Page 126 - The lraternational Journal of the Royal Society of Thailand.indd

The International Journal of the Royal Society of Thailand
Volume XV-2023

Introduction

VUCA was recently introduced, and it has received growing attention among
scholars in many disciplines. The term is an acronym that stands for volatility,
uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (Hausberg, 2013) and is used to describe
situations that are characterized by these qualities. Moreover, the term VUCA refers

to the fourth industrial revolution, marked by the widespread use of computers,
new technologies and the Internet in business (Nikolic & Milovanovic, 2021). The VUCA
world has been continuing for a long time, but the COVID-19 pandemic has
accelerated the pace of change.

It goes without saying that COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on nearly

every aspect of society, from healthcare and social interactions to the economy and
education. The pandemic emphasizes the VUCA nature of the world. The rapid spread
of the virus and the resulting global pandemic has caused unprecedented levels of
volatility and uncertainty to many sectors around the world as they had to respond to
a changing situation with little precedent (Minciu et al, 2019).

In an educational setting, the pandemic has had a particularly significant impact

on both teachers and students’ sides. In early 2020, schools and universities had to shift
to remote or online learning, either partially or fully, in order to comply with public
health guidelines and prevent the spread of the pandemic. Remarkably, the emergence
of the COVID-19 pandemic has left educational institutions with the challenge of

preparing students who are prepared and able to adapt to VUCA situations.

In the linguistic arena, the adoption of new terms and phrases such as social
distancing, self-quarantine, lockdown, or virtual learning is one of examples that
highlights the changing nature of the VUCA world. Moreover, to maintain physical
distancing and avoid large gatherings, traditional in-person classes have been replaced
by virtual ones. This has led to an increase in the use of technology in a classroom such

as video conferencing platforms, learning management systems, and self-directed
asynchronous learning games. Undeniably, the classroom experience after the COVID-19
pandemic is likely to be different from the pre-pandemic one.

In this regard, questions about how to prepare an English language learner for
the VUCA world arise among teachers and practitioners. This paper, then, examines

such challenges and opportunities in more detail and explores strategies and techniques
for effective English language teaching in a VUCA environment, especially in Thai
context where English is a foreign language (EFL). Also, it discusses the importance of
continuing professional development for EFL teachers in this matter.

118 Teaching English in a VUCA World