An Easy Way To Learning Thai?

[poorfarang]

Ive been in Thailand for 8 months or so and have picked up on some thai but never really had time to sit down and learn. I finally have some things situated and now I have time to actually sit down and spend a few hours a day on learning to speak and read thai language.

What has been your expirence as an easy way to do this? I have a friend who has been here for 3 months and just using a book and some tapes he can speak really really good. My thai friends tell me his tone is perfect as well and he seems to be able to carry on a conversation.

Im wondering if I should go the book/tape method or even try out a class for a while.

Can some veterans offer some advice for me please.

Thanks

[John K]

Thai is tonal, and some can learn from a book and other can’t. It depends on your unique learning abilities. I have been trying to set time aside but every time I do something come up. For me it would need to be about 1 hour a day in the morning with someone for the best results for me.

[meadish_sweetball]

Yep, morning lessons are generally the best. Tape and book can be good, but you need to make sure they teach you what you need to know.

A solid choice, not least for the very useful and lifelike topics of conversation is David Smythe's Teach Yourself Thai.

The only potential problem with this book is that it uses a transcription system that is totally off the wall in relation to Thai writing - it is intended to fit speakers of RP English. If you are American, Scottish, Irish, Australian or Kiwi, or, worse, if English is not your native language, your mileage with the transcription system may vary.

Of course, learning the alphabet with the correct sounds is the most efficient way, as you will then learn to associate words with their right Thai letters, and not with a transcription system.

James Higbie's and Smea Thinsan's Grammar of spoken Thai is a very good purchase when you have got the basics down.

In fact, I would suggest you get Smythe's book even if you decide to hire a teacher. Most Thai teachers will not be able to explain Thai so concisely to a foreigner as this learning material does, simply because they are not foreigners themselves and may have difficulty understanding your assumptions and problems.

Others have been happy with Becker's books - they are probably the most widely available learning tool. Personally, I still think Smythe is a notch better.

[robitusson]

Ive been in Thailand for 8 months or so and have picked up on some thai but never really had time to sit down and learn.  I finally have some things situated and now I have time to actually sit down and spend a few hours a day on learning to speak and read thai language.

What has been your expirence as an easy way to do this?  I have a friend who has been here for 3 months and just using a book and some tapes he can speak really really good.  My thai friends tell me his tone is perfect as well and he seems to be able to carry on a conversation.

Im wondering if I should go the book/tape method or even try out a class for a while.

Can some veterans offer some advice for me please.

Thanks

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Probably nothing you don't already know but longevity and perserverence are the keys here. Practising with locals and studying on your own regularly are easily as important as going to lessons. Try the Rossetta Stone CD-rom if you have access to a computer.

[poorfarang]

Probably nothing you don't already know but longevity and perserverence are the keys here. Practising with locals and studying on your own regularly are easily as important as going to lessons. Try the Rossetta Stone CD-rom if you have access to a computer.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I had rosetta stone, but I lost the cd with the actual thai files on it. Now I am stuck with just rosetta stone and no language files. I need to find that somewhere...

Thanks for the input guys. I would like to think I can focus and spend time on this everyday. This is something that I feel is important and interests me. My gf got me a Thai alphabet book that they use for kids, its hard stuff. My mind is just not used to a different alphabet yet.

[meadish_sweetball]

The alphabet book wont be much use without you learning and understanding the rules for how letters are strung together to form words, which is NOT as easy as left to right (I am sure you have already sussed that out).

Thai kids have the advantage over you that they already speak and are accustomed to the lingo when somebody puts the book under their nose. They will have a relation to the mnemonic objects that go with each consonant, etc. Second language learners generally do not learn a language in the same way a kid does.

As an adult (ideally) you have the advantage of being able to grasp abstract systems much quicker than a kid - because you have been introduced to several such systems already, and your brain is wired to quickly acquire another one.

Therefore, your learning is more likely to benefit from being presented with abstract systems that outline the language, instead of using the rote learning methods applied on Thai kids.

Smythe's book takes you through learning how to read and write simple words from the start. I really think it'd help you here. As for the Rosetta stone material, I havent looked at it so I am not sure how good it is.

