Comments on: Successful Thai Language Learner: Doug

By: Catherine Wentworth

Catherine Wentworth — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 01:57:35 +0000

Chris, I read early on that you didn’t have the time to be concerned with spelling mistakes so I turned off my spelling radar. And as my own spelling is cacca, that was easy to do! I personally know how much time it takes to try and make sure everything is mistake free, so I do sympathise. And after reading your interesting process, I’m just glad that you are sharing as you go. Mistakes, be darned :-D
.-= Catherine Wentworth´s last blog ..Thai Language Thai Culture: Rosetta Stone Methodology =-.

By: chris

chris — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 15:52:40 +0000

Thanks, Catherine

You probably noticed that the posts on my blog often have spelling mistakes and grammar issues, I cope with the time problem by simply speed typing posts. Having found it very difficult to understand my own Chinese language learning I just want to leave enough information on my Thai learning to know that I will be able to understand it afterwards ;).
.-= chris´s last blog ..Knowing when to speak =-.

By: Catherine Wentworth

Catherine Wentworth — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 00:57:14 +0000

Chris, when I first started reading Thai I couldn’t believe that scanning was possible. It just seemed too hard. But with practice, it gradually happens. What still slows me down is having to go back to see if the meaning of the sentence changes due to context. My Thai teacher often goes back to read several times too, so maybe it’s just a part of it all.

Btw – that’s an interesting Thai language learning blog you have going. I found it a pleasure to read straight through. I also love the AUA YouTube videos and spent several staggered days downloading them all. They will be in a future post… time…

By: chris

chris — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 00:28:20 +0000

Interesting interviews these, not sure what is meant by informal methods though, I seem to have done OK by them for Chinese and there is no sign of the progress easing up, working even better for Thai now although still very, very early days.

Have to agree about the writing though, I don’t expect to start worrying about that until I have enough Thai to map it too (might be a different story if I actually lived there though). Nice to see the scanning thing confirmed though, it seems pretty clear from the way that Thai script is displayed by default on many computing and mobile devices that you would have to get past the exact details and scan for larger patterns t read fast (specially with aging eyesight).
.-= chris´s last blog ..Knowing when to speak =-.