Freed1948 Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 After living in Thailand for 19 years and on returning to OZ, I was often asked what my accent was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angiolo Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 Interesting. I have never heard a "farang" accent. Nor have I ever heard of a Thai faking a English or American accent, or not able to speak Thai any more. I know a few kiddies (my own including) that sound a little more American 'cause of the influence of cartoon network. And of course, I can pin point the area on the map that any Thai that studied in the UK based on the accent they came back with - but only when they speak English. But fake accents? I think Adam is a bit of a f*ckwit. Fact is - if you send a Thai to London for 2-3 years, they will pick up the accent when they speak English. I have spoken English to my G?F . She does not speak with a English accent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikiea Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 So what about westerners residing here whose English turns to rat sh!t after a while? What's the ruddy big deal? I have met people in the UK and after about a minute have said to them, "I see you have spent a while in Thailand..." Big fuss over nothing. you are correct , the teach is a attention grabbing cry baby , stolen language valor ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenBravo Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 There is no excuse to speak Tinglish. If you actually listen to some dumb-arse farang speaking Tinglish to a Thai, they still use the complicated words and leave out the simple words like 'and', 'to' 'do' etc. What does that achieve except set a bad example to the Thai you are speaking to. How will they ever learn correct word usage? Another pet hate of mine, besides Westerners speaking Tinglish to Thais is Westerners speaking Tinglish to other Westerners. They're the same people that wai another Westerner instead of shaking hands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluespunk Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 Jesus, who cares? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenBravo Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 Jesus, who cares? Well......he certainly doesn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCC1701A Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 this guy has too much time on his hands. i'm from california and when i went to scotland a week later i started talking like mr. scott from star trek. i have begun speaking english now with a slight Thai accent. many bar girls have some sort uk / european accent in hua hin. i know one Thai lady who lives in germany and speaks fluent german and has problems being understood now when she speaks Thai. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baboon Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 ... They're the same people that wai another Westerner instead of shaking hands.Please tell me you are joking... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikosan Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 What really annoys me is when I observe other foreigners here who, for lack of a better term, speak "bar girl English", which is usually also accompanied by a lot of hand gestures and comical miming. I absolutely agree. The number of my friends and acquaintances that that do this is astounding. I'm constantly reminding them that, not only does this not help the Thai person with whom they are conversing to improve their English, which they invariably want to do, but it is also demeaning to both parties. I also always try to enunciate my English as best I can to those Thais with whom I speak English and go so far as to write 'proper' English when I send SMS' or any other messages. As far as I am aware, this is appreciated, as many people I know also want to improve their written English and using text chat and bad grammar does not help this. The tremendous improvement in the spoken and written Thai of my girlfriend is testament to this. Of course, ideally, I would like to converse and write in Thai, but it proving to be a slow learning process for me, probably caused by senile dementia, which I am sure I am starting to suffer from! 555 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenBravo Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 ... They're the same people that wai another Westerner instead of shaking hands.Please tell me you are joking... Wish I was....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baboon Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 ... They're the same people that wai another Westerner instead of shaking hands.Please tell me you are joking... Wish I was....... #### me, I've heard it all now. I'm normally none too keen on the idea of the restoration of the death penalty, but... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluespunk Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 Jesus, who cares? Well......he certainly doesn't. Yes, but why does he and others get so irate about this? I can see why it might be irritating when others adopt an accent because they think it's cool, but that's their choice. If they want to sound dumb, so be it. It's not worth getting upset about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kasset Tak Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 One of my friends is a Thai that lived in US for 27 years (11-38)before he moved back. His Thai has a slight accent, Bangkok or central Thailand accent... Now he works as a NES teacher as he has dual citizenship. I also know one of the Thai monks in NY, he has been there for 17 years now. He still don't speak English fluently! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechnikaIII Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 ... <deleted> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stickylies Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 What really annoys me is when I observe other foreigners here who, for lack of a better term, speak "bar girl English", which is usually also accompanied by a lot of hand gestures and comical miming. I absolutely agree. The number of my friends and acquaintances that that do this is astounding. I'm constantly reminding them that, not only does this not help the Thai person with whom they are conversing to improve their English, which they invariably want to do, but it is also demeaning to both parties. I also always try to enunciate my English as best I can to those Thais with whom I speak English and go so far as to write 'proper' English when I send SMS' or any other messages. As far as I am aware, this is appreciated, as many people I know also want to improve their written English and using text chat and bad grammar does not help this. yeah utterly annoying... "him mao" "him no have money" "him speak no good" "house him big" as soon as i hear this i'm off.................................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyberfarang Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 The majority of native English speaking Falangs believe it`s everyone else`s duty to speak English with them, consider theirs is the superior culture and jump over into their worlds. They expect their Thai girlfriends and wives to speak fluent English and completely absorb themselves into the Falang world and fit into the western perspective. This is why a lot of Thais think western influences are bad for their culture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattaman Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 I like the introduction, "Minor local celebrity Adam Bradshaw...", because it says so much using just a few words. Since he's here long enough to learn the local language, it appears that he forgot to learn when it is time to better shut up. Don't think this stunt will do him any good, nor will it boost his "minor celeb" career... Unfortunately, it will help him. Why do you think he wrote it in the first place?! Many Thais are rather superficial and will believe he's some kind of protector of the Thai language and the 'Thai ways'. Just read some of the comments, coming from Thais, on his Fb post. He's their hero now lol And as some else wrote before, prepare to read an interview with this guy in the next days, maybe even on this site, about this 'issue' that he - himself - created. