Language

[x in pattaya]

In some ways this relates to this issue of finding/ maintaining happiness in Thailand, but I didn't want to take that thread off on a tangent. I think learning the Thai language is both a good activity to get yourself involved in something other than just beach, bars & boys, and it's also bound to make you feel a little less alienated from everyone you deal with everyday.

I have a smattering of self-learned Thai. My friend is a constant source of encouragement as I try to learn more ("Better you just speak English") and I've even made a few somewhat short-lived attacks on the alphabet so that on a good day, with a great deal of prodding, I can write either the word for "tea" or the one for "elephant" or, more often, a single word that sort of combines the two.

I read an interesting article in the Economist recently that claimed the ability to deal successfully with tonal languages is genetic. On yet another front my genes have failed me, I guess. Even on those rare occasions when I know exactly what to say, I get the impression that people think I'm speaking Russian.

Being realistic it's doubtful I will ever be fluent in speaking Thai, but there's still hope I may be able to understand a little more of what I hear (thus lifting the veil of mystery shrouding those Thai soaps that we always seem to find ourselves watching on TV) and better able to read basic things.

SO, in order to bring a little more discipline to my study of Thai , I'm looking for a Thai tutor in Pattaya. It would need to be someone with gobs of patience as well as someone who has a clue how to teach a language, not just learn 10 new randomly chosen words a day. Any suggestions would be welcome.

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[travelerjim]

SO, in order to bring a little more discipline to my study of Thai , I'm looking for a Thai tutor in Pattaya. It would need to be someone with gobs of patience as well as someone who has a clue how to teach a language, not just learn 10 new randomly chosen words a day. Any suggestions would be welcome.

Might I suggest you visit Mim of NS Travel in Sunee Plaza.
and her NS Language School

Over the years I have named her "Teacher Mim"...

She is an excellent teacher of both the Thai language
for Farang and English Language for Thais.

I have had her teach many Thai friends over many years and she is good!
Her fees are most reasonable as well...

Here is her website:

http://www.gardencentre.com.au/suneeplaza/nstravel.htm .

http://www.gardencentre.com.au/suneepla ... PROPERTIES: .

NS. LANGUAGE SCHOOL:
Providing English-Thai, or Thai-English, to expats, tourists and students at a very reasonable price of 2500 baht per month.
Computers also available for general internet and specialized training in programs such as Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, language training, etc.

TravelerJim

Can she teach lmtu to use his native language correctly? Maybe we can have a charity night to raise funds?

[catawampuscat]

Thai is a tonal language and completely different from English and the Latin based languages.
You really need a good ear and being musical, playing instruments or being able to sing on key are
great aids and help the process.
If you are tone deaf, can't sing or having hearing problems, it will be a very difficult task.

Some claim you can learn Thai best in bed with a lover, some claim you can learn if you listen and
sing karaoke but I don't believe it.
There are schools in BKK that have 6 month intensive Thai language programs, which if you can stay
with it, will help a great deal. If you live in a place without native English speakers, like a typical
Thai city or village (without tourists), you will be forced to speak and understand and with a background
from a good school, you will have a chance at speaking and understanding.

It takes a lot of discipline, time, effort, work and concentration but it is possible.
The best of all schools is the Thai university in BKK called Chula and it has a full year intensive Thai language program.
Choke dee krup

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[travelerjim]

Jim,

her website is absolutely awful. It really does her no favours at all. When you click on the red hot fares, it comes up with url not found!

If you are friendly with her, maybe a quiet word in her ear?

Thanks John for the suggestion,
I will talk with her.

I do believe that Wally was the webmaster;however he has been in Australia
for a prolonged time recuperating himself from surgeries.

Hopefully, Mim can find someone else to assist her
with the website design and duties.

TJ

[Brad the Impala]

Can she teach lmtu to use his native language correctly?

Hey, she's a teacher, not a geenyus!

I have read many recomendations for this lady, including from GB, but have no personal knowledge.

My experience of learning thai, a long time ago, was that the Thai that was taught in schools was good for polite society and state banquets, but not much use in the 7-11, or in a party situation. Much more use to me was colloquial stuff used in everyday conversations. I learned the basis of my thai, just by being with Thai people who didn't speak much English, and holding a Thai English dictionary in the other hand. Write down the words that are useful for you, concentrate on remembering those.

Listen to the way that other people use words, expressions. There are expressions that I use, which I KNOW the feeling that they communicate, through observing their usage, without really ever having translated them in my mind into English.

Yes, tones are important, and my tones are crap, but people usually understand what I mean from the context, and I get by in most situations. Every now and then I hit it just right, and my bf laughs with happiness. It is worth learning Thai just for those moments alone.

[PeterUK]

Mim is a very pleasant person with oodles of patience. I would endorse travelerjim's recommendation but with the proviso that she is a much better teacher of beginners than students of intermediate or more advanced standard. She will certainly help you to pronounce the tones correctly - I'd say that's what she's best at - but don't expect her to be able to explain grammatical points very clearly. Much head-tossing and arm-waving tends to occur at such moments. She charges 3000B a month for one-hour lessons Monday to Friday, and that is indeed very reasonable. One other thing - the lessons take place in her travel agency office and there are sometimes interruptions as she answers phone calls or deals with walk-in customers. On a bad (ie busy) day, that can drive you nuts.

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[x in pattaya]

Thanks for the various suggestions, especially Mim who I will check out one way or another.

Thailand is the fourth country I've lived in as an expat for an extended period (one for about 24 years!). Unfortunately in each I've been able to get away with English and a smattering of the local language, so I followed the path of least resistance.

When my Thai friend and I first met, he had very limited English and I had limited Thai ability. For practical purposes he has become conversationally fluent in English, at least for all our day-to-day needs, and once again I find myself following the path of least resistance, which means we speak English with a smattering of Thai thrown in.

My experience of learning thai, a long time ago, was that the Thai that was taught in schools was good for polite society and state banquets, but not much use in the 7-11, or in a party situation.

My friend didn't spend that many years in school and I suspect his Thai may be a little "upcountry." When he's heard some of the conversations on my Pimsleur cd's, he's said that some of the things are not spoken as a Thai would ...although the speakers are in fact Thai. Either that or maybe they are speaking more formally than most people would. When we've been in places like Phuket or Chiang Mai he's commented that some people in those places speak Thai strangely (my word, not his ... I don't know if he's referring to accent or vocabulary or what).

Quite often when we are watching TV, if I do ask him what someone has just said, I get: "What?", "What did he just say?" "Who?" "That guy whose girlfriend just blew him off for that guy" "When?" "Five minutes ago." And thus educated, I waddle off to find a book to read, wondering if he does that just to be left in peace. In some things he can be quite inscrutable, though I suspect not as guileless as he would like me to believe.

Anyway, thanks. I've needed an impetus to get going with this and hopefully this will be it. I assume if she can help me get a start with the basics, it'll be easier to keep going and build on the that.