List of useful thai words when in the classroom

[advancebooking]

Can you recommend any thai words that I should learn to make my job easier when teaching 17 or 18 year olds?

i.e. Please choose a leader 'Leuak whoa na'

With some help, I am trying to learn the pronunciation for certain commands which will hopefully make life easier....

thanks

[siampolee]

I am presuming from the age group you describe these are Y.12 M. 6 students, thus again I presume they have some understanding of English.

AlI will say is, ''that if you are actually teaching a subject using the English language as the language of instruction you would in fact you should use only English.

[AyG]

Why do you need to use Thai? They've been studying English for years and should be able to understand simple instructions in that language.

The chances of your being able to pronounce Thai correctly without having studied the language are zero.

Stick to English, use simple commands and always give the commands with exactly the same words.

[advancebooking]

2 posters thus far that make assumptions and clearly have no idea what they are talking about.

To anyone else, please contribute if you want to help out.

[DogNo1]

Well, I have found that in Japan, using procedural words in Japanese makes the classes run quite smoothly and allows me to get right to the target English language that I want the students to learn. I've found that various textbooks put learning procedural language first but I'm not sure that is best. There is the concept of learning load and I don't think it should be too heavy. The assumption seems to be, that with a few demonstrations of an action accompanied by the appropriate English words, the students will snap it right up and remember it for subsequent classes. That might work with the intellectually talented students of the Tokyo University of Foreign Languages but it didn't work for mine, so I put teaching procedural language on the back burner and went with giving procedural directions in Japanese. I think that a basic assumption of the total immersion technique is that students want to learn the culture as much as they want to learn the language and I have often found that not to be true. Many students are simply interested in an instrumental use of the language and really DON'T want to emulate our culture.

[Scott]

Please stay on topic. Also the only language permitted on this part of the forum is English.

[simon43]

I don't think it is a good idea to use Thai for students of that age. They will surely have some understanding of English and by speaking Thai to them I suspect that - being teenagers - they will take the 'lazy' option of speaking Thai back to you and not trying to understand your English phrases.

The only time that I have used a native language (Burmese actually), is when teaching very young children with zero understanding of English, where it can (IMHO), boost their confidence to hear instructions such as 'what is this?' or 'repeat after me' in both English and their native language.

Simon

[Scott]

Unhelpful posts removed.

[advancebooking]

When the head of the English department tells me that I have to use 90% English and 10% thai then I think I will follow his instruction as opposed to some of the incompetent answers above. This forum is evidently the wrong one to raise such a question.

[Scott]

If you have been asked by a supervisor to use the Thai language, then that is what you should do. For those that wish to address the OP's request, do so. For those that wish to comment on the best method of teaching there are other threads where your input will be on-topic.

[TPI]

I think your best bet would be to ask a fellow teacher or better yet your students! I do that with every new class...it puts them into their dictionaries for the right words and creates discussion amongst the students as to the appropriate word for the circumstances eg "My U" = not here, not in today, "Look kurn" = all students stand up. My pronunciation isn't the same as yours will be so any "help" I give will not give you a practical answer!!

[masuk]

I agree with most of the posters here. Using the local language (L1) is usually not permitted in English teaching schools, and for good reasons.

Stay with the language you know best, and they'll soon pick up what you are trying to get across.

[lostinisaan]

I agree with most of the posters here. Using the local language (L1) is usually not permitted in English teaching schools, and for good reasons.

Stay with the language you know best, and they'll soon pick up what you are trying to get across.

The OP was asking a serious question and I'd assume he/she deserves an honest answer.

A simultaneous translation of whole sentences doesn't work.Knowing many works in their mother tongue does make teaching easier.

Here're a few words you should know.

1. Listen -Fung 2. Read- Arn 3. Write Kiang 4. Be quiet- Niiap 5.Sit down- Nang long 6. Usually- Boy Brogatti 7. Favorite- Chorp tee sutt

8. Dislike- Mei chorp 7. Like- Chorp 8. Speak- Phuut 9. Ordinary- Tammadar 10. Learn- Riang 11. Extra tutoring- Riang Pheeset

12. Good- Dee 13. Mei Dee 14. Fast -Reo 15. Faster- Reo Reo 16. To go- Buy 17. Don't go- May Bai 18.Slowly- Cha Cha 19. Loud- Siang

20. Very loud- Siang Dang 21. Come here- Maa anee 22. Going to the bathroom- Bau hognaam 23. Often Boy boy Maybe Bangtee

24. Maybe not- Bangtee me 25.Forgot- Lueem 26. Remember- Jammdai

27. Don't remember- Jamm Me Dai

28. Water- Naam 29. Pen- Baggar 30. I -phom/chan (male/female) 31. Crazy Pee Baa 32. Hungry - Heew 33. Full Im leo 34. Exhausted- Nueai 35. Tired - Muang Noon 36. Teacher- Kru 37. Student- Naglien 38. Number- Lektee 39. Holiday- Waan Jutt 40. Sleep- Noohn etc....Buffalo- Kwai ( shouldn't be used to call people so...worse than bud hole..)

