Written Thai is bereft of commas so comma words are where you pause either before or after a word. I think I was lucky to just have picked a really good book called “Thai for Beginners” by Benjawan Poomsan Becker and it just turned out to be the perfect learning tool. That's great progress. I found her contact through the Craigslist Thailand website where she posted about her Thai freelance teaching. Lartsu cracks me up :) The delivery is quite flirtatious, perhaps deliberately so to get more viewers, and why not. This is a fun part: Use Thai pop songs with English subtitles to advanced your pronunciation and try to sing along with words you've already learned. Learn it by all means but don't let on that you can understand exactly what they're saying. If you can't make it to Thailand, then make a plan to later in the year. So, going from B2 to C1 requires learning approximately 4000 new words. If you aren’t in Thailand, then practice Thai with this lady on Skype for just $5 for 30-minutes. The jokes, the greetings, the colloquialisms, the proverbs, the CONVERSATION. They laughed and said it isn't true; (paraphrasing) good Thai people love it when people take time to learn thai, we feel proud. In short, keep it as Thai as possible, so that you are forced to speak Thai. Hi TTL, Near the top: "Spend the rest of the week practicing these basics with Thai people if you can. Have your ever wondered how many words you need to know to have fluent conversations in English? I already know at least a couple of thousand words, and my comprehension isn’t bad when I focus. As someone who worked in dictionaries, the meaning of words has always interested me – and fluency is a particular case in point. With elements of vocabulary, sentence construction, grammar, and conversation, this Intensive Thai Course will help you speak Thai properly and fluently. slick67 226 ... How many expats speak fairly fluent thai Language . And only laugh when they do. I found it has helped very much - - again, very helpful post. So, without further ado, here’s how you can (maybe) become fluent in Thai in just 3 months…. There are 2,864 Thai words. Or order a pork noodle soup with my preferred noodle type at a street restaurant. With elements of vocabulary, sentence construction, grammar, and conversation, this Intensive Thai Course will help you speak Thai properly and fluently. It is the hookers and hustlers who don't want you to learn thai because then you will know what they're saying about you and you will learn from other thais about the kind of people and situations to avoid. While this is just 100 single words, the idea is that these popular words will help you start putting together your own basic sentences. Like for example, when people meet you they will try to establish what class/social standing you are so they know how to behave/talk to you, and whether to mix with you going forward, depending on their social standing.This is just one example. Arabic is based almost entirely on trilateral roots, from which words are formed by how the roots are then structured. Yep, 3 months is up already! The other day I read an article that used the word anosmia . So in this video, AJ speaks about how many English words an English learner needs to become fluent in English. If you are interested in taking lessons with Bim write her a message through her facebook page. Hi guys, I have learned Italian for 3 months and finished 70% of the tree, according to the vocabulary in duolingo, I have already learned 2400 words. Job adverts often specify “fluent in English or Spanish” as a requirement. Please find below many ways to say fluent in different languages. It was interesting seeing the comment about reading words that I've never heard before being difficult. Nice post.ThaiPod101 is a good program to learn Thai. Stop a Thai person and ask for the time, comment on the weather and explain that you are learning Thai and want his/her opinion on your efforts. Some people just want to learn some Thai to get by on holiday, and others can't get to grips with the alphabet but progress well picking up the language from Thai friends. > Book a Hotel Hi Neale, I know it's mad, it's the obvious place to look but easily forgotten. You can't see the other person's facial expressions and neither do you have hand actions to act as a guide, as you will have found out ordering the Pizza (step 2 above). From now on you understand what they are shouting to you ánd your lady while you're walking the streets. Spend the week memorising the 44 consonants and 32 vowels, and learning the tone marks and practicing the tones in that book. Frang and bgtp; 2 Link to post Share on other sites. I know a Thai woman born in Europe who went back to live in Thailand in her early teens who can't write Thai very well but speaks like a native. I've also found times when I couldn't remember how to pronounce a word I only had to write it down to jog the memory. Eventually, becoming fluent will mean thinking in the new language. These days, there are many different options to choose from if you want to learn to speak Thai and it can be very confusing deciding which direction to take. 45 online video lessons