From The Horse's Mouth-well...not Really Horses

[Ski_Goong]

At our SEAGAME "Liaison Officers" meeting in Korat yesterday, we were provided with "English" lessons by a highly placed Thai teacher at the largest university in Korat. Here are some examples of what my students and I found funny.

1) What religion you are?

2) I no go with you.

3) I.D Kaard ( when talking about ID card)

4) Village new (for Village news-I guess she couldn't say the letter "S" at the end)

There were more funny "Engrish" but these 4 mistakes were repeated over and over. Seems the teacher could not pronounce any words that ends with the letter "S" at all. And the "I no..." just bothered the heck out of me. "I no have time", "I no have money", etc. Did find out that the Thais pronounce the word "card"-"kaaard" so I guess I can forgive her but....she's an English teacher trying to teach people how to "properly" pronounce words.

OK...rant over. I have 1 more "extensive" English lesson before I can don my "Official" Liaison Officer shirt. I hope they let a native speaker give the lesson this time

SKi......

[PeaceBlondie]

Thais also have difficulty with words ending in double and triple consonants, which is why we Americans win the argument over among/amongst or while/whilst. Wait till you teach decimal fractions: thousandths!

[sbk]

I know a guy who's son came back from school upset because his father had taught him how to say school incorrectly. According to the English teacher the correct pronunciation was (come on, we all know the answer to this one) was Sa-chool.

This is why, if I had kids, they would not go to school where I live.

[Scott]

I teach students from age 4 up to age 64. And yes they can learn to say the "S" sound. I'm very unforgiving about this (also the -ed). About once a month, I put up a list of words with s at the end and we practice them. Over time, this gets reduced to every two months, then down to twice a year.

If you stress it and correct it, they will get it. Also, don't let them get by with the 1 per sentence--this is a favorite trick--use one plural in a sentence and then drop the s on the rest!

One of the questions I ask is: What is your school's name. The students have to answer: My school's name is_________. I go around and each student asks, the next answers. All I do is listen for the Ses. They get it.

Set your mind to correcting 1 thing per lesson(s) until they've got it, then move on to the next thing.

Unfortunately, when they get with a Thai teacher, they seem to feel it's necessary to drop the S, even though they can say it. Not sure what that's all about, but it's quite common.

[Ski_Goong]

My students do fine with the letter "S". I just thought it was odd for a teacher not to be able to say it. Also, she had problems with differentiating "official" and "officer".

Ski...

I teach students from age 4 up to age 64. And yes they can learn to say the "S" sound. I'm very unforgiving about this (also the -ed). About once a month, I put up a list of words with s at the end and we practice them. Over time, this gets reduced to every two months, then down to twice a year.

If you stress it and correct it, they will get it. Also, don't let them get by with the 1 per sentence--this is a favorite trick--use one plural in a sentence and then drop the s on the rest!

One of the questions I ask is: What is your school's name. The students have to answer: My school's name is_________. I go around and each student asks, the next answers. All I do is listen for the Ses. They get it.

Set your mind to correcting 1 thing per lesson(s) until they've got it, then move on to the next thing.

Unfortunately, when they get with a Thai teacher, they seem to feel it's necessary to drop the S, even though they can say it. Not sure what that's all about, but it's quite common.

[roietjimmy]

Unfortunately, when they get with a Thai teacher, they seem to feel it's necessary to drop the S, even though they can say it. Not sure what that's all about, but it's quite common.

Suspect to a small degree it happens out of respect for the "Ajarn". To a greater degree, if I may use a slightly modified adage, "words of a feather, speak together". Even I and I'm sure many others slip into this on occasion when adding a "lah" or a "eh" to the end of a statement when speaking with Singaporeans, Malaysians, and Canadians. In Thailand, after assessing the proficiency level of the person I am speaking with, sport becomes "s-port", hotel becomes "hoten", etc. I plead guilty to all charges!!

[KhaoNiaw]

Acquisition of English goes through sequences that are roughly the same whatever a learner's first language may be.

's' endings are not a feature that appears early in development. Students can understand it and put the 's' there when concentrating on it, but in other situations where they are not focusing on it, it's likely to disappear. It doesn't mean they don't know it or can't do it, just that their language development isn't at a point where it's a feature of their ordinary language use.

Edited August 28, 2007 by KhaoNiaw

[Loaded]

No final 's' sound in the Thai language and that's why they find it so difficult.

I can say soNG but put NG in front to say the Thai word NGu (snake) and I'm ######ed as well!

[roietjimmy]

No final 's' sound in the Thai language and that's why they find it so difficult.

I can say soNG but put NG in front to say the Thai word NGu (snake) and I'm ######ed as well!

Yes, watching a farang contort his face trying in vain to pronouce the snake word "Ngu" seems to bring hysterics to Thais. I have noticed that when Thais say the word their mouth and facial movement is much less pronounced than when a farang (caucasian) says (or tries) it.

Question/comments: Does the physical racial difference in nasal size and resonance have a bearing on ones ability to make certain sounds?