Why do Thais refuse to Learn English?

[casinoclub]

See, if we all just commit to learning 2 Thai words every time we cum in Thailand, I am sure many of us would be fluent by now. :-)

[filibuster]

What amazes me is how quickly many bargirls pick up English.

 

Most TGs will know a fair bit of English vocabulary - it's putting all it together to produce something coherent that's the problem for them.  That changes in tourist areas where they are able to "immerse" themselves (to a certain extent) in the language.  Guys who speak pidgin or baby English to the girls don't actually help them develop their fluency.   That said, Thailand (as a nation) needs to start getting its act together for the establishment of the AEC.

[sinbad5]

...Guys who speak pidgin or baby English to the girls don't actually help them develop their fluency. ..

If I speak the way I normally do, with loads of tenses, prepositions, complex/sentences to girls with basic English they don't understand, so 'baby talk'happens. I'm not their English teacher. Not my job.

[Les Crosby]

Hi to all, i think thay should try to learn English as many people come tp Thailand, and start big companies that require english speaking people, That gives the Thais a good job,and there are many other jobs thay can get. I think it is easy to lie on your back than to learn english, its sad ha, because thay are lovely people, as i have been coming to Thailand for 18 years, i can speak Thai but not 100 percent all the best to all.

[Taeng Mo]

Surely this has NOTHING to do with the PAP policies of last 48 years or so or the stewardship of LKY.

Sorry, Bloke

But I humbly think it has everything to do with the original policies and LKY is, indeed the "Father of Singapore".

I can't imagine how they felt, when being disowned by Malaysia, with no natural resources, or any edge over anyone else in the region, save their own work ethic and brains.

 

They built something from nothing and had to take hard medicine to do it. I guess you will see a rolling back from the Draconian Times, now, as Singapore is over the hump and can afford to look at other issues than their very survival as a Country.

 

I was very impressed with the recent Prime Ministers' speech on the state of the Nation.

I think the level of Consultation between the Government and the Constituency leaves the West for dead. Singapore is widely regarded as one of the least corrupt countries in the World and a good place to do business.

They have a genuine commitment to Social Issues, such as the housing and care of the Local People.

They just have to avoid being sucked down into the whirlpool of Corporate Culture, like the West has been.

To the detriment of their own Citizens.

[Taeng Mo]

Just curious, what's the other?

I would have thought Spanish.

 

Yeah, ok to tout Mandarin, by sheer volume, but there is a bigger pompem.

 

Mandarin is not easily communicable, in paperwork, as it uses picture characters.

There are hundreds of them.

So, not only is spoken English the language of Business, but, perhaps more importantly, the WRITTEN language of Business.

The grammar is complicated, but you need this arsenal to be able to nail down WTF you are on about - definitively, for things like contractual obligation etc.

 

English has 13 tenses, Thai has 3 plus a number of adjuncts to get out what you want to say.

Which makes for a very wordy communication.

 

Mandarin has no tenses, but again you need to gab on about before or after now.

Plus the character issue.

 

Spanish has 6 and a stack of irregular verbs.

 

The wash up is that, for Legal purposes; which extend through life, including the tourist Industry, you need a good command of English. So for someone who aspires to more than being the Tour Guide, they will need to hone their English skills.

Which is what economic advancement is all about - Personal Development.

 

What a rant

[Taeng Mo]

5 5 5 ..  English is listed at 4.83% with Mandarin far ahead at 12.44%.  I am surprise Hindi is that low (compare to English or Mandarin)

Just an adjunct.

I think Hindi, whilst being the Official Language of India is not as powerful across the board, due to a North/ South split there.

I was talking to an Indian Guy in Singapore a while back and he was saying that the actual spoken word is split between Hindi in the south and, is it, Bengali? in the North? They have many dialects, due to their long history, as well.

In any event, you are back to the script issue, plus English is the Secondary Official Language of the Republic of India.

