What are my next steps for improving my thai language literacy?

[jack71]

Ive been here 7 to 8 years. Im well above beginners level in general conversation but finding it tough to improve more. My wife doesnt have time and is a poor teacher anyway. I should practice more with my kid but forget most of the time. 

 

I had a good teacher a few years ago but I started to fancy her a bit and think she noticed; and due to fear of something happening as a married man I quit her services. She was a good teacher and I cant find anyone as good as her actually. 

 

I have a new teacher now and she's been helping me learn the thai alphabet. She is also quite pretty but Im trying to concentrate on the language. I have 1 lesson a week with her. 

 

In 3 to 4 months Ive nearly memorised the whole alphabet. I spend 30min a day at my kids school whilst waiting for pickup. I test myself 2 ways. I have a list of all letters and can remember how to say them all. Also I have the list written down eg Gor gai, etc, etc. I can write each letter down correctly. 

 

Question is should I move onto memorising and saying the thai consonants? And then learn to read? 

 

Or should I move onto solely learning conversational thai.

 

I want to apply for thai citizenship in a year or two. Need to improve that. 

 

Should I try an online tutor? Does that work? 

 

All I can say is that learning a language like this is great for memory training. Im exercising the brain everyday in this regard. If I can do it anyone can. 

 

Any suggestions are appreciated.

[FritsSikkink]

What have you done so far?

[Sparktrader]

Moderate is fine. No value in being 100% fluent.

[proton]

I married my Thai teacher, still can't speak it and get fed up with the constant corrections so hardly ever bother trying

[anchadian]

The five tones are my downfall.

[norbra]

26 minutes ago, anchadian said:

The five tones are my downfall.

Me too. I went to a teacher for a couple of months,we progressed to "a Thai  example using the word SEE"I will speak with the Thai tones,please tell me which SEE = 4. This was my last lesson as they all sounded the same to me

[Kwasaki]

41 minutes ago, proton said:

I married my Thai teacher, still can't speak it and get fed up with the constant corrections so hardly ever bother trying

Yeah i still can't figure out the 5 maa's, can't sing either. ????

 

I find it a strange language Alien is a one word example in English there's one word Alien, in Thai there's 14 weird or what. 

[Neeranam]

1 hour ago, Sparktrader said:

Moderate is fine. No value in being 100% fluent.

There are many advantages in being fluent in the language of the country where you live 

[Neeranam]

5 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

Yeah i still can't figure out the 5 maa's, can't sing either. ????

 

I find it a strange language Alien is a one word example in English there's one word Alien, in Thai there's 14 weird or what. 

?

 

What are the 14 Thai words for 'alien'? 

 

Do you mean an alien from space?

 

 

[Neeranam]

I like this teacher. 

 

Whatever you do, DON'T get a thai teacher who speaks English! 

 

 

[kokesaat]

My Thai teacher was the village pharmacist who wanted to practice her English.  She came to our house twice a week for 2 hours.....first hour Thai, second English.  No charge either way.

Even though she was university educated, her mother (a primary school teacher) taught her Thai when she was very young.  She knew the rules and could demonstrate the correct way to pronounce the various sounds.

I'm not a believer in memorizing the alphabet......it won't get you anywhere.  My teacher started me on lesson one of Maani.......you learn the sounds of 4 or 5 consonants and a vowel or two in each lesson.  After lesson one, "YOU CAN READ!".  Tones don't come into play until ??lesson 20?? or so.  

Between classes, I'd write out the short conversations multiple times, so I learned to read at the same time.

When I got to tones, it was torture time.  I insisted on her correcting me if I made pronunciation mistakes.  One hour of that and my brain was jello.  But sometime after I started on tones, it all magically came together. 

I still can't recite the alphabet.....never had a need to.  I'm still a novice.....but I can read/write/speak what I need to make life 100% more enjoyable here.

Good luck

[Kwasaki]

53 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

?

 

What are the 14 Thai words for 'alien'? 

 

Do you mean an alien from space?

 

 

Yes. ???? In translation put alien and 14 Thai words come up. 

[Lorry]

7 hours ago, Neeranam said:

I like this teacher. 

I don't like her "r"s. It just sounds too stilted.