[jing jing]

I think the best way to learn is in a classroom situation. If you try the books and tapes route without taking a class, it's awfully difficult to maintain the discipline to devote a few hours a day to studying, which is what it takes to pick up a language like Thai.

As to the original question- an "easy way" to learn Thai - I don't know that there really is an easy way... grammatically it's easy but phonetically it's quite difficult, and if you want to learn to read and write (which I believe is a must if you plan to live here for a long time), there are 32 vowels and 44 consonants to memorize along with the five different tones. Best to start off with the structure of a classroom environment and when you feel you're getting the hang of things, then move to a self-directed study program.

You say your friend has learned to speak conversational Thai with perfect tones in 3 months? I say Thai people will always compliment your Thai skills no matter how horribly you butcher the language. It's one of the things that makes you want to keep studying -- so that you can actually live up to the "you speak Thai so clearly" flattery that you hear so often.

[Neeranam]

I think that the best way to learn is to put yourself in a situation where you have to learn to survive or get things you want.

I've never been in a classroom, but did get a book to learn how to read - AUA , which I recommend. Get some Thai friends who can't speak English -get a gf/bf who can't speak English.

Trial and error seemed to work best with me. Although I'm not nearly fluent in Thai, I can usually get what I want now, after many years of asking for things, not understood. Trying to explain things that I didn't know the word for was good too. it is too easy for me to forget when I ask a bi-lingual person what the word is - I have to use it. the same for books - if I learn a new word I must try to use it or I forget. i try to use a new word the same day, even if it means starting up a silly conversation.

[poorfarang]

Is this a book that can be had at Asia books or one of the other local shops? Id be more then willing to pick it up and give it a shot.

[jing jing]

You won't learn to speak Thai from a book, even if you memorize the whole thing from cover to cover. Not gonna happen. As Neeranam said, you need to be in a situation where you're forced to use Thai to make yourself understood. If you go to a decent language school they will speak to you only in Thai and you will need to respond in Thai. Then and only then (in a Thai-only environment) will you begin to understand what Thai people are saying when they speak.

Something tells me the OP will still go buy a book, pick it up every so often while on the loo, and believes he will learn to speak conversational Thai with perfect tones in 3 months.

[buadhai]

The problem with Rosetta Stone is that if you're a good test taker (as I am) you can breeze right through, score great on all the tests and never learn any understandable Thai at all.

I can go through the Rosetta Stone CD in any mode (reading, listening or a combination of both) and almost always get near 100% on any lesson.

But, out on the street I can hardly read anything, no one understands anything I try to tell them and I don't understand anything anyone says to me.

Bottom line? I learned the Rosetta Stone CD, but I didn't learn Thai.

(Anyway, who ever needs to say something like: "The clown with red hair is putting on a blue shirt"?)

Yeah, I can say that. But, I never need to and even if I did, I'd pronounce it wrong and no one would understand it!

[poorfarang]

Something tells me the OP will still go buy a book, pick it up every so often while on the loo, and believes he will learn to speak conversational Thai with perfect tones in 3 months. lol

Why do you assume this? If you read my posts I clearly state that learning thai is something that I am truely interested in and passionate about. I am willing to put forth the time it takes everyday regardless if that means taking a class, getting a book, using software or a combonation of the 3. There is no reason for your ###### assumptions, if you have nothing of value to add then you can leave this thread.

[buadhai]

Something tells me the OP will still go buy a book, pick it up every so often while on the loo, and believes he will learn to speak conversational Thai with perfect tones in 3 months. lol

Why do you assume this? If you read my posts I clearly state that learning thai is something that I am truely interested in and passionate about. I am willing to put forth the time it takes everyday regardless if that means taking a class, getting a book, using software or a combonation of the 3. There is no reason for your ###### assumptions, if you have nothing of value to add then you can leave this thread.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Lighten up. It was supposed to by funny. Ironic.

[Neeranam]

Yeah "jai yen yen" .

