Foreign Words Turn The Focus On Our Native Tongue: Thai Editorial

[Thai at Heart]

As long as they don't use Microsoft lazy American English, responsible globally for the dumbing down of the correct English language spelling.

Haha...well, you're of the UK persuasion, I presume? You are so WRONG. American English is a vast improvement over what you chaps speak.

Remember...just because it's OLDER, doesn't make it BETTER. Doctors used to apply leeches to patients...now they've moved on. The English language has evolved. DEAL with it.

Strange point. Other than a few differences in spelling a few words, what are the major grammatical between English, and American English.

I think in that case someone should codify Thai English and just state that English is too difficult and just make up their own version. How about Australian English, or Spanglish, as official languages.

I am half Welsh, I hereby codify Welglish and forgive any grammatical errors I make.

There is actually substantial proof Welsh was a global foundation to all English even before Roman times, Greek and Latin. Well done to the Welsh. http://treasure1.tri...on.html

Cheers

I studied it for a few years, beautiful language. But in the modern day it had absorbed thousands of anglicized words. The football commentary on S4C was always a giggle.

Good that they don't let it die out.

[unanimosity]

Haha...well, you're of the UK persuasion, I presume? You are so WRONG. American English is a vast improvement over what you chaps speak.

Remember...just because it's OLDER, doesn't make it BETTER. Doctors used to apply leeches to patients...now they've moved on. The English language has evolved. DEAL with it.

Oh here we go...and why is American English a vast improvement pray tell...oh great Ajaan ?

The fact that the question must be asked is case in point.

Well please enlighten on the significant grammatical differences? Did American English do away with tenses, adverbs or did it just lose an 'I' in aluminum?

Have to charge for that enlightenment, but you can learn it on your own like so many others before you. And the 'i' never belonged there in the first place if the world's largest aluminum companies are to be believed. They understood in 1925 that the original aluminum spelling and pronunciation was changed to ium by a bunch of anal retentives that could not sleep if the element didn't match chromium and some other elements using ium so they forced the adaptation to aluminiium, took a deep breath and got some sleep. But in 1925 it was changed back to the original proposed name of aluminum, only the anal retentives could not let go, literally and figuratively. So for spite over losing sleep again they decided to make it an 'i' for an 'i' by adding an unnecessary second 'i' in specialty to make it speciality, which of course loses all specilaty in the process, as every specialty store owner will tell you.

[Thai at Heart]

Strange point. Other than a few differences in spelling a few words, what are the major grammatical between English, and American English.

I think in that case someone should codify Thai English and just state that English is too difficult and just make up their own version. How about Australian English, or Spanglish, as official languages.

Point 1...Americans donated all the extra letters, especially the vowels, in British spelling to the Welsh. Apparently they've been lost in pub or pasture. Also, as we didn't have any Norman overlords to pay homage to, 'tre' spellings have been replaced by the more phonetic 'ter'.

Point 2 ... Totally agree. Pasa angrit very yaak. Tinglish should be declared an official ASEAN language. Spellings in Thai script will be developed by the Ministry of Inactive Posts, and strictly enforced by the Culture Ministry. Spelling tests in romanicized script will follow the GAT/ONET English test models, where there may be multiple or no correct answers.

Don't get your point 1, American English donated vowels to Welsh? Changing spelling from British English to American doesn't represent codifying a separate form of grammar to a language.

There is essentially no grammatical difference between correct English and American English.

Just because you can so 'To boldly go', doesn't make it grammatically correct, in either country.

[Soutpeel]

Well please enlighten on the significant grammatical differences? Did American English do away with tenses, adverbs or did it just lose an 'I' in aluminum?

or the "h" in herb...

[Thai at Heart]

Well please enlighten on the significant grammatical differences? Did American English do away with tenses, adverbs or did it just lose an 'I' in aluminum?

or the "h" in herb...

How does one spell photograph in American English? Surely that is one ripe for change.

