Thai Language

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Daz Daz would like this as a topic...he's got it. Go Daz...go go go. CHOK DEE NA

[NedKelly]

OK heres my suggestion....besides gettinga good teacher.....and on teachers I would advise to try three or so before going back to the one that suits you best.....some start to talk to much after a few lessons and become you rlong lost friend. Keep it strictly professional.

Anyway, what I did to try and learn Thai speaking was to set up a routine that I would do everyday. For example yo ugo out in the morning for breakfast onthe way to work.....go to the same place and only speak Thai. Order your food and drink,pay thebill etc...all in Thai. then get the motobike taxi or whatever you use and speakonly Thai to them as well. Try to do this same thing every day for a month and you will soon have it down pat so you can then move along and learn a few little extras. you might find that you make a friend or two along the way as well and this helps as you can then visit for a coffee onyour way home and practice some more.

This is just one method which will help put things into long term memory. You could also stick up some Thai words on your walls at home so you see them everyday......leave them there for a month or so...even longer....you will never forget them. Every couple of months change them ...maybe five at a time. Of course you can do all this at the same time you are having lessons. It all helps.

Another tip I found helps...is to have a complete rest from learning now and then. Dont attempt to speak or read anything for a while and then whenyou feel motivated again, do some revision and get back into it. Yopu will be surprise dhow much you remember. Also, you will see more clearly what you need to brushn up on.

Good luck it's fun.

[The_Eye_Of_Sauron]

Do not use swear words.

"idork thorng"

"aisat"

etc etc

Its not big and its not funny. Thais will perceive you as being uncouth and low class, even if you are just trying to be 'witty' and 'faux naif' concerning their meaning.

DON'T DO IT.... GROW UP !!

[mrentoul]

What prompted that astonishing attack? Are you Thai?

I can think of no other reason why you should take it upon yourself to tell other people how to speak.

If you're a native speaker than I am sure your comments are welcome. If you're not, I don't understand what you are trying to achieve.

As it happens, I agree with what you say about swearing, though you can still have fun with words among friends.

You want to start a debate here about the proper use of Thai? I recall someone started a thread about use of personal pronouns a while ago. It went on for days and I still don't think anyone agreed on the outcome.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Even the Thai's couldn't agree Michael, so it has to be difficult for farang

[NedKelly]

Yeah Sauron's on drugs for sure. Ya ba Sauron.....means dont eat it.....ok ! I still dont know what your post was aimed at achieving. Bit of a waste of time really.

[The_Eye_Of_Sauron]

AU CONTRAIRE ! Monsieur Entoul.

I seek only to educate!

People learning languages always get a buzz from the swearwords, but its a loss-leader here. People don't think you're cute.

I once tried to make some Thais smile by explaining my difficulties with 'kee maa' and 'kee maa'.

They didn't !!

[dr_Pat_Pong]

He's coming across like a retard....IMHO....he went the same way in the previous thread

[mrentoul]

by explaining my difficulties with 'kee maa' and 'kee maa'.

With err...what? Just what transliteration system are you using?

I know what you are referring to, but you are using the same spelling.

I find the people who are best with this language don't spend much time talking about it - they just get out and do it.

If you enjoy speaking Thai, then I suggest you do just that, and spare the lectures for someone else.

[randyksf]

As the cantor starts. Lets talk about the available schools around. Instead of debating the proper way to tell someone off. The finger is a universal tool for that.

Here are some of my trails and tribulations.

First I must say I am a language idiot and have the attention span of a fly.

AUA… I went there for a while love the teachers really nice. However their program bytes the big one. They say its cheap if you do the real math it’s the most expensive one around other than Berlitz.

200 hours per level and you don’t speak until level 3. Even with all there discounts you still pay about 75 baht per hour. You have to have 5 hr per day to sit and do nothing but listen.

A friend who went to the Chang Mia location said its much better and you really learn there.

Can someone confirm this?

Berlitz

Is only a place you want to go if you really want to screw your company. I think it’s a good program but they charge 735 Baht for a 40 min session.

They advertise 29,000 baht for 50 sessions. There sessions are 45 min. Oh in the fine print they say ever session has a 5 min break. Needless to say I was not going to spend that kind of cash. UTL or TLA entire program costs that much.

