Lopburi99 Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 (edited) Hi, My wife is having trouble remembering the English she has learned over time (primarily from me). She has moderate motivation, but when she recently even got "when" and "where" mixed up it has left me more than a little concerned. She was fairly decent at one point (I started helping her learn informally after I met her in 2007), but has been slipping. I hope there is not a developing medical condition (she is 52), but I guess it is possible. She may simply not be understanding me when I thought she heard, understood, and just didn't comment. I haven't been successful in getting her to tell me when she didn't understand something I said. However, when she answers a different question it is clear she didn't understand me in the first place. In the past when I was in the U.S. we would email daily which helped her and kept her current. Now that I am here full time I can see how much the emailing helped. We were talking about what might might help her. I was thinking if she had a simple book to read, one which was interesting enough to keep her attention, that would be hugely beneficial. If I can somehow help her ease into reading and enjoying anything written in English I know how much that would help. No, I am not thinking the "Go Dog, Go!" level (which by the way is quite good). Well, actually starting/resuming at that level may be a decent idea anyway, however a kid's book won't hold her attention much less inspire her to read more. Anybody know of a suitable book...a book which may have helped your gf/wife? Thai/English I guess would be best. I would think the book stores have some but thought I'd inquire here first. So many of you have BTDT. Thanks. Edited May 30, 2012 by Lopburi99 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thaicbr Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 'English for life' its not cheap as its designed as a class book but it excellent. Pm me if you want IBDN Numbers. sent from my Wellcom A90+ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aneliane Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 Bridget Jones' diary Harry Potter 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonD Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 Bridget Jones' diary Harry Potter +1 Harry Potter. It was those books (in Thai tho') that got my GF hooked on reading for pleasure in the first place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrRealDeal Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 The daily newspaper is one of the best ways to teach people, it has the advantage of being relevant to peoples lives and it's easier to figure out words you might not have known previously based on the context. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucidLucifer Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 Let her choose a book that she is interested in, fiction or non-fiction it doesn't matter. What matters is that it will engage her enough want to read on. There is nothing worse than trying to (or having to) read something that doesn't appeal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beechboy Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' is a great easy reader, and is not just a chilldren's book by any means. A good starter at least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JusMe Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 I think one of the first things you need do is differentiate between reading and listening. It could be that her reading skills are fine, as shown by your use of emails, but that her listening skills have somehow deteriorated. Might even be a hearing problem? Things that interest her are obviously the first place to look for reading materials. If she likes romance stuff, all the Harlequin stuff might be appropriate, or the Mills & Boone sets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
telldem Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 The Cat In The Hat. Sent from my iPhone 4 S using Thaivisa Connect App Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CiaranO Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 Hi Op, There is a wonderful series of books produced by Oxford and by SE ED (available at B2S and SE ED book store) . They begin at level 1 and work up to level 5. they have stories like My LIttle Princess, Sherlock Holmes, The Wizard of OZ, and lots more. The harder words are translated into Thai on the side of the pages. They are very good books and start at 75 Baht, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mobi Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 Many years ago I took my then Thai wife with me to live in the UK, At that time she spoke and wrote pretty good English but she was not of a sufficient standard that she could read English books with ease. One day, she picked up an Agatha Christie 'who dunnit' and started to read it. It took her quite a long time, but she eventually finished it and thoroughly enjoyed it. So she picked up another one and this time she read it a bit quicker.... and so on. Within a few months she became a prolific reader and became a life long fan of the detective genre. These days, she can read any book as quickly as any native English reader, but it was the relatively uncomplicated language of Christie - combined with a enjoyable story line which first got her going. As stated above - the first book is the hardest and after that it gets progressively easier. Christie may be a bit old hat these days, but it does provide a good illustration for what kind of book may appeal to a Thai lady. Once she masters reading, the whole world of literature is her oyster. