Learning To Speak Thai.

[COYS]

I'm thinking of taking some time out of my current life here in the UK to live in Thailand for a while and learn the Thai language.

If I were to rent a place in Bangkok and enroll in a school, say for 36 hours per week, how long would it take me to learn to speak the language fully?

I'll be starting from scratch and doing it purely for personal satisfaction and to enhance my future Thailand experiences.

[tl6237]

what are you actually like with learning foreign languages in general?

[GeeMan]

I applaud your enthusiasm, but I feel 36 hours a week is a somewhat aggressive schedule, as well as possibly be counter-productive. That many hours per week could be more 'new' learning than you could reasonably absorb. As for the immersive nature of such a schedule, you should get all that immersion for free everywhere you go

 

I only know one language, and have never attempted to learn a foreign language beyond a couple of terms of Latin and French in high school. All now forgotten. I do recall that I never felt I had a natural aptitude. As such, I've always thought I would go for between 4 - 8 hours a week and take several month to get a basic grasp of day 2 day communication.

 

Best of luck and let us know how you get on

 

GeeMan

[wimpy]

36 hours a week seems a lot but I think it would be a good idea to get tuition. When you know some basics and use a bit of Thai on bar girls they will be pleased and willing to help out while having a drink with them.

I couldn't say how long it would take though, I'm still learning English.

[NINGNING]

As such, I've always thought I would go for between 4 - 8 hours a week and take several month to get a basic grasp of day 2 day communication.

GeeMan is right. While there might be good progress in learning to speak it gets tricky when it comes to writing and especially reading.

Moreover I think that, if its too ambitious and time consuming, you will lose the fun and consequently the interest in the language.

[COYS]

I don't know any foreign languages so far.

I am aware of how difficult the Thai language is for a European to learn though which is why I'm considering living in Thailand for some time to immerse myself in the language.

I plan on taking a year at first on a multiple entry visa, then seeing how it goes from there.

I just figured that learning full time from a proper school would help me to pick it up faster, bearing in mind that I'll be speaking it as much as possible with the locals in my spare time.

I was hoping that doing it this way it would be possible to become somewhat fluent in 6 months to a year?

[tl6237]

I was hoping that doing it this way it would be possible to become somewhat fluent in 6 months to a year?

 

It's impossible for anyone to know and you'll only know once you actually start and have been learning it for a month or so.

 

you seem to have the right attitude though, enthusiastic and willing to fully immerse yourself in the language.

 

having said that though, 6 months seems a tad ambitious to be fluent no matter what assistance and factors you have in your favour.

[Dr.Winston]

I taught myself via tapes with help ftrom a Thai once per week. The best advice I had was to do no more than 30 minutes per day. This left me keen for the next lesson and fully able to remember what I had learned. I would say that Thai can be learned to a good standard in two years. A lot of this time is spent just getting an ear for the different sounds and tones. I've no experience with intensive 'immersion learning' techniques but I think that if you push too hard at the beginning it might be counter productive. I guess it depends a lot on your personality.

[kundai]

majority of people in world speak 3 or more languages fairly fluently immersion is best way to learn 10 or so words a day when you reach 500 you should be able to hold a normal everyday conversation grammar however you will need a teacher also if you are tonedeaf ie. english do not despair there are some very good thai language tapes and cds look up http://www.learningthai.com/ very good site

[Gobby]

It depends on the girl I'm talking to . I could learn sentences in seconds or it could take me years to learn a word .5555555

[COYS]

I'm quite fast at picking things up in general but I tend to have tunnel vision when learning something.

When I learned to play guitar for example, I would play all day long going over and over new chords and riffs until I had them down to a tee.

Half an hour a day would not be enough for me I'm sure. I'm sure I'd need and want more than that.

I understand that I'm gonna need time off to go over what I've learned in my own mind. Maybe full time (36 hours PW) is too much. I just figured that with a dedicated teacher I would be taught much faster what I was saying wrong and right and therefore moving on faster.

[hungryandy]

I have a friend who enrolled in the immersion course at Konkien University. It is the same course that a lot of the Embasies use. It is intense all day with seriuos homework at night. and lots of study over teh weekend. I think it was 3 months. Includes learning to read and write the basics.

 

The best part is that it is formal Thai and will make you at home in the best of business circles or government offices.

Also scares teh crap out of traffic cops when you get pulled over - my friend asks them in form and very crisp tones what do they think there doing. that and his short hair cut like a military guy may have usually gets a snappy salute and " very sorry to have stopped you sir" response. The girls love him.

