How long does it take to learn to speak Thai?

[Potential Teacher]

And how long to read/write?

Assuming you have a decent teacher and study for 1 hour each day.

How do you really learn conversation Thai?

[falkan]

study everyday 1-2 hour should take you 1 year..

[poanoi]

Depends an awful lot on your interest and memory, and thus age too.

Yes, you can command a good deal of the language in one year, under the right conditions.

Conversation is a good deal of practice with the right teacher, so you learn the rhythm of the language,

(where would you say 'na' ? and why ?) much like english are hooked on saying 'the' sun, instead of just sun.

On top of that comes the thai tendency of swallowing the last part of the word, and some have problems with even pronouncing stuff

Edited September 15, 2013 by poanoi

[roamer]

How long is a piece of string ?

Depends on your aptitude, method, location, easier to pick it up faster if you are in LOS and can also get conversation practise.

"Decent teacher" means different things to different people. I've come across some people being taught by teachers totally obsessed with correct tones, can be learnt but at the expense of vocabulary. I always take the view that if your vocabulary is sufficient then incorrect tones will rarely cause a problem, a lot of Thais get along with far from perfect tones.

[pigeonjake]

after many years im still learning,

and to be honest i dont think ill ever get there, ill just be happy to have a decent conversation with my wifes grandperents,

and as for reading and writing, well ill just leave that to the young guns here,

jake

[ToddWeston]

20 years and some of my tones are still awful I can't read and single word and still push the door when I should be pulling. I find watching television has helped just wish it was more interesting.

Worst part is everyone in our house understands me but as soon as I venture out people think I'm speaking Greek, either the family have given up trying to correct me or are just used to my piss poor command of the language - it doesn't help that they want to speak English and I want to speak Thai. The end result (sadly) is if I'm in the room everyone speaks English even if I try to converse in Thai.

If it was full immersion here I would agree 1 year, for me probably 2 with a proper tutor.

[Smokin Joe]

Just as a reference point the Thai language course at the Defense Language Institute in Monterry, CA is 48 weeks.

[NCC1701A]

I know one man who is a genius and he speaks Thai with no "farang" accent.

One the phone you would think he is a Thai.

I am horrible at learning a new language.

My goal is the be able to say about twenty common phrases.

Edited September 16, 2013 by NCC1701A

[yourauntbob]

I have weak language skills and it took me a couple years of studying (on average) 5 hours a week to be able to read basic Thai (most common font) and have the vocabulary to order food, give directions, etc and understand 60% when they speak sloooooooooowly.

but as said above, it is going to depend on you and your situation. with any practice you should get some basics down quickly but becoming truly proficient will take more time than its worth unless you plan to live here forever.

[Om85]

Well, it took me like 4 months more or less, I learned chinese before so learning Thai was a piece of cake, for learning the Thai alphabet if you have a good memory one day or two will be enough, I didn't have any teacher, I learned by myself and practicing with my mother in law and the people on the streest. I recomend you to get the books of Benjawan Poomsan Becker , is a serie of three books : "Thai for beginners", "Thai for intermediate learners", and "Thai for advanced learners", watch lots of thai tv and read newspapers as often as you can and in 6/7 month you will be able to speak, write and read.

PS: pay special attention to the tones, the lenghs of the vowels and the final sound of the words .

Edited September 16, 2013 by Om85

[h90]

Depends....a friend of mine never learned Thai, but picked it up automatically...he can even read.

Others try hard to learn it and will never be able (like me).

[FiftyTwo]

This English/Dutch lady has been singing in Thailand a long time.

My gf says she sounded like a foreigner singing Thai until last year ...... took her 20 years to get it right.

PS

Christy moved to Thailand aged 6.

Edited September 16, 2013 by FiftyTwo

[i claudius]

After 23 years i still find it hard to understand anyone outside my familly ,my Thai is great if its about money or food ,thats it .

[ghworker2010]

it took me 1 yr to count from 1 to 100. 1 yr to learn the entire language... i dont think so

[kowpot]

Speaking Thai is like dancing. You are much better at it if your about half drunk. Or at least you think you are.

[bobobo]

I go to a teacher 3 times a week. The problem for me is that the more a learn the more I forget..I must constantly go back and check things and it's very important that You study every day I think. For me it's also a problem that English it's not my first language. So I have translate every thing three times..or maybe I'm just stupid, but I really enjoy it..

[Potential Teacher]

Hmm, interesting, thank you for the replies.

As it stands I can speak English and Afrikaans. Would learning to speak Thai open up doors for me?

