Speaking Thai

[suteerak1099]

Originally Posted by singman80

Anybody has recommendation on how to pick up Thai language?

Tone seems like a critical part of this language and if not pronounced correct could mean a different word/meaning altogether - could be embarrassing.

Rosatta Stone is highly recommended and is used extensively by the CIA and other agencies in US. But I'm not sure how good is it for learning Thai.

Thanks.

many yrs back, when i 1st discovered my interest in thai culture n travels, i relied heavily in referencing w thai peers, as well as the very trustworthy Lonely Planet Thai Phrasebook... its very handy for phonetic reference to get pronunciation in proper order. n if sharp enough, it's pretty easy to catch the concept of grammar structure. asian languages by far apply similar grammatical rules for sentence structure.

some time later, as i grow out of the infancy language level, i referred to the Thai/English English/Thai Dictionary to better my vocab (though the phonetics arent spelt the same as the lonely planet version)

yrs later, as i progressed from basics (becoming less alien to reading/writing thai) i now refer to varied sources of thai-english dictionaries for more vocab that comes in very handy for day to day usage in the pragmatic realms of livelihood in the land of smiles. i dun mean to boast, but i've been often mistaken to be a local.

(all of which not sparing the aid of thai peers correcting the nitty gritty mistakes for fine tuning)

bottomline, fruits will bear when effort is invested.

[Ah_Hia]

In the end, it all boils down to what u need this new language for ?

To migrate and live there or just for usage during a few days trip once a year.

Cheers !

[suteerak1099]

Originally Posted by Mister

A wise man once told me "ni chi duo le ta men de kou sui, zi ran hui xue hui thai yu" (eat more of their saliva and proficiency in the language will be a natural result)

And it's true! Been eating for a few months liao, my vocab has improved jing jing

If you want office Thai, enrol in a language class
If you want bedroom Thai, get a faen

Meanwhile, explore those thai-language books in kino or borders. They should tide you through for a awhile, while you look for a class or a faen.

lol, saliva to lubricate the tongue... but i do concur it works wonders in the language advancements. many i'm sure can attest to it too.

meanwhile, i really must add that learning through reading/writing thai can hasten the process by leaps n bounds too. for there'd never be a perfect phonetic transliteration to the sounds & intonation, none except gaining insights in its original form.

thai music appreciation is also another form of leisure learning process that helps in comprehending, though the lyrical form of the language is often more poetic... n may not always be practical in day to day conversations.

bedroom language aka body language, i believe is international.... hehehe

[singman80]

Originally Posted by suteerak1099

many yrs back, when i 1st discovered my interest in thai culture n travels, i relied heavily in referencing w thai peers, as well as the very trustworthy Lonely Planet Thai Phrasebook... its very handy for phonetic reference to get pronunciation in proper order. n if sharp enough, it's pretty easy to catch the concept of grammar structure. asian languages by far apply similar grammatical rules for sentence structure.

some time later, as i grow out of the infancy language level, i referred to the Thai/English English/Thai Dictionary to better my vocab (though the phonetics arent spelt the same as the lonely planet version)

yrs later, as i progressed from basics (becoming less alien to reading/writing thai) i now refer to varied sources of thai-english dictionaries for more vocab that comes in very handy for day to day usage in the pragmatic realms of livelihood in the land of smiles. i dun mean to boast, but i've been often mistaken to be a local.

(all of which not sparing the aid of thai peers correcting the nitty gritty mistakes for fine tuning)

bottomline, fruits will bear when effort is invested.

Thanks for your comments. I agree with you that effort has to be invested and it's so much easier to have someone to practice with. Language is a funny thing.. if you don't use it.. you may tend to forget.

[suteerak1099]

Originally Posted by singman80

Thanks for your comments. I agree with you that effort has to be invested and it's so much easier to have someone to practice with. Language is a funny thing.. if you don't use it.. you may tend to forget.

we're not native speakers, so we'd probably never master the jargons n fad phrases given our limitations to practice in certain parts of the world. but nonetheless, being conversant in the language does improve the chances of being picked up for longer lasting relationships, regardless; friendship, tirak-ship, gig-ship, fb-ship.......etc.