Easy way to learn Thai

[landofsmiles]

Sorry if you opened the thread thinking there's an easy way because I really don't think there is one, but I found this quite useful in learning some of the basics>>>

http://www.teachthai.com/assignments...lash_intro.swf

Anyone been to any of the language school courses or had 1on1 tuition? Wondering if personal tuition is any better than taking a course?

[MassMoose]

I wish it were easy! After all my self teaching attempts in farangland, went to LOS and had no clue except basics like toilet etc. No one understood what I was trying to say Thai as I think my tones are way off.

[Dodger]

Originally Posted by landofsmiles

Sorry if you opened the thread thinking there's an easy way because I really don't think there is one, but I found this quite useful in learning some of the basics>>>

http://www.teachthai.com/assignments...lash_intro.swf

Anyone been to any of the language school courses or had 1on1 tuition? Wondering if personal tuition is any better than taking a course?

Yeah I had one on one lessons for about 6 months or so, twice a week of 1hr 30mins a time.

Analysis at the end of it was, you have to work on the other 5 days doing homework or just re-doing the previous lesson, you have to have at least an hour a day, everyday, where you only speak and think Thai, learn to read and write is so much better for your pronounciation than phonetic books. Take a small thai/english dictionary out with you and force yourself to ask questions etc, as this really sticks in your head.

I failed most of the above but will have another go soon, as Alec is starting to talk quite a bit now and I want to be able to understand him in either language.

[Denver]

I'm just picking it up as I go along. Almost fluent now.

Ordered two packets of L&M red tonight at the 7-11 and got a comb and a toblerone.............But it's getting there.

[Dodger]

Thats pretty good, cos tobralone, is not easy to say in Thai!!! or becking Engrish for that matter!!!

[Denver]

I know what ashtray and mousemat are now! Bloody effluent by next month me! My volabucary is coming along nicerley.

Chik doo - That means good luck in learning Tie.

[PhuketonBudget]

I'm learning thai. I just started today, ive been doing it for about 1 hour in work and im picking it up easy enough, i quite like the language. What i have done is the following.

Printed out lists of commonly used words and their thai words.
Rules in thai language.

I just keep re reading over them, and then i write some english sentences down on paper and try to write the thai for them. There is also a thai woman who works in our canteen, so today im planning out a conversation with her and i'll go down and talk to her.

I came up with the following, this is without reference so it may be wrong

Hello, how are you
Sawadee khrap, sabbi dee mai?

(a rule i picked up, mai used at the end of a sentence = question, but used before a word like mean no, i.e chai = yes, mai chai = no.)

Then i'll say

I'm hungry, are you hungry?

pom hue, koon hue mai? (pom = i hue = hungry - koon = you, mai at end for question)

If she answers no for example (mai chai)

Why are you not hungry?

koon mai hue tom mai?

(koon = you, mai before the word hue for hungry = not hungry (tom mai = why)

Then if she is impressed i will tell her i started learning today

whan nii pom rein (whan nii = today - pom = i rein = learn)

I think doing it this way as opposed to learning single phrases at a time is the best way to build your understanding. It gives you a better insight into the language.

[PhuketonBudget]

Just an update went to talk to her.

Said the sawadee khrab, sabbie dee mai?

She smilled and said something along the lines of sabbie dee mark (i think)

Then she said in english "what is your name"

i said pom chen brian, coon chean arai?

She smiled and gave me a Wai

Then i asked her the proper way to say hungry (hue) i had it kinda right she just extended the e sound at the end.

Thai is a fun language.

[Robaht]

I am taking a Thai course here in Bangkok. 3 hours each day and there are 3 other students in my class. It's a lot of fun and having others in the class (as opposed to 1-on-1) gives you a little breathing space and time to digest what you are learning. The formula for my class is basically the first hour is review, and then the next 2 hours are new stuff. I'm only on Level 2 (overall I've gone 30 days at 3 hours each day) and am making good progress and enjoying being able to actually talk to people.

Seriously, even after the first week it felt great to know some of the very basics and be confident using them.