Why not buy a book and some cds and try to practise as much with Thai people - and come on here with any questions, check out the pinned topic, "Let's learn one word a day"

[steveromagnino]

Something tells me the OP will still go buy a book, pick it up every so often while on the loo, and believes he will learn to speak conversational Thai with perfect tones in 3 months. lol

Why do you assume this? If you read my posts I clearly state that learning thai is something that I am truely interested in and passionate about. I am willing to put forth the time it takes everyday regardless if that means taking a class, getting a book, using software or a combonation of the 3. There is no reason for your ###### assumptions, if you have nothing of value to add then you can leave this thread.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

jai yen yen

All in good fun....

I suggest also consider:

- learn to read and then practise reading basic stuff out of kiddies books; the alphabet that sotr of thing...read to someone Thai and get them to correct you. The hardest bit won't be speaking, it will be comprehension and also speaking clearly

- stop transliteration as fast as possible; easier to just know the alphabet, and more chances to practise reading/tones

- as you advance further, the column in the BKK Post on every Tuesday is quite good; not sure if they still have the Thai fonts in it

- reading THai cartoons is not bad, or watching Doraemon or similar; simply because kid's language doesn't start going into more difficult language like balance sheets and stuff

- watch Thai soap operas and listen to Thai songs in spare time; try to give up on listening to western music or noise like Foreigner and Neil Diamond (he just does UB40 covers you know )

- school like AUA a must do; keeps you on the straight and narrow plus motivation to keep gonig as you meet friends who are at a similar level

- write a diary everyday, even if only a few words, and get someone to proof it. If i had actually done like my Aunt suggested, I could be great Thai writer, rather than terrible writer and average reader.....

I have heard only 1 farang ever speak Thai close to perfectly who didn't learn as a kid; a few farangs are pretty decent, but hard to eliminate the accent completely if you didn't grow up with it....same as I cannot speak with an American accent (didn't grow up there). But with some work, I think you can get quite decent quite fast. Good luck.

[poorfarang]

How do these classes work? Someone mentioned they speak only thai? Thats a bit scary. Reminds me of trying to learn spanish in HS with a teach who spoke only spanish. I didnt learn anything. Its a bit different nowadays though. I stayed with the brother of a thai friend who did not speak english and I learned a bit of thai over the course of 4-5 days, just picking up on words here and there.

[steveromagnino]

How do these classes work?  Someone mentioned they speak only thai?  Thats a bit scary.  Reminds me of trying to learn spanish in HS with a teach who spoke only spanish.  I didnt learn anything.  Its a bit different nowadays though.  I stayed with the brother of a thai friend who did not speak english and I learned a bit of thai over the course of 4-5 days, just picking up on words here and there.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I went to AUA for a while, but that I could already speak Thai badly...mostly went to improve pronounciation for my work.

THey speak Thai at all levels, with no english really. Actually most of the students aren't western, particularly in the upper levels they are mostly Japanese or CHinese (housewives, plus workers). There are a few english teachers at AUA that also join the classes.

The beginner classes also involve a lot of actions, so in a first lesson, you might learn hello, and then they repeat and repeat and gradually expand; it is 2 people talking back and forth, so you miss some, then understand some; maybe frustrating at the beginning or maybe boring, but it does work.

I know that my Thai got quite a bit clearer when I was going there a lot; mostly for my work I have to speak Thai so I could get away with talking and talking; at AUA it is more about listening in the learner classes, then in the advanced classes we used to have discussions about various things. Ghosts, social, upcountry, that sort of thing. I still remember the week we spent talking about assassins. Good times....even now I would say I would get something out of going to the classes... and while far from good my Thai is good enough to do press conferences and present concepts to clients, host weddings, play with the dog, gamble, etc.

Cheap too.

[Nepal4me]

I went to AUA for a while, but that I could already speak Thai badly...mostly went to improve pronounciation for my work.

THey speak Thai at all levels, with no english really.  Actually most of the students aren't western, particularly in the upper levels they are mostly Japanese or CHinese (housewives, plus workers). There are a few english teachers at AUA that also join the classes. 

The beginner classes also involve a lot of actions, so in a first lesson, you might learn hello, and then they repeat and repeat and gradually expand; it is 2 people talking back and forth, so you miss some, then understand some; maybe frustrating at the beginning or maybe boring, but it does work.

