Learning Thai script.

[markle]

For a long time now I have been of the opinion that people learning Thai should be learning the script right from the start. Personally I think using a phonetic system to learn vocabulary is like training wheels on a bike. Makes the kid feel safe but only delays the inevitable. It's not like it's difficult or complicated to learn. It took me about a month of erratic learning and I have a friend who taught someone else and after 4 hours the guy was starting to read. One thing that struck me right away was how easy it was to read with very few rules and exceptions. Unfortunately the idea that people learning Thai must first learn an unrelated phonetic script first has become the convention and there is little analysis of if this the best method.

 

What dou people think?

[Guest]

It creates a psychological barrier.

 

 

 

At first, Thai language seems just almost impossible to learn, but you can start limping along with transliteration. Assume for a minute that you don't know the script, you don't understand any words in Thai, and you know nothing about the tones. Just trying to learn something as simple as 'khun sabay dee mai' would be like trying to lift yourself up by your shoelaces.

 

 

 

From what I've seen in practice, starting script about 2-4 months into the learning process works well. By that time the student remembers enough words so that if he knows that the meaning of script is 'khun sabay dee mai' he can start decoding the symbols and the learning can be fun.

 

 

 

In principle though, you're right. All transliterations fall short, and learning the script speeds up the process of learning the spoken Thai. The sooner you learn it the better off you are.

[Guest]

I agree. I wanted basic communication skills before the thought of studying written Thai even occurred to me, I wish I had not put it off for as long as I did. Now I recommend to anyone interested in learning good Thai to begin studying the written Thai as soon as possible.

 

 

 

I also agree with MadMax. I think it is necessary to get over the first hurdle or two, being able to string enough words together to ask some simple questions and then being able to understand the replies should give someone the confidence to say "Hey, I can do this" that would be a good time to jump into the written Thai also, just try not to put it off too long.

 

 

[daeng bireley]

When I originally learnt Thai it was taught through a system of transliteration, which at the time seemed the best way. I have friends who teach Thai, and we have had numerous conversations on this topic. The teaching of Thai over the years is using less and less transliteration and some of the most progressive programs are now using almost none, usually just enough to teach the pronunciation of the thai vowels and letters. Students who are taught the Thai alphabet earlier learn faster. Of course this would also be dependent on the structure and quality of the programme. I think if I had my time over again I would use a lot less transliteration.

[Pescator]

Whileas I do agree with your post I`ll just add my 2 cent`s worth.

 

If I and many like me should have started off by learning the thai script I am pretty sure that I wouldn`t have started at all.

 

Incidentally I have a farang friend who speaks thai remarkably well without ever having learnt the script. But I guess he is a natural. No rules without exception it seems.

 

I would also claim that it depends on how you learn thai. If you learn thai on your own from books and tapes I am sure that learning the thai script from day one will prove beneficial. If you however like my friend never opened a book in your life and just learnt by listening to people talk, television, songs etc. I am not sure that it is evenly necessary.

 

 

 

Regards

 

Hua Nguu

 

 

[Old Hippie]

Don't know here, I suppose it does make sense to start at the very beginning and learn the script as well. The trouble I have is, I am dyslexic (mildly) and trying to learn the patterns of the characters is hard, so a little transliteration does help. For me, using the Rosetta Stone set does help, as I hear it and see it in Thai, still can't read or write worth a damned! But getting to speak it a bit!