 

Probably 90% of teh people you meet in Pattaya have a dialect or regional language such as Lao as their native toung. they learn informal thai at school and use it in teh work place on an "as needed" basis only. Bangkok office girls are much more likley to be native Thai speakers if there not from up country.

 

If you have teh time to do a 90 day intensive course you will qualify for an ED visa. You could also enroll in classes in Bangkok for teh rest of teh year on an ed visa. You can use a weekly class to brush up on what you learnt and to learn teh coloquialisms. It will also allow you to "tune your ears" to the accent and to help develope a good Thai accent.

 

Pattaya is NOT the plce to learn and practice business Thai. Social upcountry Thai yes.

once you can read and write BASIC thai and speak in an educated manner, a lot of dors open up to you for employment.

 

If your interested in teh formal course PM me aid I will get more details.

 

Good luck

[peter.storm]

i took lessons 1hr a day five days a week and that was enough time to spend any more could be counter productive. These lessons were one to one which i think is far better, i was useless at languages at school but picked thai up fairly quickly because i wanted to. my teacher has a very western attitude and is very easy to get along with, she is also very good to know if you get any problems here, she helped me get rid of an unwanted girlfriend without getting police involved which could have been costly!! she charges about 4000 baht a month not sure exactly cause not had lessons before, pm me if you want telephone number.

[Benny10]

A few of my English friends told me that it appears for them quite difficult to learn Thai, because they are not used to learn additional languages.

 

I was quite lucky that my former employer on Phuket, the biggest integrated resort in SE-Asia, offered free daily Thai classes from 07.00 – 09.00 am to their expat staff. All I had to do was to get up earlier. In addition, we were very lucky to get a highly qualified Adjan (more or less equivalent to a professor) who taught pure Thai, without any accent and, of course lots of R’s.

 

On the other hand, my TGF did not speak any English when I met her. To improve our communication, I had to learn Thai quickly.

 

Being not very talented in learning languages, it took about 6 months to handle most daily business in Thai. Apart form my name, I still can't read or write... definitely too lazy.

 

By living in LOR (land of rain) I think the biggest challenge for you will be the daily practice. It’s far easier to improve your skills if you have to speak a language on a daily basis.

Good luck and don't give up. It's worth the effort.

[COYS]

Thanks for all the great replies lads, I really appreciate it.

I never really thought of it opening doors for employment as such, just learning for personal satisfaction really. However, if learning to read and write Thai would get me some kind of employment in Thailand then that would be an added bonus! I know that in General jobs in Thailand aren't well paid. If I could earn enough to survive I'd be a happy man though.

What would I be able to do once I can read and write Thai?

[Dr.Winston]

Thanks for all the great replies lads, I really appreciate it.

I never really thought of it opening doors for employment as such, just learning for personal satisfaction really. However, if learning to read and write Thai would get me some kind of employment in Thailand then that would be an added bonus! I know that in General jobs in Thailand aren't well paid. If I could earn enough to survive I'd be a happy man though.

What would I be able to do once I can read and write Thai?

The problem is that there are so many native Thai speakers who can speak/read/write good English. Perhaps somebody in charge of a team of Thais for an foreign company? There's no doubt that it makes you more useful for any job in LOS but I think it would be hard to get a job specifically because you spoke Thai.

 

Many times I get asked for advice, or to translate and occasionally I get treated to a night out. for me the rewards are being able to understand the 90% of what's going on every day in Thailand that so many miss.

[COYS]

The problem is that there are so many native Thai speakers who can speak/read/write good English. Perhaps somebody in charge of a team of Thais for an foreign company? There's no doubt that it makes you more useful for any job in LOS but I think it would be hard to get a job specifically because you spoke Thai.

 

Many times I get asked for advice, or to translate and occasionally I get treated to a night out. for me the rewards are being able to understand the 90% of what's going on every day in Thailand that so many miss.

 

Yeah I see what you're saying and thought that this would be the case. Like I said though, I'm only wanting to learn for personal satisfaction and I know I'll get that.

A job in Thailand is not really important and not really realistic when you look at it like that. I mean sure there are loads of Thai people that can speak and write perfect English already.

It must be great to understand what people are saying and be able to communicate with Thai people in their own language!

Thanks for your words of wisdom Dr.

[yankee99]

I have to agree with the other posters 36 is way too much. I did 20 hours at 4 a week. I probably studied another 8 hours a week...It is amazing what that short course did for me. BTW this is without reading or writing.

[Benny10]

Thanks for all the great replies lads, I really appreciate it.