[Soutpeel]

Strange point. Other than a few differences in spelling a few words, what are the major grammatical between English, and American English.

I think in that case someone should codify Thai English and just state that English is too difficult and just make up their own version. How about Australian English, or Spanglish, as official languages.

Point 1...Americans donated all the extra letters, especially the vowels, in British spelling to the Welsh. Apparently they've been lost in pub or pasture. Also, as we didn't have any Norman overlords to pay homage to, 'tre' spellings have been replaced by the more phonetic 'ter'.

Point 2 ... Totally agree. Pasa angrit very yaak. Tinglish should be declared an official ASEAN language. Spellings in Thai script will be developed by the Ministry of Inactive Posts, and strictly enforced by the Culture Ministry. Spelling tests in romanicized script will follow the GAT/ONET English test models, where there may be multiple or no correct answers.

Don't get your point 1, American English donated vowels to Welsh? Changing spelling from British English to American doesn't represent codifying a separate form of grammar to a language.

There is essentially no grammatical difference between correct English and American English.

Just because you can so 'To boldly go', doesn't make it grammatically correct, in either country.

We have got to give our colonial cousins some credit...they did put a a lot "Zee's" into words which were correctly spelt with an an "S" ...

[Thai at Heart]

http://www.worldwidewords.org/articles/aluminium.htm

r Humphry made a bit of a mess of naming this new element, at first spelling it alumium (this was in 1807) then changing it to aluminum, and finally settling on aluminium in 1812. His classically educated scientific colleagues preferred aluminium right from the start, because it had more of a classical ring, and chimed harmoniously with many other elements whose names ended in –ium, like potassium, sodium, and magnesium, all of which had been named by Davy. The spelling in –um continued in occasional use in Britain for a while, though that in –ium soon predominated. In the USA, the position was more complicated. Noah Webster’s Dictionary of 1828 has only aluminum, though the standard spelling among US chemists throughout most of the nineteenth century was aluminium; it was the preferred version in The Century Dictionary of 1889 and is the only spelling given in the Webster Unabridged Dictionary of 1913. Searches in an archive of American newspapers show a most interesting shift.

[Thai at Heart]

UY

Strange point. Other than a few differences in spelling a few words, what are the major grammatical between English, and American English.

I think in that case someone should codify Thai English and just state that English is too difficult and just make up their own version. How about Australian English, or Spanglish, as official languages.

Point 1...Americans donated all the extra letters, especially the vowels, in British spelling to the Welsh. Apparently they've been lost in pub or pasture. Also, as we didn't have any Norman overlords to pay homage to, 'tre' spellings have been replaced by the more phonetic 'ter'.

Point 2 ... Totally agree. Pasa angrit very yaak. Tinglish should be declared an official ASEAN language. Spellings in Thai script will be developed by the Ministry of Inactive Posts, and strictly enforced by the Culture Ministry. Spelling tests in romanicized script will follow the GAT/ONET English test models, where there may be multiple or no correct answers.

Don't get your point 1, American English donated vowels to Welsh? Changing spelling from British English to American doesn't represent codifying a separate form of grammar to a language.

There is essentially no grammatical difference between correct English and American English.

Just because you can so 'To boldly go', doesn't make it grammatically correct, in either country.

We have got to give our colonial cousins some credit...they did put a a lot "Zee's" into words which were correctly spelt with an an "S" ...

That would be 'zeds' as in 'sugar on your bread', right? Lol

Edited October 11, 2012 by Thai at Heart

[toybits]

Then Thais will require foreigners to pronounce Thai Words correctly as well...

What about getting Thais to pronounce English correctly?

[siampolee]

England and America are two countries separated by a common language.

The above is indeed a pertinent quote by George Bernard Shaw concerning the use of U.K English and American English.

[ScouseTommy]

As long as they don't use Microsoft lazy American English, responsible globally for the dumbing down of the correct English language spelling.