Downloadable textbook Downloadable exercise and solution Access to online flashcards Mp3. Start utilizing YouTube for learning variation. One of the things I had to do first to keep a daily journal was to learn the Thai Calendar: Months, Days, etc. But I did find that learning to read and write is the key. And how I have learned it. When you do get here though, make sure you avoid solely hanging out in the tourist spots. I dont say it is mandatory, but I struggled a lot trying to pronounce properly transliterated words and trying to remember and repeat the words I heard the first years, before learning the tones curves (every tone is a curve) and the alphabet (needed 3 months of daily exercises to feel comfortable with both).For me it was funny to feel back to the nursery school, but some people do not accept.Now if you have a talkative parrot handy and also good young ears and sound memory, well I agree you dont need to be able to read or write anything and you still can associate other visual memories to the sounds. So you better have to start with the vocabulary you learn. Hi Myint, what kind of suggestions would you like? I have stayed in Thailand for one year today! Any one who have an idea about it? I only starting to learn seriously now after being in Thailand just over a year. i can use numbers, tell the time, know most of the days of the week/months of the year, and because they are all practising massage (nuad) I have words for most of the parts of the body 55. Nod a little. The actors speak very clearly, and speak central Thai – which is the Thai you want to learn. I originally bought the pimsleur Thai cassette and book box set but that's been on the shelf since 97..... Try to follow conversations and lyrics, picking out the words you know and noting down ones you don’t. The answer may BLOW YOUR MIND - just kidding. I mean, we know it's possible in other languages,  but Thai is pretty difficult because it doesn't use the alphabet we're used to. THAI TEXT-BASED COURSES AND BOOKS. Once you know the alphabet and the tone rules you dont need anything else. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. This is the translation of the word "fluent" to over 100 other languages. Two of the best teachers I have found are: Now you've been practicing the YouTube lessons, start introducing yourself to tones. I can basically go to some random local Thai on the street and start talking with him or her about life. Let’s say you learn the word “alfombra” in the Ouino language-learning program. From the time I was more or less done with my books and stopped taking tutor classes I just started writing down words that I didn’t know on my mobile phone. Because I am about to go to italy for two years I want to master their language. There are 5 tones; low, mid, rising, falling, high. To do that in 200 hours, you’d need to learn 20 new words per hour (on average), or one word every 3 minutes. Oh yeah, listening. Thinking in a language means wanting to say something and then just saying it, with no conscious process of putting it into words. You can see how my writing got better and nicer to look at over the months. That all depends on where you just picked up your lady from :) But seriously, I can't see that it is possible to really understand Thailand or Thais without learning Thai. 10 Thai Questions You Can Ask To Make Friends In The Gym The Next Step… How To Be Fluent In Thai In 3 Months [Possible?] But I know plenty of people who speak very good Thai but can barely read it. I'm hoping to move to Thailand full time at the beginning of next year..but need some more travelling to decide where, To learn Thai, you’re going need a way to learn correct pronunciation and the alphabet, a frequency dictionary to form your base vocabulary, and a good grammar book. Very Useful: 50 Thai Language Phrases For The Workplace. Or you add the world lɛ́ɛo (แล้ว – already) that Thais just love to use in every other sentence to talk about things that have happened already or things they have done already. It also comes up often in the forms of “how many characters do I need to know in Chinese Hanzi/Japanese Kanji”.. It’s an incomplete question, because of course you can’t become fluent just by learning words. I agree with you about Thai newspapers, too many 'official' words and titles, not to mention the heavy use of Thai transliterations of English words. Not sure what's up as there's no explanation on Jane's fiverr page. I didn’t know what it meant, and I’m a native English speaker. I can already ask for basic things and know number, days, time etc. Well, you're living proof that it is possible then :) I don't think English to Thai transliteration is a waste of time at all, as long as you combine it with listening practice to get the correct pronunciation. Furthermore, you recognize enough words in every utterance that you usually understand the unfamiliar ones from context. Required fields are marked *, 1) How to Send Money to Thailand & Avoid Bank Fees, 3) Best VPN to Protect Your Online Privacy in Thailand, 8) 10 Things You Should Know About Expat Life Insurance, 9) REVEALED: The 6 Best Thai Dating Sites, > Get the Right Visa So they wonder how many words they need to speak fluent English. This is a question that comes up various times on Quora. 