The fastest proven way to learn Thai

[Chimpy]

Language schools seems not worth it. I will try this approach:

 

Learning Thai

[Lloydies]

I am still trying to master English, 47 years and still learning

[RAM8]

His techniques are the conclusion I've slowly been coming to over the last 6 months. Everything is logical and it really seems like it will work! Grabbing a notebook now!

[Cropped Shaggy]

If my linguistics classes back in uni are anything to go by, it's pretty much impossible for one particular method to be suited to every individual learner more so than other methods.

 

There are just way too many variables to make such a claim imo.

[Dr.Winston]

In the long run it's going to take dedication and persistence no matter which method you choose to study. I'd always be wary of any course that promises speed. I think it runs on the principle that if you don't know any Thai then your initial gains will be immense which will give the impression of fast learning which will of course motivate you.

 

It's the intermediate period that's the great leveller, that period where it seems that the more you know the more you realise you don't know. At this period you can make yourself understood and understand some responses to you but listening to two Thai people conversing with each other will probably leave you in the dust.

 

I have no axe to grind, I really don't know if this method will work the best for you or not, my point is that if you wish to gain any degree of fluency there will be no easy way, it will take time and persistence. It can be fun though and the rewards are well worth it if you stick at it.

[just hanging]

I am tone deaf in my old age.  Many words I say are the wrong tone and they just look at me like Huh?.  My Thai teacher told me to always put it in a sentence and the longer the better.  Works well

 

I can have conversations, I am not fluent but do just fine.     When I knew just a little, i only spoke Thai.  It was brutal, my friends would say order in english already when the waitress didn't understand, over and over, now i have to help them order sometimes.   Just gotta persist, the final outcome is worth it

[Cropped Shaggy]

In the long run it's going to take dedication and persistence no matter which method you choose to study. I'd always be wary of any course that promises speed. I think it runs on the principle that if you don't know any Thai then your initial gains will be immense which will give the impression of fast learning which will of course motivate you.

 

It's the intermediate period that's the great leveller, that period where it seems that the more you know the more you realise you don't know. At this period you can make yourself understood and understand some responses to you but listening to two Thai people conversing with each other will probably leave you in the dust.

 

I have no axe to grind, I really don't know if this method will work the best for you or not, my point is that if you wish to gain any degree of fluency there will be no easy way, it will take time and persistence. It can be fun though and the rewards are well worth it if you stick at it.

 

Very well put, I can particularly identify with what you say about the intermediate period. I'm not learning Thai, but have been studying Japanese for over 18 months (wish I had time for both tbh, but that's life), and after flying through the first year at what seemed like breakneck speed - top of my class, never got stuck on anything, all that kind of shit - I now find my rate-of-progress plateauing considerably, and where as before I had zero problems motivating myself, I now find myself subject to a more bi-polar order of enthusiasm where I'll be gung-ho for a week or two, and then will just roll back to doing the bare minimum for another couple of weeks (on/off, on/off). Staying motivated really does seem to be one of the most critical aspects of learning, if not the most.

[Dr.Winston]

Very well put, I can particularly identify with what you say about the intermediate period. I'm not learning Thai, but have been studying Japanese for over 18 months (wish I had time for both tbh, but that's life), and after flying through the first year at what seemed like breakneck speed - top of my class, never got stuck on anything, all that kind of shit - I now find my rate-of-progress plateauing considerably, and where as before I had zero problems motivating myself, I now find myself subject to a more bi-polar order of enthusiasm where I'll be gung-ho for a week or two, and then will just roll back to doing the bare minimum for another couple of weeks (on/off, on/off). Staying motivated really does seem to be one of the most critical aspects of learning, if not the most.

Yes, easy to think that you are cruising along at the beginning and in a way you are...that intermediate period lasted two years for me but I suppose every case is individual. I think it's where many get disheartened though, just keep at it and one day it just all seems to drop into place.

[Davie Duke]

Incidentally, is Thai as complex as English? For example, Grade 12 English is just preparation for college and/or university English. Does academic Thai have a similar structure?