Inlingua

Good program little expensive. 500 baht per hour you can go cheaper with purchase of more hours. The only problem is my Teacher was so good in English we started to chat like NedKelly said it turned to a gab session.

UTL (time square building)

Great program for smarter folk.:-P The word intense does not even come close. Good teachers good program. Too fast for me most do really well the level 3 are speaking wonderful. There vocabulary amount is a little high. My Thai partner even thought it was to much. About 15-20 words a day. With that said if you are good with language and can spend plenty of time practicing it great..

Cost around 6000 baht 4 hour session or 3 hour session per day. AM classes have 12 people.

TLA (Silom Kamol Sukosol Building)

Walk past MC and look for Wall Street English 10th floor.

I just walked in there today an singed up for privet lessons. 300 baht per hour. They have a program like UTL however the class size is smaller and the vocabulary is less. Cost for group lesions is inline with UTL.

The words seem to be the more usable ones, just seemed more manageable and less stressful.

So I signed up for 6 hours next week to test them out. If this thread has not become a bash session I will follow after I go to class.

Something that I would like to ask the group. A friend who has been here about 3 years speaks like a native. He said the best way is to only get an hour of class every other day. That way you have time to practice and really use the words.

It makes about right to me. How about you?

[NedKelly]

Well done Randy that is great info. My preference though is for private teachers as classes are difficult with each person having different levels and so on. But I did a 3 month intensive class at Srinakarinwirot University on Soi 23 Sukumvit......mainly reading and writing .....it was pretty tough and 3 hours a day five days a week. they only spoke Thai the whole time which made it difficult for those in the class who had no understanding at all of Thai language. Anyway I did manage to learnto read slowly which was a feat. the cost was 20,000 baht and was a really goo dhting to do for 3 months betweenjobs. the campus is great and has a very cheap food canteen area ranging from about 12 baht for one thing on rice to 15 baht 2 things on rice and so on....so cheap and many perople drive their Mercs and BMW's in to eat there. They usually runthe course in January through march .....they did have a second level for another 6 weeks or so......but they did not tell anyone until the end of the course I did, which was a bit silly as we had all made other arrangements. I would have gone on to the second level as we were just starting to read serious stuff.

Anyway, I now use only private teachers and learn as I go along, with no set structure....this is not probably the best way tolearn but for me it suits.

[mrentoul]

Something that I would like to ask the group. A friend who has been here about 3 years speaks like a native. He said the best way is to only get an hour of class every other day. That way you have time to practice and really use the words.

I have only limited experience of language classes. I went to one for a couple of months (if it was that long - probably less). I quit because they went too fast. I said that as the paying customer I wanted a say in the pace of instruction, but they were not interested.

Given the speed problem, which someone else mentioned above, I think your friend's thinking about taking a lesson every other day is sound. Lessons do give you the chance to use words which you may not get to say in everyday exchanges.

On the other hand, some get by without taking lessons at all. For the last 3.5 years I have taught myself. I spend two or three hours a day at it, often more, and get plenty of chances to listen and speak.

It's not a perfect method - there's still lots of stuff I haven't done - but I am better at driving myself than having someone sit on my back. The down side is that the isolation of being a self-driven learner can almost drive you insane.

I have been in that place before, and I don't want to go back!

[Head Snake]

This is what I use: http://www.thai-language.com/

Snake

[mrentoul]

That's my brand too, Snake (Head Snake or Snake Head?). Just don't mention after-shave!

Six months a Thai guy left a message on a webboard (this one, I think), asking if a westerner was willing to meet him and do a language swap. He'd learn English from me and I would learn Thai from him. I agreed and since then we have been meeting at my place on Saturdays.

For the last few weeks I have been unable to make it. Today my guy sent me an email saying he thought the time had come to end our meetings. It was an astonishing message - one of the most moving ''letters'' I have received.

He said that where once he was scared to meet westerners now he had the courage; where once he couldn't hear English, now his ability to follow what people say in that language had improved. He recalled the date we met - it coincided with his birthday - and said meeting me was like a birthday present.

I am impressed again and again by what Thais carry around in their hearts - things that we overlook or pass over as westerners. I have met many Thais other than my guy who share the same fear about speaking English and meeting westerners.