[Izzy]

I used a mix of Learning Thai the Easy Way (Manee and friends learn to read and school children conversation scenarios v.good especially), Rosetta Stone + thai-eng dicts looking up words for situations etc i found myself in regularly and after about 4 months 2 hours a day i could converse/read ok, now after 1 year living here listening and learning (no longer actively studying) talk pure thai about 90% of the time with thai people (yes even the tones!) Most important, never be embarrassed to try in the beginning, if they laugh, laugh with them and listen how they say it tonal/grammar...

[JayBee]

Originally Posted by PhuketonBudget

I'm learning thai. I just started today, ive been doing it for about 1 hour in work and im picking it up easy enough, i quite like the language. What i have done is the following.

Printed out lists of commonly used words and their thai words.
Rules in thai language.

I just keep re reading over them, and then i write some english sentences down on paper and try to write the thai for them. There is also a thai woman who works in our canteen, so today im planning out a conversation with her and i'll go down and talk to her.

I came up with the following, this is without reference so it may be wrong

Quite impressive for a first day! But let me give you a few pointers!

Originally Posted by PhuketonBudget

Hello, how are you
Sawadee khrap, sabbi dee mai?

Always say khrap again at the end.

Originally Posted by PhuketonBudget

(a rule i picked up, mai used at the end of a sentence = question, but used before a word like mean no, i.e chai = yes, mai chai = no.)

As a rule, that is not correct. More later....

Originally Posted by PhuketonBudget

Then i'll say

I'm hungry, are you hungry?

pom hue, koon hue mai? (pom = i hue = hungry - koon = you, mai at end for question)

Normally, when you ask if someone is hungry, the words for hungry are "hiw khao", which literally means hungry for rice, as opposed to thirsty which is "hiw nam." In other words, you say what you are hungry for, rice being the word to indicate food, and nam for water. So by itself, hiw doesn't necessarily mean hungry in the same way as it does in English. BTW, hue is usually spelled hiw in English, and pronounced "hee-yoo," but quickly, and with the ending elongated a bit, as was pointed out to you by the lady. If you just say hue, some will understand, but some will not.

Originally Posted by PhuketonBudget

If she answers no for example (mai chai)

She would never say mai chai in answer to that question, because it was not a "chai mai" sort of question. To say no to your query, she would respond, "Mai hiw," i.e. "not hungry."

Originally Posted by PhuketonBudget

Why are you not hungry?

koon mai hue tom mai?

(koon = you, mai before the word hue for hungry = not hungry (tom mai = why)

Then if she is impressed i will tell her i started learning today

whan nii pom rein (whan nii = today - pom = i rein = learn)

start = rerm, which is a bit of a tongue twister
by rein, I assume you mean rian(ree-un). Literally, rian means study, but it is the word they usually use in this context. I think you would also want to throw in "pasa Thai" at the end there, as well, for the sake of clarity. Also, why is more like "tum mai," than "tom mai".

Originally Posted by PhuketonBudget

I think doing it this way as opposed to learning single phrases at a time is the best way to build your understanding. It gives you a better insight into the language.

I tend to agree with you on that point, but it is tricky as they often do not use or combine words in the same way as we do in English. For example, if the lady had wished to indicate to you that yes, she was hungry, she would never have responded "chai" to say yes. She would have said, "Hiw," and that would have meant yes. So, the learning phrases approach does have some value, as well, and is probably best to combine the two approaches.

[JayBee]

Originally Posted by PhuketonBudget

Just an update went to talk to her.

Said the sawadee khrab, sabbie dee mai?

She smilled and said something along the lines of sabbie dee mark (i think)

Then she said in english "what is your name"

i said pom chen brian, coon chean arai?

She smiled and gave me a Wai

Then i asked her the proper way to say hungry (hue) i had it kinda right she just extended the e sound at the end.

Thai is a fun language.

It appears as if she wai-ed you because she didn't have a clue as to what you had just said to her. Chen is not even close to "cheu" which is what you meant to say, I presume. Unless chen was a typo. "Cheu" sounds a bit like "chew," but not quite the same. Listen closely and imitate the way they say it.

