How much Thai (language) do you know?

[jaafar]

instead of flash cards and all that stuff

I use flash cards (not for Thai though) on my way to work and back. Which means: 15 minutes walk to work + 15 minutes revising flash cars = 15 minutes time spent! It works great for me, and I don't have to put any time in (exept for creating the cards).

Google translate is a human right violation! LOL

I was contemplating about learning to read and write (and touch type) Thai only. The difficult part about Thai seems to be speaking and listening. So why not start with the easy and lern to speak and understand later? Furthermore, I'm the visual typ. I have to know how something is written, I ask my friends to spell English words I don't know and look them up in a dictionary later. But I recejected the idea, as whatever I read (German, English, French, Russian), I form the sound in my brain and I don't know how reading without any idea of a sound would work.

For learning to speak Thai, take a look at the Pimsleur Thai Course, available on Amazon and elsewhere.

[Bob]

I rate my Thai as "not good enough."

Way to go, Khun Jaafar, you just immensely increased by "inadequacy" factor! [Folks, I've been amazed listening to Khun Jaafar converse with Thais. As I've mentioned before, I personally don't know any other falang that speaks and comprehends the language better then he does. He'll tell you that there are many others who do it better but methinks he's being a bit modest.]

[jimnbkk]

I bought the Rosetta Stone Level I course in Thai a few years ago. I gave up quickly. It was just too hard for my old brain to process their method. For example, they will show a horse jumping over a rail. Some words are spoken, which, apparently, mean "The horse jumping over the rail". But they never (that I could find) would translate exactly, so I didn't know for sure what I was saying. Another example was a video of a boy walking down the street. Some Thai words are spoken, which I assume mean "See the boy walking down the street". But, again, they don't seem to translate exactly what they're saying. You're supposed to pick it up. I failed.

About pronunciation. I knew a boy named Tuk. Three letters. No matter how many different ways I tried to pronounce these three letters, it was always wrong. Usually, they don't even know what I'm saying. Three letters!! gad!!

If someone wants the Rosetta Stone course, I can bring it when I come in October. Make me an offer!! (can be cheap). pm me.

[jaafar]

jimnbkk wrote:

About pronunciation. I knew a boy named Tuk. Three letters. No matter how many different ways I tried to pronounce these three letters, it was always wrong. Usually, they don't even know what I'm saying. Three letters!! gad!!

Well, one problem is that his name may be three letters long, but which three, and with what tone?

Beginning students get mixed up over things like this (including me!). They learn that the word for "cheap" is thuuk_ (ถูก) and then they ask if that noisy three-wheeled dtuk' dtuk' (ตุ๊ก ๆ) means "cheap cheap."

Some other possibilies include: thuk' (ทุก) "all, every" and dtuek_ (ตึก) "building, brick building."

None of these seems very likely for a boy's nickname, so I probably missed the right one. It really helps if you can get them to spell it in Thai.

If you have Benjawan's new online dictionary, she'll happily pronounce all these for you an infinite number of times. They are as different as pall and ball.

[Trongpai]

"Good but may I ask, why UTL? You are aware that this is a very rigid and rigorous but effective programme for those who can cope with it. It is based on the established Union method used for teaching missionaries."

I wrote MauRICE, but the PM is still in my out box. Now that I have read your post, I understand this is not for the faint-hearted. What does he mean by "Union method used for teaching missionaries?"

I don't recall anyone calling it the "Union method" and yes it was originally designed for missionaries but now it's Thai owned and there's no missionaries. There's some younger language majors from Western universities getting college credit but also farangs living and working in Thailand in all age groups.

[thaiworthy]

I bought the Rosetta Stone Level I course in Thai a few years ago. I gave up quickly. It was just too hard for my old brain to process their method. For example, they will show a horse jumping over a rail. Some words are spoken, which, apparently, mean "The horse jumping over the rail". But they never (that I could find) would translate exactly, so I didn't know for sure what I was saying. Another example was a video of a boy walking down the street. Some Thai words are spoken, which I assume mean "See the boy walking down the street". But, again, they don't seem to translate exactly what they're saying. You're supposed to pick it up. I failed . . .

I have Rosetta as well, gave it up quickly, too. My experience-- same-same you.

[thaiworthy]

I don't recall anyone calling it the "Union method" and yes it was originally designed for missionaries but now it's Thai owned and there's no missionaries.

Thanks, Trongpai. I will find some one way to learn Thai. It may not be UTL, but it will be something.

[painai2]

Jaafar clearly shows the need to learn to read the Thai script. If you depend on the phonetic transliteration of a word, you are probably going to mispronounce the word so that no one understands you. For example, you won't say a long vowel when a short vowel is needed.

[cdnmatt]

I don't know where you're getting those numbers from, but yes, I probably do have a vocabulary of at least that much.

Can't remember where I read it, but you need about 30,000 words to be able to have a fluent conversation, and the rest are just terms you almost never use (eg. philanthropy). So good on you for that one!

But my pronunciation is so terrible it's often difficult for strangers to understand me. Luckily, I can understand them, though, and in time they get used to my terrible spoken Thai and we can talk comfortably.

Exact same here. I can talk with Kim and other Thais who know me quite well, but that's about it. As for a stranger on the street? Not a chance. Sure, we can exchange a few sentences, and I can get my point across, but we can't have a conversation. That's why I'm having Kim sit with me right now, while we go over the sentences.

A Thai person pronounces a word for you. You try a million times to say the same word and you would swear on a stack of bibles you are pronouncing the word exactly as the Thai person is pronouncing it, and you're told you're not even close. Does that happen to anyone besides me?

All the time. For example, I (think I) still have trouble pronouncing เหมือน (meuuan -- similar, same). That word contains two sounds that don't exist in the English language though. You have the "m" sound mixed with a "e" and "u" in one syllable, then you have the อ sound.

What no-one has mentioned is the difficulty of understanding Thai. It's OK with friends and taxi drivers who understand your limitations, but once you're up-country people assume if they can understand you, you will understand them. They fire away on all cylinders, and I'm lost. Telling them to slow down doesn't help - they compliment you on how well you said it, and go even faster!

hehe, yeah, I've noticed this too. You ask them to speak slowly, they'll say they think you speak Thai really good, then just keep railing on. I've realized it's much better to speak Thai with someone who knows even just the most basic English. You don't need to speak English at all, but just the fact they can understand the difficulties in learning another language makes all the difference I find. Otherwise, you don't seem to get much leeway in your pronounciation and tones. Instead, you just get a bunch of deer-in-the-headlight stares.

[bao-bao]

I usually tell people I can speak it just well enough to get myself into trouble, although that's not the intent!

Regardless of skill level (I was generous and gave myself a "2") I continue to try - the problem is my lack of retention. Unless I use the words or phrases with some regularity, I tend to forget them.

It only seems polite to make an attempt to learn at least the basic social phrases, and it certainly gets points from most people I've met there when there's an effort being made and I'm not just parroting things back at them like "how you?".

There's the temptation to dumb down a conversation with friends who know little English but I really try not to do much more than being aware of contractions and tenses. If we don't take the time to explain things it's more difficult for them to learn, too. I usually prefer them to correct my mistakes - and sometimes it's a means of adding to the fun of the conversation.