I hope we can all do our bit to break down those barriers. It is something we can give back to our Thai hosts and makes life worthwhile for everybody.

[taxexile]

somchart language school,soi 19,6th floor beneton building.

an informal little school,one to one teaching,different teacher each day so as to get used to different vocabulary and pronunciation,not expensive at all.between 160 and 220baht/hour.buy a block of 20,40,60,80 hours and attend when you want (lessons booked in advance by the week) so you could do 20 hours in one week or one month,depending on your commitments. sort of structured learning plan, but the lessons often end up as general conversation. no english spoken on the premises.

the teachers are (or were a year ago when i was last there) a lovely bunch of thai ladies in their 20's and 30's, a couple in their 40's who really make learning fun. i studied there for two years by which time i could hold and maintain simple conversations with thais from all levels of society, i could understand most of what i heard and could read (very slowly) and use a thai dictionary (a big help in finding out what words heard on the radio or tv meant.) enjoyed every minute of my time there,lots of laughter along with the learning. just how it should be.

mosey on over!

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Well done Randy that is great info. My preference though is for private teachers as classes are difficult with each person having different levels and so on. But I did a 3 month intensive class at Srinakarinwirot University on Soi 23 Sukumvit......mainly reading and writing .....it was pretty tough and 3 hours a day five days a week. they only spoke Thai the whole time which made it difficult for those in the class who had no understanding at all of Thai language. Anyway I did manage to learnto read slowly which was a feat. the cost was 20,000 baht and was a really goo dhting to do for 3 months betweenjobs. the campus is great and has a very cheap food canteen area ranging from about 12 baht for one thing on rice to 15 baht 2 things on rice and so on....so cheap and many perople drive their Mercs and BMW's in to eat there. They usually runthe course in January through march .....they did have a second level for another 6 weeks or so......but they did not tell anyone until the end of the course I did, which was a bit silly as we had all made other arrangements. I would have gone on to the second level as we were just starting to read serious stuff.

Anyway, I now use only private teachers and learn as I go along, with no set structure....this is not probably the best way tolearn but for me it suits.

Sounds like a good one. Chulalongkorn Uni has a course, but if anything, the language taught is a bit too sophisticated to talk to the man in the street.

[Spee]

Here's what I've been using:

- book: Teach Yourself Thai, by David Smyth

- software: IMSI Easy Language

- software: Languages of the World

- online: thai-language.com

Between these four tools, help from my Thai GF, and hanging out with Thai people, I'm gradually gaining a little skill.

However, IMHO, I have to agree with what Smyth advocates. This is to not use the romanic translations as a crutch, and learn Thai script asap. For me, as probably with most, the hardest thing is getting the tones and context correct.

When I am trying to write Thai script, I feel like I am back in pre-school trying to learn my letters. But it ain't gonna happen any other way.

[phiphilastick]

Hey all

the teach yourself thai book by David smyth is wicked, i study thai at uni and he is my teacher, its the book we use.... the cd's are a real help also... also thai for lovers is a wicked book, like you guys have said already, its much easier to read thai in its own script not the romanised form...

chok dee

[Boon Mee]

For the best overall Reading/Writing Thai Couirse it's hard to beat the books from AUA by J. Marvin Brown. Good fundamentals that will prepare you to pass the pratom 4 exam.

For speaking, the Foreign Service Instutite Course Books 1 & 2 with lots of tapes are excellent.

Good Luck

[tutsiwarrior]

hello Dr PP

This is not topical...I have been incommunicado due to too much thai booze and not enough aspirin and my laptop packed up with obsolete MS software. Where has evryone gone since October last year? The current inane dialog is appalling. Hope to catch up with plachon and the lads sometime soon...

Tutsi

[dr_Pat_Pong]

hello Dr PP

This is not topical...I have been incommunicado due to too much thai booze and not enough aspirin and my laptop packed up with obsolete MS software. Where has evryone gone since October last year? The current inane dialog is appalling. Hope to catch up with plachon and the lads sometime soon...

Tutsi

Hello Tutsi...we have all missed you. The forum will send you some Aspirin for the restoration of your stability. Once you are back online with us, the quality of debate is bound to improve. Hurry back dear Tutsi