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shakee
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This subject has probably been covered to death but I am a newbie so please forgive me. 8)

What is the best way to learn thai? Do any of you have any good advice, places or ways to learn the language.I will probably initially start on conversation at the beginning and then later learn to read and write. I live in Bangkok and most of the time I feel left out because I want to engage in conversations with Thais. I am missing out a lot. Any suggestions would be great.

I just have a desire, and respect for the culture and way of life to want to learn and converse with people I am living with.

peace :D

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This subject has probably been covered to death but I am a newbie so please forgive me. 8)

What is the best way to learn thai? Do any of you have any good advice, places or ways to learn the language.I will probably initially start on conversation at the beginning and then later learn to read and write. I live in Bangkok and most of the time I feel left out because I want to engage in conversations with Thais. I am missing out a lot. Any suggestions would be great.

I just have a desire, and respect for the culture and way of life to want to learn and converse with people I am living with.

peace :D

Personally, I studied Thai at AUA in Chiang Mai with a tutor (one-on-one). Bangkok has the main branch of AUA of course, but the last I knew they offered only classes, not tutoring. Nonetheless they have a good system and I can recommend it.

While it's okay to start learning spoken Thai in the beginning, I'd begin studying written Thai soon thereafter. The reason is that being able to read Thai opens a new window into the language, and you can look at a word and either know that you're pronouncing it right or wrong.

There are many language schools to choose from, and I've not heard anything bad about any of them.

And once you begin learning, USE what you've learned! When I began studying, I used flash cards for vocabulary and 2-3 times per week I'd go to the local watering hole and sit with some of the bar girls and practice. This was good for me, and good for them because while I was practicing Thai, they were learning English! And of course I tipped them at the end of the evening. I'm not suggesting this method, I'm just saying that as long as you're living in a Thai environment, get out and use whatever you've learned and it will quickly get set in your brain.

Good luck and happy holidays!

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Khun_Lung:

I'd begin studying written Thai soon thereafter. The reason is that being able to read Thai opens a new window into the language, and you can look at a word and either know that you're pronouncing it right or wrong.

What khun Lung says is very good advice...The sooner you can read Thai script the better...Too many different and confusing systems using the English alphabet..Once you can read, pronunciation and tones become much easier..Its not imposible just takes practice....Buy one of the wall charts showing the Thai Characters...and one of the begginers language CD's. Once you have all the letters and vowel's down pat then sign up for a language class or tutor..This way you will have most of the pure memory work done already..The class/Tutor will then help you fit it all together..

Befor you know it you will be reading menu's, signs and subtitles...

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I agree!

The proper way I learnt it was by studying the written system first and after that increasing the level of conversation. It helps alot more if you can check up vocabulary by yourself. It is no real use in wasting too much time on transcriptions anyway since it doesn't make sense to someone who isn't familiar with the system.

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you're a teacher here so i guess there must be many thai teachers at your school that could help??? I can't believe that after 7 months you're asking about it now - has no-one at your school offered?

also - to actually chat with thais - as in any other language - actually requires a very in depth knowledge of the language, unless you want to spend entire conversations asking each other ' where you from?' 'what your name ?' etc i don't see you chatting with thais in thai - the subtleties involved in a proper conversation here would mean that in 99.9 % of the time english is a much more efficient medium of communication! There's lots of slang for example!

My husband has a pretty good working knowledge of thai but we still find it much easier to communicate in english.

Overall though, i think it's great when farang learn thai, but if the purpose is to chat in thai then i think it needs an investment of at least a few years, full time, in a very good language school such as AUA!

good luck :D

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"Overall though, i think it's great when farang learn thai, but if the purpose is to chat in thai then i think it needs an investment of at least a few years, full time, in a very good language school such as AUA! "

Is there such as school in Pattaya? 'cos I want to start learning Thai ending January, either privately or in a good school. Any suggestions welcome.

Bill

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I never made any real attempt to learn thai.....but I did date a thai girl for a 2 years ....

it just kind of burnt itself into my brain in the first couple of months.....man she sure could talk a lot...

one day from my girlfriend its all "yada yada yada yada yada"

next day she saying the same thing but i'm hearing "you scum sucking piece of useless crap"

after dating the beloved "mad minx" ....all that was left for me to do was learn those words which are not related to cursing or abuse ...

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i recommend studying intensively for as long as you can with a private tutor- make her test you so you have so learn vocab. will get your vocab and grammar up then the fluency can follow once you practice outside.

i disagree that reading/writing helps very much, unless you have no one to practice with. some other folks in my school went the reading/writing route but one still needs to be able to pronounce the tones correctly when reading- the characters themselves won't show you what the word sounds like. i suggest getting a level of competency first, then learning to read and write later so you can learn enough to look up words you've heard.

good luck!

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Well, Farangy, the thing with Thai is that once you know how to read you also know exactly how to pronounce a word. By knowing how to read I actually mean that you also have to know the consonant rules, vowel clusters etc etc just like any other language i.e the rules of reading.

In Thai it's perfect because you get the tone and pronounciation automatically when you know the reading bit and that's why you can go on and go thorugh more vocab on your own not necessarily with a teacher. :D

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  • 2 weeks later...

Learning to read the thai alphabet mad all the difference for me. It's vital if u want to speak good thai. I learned 2 ways....with a tutor and by myself. Tutoring is good but finding a good tutor can be very hit and miss. In fact I am looking for a new one now if anyone has some recommendations. Usually reckon on paying 250-300 baht per hour. But I also found that unless u practice at least one hour a day u don't learn a lot.

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  • 4 weeks later...

It's a bit dangerous to pick up your speaking skills from Thai girlfriends, and especially from girls in Nana plaza.