Haha...well, you're of the UK persuasion, I presume? You are so WRONG. American English is a vast improvement over what you chaps speak.

Remember...just because it's OLDER, doesn't make it BETTER. Doctors used to apply leeches to patients...now they've moved on. The English language has evolved. DEAL with it.

(BTW I'm a teacher and in my school the teachers from the U.S. have to teach English in the U.K. form.)

Typical American you take our Language (It is called English, after England) and dumb it down to make it easier for your fellow Americans. Then you claim this is evolution! You couldn't deal with a 'U' in your harbour, a bit to complicated so you dropped it; evolution at work! Personally I think the reason I see so many Americans strolling around Bangkok with 6ft tall wide shouldered...ahem.... ladies, is due to the fact that a fanny in UK English, is not in the same location as it is in the states!

[Soutpeel]

As long as they don't use Microsoft lazy American English, responsible globally for the dumbing down of the correct English language spelling.

Haha...well, you're of the UK persuasion, I presume? You are so WRONG. American English is a vast improvement over what you chaps speak.

Remember...just because it's OLDER, doesn't make it BETTER. Doctors used to apply leeches to patients...now they've moved on. The English language has evolved. DEAL with it.

(BTW I'm a teacher and in my school the teachers from the U.S. have to teach English in the U.K. form.)

Typical American you take our Language (It is called English, after England) and dumb it down to make it easier for your fellow Americans. Then you claim this is evolution! You couldn't deal with a 'U' in your harbour, a bit to complicated so you dropped it; evolution at work! Personally I think the reason I see so many Americans strolling around Bangkok with 6ft tall wide shouldered...ahem.... ladies, is due to the fact that a fanny in UK English, is not in the same location as it is in the states!

With a name like "ScouseTommy" and your an English teacher !...... god help them..but suppose it could be worse..you could be called "GeordieTommy"....

As regards your comment on Fannies...when I worked in the US, local guys couldnt understand why I used to start sniggering when they said fanny pack or Fannie Mae...

Edited October 11, 2012 by Soutpeel

[chooka]

I can't see the problem, we already have English and American English where the spelling in American is different to the rest of the English speaking world and we adapt. Just check out your spell checking facility on word programs it will ask you if you are using English or American.

[ajarnyai]

I'm just glad that the government is thinking about this now, and I hope that they will come up with a good solution. The Japanese do use Katakana for many foreign words, but lately ( let's say the past 10 years or so) they often write a word or abbreviation in roman characters. They use 4 character sets daily; two of which are originally foreign. The use can do it because they are used to using foreign languages, even if they don't speak them daily. The development of the Japanese language is a complicated one, but Thailand could do the same with English words, if the country is serious about using the language.

[tzthib]

[Well please enlighten on the significant grammatical differences? Did American English do away with tenses, adverbs or did it just lose an 'I' in aluminum?

Actually, it could be said that contemporary British English is the true bastardized version of the language. American English, ironically enough, is much closer to the English spoken in the UK and the colonies back in the 17th century.

Here is a little article worth a quick read.

[tzthib]

As long as they don't use Microsoft lazy American English, responsible globally for the dumbing down of the correct English language spelling.

Haha...well, you're of the UK persuasion, I presume? You are so WRONG. American English is a vast improvement over what you chaps speak.

Remember...just because it's OLDER, doesn't make it BETTER. Doctors used to apply leeches to patients...now they've moved on. The English language has evolved. DEAL with it.

(BTW I'm a teacher and in my school the teachers from the U.S. have to teach English in the U.K. form.)

Typical American you take our Language (It is called English, after England) and dumb it down to make it easier for your fellow Americans. Then you claim this is evolution! You couldn't deal with a 'U' in your harbour, a bit to complicated so you dropped it; evolution at work! Personally I think the reason I see so many Americans strolling around Bangkok with 6ft tall wide shouldered...ahem.... ladies, is due to the fact that a fanny in UK English, is not in the same location as it is in the states!

