Use Or Lose It: Young People Love The Thai Language Too

[webfact]

VENUS' VISION

Use or lose it: young people love the Thai language too

By Veena Thoopkrajae

The Nation

Facebook and Twitter are the culprits for the poor Thai-language skills of Thai students? I don't want to believe that is the best remark the Culture Ministry could deliver to celebrate Thailand's national language day on July 29.

Once again the ministry has demonstrated a traditionalist point of view and played the blame game. We have the usual suspects here for the language behaviour of teens and their modern communications channels. A national survey shows that about 40 per cent of Thai youths believe that correct Thai is needed only on formal occasions. Over 30 per cent do not care about grammatical errors. That result alone sent the ministry into panic mode and a knee-jerk reaction.

But if you ask me (of course, no one ever asks), teens use bad grammar and misspell on Facebook, Twitter or MSN, but when they have to write an essay or take an exam, they use language in a formal way. It's the same in the adult world: We use casual style for speaking and a formal style for business.

It is very simplistic for the ministry to pinpoint Facebook and Twitter just because they are popular among youngsters. A few years ago, the blame could have gone to mobile phone texting, and a decade ago you could blame it on TV or radio.

The Thai language - like English and 42,000 other languages on earth - has been evolving over time, and the evolution will continue with or without the new social media. Perhaps the changes are coming faster with these effective communication tools. It is the usage of language that dictates evolution. A study by the University of Reading in the UK has found that words that are used less frequently evolve more quickly than common words. Among the oldest words, resistant to evolution, are: I, Who, We, Thou, Two, Three and Five.

Think about why we prefer using "corruption" to a formal description like "chor lad bung laung", or why we say "kin" or "tarn kaow" (eat) instead of "rappatarn arharn" (the very formal words for eat). The Thai language joins others in that frequently used words hardly evolve - like the numbers and simple words like "kin" (eat). In my humble opinion, words like "sanuk" (fun, or have a good time) and "somtam" (papaya salad) will resist evolution for a long time, since they are used so often.

The English world "Tweetup" - which means a meeting between two or more people who know each other through Twitter - is now valid, but maybe in the next few years it will become extinct because it is not used anymore.

Perhaps the Culture Ministry should show more understanding of modern culture. Unarguably, language is part of our culture. It is dynamic, not stagnant, and that is not only because of teens or Facebook and Twitter, but because it has been like that since the spoken (and written) word began. Try reading documents from the Ayutthaya or Rattanakosin periods and ask yourself why we don't use those words nowadays.

Culture Minister Nipit Intarasombat said: "We must preserve our national language. If nobody sees its importance, then we're doomed."

No one doubts his good intention, but is that the right approach? Young people may distort Thai words, create silly words and make grammatical errors, but the cheering fact is that is their way of appreciating and conserving the Thai language. Their constellation of silly sounding new words should not be translated as ill intent toward the mother tongue.

A better comment is from a popular Thai teacher, Kru Lilly. Despite her strict language use in writing and pronunciation classes, she welcomes her teen students engaging in social media. She says that these communication channels offer young people more chances to explore and use the language. To her, the new words and expression are also part of the learning process and a chance to explore creativity. She is not narrow-minded, and views the social media as an opportunity rather than a threat.

Let's get it right, dear ministry: The Thai language does not evolve from the lips of hidebound traditionalists and authority; it evolves from the lips of people - young and old. The ministry's job is to promote understanding of the language, as well as the people using it. I for one can assure you that the Thai language will not become extinct. But I can't guarantee that our grandchildren or great grandchildren will speak or write identical Thai, or understand what we write and say today.

-- The Nation 2010-08-07

[moetownblues]

This problem is not restricted to Thai kids. It is a problem across the globe.

[nicholasday]

This problem is not restricted to Thai kids. It is a problem across the globe.

What the article is saying, and I agree, is that it is not a problem. This is just the way language is. It evolves and changes and people experiment with it. And people use different types of language in different situations.

[RKASA]

Language, culture and people evolve. Its called progress - even if your stuck in the past and don't see it. Many of us are thankful we no longer use old English or burn witches. Enjoy, record and preserve the past - but please don't force people to live in it.

[animatic]

This problem is not restricted to Thai kids. It is a problem across the globe.

What the article is saying, and I agree, is that it is not a problem. This is just the way language is.

It evolves and changes and people experiment with it. And people use different types of language in different situations.

Agreed. Language develops over time, new parts are added to the argot of idiom all the time.

ar·got –noun

1. a specialized idiomatic vocabulary peculiar to a particular class or group of people,

esp. that of an underworld group, devised for private communication and identification:

a Restoration play rich in thieves' argot.

2. the special vocabulary and idiom of a particular profession or social group: sociologists' argot.

'Underworld' can be replaced by the word 'sub-culture' or from within a greater culture.

Kids of course try their best to develop their own argot that is anything BUT that of their parents.

It is part of the natural differentiation mechanism for the young regardless of origins or culture.

And this has been going on forever.

Hep cat, became hip, became hippie. Women to dames, babe, bimbo, chick,

dish, doll, gal, honey, moll, lassie, skirt, tootsie, squeeze, 'significant other' and on and on.

'Damsel' changed to 'girls' changed to 'fillies'; chicks and recently gurlz.

Women = babe, bimbo, chick , dame, dish, doll, gal, honey, moll, lassie, skirt tootsie,

and on and on.

'Jive talking' becomes 'jiving', then ' talking trash', B.S'ing,

crap, craziness, farce, flapdoodle, folly, foolishness, hot air, idiocy,

Good became 'BAD' and more recently 'Sick' .