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluespunk Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 (edited) Jesus, who cares? Well......he certainly doesn't. Yes, but why does he and others get so irate about this? I can see why it might be irritating when others adopt an accent because they think it's cool, but that's their choice. If they want to sound dumb, so be it. It's not worth getting upset about. What spoken English sounds dumb...In England you don't to have to go far to hear English spoken very differently... I said adopting an accent, i.e. faking one, is dumb. A naturally acquired one is just an accent. There is a difference. Edited December 12, 2015 by Bluespunk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishbrando Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 There are some seriously dismissive attitudes in this thread. Adam Bradshaw is not above criticism but I dare you to put your Thai ability up against his. I believe he went from zero to fluent in two years. My Thai friend listened to him with eyes closed and said he pretty much sounded like a Thai person aside from using some odd phrasing here and there. He's not a Thai teacher but I think he'd be an excellent Thai teacher having gone through the learning process himself. He gave an interview on TV a while back and explained what he meant by a farang accent: https://youtu.be/lZGfviT_Lb0?t=1m13s I started the video at the relevant part but the whole interview is worth watching if you understand Thai. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ratcatcher Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 ....yawn หาว ; หาวนอน hăao ; hăao non Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnhw Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 A 40-year friend of mine back home in Canada was born in Scotland 65 years ago but emigrated to Canada when he was 8. From his mannerisms, views and language, I never guessed his heritage until one day we found ourselves at a Scottish festival that attracted a lot of Scots. Mixed in with others, the Scot accent that suddenly emerged from between his reborn Heelander lips was astounding. Did I snap at a Canadian who lived abroad for most of his life but suddenly found his long-lost (or phony)accent? Nope, though admittedly it became the brunt of some good-natured jabs.... A recent visitor, I don't pretend a familiarity with Thai culture, but I DO find some of the criticism expressed here just a mite desperate...and by a teaching expat, who speaks Thai fluently. Sure makes you wonder if he held his nose as he learned Thai.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishbrando Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 What really annoys me is when I observe other foreigners here who, for lack of a better term, speak "bar girl English", which is usually also accompanied by a lot of hand gestures and comical miming. I absolutely agree. The number of my friends and acquaintances that that do this is astounding. I'm constantly reminding them that, not only does this not help the Thai person with whom they are conversing to improve their English, which they invariably want to do, but it is also demeaning to both parties. I also always try to enunciate my English as best I can to those Thais with whom I speak English and go so far as to write 'proper' English when I send SMS' or any other messages. As far as I am aware, this is appreciated, as many people I know also want to improve their written English and using text chat and bad grammar does not help this. yeah utterly annoying... "him mao" "him no have money" "him speak no good" "house him big" as soon as i hear this i'm off.................................... I knew someone like this who traveled to Thailand often. Whenever he was around any Asians, he would go into "bar girl English" mode even when everyone around him could speak fluent English. He would start saying things like "I no like go there." For heaven's sake, why do people do this?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
facthailand Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 So what about westerners residing here whose English turns to rat sh!t after a while? Same same! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Somtamnication Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 I can't say that i speak hi-so Thai nor English with an Oxford accent, but my soul has been assimilated to Thainess: lackadaisical, devil-may-care and I love being corrupt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rickster Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 (edited) A bit ironic when Yanks don't pronounce a lot of english words properly yet take the moral high ground when listening to others....double standards at best!! Edited December 12, 2015 by Rickster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jphantom Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 Adam is spot on! He's sharing a thought that should be considered. But then, the one's who should listen most, are tone -deaf …. to most everything.. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElBudhita Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 Many English speaking Thais speak with an American accent (for obvious reasons). American is the worst english spoken language in world. What's the point about a third world country's accent!!! Does american english is a language... 300 words.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carter1882 Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 (edited) It is not nonsense though most foreigners would not be able to tell when Thais are altering their accent. They do it (and most Thais would not dream of being so silly) usually by slightly shifting the tonal value of certain words. They are still completely understandable but rather odd. It is possible in some instances that this could be done inadvertently but unlikely especially if it is done often. More likely it is as Adam says, an affectation designed to show others they have been abroad, away from Thailand for soooo long that their very speech has altered. Those criticising Adam are unlikely to be speaking from a position of much authority. As for myself, I am just a humble Englishman who teaches Thai occasionally. If i mispronounce a word it is usually due to my ignorance. Edited December 12, 2015 by carter1882 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostinisaan Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 "In a widely shared Facebook post, Adam, an American expat known for writing and speaking Thai at native-speaker level, snapped at Thai people who have lived abroad for a few years and then suddenly forget how to speak Thai clearly " How you do forget to speak a language clearly? It's like learning how to drive a bicycle. But, on the other hand: "In a widely shared facebook post"....there's no more to add. Adam, do they not respect you for being a hiso farang? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostinisaan Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 So where does this bloke come from....EXACTLY...........? Originally from London, but also in Ireland, then also used in Australia, at a time when the prisons in England were too full....? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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