As a foreigner you should try to speak Thai a little more formally and respectfully to avoid giving the wrong impression. Even if your girlfirend is perfectly respectable she will be speaking to you in an informal manner that might be inappopriate elsewhere.

Bargirls in Nana will teach you Isaan dialect (not bad in itself but people will make assumptions) and you'll pick up sloppy habits like pronoucing "r" sounds like "l' sounds.

[funny story: An old friend I had once learnt the word for clothes hanger as "mai faen seua" (Isaan version, central Thai is "mai kwaen seua"). When he used that word in the office, an upper middle class Thai lady immediately noted aloud to all that he had clearly been learning words for objects commonly found in the bedroom from one-to one lessons with an Isaan girl, causing him to go bright red and the Thai present to have their ideas on farang men confirmed....]

Some people want learn basic speaking before tackling the letters and some inist that the only way to go is to learn the alphabet first. Personally I don;t think it really matters as long as you start on the alphabet some time in the first six months.

Although the number of letters and some of the rules are quite complex, Thai is preety much a phonetic language. With few exceptions you can nearly always tell the exact pronunciation from the spelling -- much easier than English if you think about it... (more like Spanish)

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Saying that all bargilrs are Isaan then :D Extensive research perhaps?

No point in learning a specific type of Thai to use in formal or informal situations if you don't know the difference. Learn both is the best way but of course the longest as well. I've made loads of mistakes in both situations using words that are correct but not suitable in the context. Make mistakes, best way.

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  • 2 months later...

Even though I have lived here formany years, my Thai spoken language skills are seriously lacking. I will offer these gems of advice though.

Firstly, I have met many farangs who have much better Thai vocabulary skills than me but have absolutely no idea how to be polite in Thai society. Learn to be humble. Understand your place in society and learn "greng jai".

DONT LEARN YOUR THAI FROM A BARGIRL. You just end up sounding ignorant. I notice many farangs using Thai phrases all the time that are really only used by bar girls (i.e. teerak)

In other words, dont just learn the spoken language, learn the culture and you will be accepted into those conversations with your Thai friends rather than just tolerated.

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Falangman, I have heard good reports from this place in Pattaya. I plan on giving it a shot next time I'm there.

DK The World Of Knowledge

193/126-8 South Pattaya Road

Nongprue

Banglamung

Chonburi

20260

Tel: 038 373968/9 019406969

The place your talking about in Naklua sounds like it might be AUA which is just before the Dolphin Roundabout. Down Second Road past Big C on the right, keep going, past the garage on the right. (Just before you go down Naklua Road.)

At DK, you're looking at 7,500 baht for 20 hours spent on a one to one basis with a Thai teacher.

(Teerak ??? You mean tilac, surely Mikee :lol:)

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I bought a series of 20 hours at a language school last summer in Pattaya. I was lucky to get a good teacher, but once we got to know each other, I was told that none of the teachers were qualified to teach, as I'd been told, and the school itself was a complete joke. AUA might be better, but given the extremely low success rate of private schools, I'd just find a educated Thai native-speaker and pay them to teach you what you want to learn.

As for learning to read: 100% yes on that one. The tone system is completely incorporated into the writing system. Learn to read, and you'll know how words are pronounced. It also allows you to learn when you're teerak ;) is not around. Menus, signs, bathroom graffitti and so on ;)

Also, from what I've seen here in Japan (can't speak for Thai yet as I'm still a low-beginner), those with literacy skills start slow in conversation, as they are giving so much time to the writing, but eventually leave the illiterates behind: They speak more fluently, more apppropriately, and with a wider vocabulary at their disposal for more technical conversations (low-frequency vocab picked up from reading). And if nothing else, you can impress people at parties by reading signs like "20 baht for Thai, 2000 baht for farang." Learn to read. It's time well spent.

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inamorato25, thanks for the advice about the possible lack of qualified teachers in Pattaya. I suppose its not always the case that you need a paper qualification to be good at something. But if its my money then I'd like someone who at least knows what they're doing to be teaching.

I hear what you're saying about learning to read and write Thai. It would be the way forward rather than just trying to speak it. I find it a daunting prospect though. My plan is to have a long stay in Pattaya this year. I need to do something constructive with my time. Trying to learn some Thai would be a good challenge.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Ten years here and I am still learning.... I was kinda lucky that I came here pretty young and learnt alot in my first few years....

I have to say, I tried out various private teachers, Thai nationals, and at various different stages in my life here, I got two years in at Thammasat - part-time, 6 hours a week, that seemed to give me some confidence, I guess because it was at a time when not so many westerners were speaking Thai.

I have met various farang who speak far better than me, and I always respected their skills, knowing how hard the language road is. In the end, I decided to learn Thai from a westerner I respected for his own skills. To tell the truth, at that stage, (I was about 3 years in, reading a little, speaking so so) it was the best thing to do. I learnt more from him than I ever did with a Thai. Due to his work, and my laziness, I stopped, however for the 3 years that I learnt from him, cannot say I could have had better experience anywhere else.

All these places like Baan Passa, and whatever they are called.. not sure they are really gonna help you so much. Sorry, just my opinion. Even at my level now, I would still consider learning from a westerner again if I were to pick up the books again.

As for reading/writing, you can do that yourself easily, really. I used 'Colloquial Thai' by Routledge, but trust me, it's not worth doing until you have a very good grasp of speaking and listening. Again, just my opinion, but I should say, you'll have a skill you feel proud of, but it won't really get you very far or be of much use, unless you have a particular reason for doing it. A buddy of mine at work can read well.. (after just a year of being here) but doesn't know what he is reading, or how to speak it clearly.

Good luck all.

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