Say what you want, but you Brits smoke way more fags than we Americans ever will!

[chooka]

As long as they don't use Microsoft lazy American English, responsible globally for the dumbing down of the correct English language spelling.

Haha...well, you're of the UK persuasion, I presume? You are so WRONG. American English is a vast improvement over what you chaps speak.

Remember...just because it's OLDER, doesn't make it BETTER. Doctors used to apply leeches to patients...now they've moved on. The English language has evolved. DEAL with it.

Oh here we go...and why is American English a vast improvement pray tell...oh great Ajaan ?

Maybe because it is only spoken and used by Americans and they say so. The rest of the English speaking nations use the actual english language and spelling. It is a little like saying that America has better Kangaroos.

[lucjoker]

Wrong about leeches...wrong about languages perhaps....

the thai people try to speek "english" ,they make mistakes but they try,they at least speak more than 1 language !

i'm 9 years here ,and i dont know 1 englishman ,welsh,american ,canadian...who can speak english correctly !

They all speak a tongue(dialect)but thats all they can.Put on the same table they dont understand what the other says !

So let comments on languages be made by people who speak at least 3 languages ( like a belgium,dutch,.... 12 year old ) .

If you can speak only english you look very dumb in any spanish,french,german,chinese,portugees,italian....... speaking area , and

you are just lucky that the other "educated"people can help you and understand your weakness by speaking some english.

only comment if you are educated please.

[chooka]

Wrong about leeches...wrong about languages perhaps....

the thai people try to speek "english" ,they make mistakes but they try,they at least speak more than 1 language !

i'm 9 years here ,and i dont know 1 englishman ,welsh,american ,canadian...who can speak english correctly !

They all speak a tongue(dialect)but thats all they can.Put on the same table they dont understand what the other says !

So let comments on languages be made by people who speak at least 3 languages ( like a belgium,dutch,.... 12 year old ) .

If you can speak only english you look very dumb in any spanish,french,german,chinese,portugees,italian....... speaking area , and

you are just lucky that the other "educated"people can help you and understand your weakness by speaking some english.

only comment if you are educated please.

So if we went to school we can participate on Thai Visa or are you saying that this forum is exclusive to the holders of multiple PHD's? What have you done with George?

[Rob8891]

Wrong about leeches...wrong about languages perhaps....

the thai people try to speek "english" ,they make mistakes but they try,they at least speak more than 1 language !

i'm 9 years here ,and i dont know 1 englishman ,welsh,american ,canadian...who can speak english correctly !

They all speak a tongue(dialect)but thats all they can.Put on the same table they dont understand what the other says !

So let comments on languages be made by people who speak at least 3 languages ( like a belgium,dutch,.... 12 year old ) .

If you can speak only english you look very dumb in any spanish,french,german,chinese,portugees,italian....... speaking area , and

you are just lucky that the other "educated"people can help you and understand your weakness by speaking some english.

only comment if you are educated please.

What rubbish! Brits, Yanks, Canucks, Kiwis and Ozzies CAN understand each other. Any complications that may arise are often due to accents, or sometimes a few localised pieces of terminilogy, both of which you will find due regional differences within any of those countries.

Whilst I would agree that the UK is sadly lacking in teaching languages (I have been a teacher for almost 40 years) I do not think you have much room to criticise from your perveived ivory tower, as your post is littered with errors.

As for your "only comment if you are educated please" what an arrogant thing to say. Your whole post reeks of ignorance and arrogance and judging by your accuations, you cannot be circulating in "educated" circles.

I suggest you remember the following quote, attributed to various people, so origin is indeterminate.... "It is sometimes better to say nothing and be thought a fool, rather than open one's mouth and remove all doubt"

Edited October 11, 2012 by Rob8891

[Commander Tamson]

Back to the point - the general teaching of English in Thailand is extremely poor and only adds to the insular nature of its society in general. English is such an easy and forgiving language to learn and speak - mix up the words of "Where is the railway station?" into any order you like and you can still understand what the person is trying to say. Try that in any other language and watch the blank stares!!

