Opinions On This Learning Method

[bifftastic]

Hi, I've found this site, http://learn-thai-podcast.com/thai-language-lessons/ probably followed a link recommended by someone here, never quite sure where my surfing results originate from

I checked their free sample videos and was quite impressed, especially with the conversational ones. http://learn-thai-podcast.com/thai-language-lessons/speak-understand-real-street-thai/ They had clips of native speakers which were then slowed down, translated with Thai script and a romanisation, repeated slowly and again at normal speed.

The thing is, if I pay the subscription, is the rest of the material available of the same quality and usefulness?

I'd appreciate any comments, especially from, though not restricted to, anyone who's actually used it.

Cheers,

Biff

Edited September 23, 2010 by bifftastic

[tgeezer]

I think that it is probably going to maintain the quality of the samples which is very good.

There are anomolous situations in the clips; the girl says ไหม but the transliteration shows it as high tone and in review ไม่ /ไหม are in the wrong positions and still the transliteration doesn't match the explanation given. Unfortunately the Thai of the converstion clip is transliteration of the spoken word รึ for หรือ เนี้ย for นี้ which is necessary for adult learners who must 'run before they can walk' but has to be accepted and perhaps un-learned later on in the writing course.

If you get it and bring the questions you have to the forum we will all have plenty to argue about!

[Delight]

Generally If I see something that I do not like about a different system ,then I tend to reject quickly

So for example with this system

Let's go get the dishes.

ไป เอา จาน กัน เถอะ

pai ao jaan kan thèr

go get dish "each other" let's

I list the things that put me off.

1) The Thai word for 'go' does not start with a 'P'

2)กัน when spoken does not start with a 'k'. Reading this the student will be convinced that it does

3)กัน เถอ . This is used as' one' to mean' let's' but they additionally translate กัน .

I like the idea of literal' word for word'-However it is important that you get it right.

The phrase 'word for word' should read' GO TAKE DISH LET'S' not ' go get dish "each other" let's '

Based on this quick sample it does not get my vote

[bhoydy]

Generally If I see something that I do not like about a different system ,then I tend to reject quickly

So for example with this system

Let's go get the dishes.

ไป เอา จาน กัน เถอะ

pai ao jaan kan thèr

go get dish "each other" let's

I list the things that put me off.

1) The Thai word for 'go' does not start with a 'P'

2)กัน when spoken does not start with a 'k'. Reading this the student will be convinced that it does

3)กัน เถอ . This is used as' one' to mean' let's' but they additionally translate กัน .

I like the idea of literal' word for word'-However it is important that you get it right.

The phrase 'word for word' should read' GO TAKE DISH LET'S' not ' go get dish "each other" let's '

Based on this quick sample it does not get my vote

Here's what i think about what you think.

1+2 There are generally a lot of difficulties with transliteration. You are right 'go' does not start with a p but there aren't that many letters in the English alphabet to choose from. P is one that comes close, although a lot of material use 'bp' for this. The same goes for กัน and k.

3 I think that in the phrase ไปกันเถอะ it is used to say 'Let's go'. However i also think (although i am by no means 100%) that in the phrase ไปเอาจานกันเถอะ the กัน is being used differently and the original translation is better than yours, i would use 'together' rather than 'each other'. So in this respect 'go get dish together let's'

Personally i don't like this way of translating into muddled up English but everyone learns differently so i wouldn't put someone off it just because it doesn't work for me.

[klons]

I signed up for the advanced conversation course for 6 months about a year ago and for me it was money well spent.

2 thumbs up.

[tgeezer]

Generally If I see something that I do not like about a different system ,then I tend to reject quickly

So for example with this system

Let's go get the dishes.

ไป เอา จาน กัน เถอะ

pai ao jaan kan thèr

go get dish "each other" let's

I list the things that put me off.

1) The Thai word for 'go' does not start with a 'P'

2)กัน when spoken does not start with a 'k'. Reading this the student will be convinced that it does

3)กัน เถอ . This is used as' one' to mean' let's' but they additionally translate กัน .

I like the idea of literal' word for word'-However it is important that you get it right.

The phrase 'word for word' should read' GO TAKE DISH LET'S' not ' go get dish "each other" let's '

Based on this quick sample it does not get my vote

The whole point is surely that the student is not reading this but listening to the tape, ป is the sound he hears represented by 'p' and ก is represented by 'k' likewise, whether it is the way the student might say p or k is immaterial.

