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Suriya Tetraglot Newbie Thailand Joined 5789 days ago 34 posts - 38 votes Speaks: Thai*, Laotian, English, Japanese Studies: Spanish, French, Welsh
| Message 193 of 297 30 July 2009 at 3:16pm | IP Logged |
cordelia0507 wrote:
THAI is the "French" of East Asia and sounds cool and sophisticated too(although personally I can't understand it at all).
The other major languages in E Asia that I am familiar with are not as gracious and beautiful sounding. However Thai always sounds charming and it has a stylish, cool, pretty, quirky culture too -- there is nothing not to like about it..
Why aren't there any Thai learners on this site? |
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Well, it doesn't quite come in handy, does it? Especially when you don't live in Thailand.
Mind you, even most of the expats living here don't bother with it!
Anyhow, lovely to hear you find Thai interesting.
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| cordelia0507 Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 5837 days ago 1473 posts - 2176 votes Speaks: Swedish* Studies: German, Russian
| Message 194 of 297 30 July 2009 at 6:02pm | IP Logged |
:-) Yes, like many people I have spent some very nice holidays in your wonderful country. And thanks to my stepmother I've seen more temples, palaces and museums than beaches, bars or tourist markets!
Some Westerners behave like pigs in Thailand and this is simply shameful. IMHO Thailand ought not put up with it. Furthermore, anybody who plans to live in a foreign country for a longer period should try their best to learn the language.
An old friend of mine has lived in Thailand on and off since childhood. She speaks basic Thai and is doing business with Thailand for a living. Her father who has lived there permanently for 20 years is completely fluent.
Thailand is fairly big and quite outward-looking and internationally minded. I have heard that Thai is also similar and/or understandable in Laos. People who come to the forum with "what-Asian-language-should-I-study?" type questions ought to consider it. Yet it is rarely mentioned. (Per wikipedia 75 millon speakers, not bad!)
The only downside is that it is supposed to be VERY hard.
These artists have learnt Thai although I don't know what the background story might be, perhaps they were born there. My friend said she heard the guy is Swedish. His name & looks would support it: Jonas Andersson @ Youtube
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| Suriya Tetraglot Newbie Thailand Joined 5789 days ago 34 posts - 38 votes Speaks: Thai*, Laotian, English, Japanese Studies: Spanish, French, Welsh
| Message 195 of 297 02 August 2009 at 7:47pm | IP Logged |
cordelia0507 wrote:
Some Westerners behave like pigs in Thailand and this is simply shameful. IMHO Thailand ought not put up with it. Furthermore, anybody who plans to live in a foreign country for a longer period should try their best to learn the language. |
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They come to live here after their retirement with the rest of their pension, so I think whoever they spend their cash on wouldn't mind whether they don't speak Thai or not, frankly! As for me I would make the most of life abroad and try to acquire local language, just like you said.
cordelia0507 wrote:
I have heard that Thai is also similar and/or understandable in Laos. |
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Yes, they are mutually intelligible, well, so similar that they more like different dialects!
cordelia0507 wrote:
The only downside is that it is supposed to be VERY hard. |
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I should say that my mother tongue is soooo difficult, shouldn't I? But no, with a bit of time and a lot of exposure to the language, I think Thai can be acquired without difficulty (basic Thai, that is). Just on another subject, I don't understand people (non-Anglophones mostly) who take pride in their languages by saying how difficult it is. It wouldn't make anyone appear cleverer speaking a complicated language as a first language, in my opinion.
cordelia0507 wrote:
These artists have learnt Thai although I don't know what the background story might be, perhaps they were born there. My friend said she heard the guy is Swedish. His name & looks would support it: Jonas Andersson @ Youtube |
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Oh yes, the Thais adore them (That would be one of the profits from learning Thai while in Thailand - people just think you're adorable!). Jonas is Swedish and Christy is Dutch, I think.)
Just so that the topic won't get deviated, my most beautiful-sounding language would have to be "BBC British-English". I just can't get over it, so posh lol
Edited by Suriya on 02 August 2009 at 7:56pm
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| Meadowmeal Pentaglot Groupie Netherlands Joined 5710 days ago 43 posts - 57 votes Speaks: Dutch*, French, English, German, Polish Studies: Romanian
| Message 196 of 297 02 August 2009 at 11:45pm | IP Logged |
Maybe somebody already said this, but the most beautiful language has to be the one you're currently studying, for what else can give you the motivation you need to soldier on?
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| Gilgamesh Tetraglot Senior Member England Joined 6241 days ago 452 posts - 468 votes 14 sounds Speaks: Dutch, English, German, French Studies: Polish
| Message 197 of 297 03 August 2009 at 11:04am | IP Logged |
Meadowmeal wrote:
Maybe somebody already said this, but the most beautiful language has to be the one you're currently studying, for what else can give you the motivation you need to soldier on? |
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That's nicely put. I like that.
1 person has voted this message useful
| lloydkirk Diglot Senior Member United StatesRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 6412 days ago 429 posts - 452 votes Speaks: English*, French Studies: Russian
| Message 198 of 297 03 August 2009 at 4:02pm | IP Logged |
Suriya wrote:
Just so that the topic won't get deviated, my most beautiful-sounding language would have to be "BBC British-English". I just can't get over it, so posh lol |
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It's a pity that it's fallen out of favour with the British public these days. Only something like only 2% brits speak it now. "Esturary" English, which has replaced RP, is simply awful. In fact, it's so bad, I would reccomend people learning English to do immersion in the U.S.
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| spykel Diglot Groupie Canada Joined 5826 days ago 40 posts - 48 votes Speaks: English*, French Studies: Scottish Gaelic
| Message 199 of 297 04 August 2009 at 12:45am | IP Logged |
Here's my take:
Beautiful written languages: Italian, Latin, English, Greek, Arabic
Not so beautiful written languages: French, German, Irish, Swedish, Vietnamese
Beautiful spoken languages: Italian, Finnish, Russian, French, Portuguese
Not so beautiful spoken languages: Irish, Spanish, Swedish, Cantonese, Urdu
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| hanni aka cordelia0507 Groupie United Kingdom Joined 5603 days ago 69 posts - 92 votes Speaks: Dutch*
| Message 200 of 297 04 August 2009 at 3:52pm | IP Logged |
Spykel why do you study languages that you think are "not so beautiful" in both written and verbal form?
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