Read Thai With Aua

[desi]

http://thai.hawaii.edu/thai101/

Learn the Thai writing system via the AUA Thai Course Reading Book. Produced by the Thai Language Program, University of Hawaii at Manoa. Includes pdfs and sound.

I realise that it is an old resource but I somehow managed to miss it when compiling my list of free Thai resources.

[Rikker]

I didn't know that site existed either... Personally I like the AUA series quite a bit, so this is a nice find!

[desi]

I wonder how much else is out there, hidden except for obscure search words.

[Johpa]

I realise that it is an old resource but I somehow managed to miss it when compiling my list of free Thai resources.

Now if it had been the J. Marvin Brown version of the AUA Thai course, which I used back in my college days, then you might have called it an "old resource", but this is a far newer text.

[desi]

How long ago did you study at AUA? I have the AUA books on the market now, and they are quite clunky.

I wish they'd revamp their books and add sound, as I do like how they are arranged.

I'm not enamoured with their new style of teaching though...

(but I realise that everyone learns different at that is just another way)

[SoftWater]

"new style of teaching" - is that their 'natural learning method' you're referring to? The idea that you sit and listen for 200 hours without doing any speaking? I went to AUA years ago when I first came to BKK. Plus side: cheap, & entertaining Minus side: the theory is totally flawed.

It's based on ideas about first language acquisition in children, which is a whole different cognitive process to second language acquisition in adults (or people who are already fluent in a 1st language). I could go on and explain, but I don't want to bore you. In any case, the Union system is far better in my opinion (I think this is off topic...) - Having said all that, thanks for the link! Audio is always welcome.

[desi]

Yes, that's the style I was talking about. I do not believe it is for me, but I do know one person who likes it. She started last year and apparently she's still going strong.

Off topic: I've heard great things about the Union system and a mixture of opinions about the teachers and the schools (but this was a long time ago so I'm not sure if it still applies).

[Groongthep]

How long ago did you study at AUA? I have the AUA books on the market now, and they are quite clunky.

I wish they'd revamp their books and add sound, as I do like how they are arranged.

I'm not enamoured with their new style of teaching though...

(but I realise that everyone learns different at that is just another way)

The audio tapes that accompany the AUA texts are available from the Language Resource Center at Cornell University. Here's the link: Cornell Unv. Language resource Center

I have also attended AUA on and off for a number of years. I do not recommend it for beginners but for those with at least an intermediate level grasp of Thai it can be quite helpful for improving your comprehension. Here's a link to a youtube clip from a typical class at AUA. Usually there are two teachers who interact during the lectures but in this clip there is only one.

[desi]

Do you know if they are the same sound files from years ago? $248.00 seems quite steep for old materials.

[kokesaat]

http://thai.hawaii.edu/thai101/

Learn the Thai writing system via the AUA Thai Course Reading Book. Produced by the Thai Language Program, University of Hawaii at Manoa. Includes pdfs and sound.

I realise that it is an old resource but I somehow managed to miss it when compiling my list of free Thai resources.

That link doesn't work for me.......tried with Opera, IE8, and Maxthon. Anyone else have problems accessing that site?

My current favorite is the Intermediate Thai Reader, pdf files and excellent sound files available at http://siamwestdc.com/thaireader-UH/index.htm

[Groongthep]

Do you know if they are the same sound files from years ago? $248.00 seems quite steep for old materials.

I don't know if the recordings are from the original files or not desi, but there is an email address at the bottom of the page where you might write and ask. I wouldn't make mention of the link to the free .pdf files of their books though as they may have copyright issues over that.

I bought the whole set years ago when cassette tapes were fairly new technology. (Try finding a Sony walkman cassette player these days!) Back then I spent over $300.00 but they were just about the only recorded Thai learning resource available in those days outside of the FSI courses which were also expensive and seriously outdated. The FSI tapes make a reference to Secretary of State Dean Rusk who began in the Kennedy administration.

Two hundred and forty eight bucks is a lot for old material but I feel it is still very good and there is lots of it. Compare 31 tapes vs the 1 that comes with Becker's Thai for Beginners.

[desi]

@Groongthep

I recall emailing a uni years ago about the sound, but they never replied. The page you shared is new(ish) so I guess they've opened channels again. I'll give it one more try... but I won't buy the CD as it is just too much money for me. I will ask about the age of the material though as I'm curious.

As for cassette players, do I ever know! I have two here and neither work. And I need a cassette player for a Thai cassette recently purchased. A problem...

(Where is a teenage boy when you need one?)

@kokesaat

The link works fine for me (I just tried it again).

I also like the Intermediate Thai Reader.

The AUA material is just so classic, it holds an attraction.

Here's more AUA (posted earlier) - http://www.sealang.net/thai/vocabulary/

[Johpa]

How long ago did you study at AUA? I have the AUA books on the market now, and they are quite clunky.

