Successful Thai Language Learner: Stuart (Stu) Jay Raj
Interviewing Successful Thai Language Learners…
Name: Stuart (Stu) Jay Raj
Nationality: Fijian Indian / Australian
Age range: 30-40
Sex: Male
Location: Anywhere and Everywhere
Profession: TV Host / Cross Cultural Business Consultant
Web: Stu Jay Raj
stujaystujay’s YouTube Channel
Note: As this is the final post of a three part interview, some of the questions below have already been answered in more detail. If you haven’t had the pleasure, please take the time to read them too.
- Monday: Stuart (Stu) Jay Raj: Interview Part One
- Wednesday: Stuart (Stu) Jay Raj: Interview Part Two
Stu Jay Raj interview…
What is your Thai level?
Fluent.
Do you speak more street Thai, Issan Thai, or professional Thai?
Professional when I’m working, street Thai on the street and Isaan when I’m in Isaan.
What were your reasons for learning Thai?
Live life.
Do you live in Thailand? If so, when did you arrive?
Yes – arrived in 1999 permanently. I’m a permanent resident – though just set my family up in Australia. I travel back and forth.
How long have you been a student of the Thai language?
1999.
Did you learn Thai right away, or was it a many-pronged approach?
Right away.
Did you stick to a regular study schedule?
It was my life.
What Thai language learning methods did you try?
Let the language consume me.
Did one method stand out over all others?
‘Method’ was living my life in Thai.
How soon did you tackle reading and writing Thai?
Straight away.
Did you find learning to read and write Thai difficult?
No.
What was your first ‘ah hah!’ moment?
Realising that the sound / writing system and tone rules are based on the Indic Sound System / Map of the mouth.
How do you learn languages?
With passion.
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- Strengths – have passion about languages.
- Weakness – when learning, get obsessed by whatever it is I’m learning and won’t let it go until I can conquer it.
What is the biggest misconception for students learning Thai?
Just because there are 40 odd consonants that it’s ‘hard to learn’. … oh, and that ‘tones are difficult’.
Can you make your way around any other languages?
Yes.
Were you learning another language at the same time as Thai?
Yes – always learning languages simultaneously.
You have both programming abilities and a passion for music. Do you see either as having a connection to learning languages?
They are all just using different tools to render a meaning.
Stuart (Stu) Jay Raj
Stu Jay Raj | stujaystujay’s YouTube Channel
The Series: Interviewing Successful Thai Language Learners…
My personal thanks for this series goes to: Stuart (Stu) Jay Raj, Herb Purnell, Celia Chessin-Yudin, Stickman, Thomas Lamosse, Vern Lovic, Colin Cotterill, Jonathan Thames, Hardie Karges, Peter Montalbano, Jonas Anderson and Christy Gibson, Daniel T. Murphy, Paul Garrigan, Marcel Barang, Chris Baker, Hugh Leong, Terry Fredrickson, Glenn Slayden, Rikker Dockum, David Smyth, Tom Parker, David Long, Aaron Handel, and Chris Pirazzi.
If you are a successful Thai language learner and would like to share your experiences, please contact me. I’d love to hear from you.
Enjoy…
Stumble it!
“Method’ was living my life in Thai.”
Cat, I am really hoping that once I make it to Thailand that this will be my mantra. All the books, audio and video available are great but I think immersing yourself in the culture and living in Thailand is for me at least a huge boost.
These interviews are always a good reminder to find what works best for you and use that to it’s full advantage.
Talen´s last blog ..Children at Play in Rural Thailand
Talen, your personality (from what I have deduced) is fabulously suited for Stu’s approach – immersion. Stu jumps in, smiling as he goes. I can see you doing the same, grins all around :-)
Cat,
This is my favourite interview of them all, love the almost relaxed/casual responses from Stu which suggesting learning Thai is fun, and easy for him…at least.
He seems like an amazing character, very modest when you asked him if he was learning any other languages which he clearly was and still is.
I subscribe to the ‘living my life in Thai’ method, immersion is the best way though it does also require a little personal input, interest and perseverance too. I’m getting a lot of mileage out of Twitter and Facebook for practicing written Thai…not born with the talent Jay has alas.
Jon´s last blog ..Politics Drives Record Facebook Growth In Thailand
Hi Jon, I can attest that Stu does have fun with Thai. Hilarious great fun. And even though languages come easy to him, he’s figured out how to teach his ways to others.
I knew about twitter for practicing Thai, but I never thought about FB. Great idea. I signed up for H5 but I wandered away…
I gotta say Cat Facebook is much better than Twitter. Sometimes tweets can be lost during a busy time – particularly right now with the unrest in Bangkok – but a message on a Thai friend’s Facebook wall is always well received.
Been bothering my sister in law and her boyfriend, but they seem to love it.
Jon´s last blog ..Politics Drives Record Facebook Growth In Thailand
FB is great for long discussions but my problem is a lack of time. For now, for me anyway, Twitter forces short replies that suit.
If you are typing in Thai script, I’m sure they will love it. They will be impressed that you’ve taken the time. I’m impressed!