[JayBee]

Originally Posted by Robaht

I am taking a Thai course here in Bangkok. 3 hours each day and there are 3 other students in my class. It's a lot of fun and having others in the class (as opposed to 1-on-1) gives you a little breathing space and time to digest what you are learning. The formula for my class is basically the first hour is review, and then the next 2 hours are new stuff. I'm only on Level 2 (overall I've gone 30 days at 3 hours each day) and am making good progress and enjoying being able to actually talk to people.

Seriously, even after the first week it felt great to know some of the very basics and be confident using them.

That's awesome. I hope to be able to do that some day. The only downside is being in Bangkok, which to me is a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there! Where are you taking the course? What school?

[PhuketonBudget]

Hey guys thanks for the replies, i appreciate the time taken to point out the flaws, im gonna go back through and add it to my notes. Its all a learning process. also i agree i don't think she wai'd my great thai skills, but she has been living in the uk 5 years and has great english so probably could understand what i was trying to say or appreciate the effort.

[nacha]

Originally Posted by PhuketonBudget

Hey guys thanks for the replies, i appreciate the time taken to point out the flaws, im gonna go back through and add it to my notes. Its all a learning process. also i agree i don't think she wai'd my great thai skills, but she has been living in the uk 5 years and has great english so probably could understand what i was trying to say or appreciate the effort.

at least if you're talking in english with her 55555

but not bad for your first day...
do you also try to read, or do you only want to learn words for talking??

[Robaht]

Originally Posted by JayBee

That's awesome. I hope to be able to do that some day. The only downside is being in Bangkok, which to me is a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there! Where are you taking the course? What school?

The school I go to is called SST and is at Sala Daeng BTS. The website is salasilom.com

Anyway, I think the school is good and since it works out to cost 100 baht per hour, it isn't expensive. Not sure how much a similar school in Phuket would cost.

[Schmeen]

In practice too many of you read books and don't have enough real interaction with people.

She would never say mai chai in answer to that question, because it was not a "chai mai" sort of question. To say no to your query, she would respond, "Mai hiw," i.e. "not hungry."

in reality so many would just say "mai" (khrap/kha)

never believe the Thai's speak text book Thai any more that New Yorkers do more than grunt...555

[PhuketonBudget]

No, i have no intrest in learning to read thai, i think the time it would take wouldn't be worth the effort. Plus i have no real need to read, i just want to be able to speak to people to show that im trying to make an effort to understand their culture.

[Dodger]

The only thing to consider with learning to read PoB, is it helps you with better pronounciation and a greater understanding of how the language works.

But learning a few words and sayings is a great way to start and practise on the woman at work.

[Schmeen]

Without learning to read you will never grasp the correct way to speak. If I hear a new word I ask to see how it is spelt, it gets over the range of regional accents and uneducated pronunciation that is often prevelant here.

[JayBee]

Originally Posted by Schmeen;

In practice too many of you read books and don't have enough real interaction with people.



in reality so many would just say "mai" (khrap/kha)

never believe the Thai's speak text book Thai any more that New Yorkers do more than grunt...555

That is not something I got out of a book. If I've had that conversation once, I've had it a thousand times, and the responses have always been the same. Basic stuff. I can't imagine someone just saying "mai" in response to anything. It's got no rhythym. Of course, she might say, "Mai, kha," but when you are with someone everyday, they often get informal and drop the "kha," in which case, they would likely say "mai hiw." This is a conversation I had 2 or 3 times every day during the 5 month tour from which I returned 10 days ago. Never heard a simple "mai." As you know, yes and no in Thai are simply not the same as in English, so why confuse a newbie?

As you are so quick to point out, it is better to learn correct Thai!

[JayBee]

Originally Posted by Robaht;

The school I go to is called SST and is at Sala Daeng BTS. The website is salasilom.com

Anyway, I think the school is good and since it works out to cost 100 baht per hour, it isn't expensive. Not sure how much a similar school in Phuket would cost.

Everything is more expensive in Phuket, or so it seems.

Thanks for the info. It might just be worth spending a few months in BKK. 30 days at 3 hours per day sounds ideal. And the price is right! How long is the course?