I started with the AUA books and the cassette tapes back in 1981. I believe Brown was the voice at that time and one of the first sentences we had committed to memory was "raan 'ahaan nik yuu thii nai?" The methodology was a variation of the structural-response method popular through the 1970s but now considered politically incorrect by many linguists. Although frankly I don't see any significant increase in bilingualism in the US after several decades of using more "modern" methodologies. My former Thai professor was very successful using the AUA method, but he tended to have a very small class size, with under ten highly motivated students, and he had a wonderful personality that somehow lended itself to that methodology. We only used the AUA books for the first two quarters and began using the old Haas reader once we had a handle on the Thai alphabet. BY the middle of the second year we had migrated to the Jones et al "Thai Cultural Reader".

[desi]

"raan 'ahaan nik yuu thii nai?" is still there :-)

What do you think of the Haas reader and the Thai Cultural Reader? Do you feel that the combination of the three is as good as anything out there now?

[Rikker]

Now if it had been the J. Marvin Brown version of the AUA Thai course, which I used back in my college days, then you might have called it an "old resource", but this is a far newer text.

Whoops! I replied without looking at the files. That's too bad it's not those books.

[Johpa]

"raan 'ahaan nik yuu thii nai?" is still there :-)

What do you think of the Haas reader and the Thai Cultural Reader? Do you feel that the combination of the three is as good as anything out there now?

I would assume that both are now a bit out of date and that similar readings that came across a tad more current could be written up. But I really don't know what else is out there as I have not taken a Thai class since 1984. I still have both books and as my Thai continues to degrade after each decade that I am no longer in-country, I find myself going back to the Jones reader in my forlorn attempts to halt the linguistic degradation of my Thai language skills.

[desi]

I would assume that both are now a bit out of date and that similar readings that came across a tad more current could be written up.

I may be jumping to the wrong conclusions, but the serious Thai learners seem to dote on the older courses and aren't so hot about the new ones.

It would be great to get a consensus from the top of the pile here at TV...

You have a better shot of keeping your Thai with the internet than if you were attempting the same 20 years ago. Thai tv, Thai radio, YouTube. I know, I know... it's not the same as being here. Nothing is.

[CaptHaddock]

I don't know if the recordings are from the original files or not desi, but there is an email address at the bottom of the page where you might write and ask. I wouldn't make mention of the link to the free .pdf files of their books though as they may have copyright issues over that.

I bought the whole set years ago when cassette tapes were fairly new technology. (Try finding a Sony walkman cassette player these days!) Back then I spent over $300.00 but they were just about the only recorded Thai learning resource available in those days outside of the FSI courses which were also expensive and seriously outdated. The FSI tapes make a reference to Secretary of State Dean Rusk who began in the Kennedy administration.

Two hundred and forty eight bucks is a lot for old material but I feel it is still very good and there is lots of it. Compare 31 tapes vs the 1 that comes with Becker's Thai for Beginners.

I am working my way through the J. Marvin Brown books now. Fortunately, the recordings are now available on CD which I have ripped into my pda. The pda interface makes it much easier to repeat recordings or parts of recordings. I am enjoying it immensely. I wanted a method with lots of drill.

The price is still about the same from Cornell.

[desi]

I am working my way through the J. Marvin Brown books now. Fortunately, the recordings are now available on CD which I have ripped into my pda. The pda interface makes it much easier to repeat recordings or parts of recordings. I am enjoying it immensely. I wanted a method with lots of drill.

The price is still about the same from Cornell.

I have developed a deep envy... sigh...

[kokesaat]

I would assume that both are now a bit out of date and that similar readings that came across a tad more current could be written up.

I may be jumping to the wrong conclusions, but the serious Thai learners seem to dote on the older courses and aren't so hot about the new ones.

It would be great to get a consensus from the top of the pile here at TV...

You have a better shot of keeping your Thai with the internet than if you were attempting the same 20 years ago. Thai tv, Thai radio, YouTube. I know, I know... it's not the same as being here. Nothing is.

After several failed attempts to crack the code on Thai, I came across the Manii series available free on the internet. That was the catalyst. Then on to the Mary Haas series, also free. I went through the Benjawan Becker series and found them 'ok' but they lacked any drill work. I struggled for a while with a mishmash of Thai primary school books......they didn't work for me. I'm now working on the Gething series of 56 lessons with sound files available on the internet. The material was used for an intermediate Thai course at the University of Hawaii. It's to my liking......lots of repeat vocabulary and increasing difficultly as you go along. One female speaker (speaks rather slowly but very clearly), the other male, speaks very quickly and has a wicked accent. You can't beat the price!! The Manii/Mary Haas and Gething series are all 20-ish years old. Maybe the style of teaching back then was more to my liking.

[desi]

The Manii/Mary Haas and Gething series are all 20-ish years old. Maybe the style of teaching back then was more to my liking.

Gething does seem to be a favourite. And I like how they get right down to it. You don't have to wade through 'ads' before you get the the lessons.

Here's the link to Gething: Thai Basic Reader