Resident Farangs In Isaan. How Many Speak The Language?

[GarryP]

I recently had an interesting conversation with my girlfriend (that's unusual in itself) in which she said she can identify fairly accurately where in Isaan the speaker comes from so you may well learn to "wao Udon" but then come unstuck in Ubon.

In addition, many Isaan villages are relatively recent (i.e. less than 100 years old) and they came about often due to migration from afar so the result is neighbouring villages in Isaan may well speak different dialects within the Thai-Lao continuum.

Laotian/issan based speakers will not actually come unstuck. Fellow Issanites (Laotian speakers) can usually tell by a person's accent which northeastern province each other comes from.

Obviously, the average Laotian speaker will be lost speaking to a Khmer speaker.

[Briggsy]

I recently had an interesting conversation with my girlfriend (that's unusual in itself) in which she said she can identify fairly accurately where in Isaan the speaker comes from so you may well learn to "wao Udon" but then come unstuck in Ubon.

In addition, many Isaan villages are relatively recent (i.e. less than 100 years old) and they came about often due to migration from afar so the result is neighbouring villages in Isaan may well speak different dialects within the Thai-Lao continuum.

Laotian/issan based speakers will not actually come unstuck. Fellow Issanites (Laotian speakers) can usually tell by a person's accent which northeastern province each other comes from.

Obviously, the average Laotian speaker will be lost speaking to a Khmer speaker.

Garry P

You misunderstood me twice. Perhaps I was not clear.

I was referring to a foreigner learning to speak the local Isaan dialect in, say, Udon and then discovering he found it much trickier to understood people from, say, Ubon due to differences in accent and vocabulary usage choice. I was not referring to native Isaan speakers having difficulty understanding each other.

I was not referring to differences between Khmer (and Khmer dialects), Isaan (and other dialects on the Thai-Lao contiinuum) and combined dialects. Khmer and Isaan are separate languages so obviously they are different and not mutually intelligible.

[Travel2003]

Took me 40 years to learn fairly good English.

After 12-13 years here, but always interrupted with foreign trips (my job), whatever I learn is basically out the window again.

I always have these grand plans to try to practice and keep it up in some way, when I'm off for work, but that never materialize, as work consume most time.

Agree with the member saying he envy the foreigners who learn the language easy and master it well.

On the other hand, I find very annoying to sometimes read about the bragging members and how easy they learn it and think the rest of us is just too lazy to make an effort.

[Jezz]

It's interesting to note the varied comments throughout this thread. A couple of things I picked up on are: #1. A lot of resident farangs make an effort to learn the language. #2. Some have done very well at it, others, like me, haven't done so well. #3. Despite explanations about how the language/dialects vary from region to region throughout Isaan, making it hard to pick up on a specific 'lingo', I find from my own experience no matter where in Thailand folk come from they still manage to understand fundamental 'Thai' and have no problems communicating with the majority of nationals, no matter where they originate from.

Edited December 16, 2012 by Jezz

[Briggsy]

That's right Jezz

"Fundamental Thai" is actually "Central Thai" or just Phasa Thai. It is the language that is used in schools, all government institutions and on the tv and radio. This is a very long-standing government policy going back to the 1950's. It is now an accepted part of the culture.

Since all Thais nowadays have had some sort of education and all are exposed to tv and the radio, this government policy has succeeded in allowing all Thais to be able to communicate with one another and share a common language.

Go back 100 years, get somebody from Korat and somebody from Surat together and communication would have been limited at best.

[TommoPhysicist]

That's right Jezz

"Fundamental Thai" is actually "Central Thai" or just Phasa Thai. It is the language that is used in schools, all government institutions and on the tv and radio. This is a very long-standing government policy going back to the 1950's. It is now an accepted part of the culture.

As far as I know, Central Thai is not mandatory until High-school.

At the moment only 20% of Thais complete high-school, not sure how many never go, but high-school is not compulsory.

Quite a few in my village (kids and adults) that don't speak central Thai.

[nev]

When I came to LoS 8 years ago a friend said learn Thai, Lao doesn't matter. Now I speak Thai live in Isan and struggle with Lao. I thought was my friend right. In Isan they speak Lao but so many people from here go to different parts of the country to work. Get a taxi from BKK to town and how often was the driver born in Isan. Go to bars and where are the girls from? Go to restaurants in BKK or Chiang Mai and where are many of the staff from? I have found that when I am in BKK and speak my limited Lao (and it is) that peoploe seem to warm to me better.

However well you speak Lao/Isan I think there are two rules. 1. Never let people (strangers) know how much you speak/understand. 2 If you do your selective hearing mode can be compromised.

A chap in Khon Kaen has written a very good book on learning Isan which comes with 4 hour CD. He told me it can be ordered online or can bought at Asia Books. Gives you the basics. Por gan iik der for more postings

The books are on sale in the no1 bar in khonkaen, have both thai and isan.

Agree about the selective hearing and they change dialect, i only speak a little thai and isan, so if i let on i know a few words they test how much i know, when they have established i know jack s**t . they carry on the gossip

[cooked]

In 1972 I spent three months intensively learning High German in preparation for moving to Switzerland. Ok for the job interview, talking to officials and so on. My job involved working with Swiss peasants, who immediately assumed that I couldn't speak German as they didn't understand me. Took me a few months to learn the dialect and sort that out. It's true: they will switch to the language that they think you don't understand, worthwhile keeping a poker face. Much later I moved 200 Km further and they didn't understand the dialect that I had learnt so I switched back to High German.

However, the differences between the various Swiss dialects are slowly being deleted due to TV and a large immigrant population.. I guess you can look forward to this process happening in Thailand also, some time in a generation or two they may realise what they have lost and start evening classes to relearn their own mother tongue.

My wife told me about the differences in (Lao) dialect from one village to another here as we drove into town, she should get an act going, funny.

At the age of 64 I am hacking away at the Thai language, I think I can read and pronounce most things I see written in Thai, pity I my vocabulary is so minimal! Learning Lao? I decided against it .

[jamescollister]

Strange, had a yank come visit a few years ago, he picked up a newspaper and began reading it [Thai] I said I was very impressed. He replied , I have leaned the sounds for the writing, but have no idea what it means. Jim

[Jezz]

Concerning the point raised earlier about Central Thai being the language taught in all schools throughout Thailand. I have two stepsons aged 6 and 12. Both boys are only taught in Central Thai language in their government-run school in Isaan near Sakon Nakhon. I think the issue regarding diverse languages/dialects may well stem from the fact many older citizens were never taught Central Thai, resulting in a clash of languages between young and older folk. Certainly in my family, only the young students have a grasp of Central Thai, not the elders in the family, who stick to Lao or whatever.

Edited December 17, 2012 by Jezz

[Gary A]

I spent three months in Australia learning Thai from a Thai tutor. I learned the Thai alphabet and the numbers. It was easier for me to read and write than to speak the language. I had the tutor find me a Thai newspaper and was hugely disappointed that I couldn't even begin to read it. My vocabulary was entirely inadequate to be able to read a newspaper that had no separation between the words. As I mentioned in a previous post, I was never able to hear the tones so I lost heart and gave up.