Thai Language

[darnsuth]

I am moving to Pattaya in the near future and want to learn to speak and understand Thai. I am told that there is a school in Soi 13/2 Pattaya and I wonder if anyone has had experience of the school or know of it. I have no interest in reading or writing the language and therefore do not require grammar or the Thai Alphabet.

 

My reasoning for the above is that I would want to be able to converse with the locals whenever the opportunity arose

 

Any help would be appreciated

[pubstud]

Trying to remember complex sentences for communication in Thai is the hard way.

Learning the read the Thai alphabet and getting a grasp of Thai grammar really simplifies the learning process.

[OleKingCole]

Trying to remember complex sentences for communication in Thai is the hard way.

Learning the read the Thai alphabet and getting a grasp of Thai grammar really simplifies the learning process.

 

Have to agree there. When I first started, had a number of problems with longer common phrases. Learning to read and write enables you to understand how they are made up and to put them together according to the situation. Learning using mickey mouse script is not that grand as every single person who uses it uses a different system, and none are accurate.

 

I suppose you could learn a few hundred phrases and hope the conversation does not move away from them. Then of course you miss out on everything that is written, shop signs, menus etc How do you expand your vocabulary?

[pubstud]

I got the kiddies books to learn the Thai alphabet and in a couple of days I'd cracked the code and within 2 weeks I had the alphabet sussed out and was reading simple sentences and signs and menus. It was really one of the easiest things I've learnt to do. And I do not have a gift for languages. A year later I went to an AUA Thai language course, the other students were reading the phonetics and their pronunciation was way off, I was reading the Thai script and my pronunciation was pretty accurate.

[darnsuth]

Have to agree there. When I first started, had a number of problems with longer common phrases. Learning to read and write enables you to understand how they are made up and to put them together according to the situation. Learning using mickey mouse script is not that grand as every single person who uses it uses a different system, and none are accurate.

 

I suppose you could learn a few hundred phrases and hope the conversation does not move away from them. Then of course you miss out on everything that is written, shop signs, menus etc How do you expand your vocabulary?

[darnsuth]

Points made are taken on-board. Thank you for the advice. I too do NOT have a gift for languages but if I am going to see out the rest of my days in LOS, then I feel obligated to at least attempt to speak and understand the language.

[Harry Brown]

I got the kiddies books to learn the Thai alphabet and in a couple of days I'd cracked the code and within 2 weeks I had the alphabet sussed out and was reading simple sentences and signs and menus. It was really one of the easiest things I've learnt to do. And I do not have a gift for languages. A year later I went to an AUA Thai language course, the other students were reading the phonetics and their pronunciation was way off, I was reading the Thai script and my pronunciation was pretty accurate.

 

When you read from those "Kiddies Books" in Thai script there must be a link or something relative to give you the initial sounds that the letters make,I imagine you could not look at the Thai script and just start speaking it?

 

Where are the books available from?

 

 

 

[OleKingCole]

When you read from those "Kiddies Books" in Thai script there must be a link or something relative to give you the initial sounds that the letters make,I imagine you could not look at the Thai script and just start speaking it?

 

Where are the books available from?

 

 

 

 

Google really is your friend here.

 

I'm in Patts at the moment and don't have all the info here. One very useful resource is the interactive Maanii, hosted by one of the US universities. seasite something. Not a lot of help I know, but it is a book that was used for years to teach Thai kids to read. The interactive version has audio files that help you pick up the pronunciation and it starts with simple words - maanii (of course) daa (eye) all mid tone and using a limited number of sounds. Look at womenlearnthai.com, lots of links and really interesting articles there. thai-language.com a site you'll use again and again. There is a fantastic learn thai alphabet in 60 minutes or something like that. Don't have the link at the mo. I won an app in a competition on womenlearnthai.com that is an writing learning tool as well as a cheat sheet for those rarely used characters that I always forget. The three way Thai dictionary is available as an iphone ipad or PC app. Excellent. I use the iphone one it has sound files so you hear the word spoken, but it also has an option to analyse the word, syllable by syllable to explain which it is pronounced/spelled in the way that it is. I bought a set of Aesops Fables bilingual books but did not find them that good (in the version I got)

[pubstud]

When you read from those "Kiddies Books" in Thai script there must be a link or something relative to give you the initial sounds that the letters make,I imagine you could not look at the Thai script and just start speaking it?

 

Where are the books available from?

 

I just asked the nearest Thai. I was living with a Thai gal and she'd tell me this one is Gor that's a G sound; and this one's Sor and that's an S sound; and this one's Bor and that's a B sound. I was really startled at how easy it was because for years beforehand I never tried to learn to read Thai, thought it would be way too difficult for me. But it's really a very simple alphabet. There are of course some rules you need to know, like a consonant sound can vary depending on it being initial or final, but to start with those kiddie books get the ball rolling nicely.

[herds]

http://www.learningthai.com/english-words-in-thai/lesson-01.html

 

I generally recommend this link to anyone that started memorizing the alphabet and gave up.4 years on I still think it's a better place to start then memorizing the alphabet.

 

Even if you have no interest in reading just give the link a try for 5 minutes.

Edited August 26, 2011 by herds

[Harry Brown]

Thanks for all the info

 

OKC,PS and herds

[Parttuls]

I do not have a gift for learning languages, but one post here is the same method I use when I want to learn a new one. Get the kids books and start at the beginning. Language courses seem to skip the basics and start right in on adult phrases. To coin a phrase form Rosetta Stone, learn your new language the way you learned your first language. Think back to being a kid and start your new language. Works for me....