How come there's such a small percent of the foreigners who can speak proper thai?

[metisdead]

An inflammatory off topic post has been removed.

[ttthailand]

I think there are many farangs in Thailand who have not mastered or can even speak their own language let alone Thai.

Thai has tones and English and most other languages do not so it is a big adjustment and is not only about remembering the word but more about how to form the word and get the tone correct, very difficult ! Thais say my tones and speaking are good but that is only because I have been here so long that I picked it up automatically. I never studied, only listened and repeated what I heard, same a child.

[ThaiSanookGuy]

Someone who does not know how childish and unclear is Thai language really know nothing about the people and the culture.

It is so true that many are not able to understand questions (IN THAI) and reply something no related, or just don't understand each other.

Like it or not but this is a fact, open your eyes !!!

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/792590-the-perfect-reason-for-not-learning-thai/

[musiclover]

I think fewer foreigners who come here now feel like they need to know it, and to some extent that may be true.

When I moved to Bangkok 25 years ago you really had to learn it just to get by. You had to watch Thai TV because there were no other options, for example.

With Google Translation, torrent downloading, and all of the other advances in the digital age, it has expanded content to the point where everyone can just live in their own little info-bubble if they want.

The irony is that there are now so many excellent resourced to learn Thai now.

Back in the day all we had was the Mary Haad dictionary and AUA books.

.

We also had that thick black book "Fundamentals of the Thai language " 25 years ago in BKK and I still use it !Its very battered now though ! But yourre right..if you lived and worked in Bkk 25 years ago (I did) you HAD to learn Thai...very useful it is too in many, many (!)ways I assure you ..555

[Aforek]

Because this language is useless and totally unclear even for Thai who do not understand each others ?

In case you want to know i speak Thai fluently and think i wasted 3 years of my life leaning this shiiite....

Strange answer ... I am happy to speak with Thai people in their own language, and I have not noticed that they don't understand each other ; it's because they understand each other very well that their relationship is often very conflictual ; difficulty comes that they don't react the same way , not because they don't understand their way of speaking

[DA3NDORPHIN3]

Because this language is useless and totally unclear even for Thai who do not understand each others ?

In case you want to know i speak Thai fluently and think i wasted 3 years of my life leaning this shiiite....

I doubt you speak fluenty since it's clear you're not a "big fan" of thailand.It takes a LOT of dedication and learning to be able to be fluent in just 3 years,by lot of dedication i mean having conversations in thai 24/7,reading thai books,watching thai movies etc/programs etc..The way you talk and your post history i doubt you're even on a beginner level.Even a guys like Stuart Ray Jay and Adam Bradshaw needed 4-5years to be fluent(adam started as 21 and now he's 30+).Jay has been learning for 15+ years(he's been living in thailand for 10 years or so).

Considering that even THIS guy consider himself as fluent speaker and is actually giving advices to learn thai on an advance level is astonishing.The only thing he's doing on advance level is butchering thai language.

[krisb]

Lots of guys just let their partners talk for them.

[Anthony5]

Deafness and tone deafness make learning spoken Thai quite hard.

That may be a reason why it is difficult to learn to speak it perfectly, but it shouldn't make a difference to learn the meanings of the words.

In my opinion, what makes it difficult is that we are not able to read it.

[SoiBiker]

Deafness and tone deafness make learning spoken Thai quite hard.

That may be a reason why it is difficult to learn to speak it perfectly, but it shouldn't make a difference to learn the meanings of the words.

In my opinion, what makes it difficult is that we are not able to read it.

Then learn to read it. Its not impossible.

[Anthony5]

Deafness and tone deafness make learning spoken Thai quite hard.

That may be a reason why it is difficult to learn to speak it perfectly, but it shouldn't make a difference to learn the meanings of the words.

In my opinion, what makes it difficult is that we are not able to read it.

Then learn to read it. Its not impossible.

Isn't it the other way around, that first learn to speak and after that learn to read/write?

By the way I think this thread was about picking up Thai the easy way, which was my comment directed at.

[SoiBiker]

Deafness and tone deafness make learning spoken Thai quite hard.

That may be a reason why it is difficult to learn to speak it perfectly, but it shouldn't make a difference to learn the meanings of the words.

In my opinion, what makes it difficult is that we are not able to read it.

Then learn to read it. Its not impossible.