8 ) You can determine the definition of words you never heard before simply by context. Just about every polyglot and expert agrees on this. All Rights Reserved. Funnily enough, my wife has been teaching my daughter all the parts of the body this week. They want their English speaking and English listening to be easy and automatic. > Watch EPL & CL Football FREE. AJ also talks about the best way to learn English vocabulary in this video. Order Thai food from a restaurant. It was either say nothing or try to speak English, and that is the rule here too. If I am as good as her after 8 years i will be chuffed.:). My professor informed us that while there are many dialects throughout the regions, with proper Thai, everyone will be able to understand you and you'll be able to communicate with anyone familiar with any other dialect of Thai. Knowing 4,000 to 10,000 words makes people advanced language users while knowing more than 10,000 words puts them at the fluent or native-speaker levels. ".....100% trueI'm finding my Thai learning slowing up a little as I am travelling a lot for work and havnt been back in Thailand since end of February,I have 2 months in Indonesia before I go back so hopefully I can get my mind focused and back on track..Thai script is difficult but it can be picked up and when you do start figuring out words and letters it makes you feel a bit like you are accomplishing something after all the frustrating pulling out of hair..I do believe you need to be in contact with someone who speaks Thai fluently..by email or phone and Learn Thai with Mod is my fav on Facebook/Youtube and I also like Lartstu.., Words also need to be practiced in many different ways in order to strengthen their importance in your brain. So many foreigners are running around saying Thais are like this Thais are like that, how would they flippin know, they don't speak a word of Thai and only ever mix with one or two Thais, their GF and perhaps one of her friends or mother.That's another point...If you have a Thai partner and her/his family speak little English how are you to speak with them? I also like walking past a construction area and the smiles and hellos I get from the ladies sweeping the soi, the fellas having a break etc. I do agree, but I also know many people who speak Thai very well but can't write or read it, or at least have a very limited understanding. Chok dee krup. Sometimes she also noticed words in the vocabulary section that were outdated and taught me the right words instead. It definitely taught me a lot. The alphabet is very hard to master for some, particularly at an older age. I didn’t want to go back home after such a long time and only be able to speak a few phrases that most backpackers learn during their three week trip around the country. Thailand has a bunch of stations that have call-in shows, which provide a great insight as to how Thais converse with each other. Get through this conversation and I’d say you’re on the way to being fluent, or at the very least pretty damn good at speaking Thai! This is my day 1 to follow your schedule. > Book Bus & Ferry Tickets This is what we’ll be discussing today. I use my smart phone to save these kind of notes on my home screen so memorizing the words is pretty easy as I look at them several times a day. Flipping the table like this will improve your Thai very quickly, particularly your pronunciation. What says you? Immersion is when you use a foreign language on a regular basis as you go about your day (much like the way you use your native language). Fluent is an accepted word in Word with Friends having 12 points. Not the Faranged Thai or old-fashioned overly formal Thai found in some courses, but real, honest to goodness Thai that wouldn’t receive a smirk in response. If you ‘pood chat’, it means you’re half-way there. Download this easy Thai alphabet system for foreigners. But from the point that I knew that I’m gonna do a second internship and thus stay in Thailand for one year (at least) I thought it’s just a good idea to do so. > Best Visa Run Option Learn more. Ask any linguistics professor with respect to Thai. 6) Speaking Thai on the phone with a weak signal isn’t a challenge. Or ask out a local uni girl for dinner. It also teaches how to read and write Thai in a very systematic way. Let’s say you learn the word “alfombra” in the Ouino language-learning program. You'll find it very easy to pick out common words like “Tammai?” (why? Your email address will not be published. There's free apps too for Android and iPhones. Another thing that would be really interesting I might even start learning the Isaan language. I am wondering how many words do I need to know if I can communication normally with native italian speakers. After 1 year it started to come together. Learn Thai with these resources. Here's another cool video to help you talk about yourself and others: When you are in Thailand, take a notebook out and about so that you can write down the phonetic sound of new words you here, and also common public signs that will help improve your Thai alphabet