher than that of the pretest (16.54) at the 0.5 level. Furthermore, all students expressed positive opinions about this teaching method. This study suggests that project-based learning, coupled with technology, can enhance the language acquisition process for EFL students.

A Linguistic Study of Brand Names of Oral Care Products in Thailand

Sirawit Nimkanjana — 2025-06-27

Linguistics plays a crucial role in brand names of products to persuade consumers. Oral care products which are necessary items of humans’ health worldwide seem to have English brand names because of the language of modernization and marketing. This qualitative and quantitative research thus studies the way brand names of domestic and imported oral care products in Thailand are linguistically formed. It aims to analyze word formation strategies and semantic characteristics in the brand names of domestic and imported oral care products in the country. A total of 62 brands were morphologically examined using Yule's (2010) theory and were semantically investigated using Leech's (1981) work. The results showed that the oral care products are branded with different word formation processes – coinage, borrowing, compounding, blending, conversion, derivation (affixation), and multiple processes. Moreover, their brand names are outstanding as they have affective, social, conceptual, connotative, reflective, collocative, and thematic meanings. Overall, this study contributes to an understanding of linguistic elements and conveys the brand’s image and values presented in the oral care products in Thailand. This will also enrich the prominence of English in branding in the oral care industry.