Saiwaroon Chumpavan (Shinawatra University, Thailand)
Sirawich Tampanich (Srinakharinwirot University, Thailand)
Abstract
In a world where connections between individuals are increasingly strong, transcending national boundaries and fostering relationships across cultures has become crucial. This paper explores how technology and storytelling stimulate global empathy and reduce cultural distances. We discuss how digital platforms like social media and virtual reality enhance intercultural communication, allowing people to share their stories and perspectives, fostering empathy and mutual respect. Both digital and traditional storytelling are powerful tools for uniting individuals from diverse backgrounds. By sharing personal narratives, communities can develop greater understanding and compassion. The presentation showcases successful projects using storytelling to teach empathy and critical thinking, particularly to young people. Additionally, we examine the pros and cons of using technology to overcome cultural barriers, addressing challenges such as the digital divide, cultural misunderstandings, and ethical concerns in digital storytelling. Ultimately, the goal is to build empathy-based bridges and foster a more caring, unified global society.
ESBB Featured Session: Research Paper (In person; 25 minutes)
Culture & Cross-/Intercultural Perspectives
General interest
About the Presenters
Dr. Saiwaroon Chumpavan, an alumna of Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois, USA, has a rich academic background. She began her career in the Faculty of Humanities at Srinakharinwirot University in Bangkok, Thailand, where she dedicated several years to her work. In 2020, she made a transition to North Bangkok University, holding key administrative roles such as chair of the BA program in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and director of the master’s and doctoral programs in English Language Studies. After contributing her expertise to North Bangkok University for three years, she subsequently moved to Shinawatra University, where she presently imparts knowledge in the Faculty of Education. Her teaching responsibilities encompass both undergraduate and graduate students. For undergraduates, she instructs reading and writing, while graduate students benefit from her courses covering research in education, seminars on language teaching and learning, and theory and research in reading. Dr. Chumpavan specializes in elevating the English skills of Thai students through English as a foreign language (EFL) and evaluating the language proficiency of EFL teachers in Thailand.
Mr. Sirawich Tampanich is a graduate of Mahidol University, Thailand. He currently teaches English in the bachelor’s program in English in the Faculty of Humanities at Srinakharinwirot University in Bangkok, Thailand. His administrative position is the secretary of the BA program in English. He is also responsible for teaching undergraduate courses including academic writing and linguistics courses. He is interested in teaching writing and developing materials to help students in his writing classes to improve their abilities. His research agenda is focused on topics that deal with genre- and corpus-based approaches to academic writing research and pedagogy to improve the writing abilities of students in the English as a foreign language (EFL) environment. He is currently studying in the PhD program in linguistics at the Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