I know that my Thai got quite a bit clearer when I was going there a lot; mostly for my work I have to speak Thai so I could get away with talking and talking; at AUA it is more about listening in the learner classes, then in the advanced classes we used to have discussions about various things.  Ghosts, social, upcountry, that sort of thing.  I still remember the week we spent talking about assassins.  Good times....even now I would say I would get something out of going to the classes... and while far from good my Thai is good enough to do press conferences and present concepts to clients, host weddings, play with the dog, gamble, etc.

Cheap too.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Can you tell me a bit more about your experience at AUA, how many hours did you put in there, what levels did you study at?

I'm studying there now, have put in about 50 hours in the past 2.5 weeks. Not enough yet to make a judgement. I'm in level 3/4 as I've studied quite a lot over the past 2 years. In fact, I really should be in the higher level 5-10 class but I'm an incredibly slow learner..........actually, no. I'm slower than that. A couple of the guys in the class that have been there for 600 hours or so say it really does work so I'm going to persevere. I really have a hard time concentrating during the lessons, when you can't understand it's just so easy to drift off. I'd love to get your comments on your time at AUA. Thanks..........

[meadish_sweetball]

I have three friends who have tried Bangkok AUA's approach and they all agree it was not worthwhile.

Just listening has its merits, but it is only one piece of the puzzle that is language learning. In the case of Thai, if nobody explains Thai phonetics to you, you will find it very difficult to hear and figure out what features that Thai uses to distinguish between word A and B - you are wired in your own language and this wiring tries to fit everything you hear into the language system you have already mastered. Hence, many of us do not hear phonemic tones or 'silent' final consonants until we are told they are there, and for some, even though we know they are there, we still cant hear or produce them correctly.

I would contest that in most cases, 600 hours of intense, traditional language learning with reading, writing, drilling, spelling, talking and listening mixed and combined with language theory would be money much better spent, and more likely to improve your Thai than 600 hours at AUA.

Most of us have a TV at home with Thai soaps and news shows you can watch instead of paying to stare at two teachers enacting a show in front of you in a class room.

I do realize that a small number of people actually learn a lot from the so called natural approach that AUA Bangkok applies, but I have yet to meet one myself.

[steveromagnino]

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Can you tell me a bit more about your experience at AUA, how many hours did you put in there, what levels did you study at?

I'm studying there now, have put in about 50 hours in the past 2.5 weeks. Not enough yet to make a judgement. I'm in level 3/4 as I've studied quite a lot over the past 2 years. In fact, I really should be in the higher level 5-10 class but I'm an incredibly slow learner..........actually, no. I'm slower than that. A couple of the guys in the class that have been there for 600 hours or so say it really does work so I'm going to persevere. I really have a hard time concentrating during the lessons, when you can't understand it's just so easy to drift off. I'd love to get your comments on your time at AUA. Thanks..........

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm perhaps a little different, as while I am 1/2 Thai I never spoke Thai really at all until I moved back to Thailand. As in I could ask where the bathroom was, order pad thai and thank someone...about that level. My mother never spoke it as she is actually Chinese, and prefered to speak a small amount of CHinese (which i also cannot speak). I am also terrible at languages; of considerable surprise to my family as I was quite good at music which supposedly would help - didn't.

I do have family here though, so within about the first 6 months I had ok Thai, and learned reading and writing. I was here I think another year, then went to AUA at the request of the company I was working for, where speaking Thai clearly was a requirement (long story). They put me straight in the 5-10 class, so I didn't really ever lean much vocab; after being here a year I already had most of that bit down ok. never really didn't know what was going on.

So a little different to you. Probably did 200 hours in the 5-10 class so far; still have about 100 I haven't used yet should go back. but scared I will not have time

I'd say that with going 20 hours a week, you should be seeing some significant improvement.... you do need to keep concentrated though. If you are looking out the window and such...well that doesn't help. I also used to take notes in Thai; that helped so on the BTS home I would review my notes, and that helped. I also usde to find some teachers to be more interesting than others. The general stuff was a bit too much like talking to my family, so I enjoyed the cooking and ghosts and stuff like that.

Peter Hom was my favourite guy..very funny and always could keep my attention.