[Rob8891]

Sorry.... that was an unnecessarily long off-topic post, but let's stop that nonsense.

BTW, if any of our colonial cousins are still struggling with the language we blessed you with, I'm sure all of the brit brigade will be pleased to put you on the right track

[siampolee]

Perhaps these video's might help the venerable lucjoker in putting over his view regarding the use of English..

No offence intended to our Swedish friends.

Edited October 11, 2012 by siampolee

[DoctorG]

It is amusing to think that English is the "home" of borrowed words, being itself derived from many other languages including German, Welsh, French, Greek, and whatever others you can think of.

[asiawatcher]

Well please enlighten on the significant grammatical differences? Did American English do away with tenses, adverbs or did it just lose an 'I' in aluminum?

It didn't lose an "L" it skipped an unimportant "U" - it is aluminum not al-U-minium....

Hate to disappoint you - wrong - it is Alu-min-ium. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium and always has been. American lazy English again.

[Soutpeel]

It is amusing to think that English is the "home" of borrowed words, being itself derived from many other languages including German, Welsh, French, Greek, and whatever others you can think of.

and at this juncture a little comic relief on the topic of languages and incorrect spelling

[Thai at Heart]

[Well please enlighten on the significant grammatical differences? Did American English do away with tenses, adverbs or did it just lose an 'I' in aluminum?

Actually, it could be said that contemporary British English is the true bastardized version of the language. American English, ironically enough, is much closer to the English spoken in the UK and the colonies back in the 17th century.

Here is a little article worth a quick read.

Local accents mean nothing. There is a correct grammatical form or not. If a Welshman, Geordie or east londoner speaks a certain way, it is no measure of their grammatical ability. Of course, it's preferable if they speak grammatically correctly, but there is still only one correct way to write English, and America didn't invent it.

It's line saying patois is West Indian English. I worked in Carolina, I couldn't understand a word anyone said, but their emails were flawless.

[thatguy]

Perhaps in honor of our roots, we Yanks have retained the "U" when spelling pompous.

[Rajab Al Zarahni]

Wrong about leeches...wrong about languages perhaps....

the thai people try to speek "english" ,they make mistakes but they try,they at least speak more than 1 language !

i'm 9 years here ,and i dont know 1 englishman ,welsh,american ,canadian...who can speak english correctly !

They all speak a tongue(dialect)but thats all they can.Put on the same table they dont understand what the other says !

So let comments on languages be made by people who speak at least 3 languages ( like a belgium,dutch,.... 12 year old ) .

If you can speak only english you look very dumb in any spanish,french,german,chinese,portugees,italian....... speaking area , and

you are just lucky that the other "educated"people can help you and understand your weakness by speaking some english.

only comment if you are educated please.

What rubbish! Brits, Yanks, Canucks, Kiwis and Ozzies CAN understand each other. Any complications that may arise are often due to accents, or sometimes a few localised pieces of terminilogy, both of which you will find due regional differences within any of those countries.

Whilst I would agree that the UK is sadly lacking in teaching languages (I have been a teacher for almost 40 years) I do not think you have much room to criticise from your perveived ivory tower, as your post is littered with errors.

As for your "only comment if you are educated please" what an arrogant thing to say. Your whole post reeks of ignorance and arrogance and judging by your accuations, you cannot be circulating in "educated" circles.

I suggest you remember the following quote, attributed to various people, so origin is indeterminate.... "It is sometimes better to say nothing and be thought a fool, rather than open one's mouth and remove all doubt"

....and: “Do not argue with an idiot they drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.” ― Mark Twain

Edited October 11, 2012 by Rajab Al Zarahni

[Thai at Heart]

Perhaps in honor of our roots, we Yanks have retained the "U" when spelling pompous.

Quite correctly.