Inside most people there lies a desire, an ambition to learn a foreign language. A desire and ambition to turn restaurants heads with perfectly spoken words khun mee menu pasa angkrit krap and feel self satisfaction as the waiter returns with the said menu. I’ve been learning Thai for over ten years and have yet to crick a neck in any restaurant. I’ve turned and raised quite a few with my mid tone, monotone language spiel.
Daniel Tammet is a 29 year old British man and one of very few autistic savants in the World. Daniel has an amazing gift for numbers and languages as well as being a writer. His latest book “Embracing The Wide Sky” explores the workings of the mind and brain of savant and non savant. He possesses abilities that the “normal” brain cannot ever hope to achieve. A recent TV documentary challenged Daniel to learn Icelandic within one week, seven days later Daniel was broadcast on Icelandic TV conversing in their language. I have met many a seasoned expat in Thailand who could not count to ten in their adopted countries verse..
A Goan work colleague of mine is fluent in four languages, English, Hindu, Portuguese and her native tongue Konkani. She does not put her language attributes down to special abilities but as opportunity gained from living amongst native speakers of the language. A learning opportunity that was fine tuned with the use of language grammar books to quicken and make more comfortable her arrival into a new country. So many people migrate to Thailand filled with excitement about their new life but equipped with minimal language skills to deal and adapt within it. Live today and learn tomorrow. Mañana never comes.
I am sure there are many expats who have mastered the Thai language, but at what stage was the transformation complete. How many arrived in the Land of Smiles with few words and through the natural everyday progression of time and circumstance, found they had eventually acquired fluent language skills. There lives must now be so much more rewarding in relation to their early years.
Anyone about to take flight and settle in Thailand would be wise to master a little more than basic language skills before their departure. There is a great difference in being accepted by a community compared with being a part of the community, language skills are a must have for the latter. Learning a language amongst native speakers is surely the easiest route, but building reading and writing techniques alongside your grammar can be done from afar and eventually be more valuable long term. Think of your native tongue, mine being English, the foreign people I know who can converse fluently in my language can all read and write it to. So do I practice what I preach.
My Thai language skills have practically stood still over the last five years. Since meeting Wonderful Wi I have spent the large part of my Thai time in Udon Thani Province. The desire inside me is to master colloquial Thai but in Udon the principal language is Isaan, a mix of Thai and Laos. A dialect that for the time being must be put on the back burner until I acquire my first desire, but that can only be achieved by starting to practice what I preach.This year I am going to put more time and effort into my language learning. Mañana will come.
As I finish the last of my red wine and feel the need to sober my thoughts towards 12 hours of overtime tomorrow, this is how I’m going to do it. If Daniel Temmet took a seven day vacation to Thailand, with his wonderful talent he could return to Heathrow more fluent in Thai than me, after ten years of trying. Maybe Mañana will never come.
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My personal experience with the Thai language is this, yes, I am married to a thai and I live in small thai village , but I will never and i say never , be able to carry on a conversation with them. I can name all my body parts ,I can count ,I know all the colors and,I can order all the Thai dishes , and have mastered a few other words , that when I open my mouth and try to speak , just gives them another reason to laugh at falang., but can I read , or write , or carry on a simple converstation with them in Thai , the answer is a big NO.They like us to learn a few words in Thai , but do they want us to speak and understand everything they say , I think not . they will learn a few english words , hello how are you ,I am fine think you , do you love Thailand , how long you stay , where you come from , and how much money do you have and the most famous of all do you like Thai food? . After that do they want to learn english so they can also carry on a conversatation with YOU , I think not.Unless it is your Thai wife , with whom you have taught a little english , some history , tell her the world news that is important to you and her ,and talk with her about things that have to do with your everyday life in you home and village, you are wasting your time trying to carry on a conversation with your neighbors , unless you are content to talk only about FOOD,WEATHER,FAMILY, that seems the be the scope of their thinking for the most part as they never read the paper , listen to the news and they did not learn any history concerning the world, to busy putting on make-up, conbing hair , talking on cell phone are just being plain lazy and sleeping during class, and could’nt wait to get out so they could listen to Thai music and do the Thai jerk , and watch the soaps or for all the boys to Play football all evening, and till late , never thinking about helping out at home or getting a part time job to have a little money instead of putting their hand out for give me some baht , to poor ole grandma , not all, but most. And I can look at the sky and tell the weather . one conversation about what Thai food I like , is enough, and don’t worry , you meet or will meet, all the family the first week you moved to the village , looking to borrow some money “Please “. after all I am retired not running for Mayor. My favorite Thai word in english “EAT RICE” The rest my Thai wife can translate for me . Now don’t get me wrong , I love Thailand , and I love Thai folks , and I really love my Thai village , but do I want to stress myself out trying to learn to speak fluent Thai, I think not. Malcolm
Any language needs to be tackled on a regular basis, preferable in the country of that language. I just don’t envy you with this one, from an outsider it seems a near impossible task to accomplish. Good luck with your language mountain, the main thing is you’re trying and that is to be commended.