Personally, I can't really say how good I am at learning a foreign language, what really helped me with English though is the internet - consistently typing and reading English online has taught me some of the most aberrant words I've ever come across. I grew up with an Afrikaans household so that's been around for years.

After watching the music video above I think it'll take me a long time.

[rgs2001uk]

Hmm, interesting, thank you for the replies.

As it stands I can speak English and Afrikaans. Would learning to speak Thai open up doors for me?

Personally, I can't really say how good I am at learning a foreign language, what really helped me with English though is the internet - consistently typing and reading English online has taught me some of the most aberrant words I've ever come across. I grew up with an Afrikaans household so that's been around for years.

After watching the music video above I think it'll take me a long time.

Would learning to speak Thai open up doors for me?

Short answer, no.

Why would you want to take the time to learn a language thats of no use to you outside of Thailand?

What doors would expect to have opened?

What are you qualified to do?

What experience do you have?

What do you bring to the table?

Why should someone on here employ you?

For some reason known only to you, you seen hell bent on coming here, most of your questions have been answered before and the folly of your ways pointed out to you on a previous thread you started abount becoming a teacher.

[h90]

Speaking Thai is like dancing. You are much better at it if your about half drunk. Or at least you think you are.

After 3 beer and 1 hour listening I can understand dutch.....

Have to try it with Thai....

[asiaexpat]

After 45 years I still get embarrassed frequently when speaking Thai. Read and write, studied six months years ago and get along ok with easy stuff.

[cooked]

At my age (65) the more I learn the more I forget. I have the Thai alphabet worked out, more or less, but still have problems with vocabulary.

[aussiebebe]

I tried to learn and gave up - I think every foreigner goes through similar phases or caring and then not. I studied at Unity Thai Language center UTL for 2 months, they have a mixture of brilliant and mediocre teachers. I had to learn in the evenings but I gained an insight in to how missionaries learn; they do 4 hours every morning for 6 months straight as they are funded through a church. That get's them through the 6 UTL modules. If I had the time and money I'd do that, but like I said, I just stopped caring.

[kannot]

How long does it take you to learn to play the piano?? some people will never pick it up, some will be expert in months.............sadly NOT ME, it all sounds like squawking.

[Neeranam]

I learned to speak passable Thai in about 3 years with no teacher, or formal lessons. Just a book and cassette and of course Thai friends. The secret is immersion - having girlfriends that couldn't speak English. It isn't that hard, just a matter of motivation. And being able to ask any girl out was a great motivator!

The first words I spoke to my wife were " kor thot na krap, cheuay pom dai mai"(Excuse me can you help me please). When she said yes, I said, "pom tham ber thorasap haai, kor yeum ber kong khun"(I lost me tel no., can I borrow yours?)

Learning the alphabet is so easy. I learned to read and write in 1 month(1/2 an hour every day with an AUA book). I hear grown men say it's impossible to learn to read, when a 5 year old kid can learn it. Pure laziness or no interest IMHO.

I remember hearing an American teacher who had been teaching here 17 years and claimed to speak Thai call homework, 'ngan baan', which is of course housework and he didn't even know the months of the year in Thai. Also have a friend who was a diplopat, CIA etc who was is fluent in 7 languages and can't speak a word of Thai. Always has English speaking servants and worked at the embassy. He told me he learned fluent Russian in 7 weeks at a special CIA place. If he had wanted to learn Thai, he could have. Incidentally, he has been in Thailand for 40 odd years now.

OP, if you have a teacher and learn 1 hour per day, you should be able to converse after 6 months. There are so many added aids now, compared to 20 years ago - youtube smartphone apps etc.I used to keep a little book and learn 5 words a day.

There's a thread here to learn : http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/49903-lets-learn-one-word-a-day/

Edited September 16, 2013 by Neeranam

[Neeranam]

Well, it took me like 4 months more or less, I learned chinese before so learning Thai was a piece of cake, for learning the Thai alphabet if you have a good memory one day or two will be enough, I didn't have any teacher, I learned by myself and practicing with my mother in law and the people on the streest. I recomend you to get the books of Benjawan Poomsan Becker , is a serie of three books : "Thai for beginners", "Thai for intermediate learners", and "Thai for advanced learners", watch lots of thai tv and read newspapers as often as you can and in 6/7 month you will be able to speak, write and read.

PS: pay special attention to the tones, the lenghs of the vowels and the final sound of the words .

I had these books but found the AUA book much better for reading and especially writing. And, the advanced one is far from advanced.

