Learn Lao?

[cooked]

I went to a deal of trouble to pick up the rudiments of Thai, and was thinking of regularly visiting a language school to get on. I have noticed that for some reason I have learnt to understand Lao, everybody in the village speaks this and a policeman recently jokingly told me to learn Lao.

I don't plan to leave this village and I will never work here.

Would learning Lao be a good idea or would I be viewed as an idiot? It does seem to be easier. I guess if I go to Bangkok O would be welcome on Sukhumvit but not necessarily elsewhere. I don't think I amlearn to new languages at my age, 64.

[bytebuster]

If you need to know a secret language of bar girls, learning Lao is the way to go!

Seriously, I wouldn't ignore learning Thai; learning both may be fun, but Lao alone sounds counter-effective, IMHO.

[coma]

Where is your village ? I take it that it is deep within Isaan. You will need to go to school to learn central Thai if that is the case. Cuz the villagers will almost certainly speak exclusively the Isaan dialect of Thai which is neither Thai or Lao but a combination of both.

[cooked]

The Lao side of Buriram.

Thanks, Coma. Learning Thai will cut me off from many of the people in the village. I am in a bit of a dilemma here, I learned three and a half languages in my life (one dialect). In Switzerland I could never have done business without mastering the dialect. I feel really stuck as to what to decide.

[HeavyDrinker]

I've found that most younger people (under 40) will understand central Thai perfectly well as that is the language medium used in schools.

Picking up the local dialect shouldn't be rocket science especially if you find enthusiastic teachers especially if you have the rudiments of Thai, however BEWARE using what you learn right away and cross check that it is polite with your wife.

A pal of mine once walked around for 3 weeks saying in Suay that "he was a fish" and that he "loved everyone" (thinking he was saying "Good morning" and "How are you?" respectively).

Thankfully he was in a small village and most of the locals knew full well that some of the local wags had been having a laugh at his expense.

The real nightmare with local dialects is that there is little or no written material especially for the non native speaker so it mostly has to be learned word of mouth.

I'd also add that it's not worth "over-writing" your central Thai for though...

[lovelaos]

If you need to know a secret language of bar girls, learning Lao is the way to go!

Yes, great fun can be had in certain bars

I would learn Central Thai if I were the OP, then pick up on the local dialect as you go along, it's not that different.

[coma]

The Lao side of Buriram.

Thanks, Coma. Learning Thai will cut me off from many of the people in the village. I am in a bit of a dilemma here, I learned three and a half languages in my life (one dialect). In Switzerland I could never have done business without mastering the dialect. I feel really stuck as to what to decide.

Yes. Sounds like you have yourself in a bit of a dilemma. Nothing tougher than a lingual challenge. However, Central Thai is spoken to a certain extent by all Thais. Even Thai hilltribes and bordertown folk. One can also communicate using central Thai in most parts of southern Laos. I speak Thai fluently but live in nothern Thailand where they speak northern Thai [ภาษาเมือง] which is quite a bit different. I have no problems communicating with anybody I meet. And when they are talking northern Thai amoungst themselves I understand about 60% of what is being said as it still comprises alot of Central Thai vocab, just spoken in different tones and accent. All fun !! And goodluck.

[cooked]

? so Lao is a dialect of Thai? I don't think so.

[meadish_sweetball]

Lao is not a dialect of Thai, but the Isaan dialects are usually considered part of the Lao dialect continuum (except for political reasons). However, since both Thai and Lao are in the same language family anyway, and mutually intelligible with some effort, Thai has had an impact on how the young Isaanites speak their dialect, and the Isaan dialects are likely to gradually become more like Thai with the passing of time.

[HeavyDrinker]

Lao is not a dialect of Thai

Lets not confuse people here...which you have just done in one post.

This is a fair question which doesn't need language wanke_rs getting all arsey on certain (irrelevant) points old bean.....

[Richard W]

It's fun trying to decide what counts as an army and as a navy. ('A language is a dialect with an army and a navy.')

