When English is no longer singular: Asian students’ journey to English plurality in Thai higher education

Despite extensive research on Global Englishes (GE) in English Language Teaching (ELT), relatively little attention has been given to how students from expanding-circle Asian countries perceive the practical implications of GE principles. To address this knowledge gap, this study examines how GE-oriented courses affected university students' conceptualisations of English plurality in Thai higher education. The analysis is based on qualitative data collected through semi-structured interviews and reflective journals from 15 participants across Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and China. The findings indicate that engagement with GE concepts led to significant changes across seven domains, including awakening awareness of Global Englishes, recognising the legitimacy of non-native varieties, moving beyond native speaker ideals, reimagining English ownership, building confidence in communicating through English diversity, celebrating cultural identity through English, and bringing local cultures into ELT classrooms. These developments suggest that GE courses can challenge entrenched native-speaker ideologies, support learners in affirming their linguistic and cultural identities, and prepare them for communication in English as a global lingua franca. Nevertheless, the broader adoption of GE remains constrained by limited teacher preparation, insufficient resources, and institutional resistance. The effective resolution of these barriers depends on structural reform and context-sensitive pedagogical strategies.