[Taeng Mo]

Hi to all, i think thay should try to learn English as many people come tp Thailand, and start big companies that require english speaking people, That gives the Thais a good job,and there are many other jobs thay can get. I think it is easy to lie on your back than to learn english, its sad ha, because thay are lovely people, as i have been coming to Thailand for 18 years, i can speak Thai but not 100 good English and economic prosperity. percent all the best to all.

I agree

Again, it would be easier for Thai Folks if everyone was on the same page.

They are already surrounded by English every day. Be it billboards, computers, media etc.

So it would be easier for them to stay on the same path.

There is undoubtedly a direct link in LOS between the ability to speak good English and Economic Prosperity.

[brewster]

English has 13 tenses

Actually, English as two tenses: present and past. It does, however, have aspects of tense, such as perfect, continuous etc. not to mention modality, conditionals and passive voice. It's certainly not a simple language to learn, as proven by many so-called native speakers!

[sinbad5]

Actually, English as two tenses: present and past. It does, however, have aspects of tense, such as perfect, continuous etc. not to mention modality, conditionals and passive voice. It's certainly not a simple language to learn, as proven by many so-called native speakers!

 

What about the future tense?

[john2028]

http://www.usingenglish.com/poll/26.html

[MrLek]

Well i have always thought the girls i speak to have a much better understanding of English than i do of Thai. When i consider that i have been to Thailand many times and most of them have never stepped foot outside of Thailand perhaps it is them that should be critical. I am very surprised at how quickly they pick the language up to be honest. 

 

English is a very difficult language to grasp and the Thais do so without the benefit of a language that is based from a latin alphabet. It is much easier for a French, German,Spanish or Italian native speaker to grasp English than a Thai. 

[Taeng Mo]

Actually, English as two tenses: present and past. It does, however, have aspects of tense, such as perfect, continuous etc. not to mention modality, conditionals and passive voice. It's certainly not a simple language to learn, as proven by many so-called native speakers!

So how do you explain this:

As far as I know, there are these 13 tenses:

 

a) Past Perfect Progressive ........................had been + present participle

b) Past Perfect ..........................................had + past participle

c) Past Progressive ...................................was/were + present participle

d) Simple Past ..........................................past tense form

 

e) Present Perfect Progressive ...................have/has been + present participle

f) Present Perfect .....................................have/has + past participle

 

g)Present Progressive .................................am/is/are + present participle

h)Simple Present ........................................present tense form = almost same form as infinitive (except "to be"); when used with he/she/it: +(e)s (except modal helping verbs)

 

i)will-Future ...............................................will + infinitive

j)will-Future Progressive .............................will be + present participle

k)will-Future Perfect ...................................will have + past participle

l)will-Future Perfect Progressive ..................will have been + present participle

 

m)Going-to-Future ......................................am/is/are going to + infinitive

 

Sometimes, the Conditionals are also said to be tenses, but those are just modi of an actual tense, no tenses themselves.

 

so the point is...

How would you translate this sentence into, either Thai, Spanish or Mandarin?

 

"If this engine has, either been worked on before, or had it's parts replaced a long while ago, or recently, then we need to run it up now and check it out, to make sure there will be no further trouble and make sure we order parts, which should come to site in time, to prevent any further trouble during it's further service life, in the future."

 

Or, from a legal perspective:

This man, being the victim of a tragic accident, in the past, though no longer ago than when he was an Adolescent Child, should receive a compensation payment, in accordance with the current law, being no more than an equivalent case of said compensation, that he should receive into the future of his aforementioned claim, subject to reasonable inflationary increases.

[brewster]

What about the future tense?

There is no future tense. You can use many ways to refer to the future in English - for example, the Present Simple/Continuous, 'going to', 'will', conditionals.

