Thai-Chinese Interpretation Online Course Design: Identifying and Accommodating Learners' Needs

In order to design Thai-Chinese interpretation online course, a survey was launched to examine the Thai learner needs. The authors analyzed the results by descriptive statistics analysis. The survey result shows that the most important learner need is to gain and improve interpreting skills and strategies. For the "advance preparation of interpretation (prior topic-specific knowledge)", the survey demonstrates that Thai learners prefer to learn more related to business, society and tourism, which are related to the respondents' career background. For the teaching and learning approach, from the survey Thai learners prefer interactive teaching approach. The results indicate that the framework of Thai-Chinese online course will be break the interpreting process down into discrete interpreting related skills, the paradigm of Thai-Chinese interpreting online course is student-centered approach and the social constructivist framework. Learners' interpreting capacities and skills are trained through interpreting exercises. Moodle can support learners interact with teachers and classmates online, encourage the learners self-directed learning.