Edited May 15, 2014 by lostinisaan

[simon43]

Here're a few words you should know.

I'm sorry, but that simply does not work Thai is a tonal language, with a number of letter sounds that simply do not exist in English.

For example, you say 'write' is 'kiang'. Where is the tone to use and why does it end in a 'g' when that sound doesn't exist in the Thai word?

How are you going to say 'far' and 'near' in Thai without understanding the tones?

I'm not belittling your advice - simply pointing out that unless you understand Thai tones or can read Thai, then your pronounciation is going to be waaayyyy off!!

As mentioned in this thread, when I taught very young children in Myanmar, I took the time to learn to read and write and speak basic Burmese (Myanmar-sa), with correct tonal pronounciation, so that my instructions were clear and understood.

[zeichen]

I won't argue with you about using Thai in the classroom because you don't want to hear it. I would suggest though doing some research on best teaching practices, second language acquisition and the reasons why many are opposed to it.

However, if you are adamant then I suggest taking a Thai course. As others have said having some transliterations will not help you as much in a tonal language. If you want to use 10% thai in the class, then you really should learn the language.

I can communicate in Thai but in over 10 years of teaching, never had to use it to express classroom instruction. Since Thai teachers tend to commonly teach the translation/grammar approach, there hasn't been much need for me to do that.

If you want to use the students mother tongue in the class, it would be better to actually know it well.

[lostinisaan]

Here're a few words you should know.

I'm sorry, but that simply does not work Thai is a tonal language, with a number of letter sounds that simply do not exist in English.

For example, you say 'write' is 'kiang'. Where is the tone to use and why does it end in a 'g' when that sound doesn't exist in the Thai word?

How are you going to say 'far' and 'near' in Thai without understanding the tones?

I'm not belittling your advice - simply pointing out that unless you understand Thai tones or can read Thai, then your pronounciation is going to be waaayyyy off!!

As mentioned in this thread, when I taught very young children in Myanmar, I took the time to learn to read and write and speak basic Burmese (Myanmar-sa), with correct tonal pronounciation, so that my instructions were clear and understood.

My apologies, as it should be "Kiann" for writing. Of course will the OP have to look up how to pronounce the words properly.Sorry to the Mods, as this is not the Thai language forum. Far would be "Gai", a rising tone, near would be "Gai" with a falling tone.

There're quite a few and free programs to learn how to pronounce several words. Don't be too serious, life's too short. Cheers-

[AyG]

Far would be "Gai", a rising tone, near would be "Gai" with a falling tone.

Far is mid tone, not rising.

And if pronouncing the words properly, they both begin with a consonant cluster, "gl".

[advancebooking]

I agree with most of the posters here. Using the local language (L1) is usually not permitted in English teaching schools, and for good reasons.

Stay with the language you know best, and they'll soon pick up what you are trying to get across.

The OP was asking a serious question and I'd assume he/she deserves an honest answer.

A simultaneous translation of whole sentences doesn't work.Knowing many works in their mother tongue does make teaching easier.

Here're a few words you should know.

1. Listen -Fung 2. Read- Arn 3. Write Kiang 4. Be quiet- Niiap 5.Sit down- Nang long 6. Usually- Boy Brogatti 7. Favorite- Chorp tee sutt

8. Dislike- Mei chorp 7. Like- Chorp 8. Speak- Phuut 9. Ordinary- Tammadar 10. Learn- Riang 11. Extra tutoring- Riang Pheeset

12. Good- Dee 13. Mei Dee 14. Fast -Reo 15. Faster- Reo Reo 16. To go- Buy 17. Don't go- May Bai 18.Slowly- Cha Cha 19. Loud- Siang

20. Very loud- Siang Dang 21. Come here- Maa anee 22. Going to the bathroom- Bau hognaam 23. Often Boy boy Maybe Bangtee

24. Maybe not- Bangtee me 25.Forgot- Lueem 26. Remember- Jammdai

27. Don't remember- Jamm Me Dai

28. Water- Naam 29. Pen- Baggar 30. I -phom/chan (male/female) 31. Crazy Pee Baa 32. Hungry - Heew 33. Full Im leo 34. Exhausted- Nueai 35. Tired - Muang Noon 36. Teacher- Kru 37. Student- Naglien 38. Number- Lektee 39. Holiday- Waan Jutt 40. Sleep- Noohn etc....Buffalo- Kwai ( shouldn't be used to call people so...worse than bud hole..)

Finally a good response that will assist many teachers.....

[Scott]

Again, only English is allowed on this portion of the forum. If you wish to discuss the Thai language you will have to do it in the Thai language forum. That forum is here: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/forum/43-thai-language/