It is all relative. While Thai people often have no desire to learn supposedly, I'd say a lot of foreigners could learn the quality of patience. The classes in AUA are a good time to practise patience; it takes time to learn a language. You can speed it up with more study, but it is pretty hard IMHO to 'turbo' learn 30 hours of lessons in an hour without concentration, there isn't a magic pill or anything.

Stick at it; you can PM me if you want more info.

[Guest endure]

Couple of questions:

Do AUA Chiang Mai do the Thai course?

What's the approximate cost please?

[meadish_sweetball]

AUA Chiang Mai have a more traditional approach to teaching Thai. I took a special 4 week course with 4 others at the same level as part of my uni education. We studied 4 hours per day, 5 days per week in a classroom setting, and did our homework in the afternoon (we bought the newspaper and picked an article to translate until the next day, and had reading practice, translation methodology and free discussion around the subject of the article - we also did oral presentations on interesting subjects for each other.

That was the time in my life when my Thai evolved the most. Our teacher's name was Ajaan Maalee. She may be retired by now, but if she isn't, she comes highly recommended - she's been teaching Thai to foreigners for over 30 years and has a good command of English.

http://www.auathailand.org/chiangmai/ThaiLanguage.html

[Guest endure]

Thanks, Meadish. Looks interesting and good value too. I see you mention that you took the course as part of a uni education. Do you need to be up to Uni standard to study there? I'm just a vocational boy

[jing jing]

AUA is not the only Thai language school around, of course. The one I went to is at the bottom of the steps at the Thong Lor BTS station (on the even numbered soi side) and is called, reasonably enough, Thong Lor School.

There you have a choice of one-on-one or small group instruction; I opted for the latter and found myself in a group with 2 other students. One of them quit coming so there were only 2 of us in the group, total. They have their own very simple and cheap textbooks. The program is 3 hours per day, five days a week for two weeks; the first two hours are for speaking and the last is reading and writing.

Hey, OP... if you still want anything of value, I accept Paypal!

[meadish_sweetball]

Thanks, Meadish. Looks interesting and good value too. I see you mention that you took the course as part of a uni education. Do you need to be up to Uni standard to study there? I'm just a vocational boy 

Not at all, you definitely dont have to be a uni student - they welcome everyone. For us the course was a perfect way of going in-depth for a relatively small amount of money. Lessons cost a lot more in farangland.

[poorfarang]

Hey, OP... if you still want anything of value, I accept Paypal! 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I do apreciate your input in this thread as well as everyone else's

So it looks like we have a few different views in this thread in regards to thai classes. Im in Rachadamri so hoping on the bts to attend a class would be very easy and I could do it everyday for a few hours. Im not sure if I like the format of just watching two Thai's talk in front of the group and learning that way. I just dont know if my brain can handle that right now. I think I need to better prepare myself before I enter into something like this so I have a batter chance learning more from the program. This might mean using a book/software everyday for a few weeks and then I might be slightly more confident.

[Kathe]

AUA Chiang Mai have a more traditional approach to teaching Thai. I took a special 4 week course with 4 others at the same level as part of my uni education. We studied 4 hours per day, 5 days per week in a classroom setting, and did our homework in the afternoon (we bought the newspaper and picked an article to translate until the next day, and had reading practice, translation methodology and free discussion around the subject of  the article - we also did oral presentations on interesting subjects for each other.

That was the time in my life when my Thai evolved the most. Our teacher's name was Ajaan Maalee. She may be retired by now, but if she isn't, she comes highly recommended - she's been teaching Thai to foreigners for over 30 years and has a good command of English.

http://www.auathailand.org/chiangmai/ThaiLanguage.html

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks Meadish Sweetball( Scool ) for your informative stuffs, it 's rising me to do something. One question, I would really like to teach Thai, but I have to collect many interesting stuffs first. I never teach Thai to foreigner only teach German to thai people here where I am living now. Could you give me any advise, how to prepare my Teaching programme, what is important ? As you said a good book from David Smythe, where can I get this book ? Please give me some idea and hints that I can manage my Thai Text Book in advance before offering my Thai Teaching Course here. I just have experiences in other languages to teach but not my own language...who knows, I might enjoy this and soon happy to do this in the near future.