More seriously, Benjawan Poomsan Becker's Lao-English dictionary might be a readily available useful cheap resource - there were complaints that it was heavily laced with Isaan words. There are Isaan dictionaries about (and they've been discussed on this forum), but they're not so readily available.

[meadish_sweetball]

Lao is not a dialect of Thai

Lets not confuse people here...which you have just done in one post.

This is a fair question which doesn't need language wanke_rs getting all arsey on certain (irrelevant) points old bean.....

I'm sorry my answer confused you. Unfortunately, there is no simple answer to the questions about what is a language and what is a dialect. If you find it difficult to take my word for it, feel free to read up on the issue elsewhere. If you can point out what part of my answer confused you, or went against your beliefs or assumptions, I may be able to clarify it.

[endure]

Lao is not a dialect of Thai

Lets not confuse people here...which you have just done in one post.

This is a fair question which doesn't need language wanke_rs getting all arsey on certain (irrelevant) points old bean.....

I would have thought that the 'Thai Language' forum would be exactly the right place for language wanke_rs to get all arsey. Isn't that the whole point of the forum?

[Trembly]

Cooked,

My dad is about your age. He is learning to speak Lao and gets nothing but praise and goodwill for his mangled efforts. No one but idiots will view you as an idiot.

[HeavyDrinker]

Well the question of what makes a dialect is off topic for a start....

The even stickier debate about the chicken/egg Thai vs Lao is even more confusing (not to mention hackneyed)

The problem with this forum in the past was the amount of knob waving that went on which made it almost unusable for the learner.

In recent times this has thankfully declined somewhat (since Meadish took over ironically) much to the forum's benefit.

Anyhoo,,,anyone know what a "FaLang" is....?

[tingtongtourist]

the policeman tell you to learn Lao for a joke and yes this is a joke many say because the Lao have many different dialect but really to learn Lao you can not do in any school, can only take note about different words from central thai and Lao

doesnt matter as many Bangkok thai already know lao as it their heritage already.

so, each region have different dialect. Is even like this in Italy, in the north speak different from them down south

IMO for this reason good for you to know any language whether be in BK or north as most can understand anyway.Only trouble is when a-hole farang in BK hear you speak Lao/thai they assume you have bargirl wife, but who cares, they are only dyckhead anyway

as i did say , do not have a school for this, you can only learn through time and experience to apply over thai language that you already know

[tingtongtourist]

Cooked,

My dad is about your age. He is learning to speak Lao and gets nothing but praise and goodwill for his mangled efforts. No one but idiots will view you as an idiot.

i think your dad will have the time of his life.sometimes takes age to get the better experience of things

and about idiots and fools..haha..it takes one to know one is what they do say!

1 thing for sure, this site have many fools who really have zero idea about thai or even the real world for that matter because in them they think they alone know everything, then get offend if someone put them straight or have different opinion

[cooked]

well going slightly off topic I have been called ignorant and stupid in the past on this very forum. I seem to have problems when I come into contact with school teachers, maybe because I find it difficult to hide what I think of many of them (I taught English myself for a short while). I do try to avoid using words like fool, idiot, BS, ignorant, wanke_r, ... while on Thai Visa, I think I broke this rule only once (except when talking about myself of course).

[coma]

If anybody has spent any time in Lao and know a little about the Thai language they will notice that most Loatians love Thai music,movies and soapies. They understand the language 100%. I have seem them singing along in pubs, clubs and Karaoke to Thai songs. And in thier houses they are glued to all the normal Thai soaps and there are no subtitles. Draw your own conclusions from that.

[cooked]

Maybe I am drawing on my experience in Switzerland when my learnt High German proved almost useless when I was working with, and later employing, peasants. These guys will change to the language they think you don't understand, as I learnt in Switzerland. That was fun.

[Richard W]

The problem with this forum in the past was the amount of knob waving that went on which made it almost unusable for the learner.

In recent times this has thankfully declined somewhat (since Meadish took over ironically) much to the forum's benefit.

I think the forum has gone downhill since it was promoted as a place for help in learning the Thai language rather than as a place for learning about the Thai language. Unfortunately, the change in emphasis sucked in the advertising, so I don't see it being reversed.

Richard.

