Ten years ... Ten words ...

[kbb]

There was a great post I saw recently about folks who had spent years trying to learn Thai.

Tried this. Tried that. Saw others pick it up, while they just stayed stuck.

My wife learned English by (!) talking to people. So, she's sure I can learn Thai the same way. As I'd like to stay married to the woman for awhile longer, having her try to teach my doesn't work.

I need help in a classroom.

Does anyone know a Thai class in ( or reasonably close) to nakon sawan?

Kap Kuhn kap.

(that being 3 of my 10 words)

[David48]

While you are looking for that Thai class in ( or reasonably close) to nakon sawan ... why don't you ask your wife to teach you the basics, then polish that at a formal school?

[beachproperty]

My Thai is terrible but I learned a couple of hundred words and a few sayings or sentences....

What I did was use a Thai dictionary and when there was a word or phrase that I wanted to know I asked my wife how to say it......then I wrote it down the way I would say it.....

For example'

Where......Tee Nie...(now thats not the proper way to spell it in English but its how I would pronounce it)

Why......Tam Eye ...or sometimes...... Tam ah lie

What ......Ah lie.....

Who........ky.....;;;;

bathroom......Hong Nam

As I said I'm no expert ......but that's what I did ....is phonically spell out (phonically that I could understand)

Oh ...and Practice and Practice.....

Hope this helps.....It helped me

[kiniyow]

Get enrolled in a proper class if you really want to learn Thai...Friends and family often don't have the patience or use a different dialect that is only used in certain parts of the country..

[Longtooth]

A private tutor is not that expensive. I was going to a teacher's house to get private lessons. She taught English at a gov school. She used a book that you can get at the book store as a classroom book. There is a really good dictionary that is blue and white on the cover, that does the same thing you are doing, but with a simple way to add the needed tones. Unfortunately I lost mine, and I forget the author. I'm guessing "Simpson" or something like that. (Not "Homer") I've been looking for it at book stores ever since I lost it. There is a really good computer self teaching computer program with book by PaiboonPublishing for little money. It has full audio and self tests. Really good.

[pramaprow]

http://fsi-language-courses.org/Content.php?page=Thai

[pitchag]

http://fsi-language-courses.org/Content.php?page=Thai

I signed up for classes and they were trying to teach us the script as well as the speech I found this very hard to do, as in life you learn to speak first then learn to read and write, doing both at the same time was very confusing for this old brain of mine

[bifftastic]

http://fsi-language-courses.org/Content.php?page=Thai

I signed up for classes and they were trying to teach us the script as well as the speech I found this very hard to do, as in life you learn to speak first then learn to read and write, doing both at the same time was very confusing for this old brain of mine

It might be hard, but I think it's worth it. Otherwise you end up with things like 'tee nie' and 'tam eye' which, to be perfectly honest, could be pronounced any number of ways in English, most of which would bear little or no resemblance to how they are pronounced in Thai.

I started learning Thai with transliterations, and definitely wish that I hadn't. I then did some rote learning of the Thai script gor gai kor kai etc. (sorry, I can't post Thai script in this forum) and my learning accelerated very quickly indeed.

I would say that a few months spent learning the script and the spoken language will give anyone a good base from which to proceed.

Once you can speak enough to ask questions about the language, and you can master hearing and pronouncing with a decent command of the tones, then you're off and running.

[bifftastic]

Sorry, I mangled up the quotes there in my reply

[wayned]

I am "tone death" and cannot hear how to pronounce the words correctly. Just ask a Thai to translate this into Thai and you will instantly see what I mean: New wood doesn't burn does it? The only thing that I hear is mai.

[davetrout]

i gave up long ago too hard better teach family english they can speak for you

[smccolley]

I am "tone death" and cannot hear how to pronounce the words correctly. Just ask a Thai to translate this into Thai and you will instantly see what I mean: New wood doesn't burn does it? The only thing that I hear is mai.

That is my favorite saying (from Money Number One). I occasionally ask my wife to say that to her Thai friends and it inevitably sparks a 15 minute conversation - even Thais struggle with it.

[rickb]

If you are truly serious about learning the Thai language, it is best to learn it like young Thai children do. That is, start by learing the Thai alphabet, both spoken and written, then learn the tone rules, and which consonents are high, middle and low and how they are pronounced with each vowel. When learning Thai vocabulary, practice writing each word also. You'll quickly learn how to read thai and pronounce it correctly. Then you can practice reading signs when you go places and start talking thai with friends. When you pronounce Thai words correctly, those talking with you will more easily understand what you are saying and will be more likely to want to continue talking with you. Think about it. This is how every Thai child starts to speak Thai and if a 2 or 3 year old can talk basic Thai, so we should be able to also.

[cgphuket]

I am "tone death" and cannot hear how to pronounce the words correctly. Just ask a Thai to translate this into Thai and you will instantly see what I mean: New wood doesn't burn does it? The only thing that I hear is mai.

I think you meant "tone deaf". Tone death sounds a bit extreme.