[Lloydies]

I am trying to find a "learn Thai alphabet" audio for iPod nano, anyone know where I can find, searched and all I find is for iPhone, iPad or iPod touch

[Dr.Winston]

Incidentally, is Thai as complex as English? For example, Grade 12 English is just preparation for college and/or university English. Does academic Thai have a similar structure?

In many ways it is simpler than English, no plurals, no tenses so only one version of the verb to use but in other ways it's more complicated, obviously the tones are an added dimension.

 

I think reading and writing Thai is definitely more complicated with more letters to learn, 3 different classes of consonant, long and short vowels, open and closed endings, vowels than can be a above, bellow, before or after or surrounding the initial consonant all of which combine with tonal rules or sometimes tone marks. Actually it's pretty easy to learn the Thai alphabet but word construction might take a bit longer to learn.

 

It's a mixed bag but I think you can safely say that English grammar is more difficult than Thai grammar.

[Touchagrey]

Watch Thai TV, not English language TV

 

In non-work situations, when in Thailand, pretend you don't understand English when interacting with Thais. Just look puzzled when anyone addresses you in English. Eventually you'll be forced to stop being a deaf-mute and wing it in Thai language.

[astrolopitec]

Yes. Actively watching TV will help a lot once you reach a certain level.  But before that, use the power of your subconscious.

Keep TV or news radio on all the time at very low volume. Don't pay any attention. By the time you formally learn a new word you will have heard it hundreds of times before. It's like if you already knew it and how to pronounce it. That's how I learned English, my third language. But keep in mind that by any means, it takes a couple of years of practice and sustained effort to reach basic conversational levels in any new language. That is, understanding the brunt of most conversations and putting phrases together not just using canned ones.

 

   http://mcot-web.mcot.net/fm1005/

[deckard]

Hey guys, you should check out the book 'fluent in 3 months.'  It was pretty helpful to me in my studying of Japanese, which is still crap, but has gotten better.

[Bule]

Yes. Actively watching TV will help a lot once you reach a certain level. But before that, use the power of your subconscious.

Keep TV or news radio on all the time at very low volume. Don't pay any attention. By the time you formally learn a new word you will have heard it hundreds of times before. It's like if you already knew it and how to pronounce it. That's how I learned English, my third language. But keep in mind that by any means, it takes a couple of years of practice and sustained effort to reach basic conversational levels in any new language. That is, understanding the brunt of most conversations and putting phrases together not just using canned ones.

 

http://mcot-web.mcot.net/fm1005/

Good point. That may be a good approach to all tonal languages.

[Cropped Shaggy]

Good point. That may be a good approach to all tonal languages.

 

I was advised to do the same even back when I was learning Spanish just to get used to the intonation. I also like singing along to music, even if don't full understand what I'm singing about.

[MCRX]

I like how he says its the fastest way and his method includes studying for 3 hours a day for the first few months. Thats not quick advice. Its good but unrealistic advice as everything that requires good results requires a concerted effort. But 3 hours a day is just insane.

 

Hes best advice, which was reiterated here, is to learn sentences, not words as you both learn grammar and new words at the same time. All day at work i think of a new word i want to learn, throw it into a few sentences in google translate and check the grammar of how it changes if it becomes a noun, verb, adjective etc.

 

Its amazing how important words like ja, laeow, gaan, rab, dai, thee, wah are in making your sentences sound fluid.

[Wally Hotvedt]

big fan of Stu and his approach - http://stujay.com/

[misteregg]

First thing you need to do is learn which is the best way for you to learn.

In a classroom, on computer, with a cd etc.

Everyone is different. The only sure advice I can give is learn a few sentences before you come here, the numbers, question words etc. then come over and try your best.

It's not what you say it's how you say it is the best advice I can give,

[MSR]

First thing you need to do is learn which is the best way for you to learn.

In a classroom, on computer, with a cd etc.

Everyone is different. The only sure advice I can give is learn a few sentences before you come here, the numbers, question words etc. then come over and try your best.

It's not what you say it's how you say it is the best advice I can give,

Makes sense.

Good advice, Sir

[Douchebag]

Language schools seems not worth it. I will try this approach:

 

Learning Thai

Why do schools seems not worth it? You could always combine a school with an online course and daily practising.