[Ajaan]

People will definitely appreciate your honest efforts to learn som Lao...it is by far the largest "minority" language in Thailand, spoken by close to a third of the population as a first language.

You might find this useful:

http://www.studylao.com/

[lovelaos]

If anybody has spent any time in Lao and know a little about the Thai language they will notice that most Loatians love Thai music,movies and soapies. They understand the language 100%. I have seem them singing along in pubs, clubs and Karaoke to Thai songs. And in thier houses they are glued to all the normal Thai soaps and there are no subtitles. Draw your own conclusions from that.

Having spent 10 years living here (Laos) you are quite correct if you replace the word 'love' with 'understand'

[lovelaos]

but really to learn Lao you can not do in any school

Wrong. You can do a Lao language course at Dong Dok university and a few other institutions in Laos.

[KunMatt]

OP, I live in an Isaan village but I am still trying to learn Thai. I've been coming to Isaan for 2 years+, been living here full time for 9 months.

I cannot explain why but I cannot catch any words when Isaan people talk to each other, I would've thought my ears would have tuned into it but it's too quick and mumbled and just slurred together. However when Isaan people talk Thai to me (because they know I can usually understand Thai) then more often than not I can understand them (although that's not the case with everyone!).

I do know quite a few Isaan words, probably more than I think I know as there have been a couple of times when I thought I had learnt a Thai word but it turned out to be Isaan instead. From living here and not being exposed to Thai properly I also have a bad habit of mixing up Isaan with Thai when I am here and when I go to Central Thailand, eg. saying something like "het mai daai" ( = ทำไม่ได้) (and having to write that phonetically because I don't know how to write "het" in Thai script is another good example of why it's harder to learn Isaan).

I look at it like this; most people in Isaan can speak or understand Thai and they talk to me in Thai, but most people in Central Thailand cannot understand Isaan so I have to choose one to learn, I choose Thai as there are many more learning aids available than trying to learn Isaan and knowing Thai is much more beneficial to me in the long run.

Some people say that learning Isaan is easier than learning Thai, but that is certainly not my experience. I live in a place which doesn't speak Thai primarily and I find it easier to learn than the local lingo!

Good luck whatever you choose to do.

[markus]

The Lao side of Buriram.

Thanks, Coma. Learning Thai will cut me off from many of the people in the village. I am in a bit of a dilemma here, I learned three and a half languages in my life (one dialect). In Switzerland I could never have done business without mastering the dialect. I feel really stuck as to what to decide.

Did I misunderstand something. But why Buriram has a "Lao Side" ?

Buriram is located next to Cambodia...

[Richard W]

But why Buriram has a "Lao Side" ?

As opposed to the (Northern) Khmer side, which I believe is the southern part of the province. Actually, Buriram is only about 27% Khmer, unless I am missing something, such as significant numbers of non-Khmer speaking ethnic Khmers.

[cooked]

But why Buriram has a "Lao Side" ?

As opposed to the (Northern) Khmer side, which I believe is the southern part of the province. Actually, Buriram is only about 27% Khmer, unless I am missing something, such as significant numbers of non-Khmer speaking ethnic Khmers.

Correct. I was surprised to discover this also. Driving through Buriram town towards the Cambodian border, you quickly notice little differences in the style of the houses (more straw roofs for instance), the road side markets and so on. Thanks for the valuable comments, Thai it is for me I think, I didn't spend all that time learning the Thai alphabet for nothing.

[Richard W]

I didn't spend all that time learning the Thai alphabet for nothing.

But nowadays the Isan dialect is written in Thai script - using Central Thai phonetic values as far as possible, just to make things doubly confusing.

[cooked]

I didn't spend all that time learning the Thai alphabet for nothing.

But nowadays the Isan dialect is written in Thai script - using Central Thai phonetic values as far as possible, just to make things doubly confusing.

Wow! So there is Isaan literature out there? I guess Buddhist tracts mainly. I thought that Isaan was much less of a tonal language, which was what made me play with the idea of learning it.

So we are talking about Lao when you say Isaan? I need an explanation! I'll try to google Thai ialects.