ศาลาชุมนุม

[zandysandyzandi]

gosh.. this'll be my very first attempt to learn Thai and join in a Thai forum. Friends, anyone?

[Jarvis1000]

We are all happy to help! Ask questions anytime. or just post your thoughts on learning Thai under this topic. I don't think anyone is fussed if you categorize things right. The important thing is you stay active and social with your learning!

โชคดีนะ

[zandysandyzandi]

yeah right... so .. where is the 'most' appropriate/ideal/practical way to start? I dont know how.. hahah.. It isn't like Hangeul (korean) and others having equivalent letters in the English alphabet.... Reading on the history of Thai language kind of scared me/... hahahahha

[pensive]

Well, it *is* an alphabetical language, so that must be a start? You can learn to say the words by simply pronouncing the letters as you would in English. The trick of course is that they don't look like English letters.

[zandysandyzandi]

hahha okay.. lemme see...

[Jarvis1000]

Romanizations are good for starting out and helping you start speaking, but you do need to start learning Thai script right away. The reason is that there is no standard Romanization that anyone accepts. Some are very good, but not user friendly, and others are too simple and don't really show the difference in pronounciation.

This does not mean they are bad, because you need to start somewhere and they do get you speaking and understanding the sounds right away. Thai characters can seem overwhelming at first, but so would an English book. Learn the characters and then start practicing reading Childrens books like the Manii reader and you will get the hang of it.

Plus we are all here if you need help.

[keith]

Romanizations are good for starting out and helping you start speaking, but you do need to start learning Thai script right away. The reason is that there is no standard Romanization that anyone accepts. Some are very good, but not user friendly, and others are too simple and don't really show the difference in pronounciation.

This does not mean they are bad, because you need to start somewhere and they do get you speaking and understanding the sounds right away. Thai characters can seem overwhelming at first, but so would an English book. Learn the characters and then start practicing reading Childrens books like the Manii reader and you will get the hang of it.

Plus we are all here if you need help.

Try lookingat this site http://www.seasite.niu.edu:85/thai/maanii1/fsmaanii1.htm

It is Maanii book1 and 2. Reading, vocab and grammar introduced very gradually. Audio files, explanations, exercises etc A really good resource

[AndrewfromIndiana]

I learned the Thai alphabet through using this website and the Mani, Mali, whatever it is children's book. It has little listening exams that are really handy in learning the phonics. It really doesn't take that long to learn the alphabet and the corresponding sounds. It's also quite fun. Also, having a Thai friend to help with pronunciation is important. Good luck with everything...

[AndrewfromIndiana]

also, a friend suggested 5 words per day. Five new Thai words and the English equivalents every day. Mix up nouns, verbs, and phrases. You'd be surprised how quick you can learn a lot.