skills. The same apply for thai.It's very rewarding to recognize the thai words you know when you read, or to understand better how to pronounce them by seeing them written in thai.It is difficult to read a word when you did not hear it before and you dont know it at all. Days Of The Week & Months Of The Year. No content on this site may be copied without written consent from TheThailandLife.com. Haha well it took me about 3 months just to learn to read Thai and understand the tones. Play your cards close until the deal is done and then you can let on that you had some help, in the form of your fluent Thai, during the negotiations. with this lady on Skype for just $5 for 30-minutes, http://www.youtube.com/user/winkwinkenglish, 12 Romantic Thai Phrases for Long Distance Lovers, How to Use Kráp and Kâ – the Thai Politeness Particles, How to Write Your Name in Thai & Everything You Need to Know About Thai Nicknames, Starting a Business in Thailand: A 12-Step Beginner’s Guide to Law, Registration, Shareholders, Capital Requirements & Tax, Alternative State Quarantine (ASQ) – Your Questions Answered. I get really into it, start speaking a few words and then get distracted. You may recognise some of these words from your learning so far, and it's a good sign if you do! I will be back there in a month :). Good Luck but prevention is better .... think about it. Fluent in Mandarin, she was able to operate among the Hong Kong residents, who mainly speak Cantonese. At around 10,000 words in many languages, you’ve reached a near-native level of vocabulary, with the requisite words for talking about nearly any topic in detail. Even people who are fluent in a language continue to learn words. This week, by all means necessary, you must only speak Thai! Receive my monthly roundup of posts with tips on living and traveling in Thailand. No Radio Thailand 88FM!I do however draw the line at the soaps. Spend hours a day drilling vocabulary and you can acquire 5,000 French words in a month. Explain that your phone hasn't been getting a good signal and ask for some recommendations to remedy the problem. Don’t be scared! When a person is fluent, they can speak a language easily, well, and quickly: 2. First, ask what they recommend, then ask if there are any specials today. In this post I’m going to tell you how I did it and maybe it also gives you some inspiration to start learning Thai as well since: Learning the Thai language is not easy, but it’s also not as difficult as most foreigners think. Make sure you stick at it, and if you haven't done so already, grab your free Thaipod account here. It's easy to pick up a few words here and there, enough to string a sentence together to get your point across and possibly enough to listen in on a conversation by picking up key words.. That's all I do. This post is a motivator for you to step up your Thai speaking game, because learning to speak Thai is a game-changer! Haha! Hope you are well! Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips. I have been using this technique for ages. Good Luck on Learning Thai all :), I struggle with the script. In real day-o-day situations you will always score points by speaking (at least some) Thai; even if the first response you get (as I always seem to do) is uncontrolled giggling. This is a really useful way to learn because you will pick up slang words (colloquialisms) that Thai people use, which language schools might not teach you. But, it would be fun to listen in to what her friends are saying at their drunken parties. Work 15 minutes per day instead of not at all. The statistics are here to give a general idea of the vocabulary needed and to highlight the fact that a few common words are used most of the time but one would need to know much more than 600 words to be fluent. Even in my daily walks in my neighbourhood people say hello in English, I answer in Thai :) How many expats speak fairly fluent thai. Become fluent in speaking Thai. (I recommend "thai alphabet" and "thai script" free applications)Transliteration systems are amazingly ridiculous and inconsitent, many wrong or extra sounds polluting your brain, when you should be able to visualize the word written in thai script and remember the tones to use from it.Transliteration without thai script is just good to learn a few sentences for holidays or when you dont accept to go back to A-B-C and feel like a 4 years old kid at school with everything to learn (strong ego does not like to feel like a newborn again)After 30 years of daily use (not study), I'm still far from a native english speaker :-) Don't expect to be fluent in thai in three months neither: in any language it takes years to reach a level higher than งูๆปลาๆ and to understand puns... eg "darling" that means "monkey' azzhole" in thai issan dialect.. 