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Malcolm can I put an idea to you. How about if I copy and paste your comment and use it as my blog and use my blog as your comment. Must of taken you ages to type that. Thank you.
I know where you are coming from, the more Thai you learn the more the family can ask of you. Learn it to the level you have and it proves more than useful but at the right times you can just act plain dumb.I will give your advice some serious thought.
Martin still no change in the email I sent you, I will keep trying.
My Thai – Yes I am trying but not on a regular basis. I will attempt to make great strides in my Thai this year but if the previous 10 years are anything to go by, it could be Mission Impossible – unaccomplished.
It’s not that long since I proudly strung a few words together when breakfasting with Piploy and two of her girl friends, on the topic of the recent heavy rainfall and flooding near Chiang Mai and in Samoeng where one girl lived.
“You water much Sam-oieng” I announced, in poorly pronounced and atonal Thai. When the fits of laughter had subsided, I discovered that I had told her that a certain part of her anatomy, Sa-’moyi’, was sopping wet.
Well, at least our attempts to the learn the lingo are good for a giggle, so for that reason alone I’ll persist.
On the other hand, given the regular disparity between intended and actual meaning, I wouldn’t be surprised if one of us was arrested on lese majeste charges one day, for attempting to say “pass the mango”, or something similarly innocuous.
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Pete – I remember reading your blog on the breakfast topic of moistness in more ways than one.
A choice spoken word said with a heavy tonal cold could certainly get yourself into a lot of trouble.A sharp right cross would unblock the sinuses quicker than any tiger balm or nasal spray.
“Pass the mango” lese majeste charges would surely depend on the colour of both parties shirts being of dissimilar shades.
Apologies for my new comments last post being a bit behind, hopefully it will kick in and actually find someone’s latest post.
Thai definitely isn’t easy. I’m still learning a lot through various venues but when it comes to putting it all together in sentences I’m lacking.
I’m really good at asking where the bathroom is and making small talk about rain though.
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HD, I looked at that last post thingy yesterday – it’s very clever, takes the last post at the time from whichever blogger leaves a comment, but for more updated blog posts to be included the commenter him/herself has to join. Otherwise I reckon it’ll post the same blog entry ad infinitum. At least I think that’s how it works. Good way to get new members!
Pete – Amazing me, after years of scribbling on blackboards and used soap powder packets I’ve discovered what’s at the end of ad infinitum….nothing.
For some reason it didn’t enter any latest post for you. Talen’s latest post came up no problem. I’ll just take the back cover off and have a tweak….where’s my hammer and chiesel…there they are.
Talen – I’m slacking and lacking. That’s a good idea to concentrate on certain venues, like restaurants, hotels, markets etc. Think I’ll give that a go. Cheers.
You probably know my views on this one by now! I keep trying but conversation…….Like Malcolm I can do colours, numbers, counting and can get by at the market. My one real target this year is to be able to hold a conversation with my Thai neighbour without using signs or the odd English words-watch this space.
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Hi this is cherry , I have spent a few months building a site to help me and ultimately everyone else learn foreign languages(built for any language). I am trying to find people who would like test out the site (and use it to learn at the same time) and give me feedback on it on how to improve it. Any person who helps out would have a large say in the sites future direction and structure. Would you be interested? The site is called Sanbit : http://sanbit.com .
Do you know anyone else who might be interested in using the site to help them learn foreign languages?
Sincerely,
cherry
Cherry – Thanks for posting. I have had a look at your site and it looks most helpful to language learners.Unfortunately for myself you don’t cover Thai at this moment. If you include Thai in the future then please email me(hoodon@thaisabai.org). I have a friend learning Japanese and I will recommend your link to him.
thanks for your post,great info.
Super-Duper site! I am loving it!! Will come back again – taking you feeds also, Thanks.