Women Learning Thai: Thai Language Learning

The reason I developed this quick and dirty method of learning a foreign language is that, as a Green Beret, I had to travel to many countries on short notice on vital missions with complex requirements that required me to work intimately with foreign officials in a professional capacity. Regardless of how hard I searched, I could never find one book or method that got me where I needed to be in the time I had to get there.

And the reason I chose The Quick and Dirty Guide to Learning Languages Fast (by A. G. Hawke) for my first book review is because it was quick and fast (I’ll pass on dirty for now).

Fast to read. Quick to get the method sussed.

So let’s get started.

First off, he sends us on a tool gathering mission. No problem, as all are the typical tools of the language learning trade: Pen and notebook, flash cards, dictionary, phrase book, grammar rules and recordings. I’m sure you have most at the ready?

Getting flash cards together is easy as we’ll create our own. The Thai—English English-Thai dictionary (by Benjawan Poomsan Becker) comes highly recommended, so no worries there.

But the only Thai phrase book I have left is the one by Lonely Planet. And although it has what looks to be a decent 2000 word dictionary in the back, the Thai is chicken scratch to my eyes.

Grammar rules was just a google away, so I’ll print them out to be at my side. Recordings, I have a few.

Getting down to the dirty…

At the back of the book Hawke has three and four column charts for each of the seven days. Doing our homework for us, there’s the top verbs, nouns, adjectives, adverbs, numbers, word phrases, present / future and past tenses. So all we have to do really, is fill in the spaces before beginning our marathon of Thai language learning. Or, if you are like me, at this stage, you’ll yell for your teacher to help!

He then sends us off for seven not so seemingly gruelling days (ask me again later). On each day we: Review what we know, learn 5 new verbs, 15 new nouns, one grammar rule per day and 5 new phrases. At the end the day we sign off with a brief review. I can do that.

Wait! Turning to page 151 I find there’s a phase two in the works, expanding your vocabulary. From day 8 to day 30, it goes on for 22 days. The real down side is we have to come up with words fitting our individual needs. Oh my.

So, will I do it? Sure, I’ll give it a decent try. And you?

Stumble it!