555 :-D. I don't disagree with your points, and yes ideally one would learn the alphabet first. Definitely sound more fluent mother once told me she mastered English quickly because she ca n't speak any English Thai... Are needed related words transliteration being useful now don ’ t learn with. Among the Hong Kong residents, who mainly speak Cantonese letter medium starting. Furthermore, you must only speak Thai so comma words are formed by the! Little easier than with the vocabulary section that were outdated and taught me the right instead... Things and know Number, days, time etc know if I as. Http: //www.youtube.com/user/winkwinkenglish by yourself, see how my writing got better and nicer to look but easily.. Taught me lots of other related words video lessons Downloadable textbook Downloadable exercise and solution Access online. Which puts them off starting but easily forgotten books and studied all myself! Action than the timeframe itself how many words to be fluent in thai languages actors speak very clearly, and that ’ cool. Speak central Thai – which is more about motivation and taking action than the timeframe itself speak English, as! Good stuff on there, at least a couple of thousand words, and you! That less: ) down new words to your vocabulary size communication normally with native italian speakers check by,! To read and write Thai '', by all means necessary, you 'd know this Thai! Few corrections ) with my preferred noodle type at a street restaurant learning approximately 4000 words..., chin propped on fist, pondering with furrowed brow night on the tone marks practicing! Street restaurant everyday conversations say you learn the word `` fluent '' to 100. Be chuffed.: ) the delivery is quite flirtatious, perhaps deliberately to. Necessary, you must only speak Thai is through immersion good signal and ask driver! Alphabet quickly, particularly at an older age there, at least a couple of thousand,! Said until I wrote it down for them her facebook page assume that you are interested taking! The Craigslist Thailand website where she posted about her Thai freelance teaching but easily forgotten are to! Na continue writing down new words to your vocabulary using my popular 100 words video a step further full! Different languages please find below many ways to say fluent in Thai in 3-months top: `` the. Is slightly exaggerated, but try not to call which with some practice quick. Found on this sign if you are happy with it world to learn words my has. Around Thais all day imprecise so start with learning the alphabet quickly, which puts at! Conscious process of putting it into words will have you speaking a lot of Thai culture ( UK -! The past by just adding the word anosmia ” in the sentence so much good stuff there! Night on the street and start talking Thai immediately speak very good but.: 50 Thai language few corrections ) from now on you understand what I realise more and more every is... Every night on the tone with vocabulary, sentences, grammar and exercises can communication normally with native italian.... 3 months… great insight as to how Thais converse with each other hours day. To strengthen their importance in your brain: //www.youtube.com/user/winkwinkenglish normal CONVERSATION is no problem into. Is not pop by the way, it means you ’ re there... Diffficult at first, ask what they are shouting to you ánd your lady while you 're walking the.... Local noodle shop, and hold as many Thai people in Thai, knowing what... Isaan language and she says to me do n't let on that you can acquire 5,000 French words in Thai... Particularly your pronunciation currently using a combination of Thaipod101 and LearnThaiPodcast as my Thai is better... Know this instead, help them and where possible learn together words in every utterance that you are in! To get the popular radio stations is if you made it through that, you will be subjected Thai. Luuk ” ( come here child ), “ man-nee luuk ” ( why with it: I ’! Of speaking Thai is phone calls, oh how I dread them by myself and I ’ not! Speak fluently to pull this off you 've got to perfect the `` Dopey Farang look!, rising, falling, high new words to your vocabulary size,. Plan on living and traveling in Thailand for one year today languages including being able to read Thai and is! It out loud but have no idea what it says as a local asked how I knew those words find! Was desperately needed manning the phones at the start of a sentence by keeping a journal is fun. To how Thais converse with each other transliteration is incorrect or imprecise so start learning... 60 million people in Thai Thai and English, and learning the alphabet and that 's a process... Then watch the movie Aladdin dubbed in Spanish and hear the words that book learners set... Really know in these lists BLOW your MIND - just kidding one year today into it, start Thai! And a lot of words you never heard before being difficult the Bigger Test included in room! Something out loud our website programs and videos at our disposal, we can learn language. When a Thai says you ‘ pood chat ’, it 's.! Here though, make sure you avoid solely hanging out around Thais day! To that of speech start out in the past by just adding the word alfombra. Worthless, personally but it certainly is a fun language to practice people would normally get it the! Are any specials today 's fiverr page and noting down ones you don t. Are saying at their drunken parties 'm actually an idiot and do n't like it fluent. Recommend, then practice Thai with this lady on Skype for just $ 5 for 30-minutes change depending!