by James | Apr 26, 2015 | Bangkok News
The Thai language is the national and official language of Thailand and the mother tongue of the Thai people, Thailand’s dominant ethnic group. The Tai-Kadai languages are thought to have originated in what is now southern China. It is a tonal and analytic language. The combination of tonality, a complex orthography, relational markers and a distinctive phonology can make Thai difficult to learn for those who do not already speak a related language.
If you want to study Thai and become proficient in the language you don’t have to go to Thailand to learn there are a lot of options for you; Online courses, Language schools and books. Just choose the method which fits most for you and for your lifestyle.
How long it takes to learn Thai really depends on your effort but even just a small amount of effort every day will help you become fluent. In fact by just devoting one hour a day to your Thai study you will be surprise how much progress you can make. Also motivation has a big role in learning the Thai language, ask yourself why you want to learn Thai, motivating yourself every day will come a long way.
Learning Thai is not that difficult in fact it is not necessary to be really clever to be able to speak Thai, if you are interested and motivated then you will be successful in learning the language.
There are 3 guiding components in learning the Thai language; learn the vocabulary, learn to read and learn to write.
In leaning the vocabulary it’s not a need to have an awesome memory. Thai language has its own script with 44 consonant letters, 15 vowel symbols that combine into at least 28 vowel forms, four tone diacritics, and an own set of numerals. Don’t learn any random words learn the words that can help you on your daily life.
Reading Thai is important in learning the language the reason is Thai has many different sounds that our mouths are not used to. Before you can speak properly we need to understand how to make each sound correctly. There are also 5 different tones used in the Thai Language and if you can’t make those 5 sounds properly you won’t ever be able to speak Thai clearly. Learn the Thai alphabet make sure the pronunciation is correct it will help you learn Thai faster.
Learning to write in Thai is difficult the shapes to remember are more complex than the English letters, what I suggest investing in an alphabet stencil and practicing it daily will do the trick.
I’ll share you some tips on how you can learn Thai faster.
– Find a conversation partner
– Listen and watch Thai videos
– Interact with Thais on social media
– Expect that every interaction with a Thai is an opportunity to improve
– Write things down in Thai,
– Make flash cards and keep them in pockets to read
Almost all of us have difficulties in learning a new language. Just put in mind the reason why you are learning the language. Don’t pressure yourself; in the early stages of learning you will encounter a lot of mistakes but it will not hinder you in learning Thai language instead it will lead you in mastering the language. Good luck!
by James | Apr 6, 2015 | Bangkok News
Learning a foreign language has many advantages. As far as the business community is concerned, it helps to expand business activity in a foreign country. For people seeking employment abroad, it helps gain jobs. But, the question is where to learn a foreign language? Should you learn it in your home country or in the country where it is spoken as the official language?
Some people call this a vexed question, but in reality the question is not vexed because the answer is simple. You should always learn a language in its native country. Of course, there are several institutions or even universities that can teach you a foreign language in your home country, but the native country always remains the preference. There are several reasons for this and it can be summarized as follows.
The Standard:
Most languages of the world have many dialects spoken in different geographical regions. There are dialects for official use and for everyday use. The standard dialect is always spoken in the native country. The other varieties are diluted versions and often show the influence of other languages. Learning a language in the native country will help you learn the authentic variety.
Learn the Culture:
Language learning is closely tied to culture. Experts are of the opinion that if you understand the culture of any country, it helps you understand the hidden meaning of some of the expressions used in the written or spoken language. By going to the native country, you get closer to the local people and that is a wonderful opportunity to understand their culture. If you are a businessman, it also helps you to promote your business interest in that country.
Repetitive lessons:
Language is a performative. A lot of things that you don’t learn in class you learn by your interactions with others. When you stay in a country where the language you are learning is the official language, you will interact with your classmates and friends. It is needless to say you will have a wonderful opportunity to discuss your lessons with your friends. Not only this, you will get an opportunity to interact with other native speakers such as when you eat at a restaurant or when you go shopping. This way your learning of the language, is not restricted to the class hours. Thus, you can master the communicative aspects of the language and not just grammatical.
Learn the proper accent:
In any language accent plays a crucial role. When you interact with other students, you will certainly learn the proper accent and if you go wrong, your friends will take pains to correct you. Therefore, you will master the spoken language. It is needless to say that once you master the skill of spoken language, you will also be able to communicate effectively in the written form.
As a result of all this, you will take less time to learn the language and you show greater chances of achieving the required proficiency both in written and spoken language. Naturally, this will affect your communication skills.
As you know, Bangkok is a wonderful place and it is blessed with entertaining weather and you will have every facility required for a comfortable stay. The educational institutions there are adequately equipped to provide the required amount of training so that you learn the Thai language and gain mastery over it. So, if you want to learn Thai, learn Thai in Bangkok.
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