[brewster]

So how do you explain this:

As far as I know, there are these 13 tenses:

 

a) Past Perfect Progressive ........................had been + present participle

b) Past Perfect ..........................................had + past participle

c) Past Progressive ...................................was/were + present participle

d) Simple Past ..........................................past tense form

 

e) Present Perfect Progressive ...................have/has been + present participle

f) Present Perfect .....................................have/has + past participle

 

g)Present Progressive .................................am/is/are + present participle

h)Simple Present ........................................present tense form = almost same form as infinitive (except "to be"); when used with he/she/it: +(e)s (except modal helping verbs)

 

i)will-Future ...............................................will + infinitive

j)will-Future Progressive .............................will be + present participle

k)will-Future Perfect ...................................will have + past participle

l)will-Future Perfect Progressive ..................will have been + present participle

 

m)Going-to-Future ......................................am/is/are going to + infinitive

 

Sometimes, the Conditionals are also said to be tenses, but those are just modi of an actual tense, no tenses themselves.

What you are referring to as 'tenses' are actually just aspects of either the present or past tenses.

[Taeng Mo]

What you are referring to as 'tenses' are actually just aspects of either the present or past tenses.

Yeah, well, back on topic

Just try to translate the aforementioned post into legal representative documents.

Or Follow able instructions to the relevant Workforce.

[sinbad5]

There is no future tense. You can use many ways to refer to the future in English - for example, the Present Simple/Continuous, 'going to', 'will', conditionals.

 

So if I say, "Go to Thailand! You will love it!"

 

That's not future tense?

 

I've never got that.

 

Or the subjunctive per Spanish "Whatever I might say about Brewster, he is handsome." or "If I were to.." or "what will you be doing in 5 years time." 

 

How does it work.

[brewster]

So if I say, "Go to Thailand! You will love it!"

 

That's not future tense?

 

I've never got that.

 

Or the subjunctive per Spanish "Whatever I might say about Brewster, he is handsome." or "If I were to.." or "what will you be doing in 5 years time." 

 

How does it work.

It's not a tense. You're using a modal auxiliary verb ('will') with the present tense of 'love'. You could also say "you might love it" or "you should love it" and it would still be about the future.

[sinbad5]

It's not a tense. You're using a modal auxiliary verb ('will') with the present tense of 'love'. You could also say "you might love it" or "you should love it" and it would still be about the future.

 Bloody teachers.

 

Wish I could tork proper, and that.

[Taeng Mo]

It's not a tense. You're using a modal auxiliary verb ('will') with the present tense of 'love'. You could also say "you might love it" or "you should love it" and it would still be about the future.

Yeah

So like I said

How would you translate the preceding question into Thai - For your Good Self.

Or Spanish

Or Mandarin

Both spoken and Written, which is the original point.

[brewster]

I charge 2,000 baht an hour for this shit!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yeah

So like I said

How would you translate the preceding question into Thai - For your Good Self.

Or Spanish

Or Mandarin

Both spoken and Written, which is the original point.

 

You're losing me here mate.  I don't speak Thai or Spanish or Mandarin.  I'm just an English teacher.

[Taeng Mo]

I charge 2,000 baht an hour for this shit!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You're losing me here mate.  I don't speak Thai or Spanish or Mandarin.  I'm just an English teacher.

Well

That, indeed, is my point.

If we want to see Thailand continue its road as one of the worst performing S.E. Countries in the region, then lets. happily, continue down this road. Meanwhile, Countries such as Singapore and Hong Kong have already surpassed you.

And shown Economic Benefits from the ability to Speak Good English, I think, no-one can deny.

So, given the past debate re the decision on a Standard.

Which would you advocate?

[filibuster]

And shown Economic Benefits from the ability to Speak Good English ...

 

 Someone's probably just spat their coffee all over their keyboard.  

[Taeng Mo]

 Someone's probably just spat their coffee all over their keyboard.  

Read the farkin thread

[sinbad5]

...

If we want to see Thailand continue its road as one of the worst performing S.E. Countries in the region...

I was under the impression that Thailand had the second largest economy in South East Asia (after Indonesia, which has a population of 250 million).