Still Can'T Catch What They Say On Tv

[klons]

klons, how are you finding learnthaipodcast? I use a podcast called Chinesepod to learn mandarin and would love something similar for thai.

I like the learnthaipodcast, I think they have some very good material. Their lessons are sort of long and drawn out and I listened to very few of them all the way through. What I did was record and edit them into a format that I thought was right for me. This did take some time, but after learning their format I can do it rather quickly. Basically a 10 minute lesson gets whittled down to 2 1/2 minutes for my Ipod. Mostly I just collected the Bangkok Thai phrases and the real conversations and phrases..

They have free stuff on the net that I did do before signing up. If you google this site

http://podcast.com/

search for “learn thai podcast” you can find some. About 8 months ago, I went through the real conversations (now on page 8). There are about 8 of them. The first time I played them, I didn’t have a clue what they were saying even though I already knew almost all of the vocabulary used. But after they break it down for you in Bangkok Thai (correct pronunciation lesson wise, is what I mean by Bangkok Thai) then I could pick up on the conversations.

Disclosure: I’m not affiliated with learnthaipodcast, I just think they are pretty good and I may sign up for another 6 months after I finish reviewing what I have already.

[StChris]

Thanks, I'll give the free stuff a try first.

[Tod Daniels]

Listening to thai t/v is still a very tough slog for me as well, especially the news with the plethora of Ministries of this or that and near endless list of Ministers of Parliament who all have 'mile-long' names. Add the use of near constant thai abbreviations in the mix and it is indeed a 'tough row to hoe' .

I watch that show on Friday nite by Christopher Wright called Chris Delivery. Where he teaches english to thais. Its a totally campy show but is easy to follow. They have the english phrase and the thai equivalent on the screen, so your reading can improve too. Theres also another show on during the weekend by legend in his own mind Thomas James Lavelle; known in thailand as ท้อดท้องดี <sic> (Todd Good Stomach ) actually it's really ท้อดทองดี . Its not a bad show either and often times quite interesting. Another thing I have found of value is to listen to AM talk radio shows; which due to the call-ins have a wide variety of accents and are usually not that hard to follow.

If you're watching an American movie on True Visions (UBC), especially one you've seen many times; toggling to the thai language version, following along with the thai subtitles and listening to the spoken dialog can help your comprehension.

I do find it somewhat tedious that the same 5 or 6 people do thai voiceovers for every fricking movie I've ever listened to in thai . Sheesh that group must be in the 50's or 60's by now, when are they gonna get a new generation of voice over people?

Good luck. ..

Edited June 30, 2010 by tod-daniels

[bobthedog]

I've been watching a couple of english subbed lakorns since I last posted in this thread. I think it is a good way to get better acquainted with the thai language, and it improves my listening skills as I had hoped. Also, I feel I learn more new words, and get a much better understanding of how words are put together to form sentences. Would be nice if lakorns where subbed in *both* thai and english though, and it is sometimes hard to catch what is being said.

[Joosesis]

Lakorn are great!

I also have Thai radio or Thai tv running on my computer all day while at work. I certainly don't have time to listen, but I get to hear it all day. Hearing it allows me to get more and more familiar with cadence and rhythm and sound so that when I am at home and able to watch the Thai news or watch a lakorn, it's a bit easier for me to follow along.

[meadish_sweetball]

Me too. I find it so hard to catch up with what the movie characters are saying, although my Thai friend told me to frequently listen to Thai movies so that I can polish and add my Thai vocabularies. In the end, I develop a terrible headache trying yo understand it.

The headache is the stage before clarity - don't bail out. No pain, no gain.

[painai2]

Listening to Thai television programs, along with reading daily Thai newspapers are excellent ways to improve your Thai. Many of the programs are extremely interesting, and I'm not talking about soap operas or those silly game shows. The important thing is keep at it. With time, you will understand nearly everything.

[bkksteviejai]

I think this was mentioned earlier in the thread, I have the habit of not "relaxing" much with the listening to TV.....my ear gets caught and I'm trying to figure out what was said, which, when I do / or don't, it's moved on and I've lost the thread of it . I find the radio a bit easier, perhaps because my brains not trying to assimilate visual as well...who knows!.

Regardless, I enjoy learning......so I'll keep plugging away and I'll get there, I'm sure.