What Do You Need?

[Joosesis]

This post is part rambling thoughts, genuine curiosity, and need for organization.

I feel like the world of Thai Language learners online is pretty small....at some point finite, right? We're all bouncing around to all the main forums. Some bounding by choice (some bouncing when banned)...and the reality is that we're all bouncing to get all of the pieces that we need for language learning. We get great dictionary help at site X and great scholars at site Y and good graphics/activities at site Z. Whenver I meet a new Thai language learner, I feel like I need to present them with a list of all the far flung places to go and find tools. ....and there are some sites that consolidate all of these lists, all of these tools...but sometimes it is a bit much.

What do you need to study Thai? What are you looking for in the language forums around the web? What could be added? Somebody recently posted that this forum on tv has been quieter than it usually is. ....but it's not like there are fewer Thai learners...it's just that one of the other site gets hot ...or not...it all seems to pass around. I'll be with one for a while...get annoyed with everyone -- or bored with the redundant resources -- and switch to another for a while. ...and we've all done that, we see those duplicate names/similar writing styles in all the forums.

I've noticed for myself that real learning is when the rubber meets the road -- me with a book, me in a class.... just chatting about it in a forum doesn't really do it...so when I am gone for a while It's because I'm off studying -- coming back when I'm confused or in need of knowing support.....

Welcome to my rambling mind. Thoughts?

[Chaam local]

I would have thought that "when the rubber meets the road" is when you actually speak to someone, not when you are in a class. I'm not saying Thai language is easy, but it's not like you need to spend hours learning or understanding grammar rules. Just some basic vocabulary is enough to get you going and "hit the road". If you live in Thailand you don't need any learning material, it's all out there.

[Joosesis]

Yes, I agree. I wish I lived in Thailand. ...but in fairness, I do think language learning requires some studying.

[Joosesis]

So I guess my ramblings weren't clear...which is inherent to the definition of rambling. Thanks to those that pm'd some thoughts. Maybe I'll try one last time to explain the thoughts again. So Tod-Daniels was banned from here. ...and people posted, "oh, no...he was so great" blah blah blah. The thing is...he's not dead. He is still giving lanuage advice and particpaitng fuly in Thai language forums - just not tv ...so now fans of or friends of Tod just move over one. ...but he's certainly not the only one. For the crust of real langauge learners, they appear at every forum...staying as long as their interst or needs are met. Getting their breakfast at one, lunch at another....

I did get one piece of advice in pm...suggesting that the reason we all bounce around is that even this concept of "learners" isn't monolithic and we bounce around to get the pieces that we need for ourselves. Makes good sense.