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mobi Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 IMHO, I think that books like Harry Potter are far too long for a 'beginner'. The Potter books are some of the longest novels written in modern times - fine for a fluent native reader, but daunting for some with English as their second language. Her first books should be simple and short, to provide more achiveable goals, and to lessen the risk that she will give up half way through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macksview Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 my wife now loves knitting and craft magazines, bless my sisters for providing them and explaining the terms in them better than i can, at the start i got sick of trying to explain the patterns to her, so she put the effort in and now understands them. a present of an old spinning wheel has started a new interest for her, no alpaca fleece is safe. those little mongolian children are recieving her jumpers and scarfs shortly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Payboy Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 Why non kill 2 birds with 1 stone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bendix Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 I think the Agatha Christie suggestion is a good one, and agree that Harry Potter books would be too long. I think short books - that don't insult their intelligence - but are written in an easy way like all good writing should be are perfect. My wife picked up some PG Wodehouse short stories recently and loved them. Don't laugh, but the Winnie the Pooh stuff is good too. More recently, she has started a new approach: reading a novel in English, but with a Thai transalated edition alongside it. Oscar Wilde's Portait of Dorian Grey is easy to get in both languages, and a lot of the more popular titles or more mainstream fiction too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuddhistVirus Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 (edited) The Little Prince, english version of the adventures of Tintin comics, Lord of the Flies, short books on Buddhism... Edited May 31, 2012 by BuddhistVirus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Semper Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 Bridget Jones' diary Harry Potter +1 Harry Potter. It was those books (in Thai tho') that got my GF hooked on reading for pleasure in the first place. Harry Potter for a 52 year old! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mobi Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 Bridget Jones' diary Harry Potter +1 Harry Potter. It was those books (in Thai tho') that got my GF hooked on reading for pleasure in the first place. Harry Potter for a 52 year old! Although I'm not personally a fan, countless millions of adults of all ages read and enjoy the Potter books. I'm sorry, but it seems to me that your main contribution to most threads is to try and belittle or mock what other posters have written in good faith. I wonder why you do it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Semper Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 @ Mobi. Well, I'm sorry if anyone took offense, but I thought the book was for children/youngsters. From Wikipedia: Despite Rowling's statement that she did not have any particular age group in mind when beginning to write the Harry Potter books, the publishers initially targeted children aged nine to eleven Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mobi Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 @ Mobi. Well, I'm sorry if anyone took offense, but I thought the book was for children/youngsters. From Wikipedia: Despite Rowling's statement that she did not have any particular age group in mind when beginning to write the Harry Potter books, the publishers initially targeted children aged nine to eleven Also from the same Wikipedia page: The series has also gathered adult fans, leading to the release of two editions of each Harry Potterbook, identical in text but with one edition's cover artwork aimed at children and the other aimed at adults. The internet is awash with accounts of adults who consider Harry Potter every bit as adult reading as much as it is kids' reading..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDBKK Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas? Provides rich cultural narrative from the counter culture period in american history. There is also the plus of having a silverscreen adaptation with almost the exact same narrative which could prove useful in depicting the "mind expansion" aspects of the book. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lopburi99 Posted May 31, 2012 Author Share Posted May 31, 2012 A number of good suggestions here, thank you. I am sure others reading this thread are also benefiting from these ideas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Semper Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 (edited) @ Mobi. Well, I'm sorry if anyone took offense, but I thought the book was for children/youngsters. From Wikipedia: Despite Rowling's statement that she did not have any particular age group in mind when beginning to write the Harry Potter books, the publishers initially targeted children aged nine to eleven Also from the same Wikipedia page: The series has also gathered adult fans, leading to the release of two editions of each Harry Potterbook, identical in text but with one edition's cover artwork aimed at children and the other aimed at adults. The internet is awash with accounts of adults who consider Harry Potter every bit as adult reading as much as it is kids' reading..... Ok, I was wrong then. Happy now? I saw my daughter (14) watch one of the movies and I got the impression that it was 'kid stuff'. And I didn't realize that adults were interested in such, obviously I was wrong. Edited May 31, 2012 by Semper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigJohnnyBKK Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 Any decent TEFL bookshop (I go to DK in Makkasan) will have a selection of "graded readers" which are abridged and vocabulary-simplified versions of classic books. The ones aimed at high-schoolers will be suitable for many Thai adults. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChiangMai101 Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 Perhaps some Paul Gallico titles: "Manxmouse", "Mrs 'Arris goes to Paris", "The Snow Goose". Lovely stories but not sure if any of them are still in print. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuddhistVirus Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist. A very enjoyable and light reading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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