Learning Thai

When you make it to Thailand to stay long-term it is highly advisable to learn at least the basics of the Thai language. As I already outlined in my post ´to be on a budget – part V´ it is not only a great way to save some cash but it also opens the doors to understand the culture and the people. Many Thais don´t speak English well, so mastering all-day situations is a lot easier and more fun when you are able to communicate with the people in their own language. Furthermore my experience is that you have the approval of most of the Thais because it shows effort and an honest interest in the country.

The main difference between western languages and the Thai one is, that Thai is a tonal language – one and the same word can have different meanings depending on how you pronounce it, e.g. in which tone you say it. There are five different tones: Mid-tone, low-tone, high-tone, rising-tone and falling tone. For example the word ´naa´: Inter alia it can mean ´rice field´, ´face´, ´thick´, ´page´, ´in front of´ and ´next´... depending on the tone you use when saying it.

This may sound complicated and could make you think it is simply not possible to master this language, but it is easier than it seems it is. What makes Thai a lot easier to learn is its simple grammar. There are no declensions and conjugations. If you ever had Latin in school you know that complicated grammar is the worst thing ever. But not in Thai – after gaining a feeling for the sentence structure it is easy to build correct sentences over and over again.

So after encouraging you to start learning a new language, the question is where to do so. When you train at Team Quest Chiang Mai you have tons of choices. There are dozens of language schools in this city and I want to share my experiences with you. First I had a couple of single classes with a friend who owns an English school. This didn´t really help me. The system of learning the pronunciations by simply repeating what the teacher says doesn´t work well because there will always be gaps; for example, you are not sure how to pronounce it right, because there are no letters in western languages to write it down correctly.

After this I decided to participate in a six weeks course at A.U.A. Language Center at Thapae Gate, right in the old city, a ten minutes bike ride from the gym. I finished this first term a few days ago and I am really happy that I made this choice. The system of the American University Alumni Language Center is a completely different one. In the first couple of lessons they teach you all the different vowels and pronunciations the Thai language has and introduce you to "new" letters which stand for a specific pronunciation (these letters are easy to learn, like for example two turned around cc´s). Then they make you learn how to say the different tones correctly and how to tell the difference between them when you hear them. Basically the first week is more like a singing class.

A nice place to study - the A.U.A. site

 With these basics it is a lot easier and less frustrating to learn vocabularies. The schedule of the six weeks course is based on everyday use, meaning you learn the grammatical patterns with examples atoned to real life situations, such as asking for the way or ordering food. I was able to apply the newly learned stuff to my everyday life real quick and with the book they offer I’m still improving my Thai.

The price for a six weeks course is 4800 Baht plus 250 Baht if you buy the course book. You don´t really need the book but I highly recommend buying it because it´s great to review the lessons. The lessons take place daily for two hours from Monday to Friday and there are a maximum of 12 people per class. Because A.U.A. is an officially licensed school by the government, you can even get an education visa through them.

I already signed up for the next course at A.U.A., starting in January – it is a great feeling when you are able to talk to the people... I kind of feel more at home here now.

If you have questions about learning Thai at A.U.A. or in general, simply leave a comment!