After 20 years, I still can't read a newspaper and understand more than 80%. Then again I very rarely try. Reading kids books is a better way to learn.Start off with Prathom 1 and then increase the level. I did that up to P4. I'm probably at the same level as my Prathom 5 daughter when it comes to reading/writing. It does get a bit boring reading about Grannie Noi going to the temple.

Edited September 16, 2013 by Neeranam

[Om85]

Well, it took me like 4 months more or less, I learned chinese before so learning Thai was a piece of cake, for learning the Thai alphabet if you have a good memory one day or two will be enough, I didn't have any teacher, I learned by myself and practicing with my mother in law and the people on the streest. I recomend you to get the books of Benjawan Poomsan Becker , is a serie of three books : "Thai for beginners", "Thai for intermediate learners", and "Thai for advanced learners", watch lots of thai tv and read newspapers as often as you can and in 6/7 month you will be able to speak, write and read.

PS: pay special attention to the tones, the lenghs of the vowels and the final sound of the words .

I had these books but found the AUA book much better for reading and especially writing. And, the advanced one is far from advanced.

After 20 years, I still can't read a newspaper and understand more than 80%. Then again I very rarely try. Reading kids books is a better way to learn.Start off with Prathom 1 and then increase the level. I did that up to P4. I'm probably at the same level as my Prathom 5 daughter when it comes to reading/writing. It does get a bit boring reading about Grannie Noi going to the temple.

Every person is a different world, I've found many people that say to me that Thai is very difficult but for me it was very simple, the only difficult part was to master the long/short vowels cuz the rest was very easy, Thai grammar is very simple but I think that I felt it that way cuz my mother languages are spanish and russian and believe me after learning chinese everything looks easy, but I think that the most important thing is how much effort you put into it, when I started to learn Thai, I use the same technic that when we studied chinese back in china, take an article and after read it a couple of time learn by heart 80/100 daily, and watch tv and speak as much as possible

[Johnniey]

Hmm, interesting, thank you for the replies. 

 

As it stands I can speak English and Afrikaans. Would learning to speak Thai open up doors for me? 

 

Personally, I can't really say how good I am at learning a foreign language, what really helped me with English though is the internet - consistently typing and reading English online has taught me some of the most aberrant words I've ever come across. I grew up with an Afrikaans household so that's been around for years. 

 

After watching the music video above I think it'll take me a long time. 

 

Would learning to speak Thai open up doors for me? 

 

Short answer, no.

Why would you want to take the time to learn a language thats of no use to you outside of Thailand?

What doors would expect to have opened?

What are you qualified to do?

What experience do you have?

What do you bring to the table?

Why should someone on here employ you?

 

For some reason known only to you, you seen hell bent on coming here, most of your questions have been answered before and the folly of your ways pointed out to you on a previous thread you started abount becoming a teacher.

Short answer, yes. If you live and work in Thailand, learning the language opens MANY doors.

NOT learning closes lots of doors, especially if you are in business here.

[rgs2001uk]

Hmm, interesting, thank you for the replies.

As it stands I can speak English and Afrikaans. Would learning to speak Thai open up doors for me?

Personally, I can't really say how good I am at learning a foreign language, what really helped me with English though is the internet - consistently typing and reading English online has taught me some of the most aberrant words I've ever come across. I grew up with an Afrikaans household so that's been around for years.

After watching the music video above I think it'll take me a long time.

Would learning to speak Thai open up doors for me?

Short answer, no.

Why would you want to take the time to learn a language thats of no use to you outside of Thailand?

What doors would expect to have opened?

What are you qualified to do?

What experience do you have?

What do you bring to the table?

Why should someone on here employ you?

For some reason known only to you, you seen hell bent on coming here, most of your questions have been answered before and the folly of your ways pointed out to you on a previous thread you started abount becoming a teacher.

Short answer, yes. If you live and work in Thailand, learning the language opens MANY doors.

NOT learning closes lots of doors, especially if you are in business here.

Short answer, yes I agree with the above.

Long answer, the OP doesnt live and work in Thailand.

Why dont we just cut to the chase here, whats her name and where did you meet her?

[NCC1701A]

wow some exceptional people here who learn a language very fast. i have been listening to Thai CD's for months and all I can say is "Hello" "I love you" "You are very beautiful" and "Delicious".

[angrybird]

The Mormon guys seem to learn quickly, I after 30 years could not make an order at MacDonalds, they kindly helped me out.

They must be pretty good to be able to convince anyone of their absurd beliefs..if they do.