I never really thought of it opening doors for employment as such, just learning for personal satisfaction really. However, if learning to read and write Thai would get me some kind of employment in Thailand then that would be an added bonus! I know that in General jobs in Thailand aren't well paid. If I could earn enough to survive I'd be a happy man though.

What would I be able to do once I can read and write Thai?

I learned that for most expat positions Thai language skills are welcome, but not required.

Most of the expats I’m dealing with, as well as myself, use their secretary to handle all issues related to Thai language.

 

A far more important requirement for senior positions is cross-cultural training. Trust me, this opens a whole new world, at work and private.

[COYS]

I learned that for most expat positions Thai language skills are welcome, but not required.

Most of the expats I’m dealing with, as well as myself, use their secretary to handle all issues related to Thai language.

 

A far more important requirement for senior positions is cross-cultural training. Trust me, this opens a whole new world, at work and private.

 

What kind of "cross-cultural training" would you recommend Benny? I'm assuming there are courses that cover this sort of thing?

 

This sort of thing maybe?

 

http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/cross-cultural/training.html

 

A senior position is not required by me though, as much as I'd like one I'm not qualified for anything like that.

 

I'd merely like to learn Thai and if I can use my language skills for anything else than personal gratification then that would be a bonus. I get the impression that personal satisfaction is all I will gain from it.....which is cool with me.

Edited January 6, 2010 by COYS

[furryman]

A few of my English friends told me that it appears for them quite difficult to learn Thai, because they are not used to learn additional languages.

 

I was quite lucky that my former employer on Phuket, the biggest integrated resort in SE-Asia, offered free daily Thai classes from 07.00 – 09.00 am to their expat staff. All I had to do was to get up earlier. In addition, we were very lucky to get a highly qualified Adjan (more or less equivalent to a professor) who taught pure Thai, without any accent and, of course lots of R’s.

 

On the other hand, my TGF did not speak any English when I met her. To improve our communication, I had to learn Thai quickly.

 

Being not very talented in learning languages, it took about 6 months to handle most daily business in Thai. Apart form my name, I still can't read or write... definitely too lazy.

 

By living in LOR (land of rain) I think the biggest challenge for you will be the daily practice. It’s far easier to improve your skills if you have to speak a language on a daily basis.

Good luck and don't give up. It's worth the effort.

 

I have heard from several of my multilingual friends that the second language is the hardest to learn. Once your mind has been opened enough to gain relative fluency in a second language then any additional languages will come more easily.

 

Sadly I feel the educational systems in English speaking countries have dropped the ball in not teaching children second languages. In the case of the US, one of many educational balls dropped.

Edited January 6, 2010 by furryman

[COYS]

I have heard from several of my multilingual friends that the second language is the hardest to learn. Once your mind has been opened enough to gain relative fluency in a second language then any additional languages will come more easily.

 

Sadly I feel the educational systems in English speaking countries have dropped the ball in not teaching children second languages. In the case of the US, one of many educational balls dropped.

 

I agree. English and French are taught here in English schools as second languages but have never been of interest to me. I'd much have preferred learning Japanese or Thai.

 

I'm willing to move to Thailand for a year or so and enrol in a course though see where that leads. It will be a big step as I'll be leaving everything behind that I now have but I feel like it's something I want to do.

Life in the UK has grown stale for me and I feel the need to do something with my life that will bring me some enjoyment. I don't know where it will lead me and quite frankly I don't care.

I reckon it'll probably be the best year of my life though. Who knows?

[COYS]

I have to agree with the other posters 36 is way too much. I did 20 hours at 4 a week. I probably studied another 8 hours a week...It is amazing what that short course did for me. BTW this is without reading or writing.

 

Sorry Yankee99. I forgot to ask...What did learning Thai do for you? Have you improved much since your course?

Edited January 6, 2010 by COYS

[yankee99]

Sorry Yankee99. I forgot to ask...What did learning Thai do for you? Have you improved much since your course?

 

best money and time i spent....all the basic like he she where there etc etc..all the numbers telling time days of week. you would be amazed how much you can learn in 20hours plus studying

[NINGNING]

As for the idea of immersion strategies:

After I got stuck a little with the progress of learning Thai (after about 4 years) my teacher that teaches me for about 6 years now told me:

"To get a new push and to improve and lift your skills to a new level you should go (alone?) to my village (in Sisaket) for 2 months.

Afterwards your language skills will be great."

 

Although that was said in joking manner, I still feel there is more than just a little truth in it.

Sure, you must have learned the basics first and once you are there it depends very much on your discipline, willing and of course capabilities.