In English 'let' means 'to allow' ให้ , but it is the context, and sometimes the tone in English that makes it equivalent to the Thai word เถิด.

กัน follows a verb and shows plural of the subject which is not said, so it seems like the pronoun 'us'

There is a good deal of 'overlap of meaning which might become clearer later on in the course.

Edited September 23, 2010 by tgeezer

[Delight]

Personally i don't like this way of translating into muddled up English but everyone learns differently so i wouldn't put someone off it just because it doesn't work for me.

I cannot accept the of 'Muddled Up English' as you define it.

It is in fact' word for word' Thai translated back into English words.

I find it very useful because it helps me understand the structure of the language.

The English language has been 'corrupted' to make it more user friendly. From what I can discern the Thai language has not

Opinions are requested as to the validity of this statement

Example ; If you translate the phrase 'how are you'' into Thai words then translate the Thai words back into English you will get 'What way be you''

Not the question that was intended I am sure.

I noticed a post on the phrase ''Hi There''

That phrase I am fairly certain started out as something else in English and bit by bit it was compressed and ended up as ''Hi There''

The English phrase ''Serves you right'' makes no sense what so ever if you translate it word for word.. Except of course all native English speakers understand it fully.

I think that it started out as ' you deserve the right to suffer''-Just a guess, and then got compressed.

The reason for my response is not really to have a go at you. it is about :

''Opinions are requested as to the validity of this statement'' ie Thai language has been corrupted or not?

Apologies if I am going a bit off topic.

Edited September 23, 2010 by Delight

[bifftastic]

Personally i don't like this way of translating into muddled up English but everyone learns differently so i wouldn't put someone off it just because it doesn't work for me.

I cannot accept the of 'Muddled Up English' as you define it.

It is in fact' word for word' Thai translated back into English words.

I find it very useful because it helps me understand the structure of the language.

The English language has been 'corrupted' to make it more user friendly. From what I can discern the Thai language has not

Opinions are requested as to the validity of this statement

Example ; If you translate the phrase 'how are you'' into Thai words then translate the Thai words back into English you will get 'What way be you''

Not the question that was intended I am sure.

I noticed a post on the phrase ''Hi There''

That phrase I am fairly certain started out as something else in English and bit by bit it was compressed and ended up as ''Hi There''

The English phrase ''Serves you right'' makes no sense what so ever if you translate it word for word.. Except of course all native English speakers understand it fully.

I think that it started out as ' you deserve the right to suffer''-Just a guess, and then got compressed.

The reason for my response is not really to have a go at you. it is about :

''Opinions are requested as to the validity of this statement'' ie Thai language has been corrupted or not?

Apologies if I am going a bit off topic.

Well, firstly, I'm not going to suggest you start another topic

Thanks to everyone for the feedback so far.

I wasn't too put off by the transliteration, they're all slightly different, slightly wrong and I'm not really using them, I'm using Thai script, albeit slowly so I'm aware that ป is neither 'p' nor 'b' but somewhere in between and have no real difficulties pronouncing it correctly.

I also quite like the way it tries to literally translate, as Delight mentions, it's useful to understand a little about the way sentences are constructed and I like the 'particle used to make the sentence sound softer' bits, even though it sounds a little un-natural, it points out what those words are used for and where they're put in a sentence.

As to whether or not any language has been 'corrupted', language is a fluid thing, it's always changing, I'm not sure corrupted is the right term, in fact that's not true, I'm completely sure it isn't the right term at all!

It's not corruption, it's evolution. I would direct anyone interested in this, to a wonderful ramble through the subject by one of my all time heroes Mr Stephen Fry at http://www.stephenfr...ode-3-language/

Once again, thanks to everyone for your insights.

Biff

[bifftastic]

I think that it is probably going to maintain the quality of the samples which is very good.

There are anomolous situations in the clips; the girl says ไหม but the transliteration shows it as high tone and in review ไม่ /ไหม are in the wrong positions and still the transliteration doesn't match the explanation given. Unfortunately the Thai of the converstion clip is transliteration of the spoken word รึ for หรือ เนี้ย for นี้ which is necessary for adult learners who must 'run before they can walk' but has to be accepted and perhaps un-learned later on in the writing course.

If you get it and bring the questions you have to the forum we will all have plenty to argue about!

thanks, very informative, I look forward to many 'lively' discussions