Talking interminably and incomprehensibly becomes 'Wenging on'

Great = gr8, IIRC = If I Can Remember Correctly, all forms of short hand.

Later changed to today's usage of 'proper language' in the official output.

The same minister has no problem with short hand used by his secretary to take his dictation.

No doubt this minister is using argot from his parents time, and his youth,

that has become part of the idiom of his life, and is accepted as commonly held Thai.

But would have solicited a similarly reproachful response from his aging grandfather.

Forsooth, a damsel approacheth, and thine coil dost aim tis moe perchance than barn.

Let's all go back to middle english lest it be lost....

Edited August 7, 2010 by animatic

[nikster]

This non-problem is not restricted to Thai kids. It is not a problem across the globe.

There, corrected that for you.

The evolution of language is not a problem.

[rgs2001uk]

Trying to preserve an archaic form of speaking many neither use or understand.

Why do you think words for immigration are shortened to sor tor mor, if you used the correct terminology by the the time you had finished the person you were talking to would have forgotten what you were saying.

Most of these politicians wonder why they cant get their message across to the masses, better start talking in the language of the everyday people.

Couldnt have that though could we, one must maintain ones position in society.

[zakk9]

Not all lingual "progress" is positive. When the education system fails to teach the language in a way that is universally understood, it leads to a weakening of the national language, and many miss the ability to express themselves in a precise way. All languages evolve, and should do so, but sometimes, looking back is the right thing to do. Unfortunately for Thailand, a weak education system and strong commercial forces work together against the national culture, not only with regards to language. While the day-to-day development may seem unproblematic, the long term perspectives are not very bright.

The problem is not that young people develop the language and invent new words and expressions. The problem is that they often don't know how to express themselves properly and precisely when it's needed, simply because nobody cared to teach them the subtle nuances of their own language. That's worrying, in Thailand as well as in many other countries.

[animatic]

Not all lingual "progress" is positive. When the education system fails to teach the language in a way that is universally understood, it leads to a weakening of the national language, and many miss the ability to express themselves in a precise way. All languages evolve, and should do so, but sometimes, looking back is the right thing to do. Unfortunately for Thailand, a weak education system and strong commercial forces work together against the national culture, not only with regards to language. While the day-to-day development may seem unproblematic, the long term perspectives are not very bright.

The problem is not that young people develop the language and invent new words and expressions. The problem is that they often don't know how to express themselves properly and precisely when it's needed, simply because nobody cared to teach them the subtle nuances of their own language. That's worrying, in Thailand as well as in many other countries.

The French academicians think similarly.

But no matter the best efforts of L'Acadamie Français to enforce French language usage,

I have never met anyone who has sent "une Courielle" ' it is always it's une Email. (oo mael)

[brahmburgers]

The Thai ministry may also be lamenting the use of 'tap sap' - which are foreign words (nearly all come from English) which have become embedded in Thais language. Similar to the French upper crust, who complain about such things, there are Thais who lament the increase of 'tap sap' words. Also interesting, that the English language does not have a word equivalent for 'tap sap'. Perhaps English could adopt that word from Thai, and thereby make it a tap sap for English language. Of course, English already has a plethora of tap sap words: giraffe, karma, oasis, apartheid, czar, igloo, omelet, siesta, lama .....to name but a smidgen.

I think Thai language should evolve faster than it is. It's understandable that young Thais have various ways to communicate in their language - all the way from very loose, with lots of abbreviations and tap sap .....to formal style for conversing with one's school principal, or taking tests at school. Yet the formal should be loosened up. Already there are a half dozen letters in the Thai alphabet which are so archaic as to be very rarely used. - similar to the letter which connected a/e in olde English. Same for many Thai words, I'm sure. Instead, schoolkids are required to keep studying the same Thai alphabet with archaic letters. Plus, there are many redundant letters (having same sound), ...but that would be a tougher fix.

[Tod Daniels]

I think the biggest thing the article pointed out was that this problem is NOT endemic to just the thai language but languages as a whole. ANY language has to be viewed as a living entity which changes over time by the needs placed on it by society, rather than remain stagnant to die a slow death because it is outmoded and useless in todays rapidly evolving world stage.

One only needs to read postings on any of the popular thai chat websites to see that the language is evolving into something the older thais cringe at. The purposeful misspellings, the use of slang, the use of abbreviations, are all tools which facilitate faster communication between people. They are most certainly NOT impediments to them learning how to speak or write real thai.

This also doesn't mean the younger thais using this vernacular are any more or less fluent when they are compelled to actually speak or write 'real' thai; only that they've modified the language to suit their particular needs at a given time.

I find the old school academics who lament the 'death of the traditional thai language', to be dinosaurs, and very out of touch with the 'real world' that thailand now belongs to.

FWIW: I firmly believe its NOT a feather in the cap of thailand that they can read thai which was written many hundred years ago. I view it more as an impediment which has stifled thai language development for ages, thus giving rise to the very fast evolution happening now.

A person would be hard pressed to read english as it was written several hundred years ago, and yet I see no proof that the english language is dying or has even been compromised in any great way.

Languages are tools to communication and for thai language purists to pound a drum over one that is stagnant, doesnt evolve, or remains constant makes very little sense. Then again, perhaps I am looking for logic in the thai language purists views, where none exists in the first place..

Edited August 8, 2010 by tod-daniels

[somchai69]

The internet and messaging have been with us for only a few years.

Of course they will affect the Thai language, it is a "living" language.

Lets face it it happens everywhere.

30 years ago the French were complaining about "le weekend"

To blame the Internet for

poor Thai-language skills of Thai students

is a cop out for the education system. Parents teach us our first language skills and then

the schools should build on that.

Edited August 8, 2010 by somchai69