Isn't it the other way around, that first learn to speak and after that learn to read/write?

By the way I think this thread was about picking up Thai the easy way, which was my comment directed at.

I found I struggled with learning to speak Thai until I started learning to read it too. It's much easier to understand the correct way to pronounce a word when you know how to spell it.

I guess different people learn in different ways, but for me learning to read as well as speak made things much easier.

[Anthony5]

That may be a reason why it is difficult to learn to speak it perfectly, but it shouldn't make a difference to learn the meanings of the words.

In my opinion, what makes it difficult is that we are not able to read it.

Then learn to read it. Its not impossible.

Isn't it the other way around, that first learn to speak and after that learn to read/write?

By the way I think this thread was about picking up Thai the easy way, which was my comment directed at.

I found I struggled with learning to speak Thai until I started learning to read it too. It's much easier to understand the correct way to pronounce a word when you know how to spell it.

I guess different people learn in different ways, but for me learning to read as well as speak made things much easier.

And there are we back to my original post. When you can read it it's easier to learn to speak any language, but in this case for Thai you will have to go to school to learn reading it.

While any Roman language I can read without being able to speak it yet, and that will make it easier to learn the language within your environment.

[SoiBiker]

And there are we back to my original post. When you can read it it's easier to learn to speak any language, but in this case for Thai you will have to go to school to learn reading it.

Not necessarily. There are plenty of resources out there that can help. I learnt the Thai alphabet from a smartphone app. I've never set foot in a language school.

[SlyAnimal]

And there are we back to my original post. When you can read it it's easier to learn to speak any language, but in this case for Thai you will have to go to school to learn reading it.

While any Roman language I can read without being able to speak it yet, and that will make it easier to learn the language within your environment.

I initially learnt to read by myself via the Thai alphabet song (Although I improved my reading significantly when I decided to start studying last year).

Learning should be done using all 4 learning methods (reading/writing/listening/speaking) to be most effective. While learning to read, you learn a lot of new vocab at the same time, so it's definitely worthwhile.

I think that there are a few main reasons why foreigners don't learn to speak Thai, despite living in Thailand:

1/ Most foreigners live in areas where there isn't any need to speak English when at restaurants etc (e.g. Pattaya/Phuket etc, where most people can speak English), and anyone they might speak to for a general caht, can probably speak English anyway.

2/ Most foreigners who don't live in "English friendly" areas, have a Thai partner, and thus can "get by" without actually needing to speak much Thai.

3/ Most foreigners are older, and learning is more difficult for older people. Also being older, there's less incentive to spend years learning Thai. In the same respect, a lot of older immigrants in western countries, never got very proficient at speaking English if they immigrated after they were already 60+.

4/ Most foreigners have easy access to the internet and/or English television channels, which can provide them with entertainment in their native language, without the need to converse with Thai people, or read Thai news papers etc.

5/ Most foreigners are intimidated by Thai, especially Thai script. It's not that difficult to learn the script, but it sounds very intimidating when you're told that Thai has 42 consonants, 36 vowels and numerous additional tone markers & symbols.

6/ Thai is likely more difficult to learn, than what another European language would be (e.g. The first time I watched The Godfather, I was able to understand a lot of the Italian which was spoken, despite not knowing any Italian, simply because a lot of the words are similar to English and so when you also know the context, it's not that difficult to fill in the gaps. I wasn't able to do the same with Thai when I first came here (unless they inserted a few English words into their sentences lol)).

[umbanda]

I admitt I was proscratinaiting in learning Thai during the last 4 years.....but my 2005 resolution is to do it...some time this year....

Now...seriously. That is what I promised to my wife....She do not speak English..and she is getting tired of reading my mind....

[Aforek]

5/ Most foreigners are intimidated by Thai, especially Thai script. It's not that difficult to learn the script, but it sounds very intimidating when you're told that Thai has 42 consonants, 36 vowels and numerous additional tone markers & symbols.

Right, it's intimidating for the reasons you tell, but it's not as difficult as it seems ; you need courage, that's all

as for me, because I am not young, I have learned to read thai with " the fundamentals of thai language " many years ago , no need to go to school ; reading the signs and boards when on the road or on the streets is one of the many advantages to be able to read and yes, it's much easier to have a good pronounciation when able to read

don't be blind and deaf in your adopted country !