Avid readers of the forum may know I've just spent a great, but short time in Pattaya and spent a bit of time with one particular LB. She scored high on almost all my criteria for the perfect companion except that her English was probably below that of the average LB. I hasten to add her english is a lot better than my Thai though.
It's frustrating when you start a conversation and almost immediately realise the subject is way too ambitious, the end result is that you spend a lot of time holding hands and smiling at each other.
I wonder if the more experienced among us have any techniques to get around this problem, (I do make an effort to increase my Thai vocabulary each trip, but I doubt if this is the answer). Have any of you mastered the technique of dumbing down what you want to say into very basic Thai English.
I somtimes feel like I'm taking the piss a bit when I go of with lines like "I look you long time"... but maybe this is the way to go.
Language problems
Started by
patrick
, Apr 13 2007 08:58 AM
15 replies to this topic
#2
kliome
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Posted 13 April 2007 - 01:56 PM
No, you shouldn't feell like you are taking the piss by dumbing down your English. The trick is to do just that.
I've spent a lot of time with several LBs of various langauge abilities. I find you have to meet them half way with the English language and learn to use it in the same way they do, using English verbs within the Thai language structure.
You will feel a bit of a twat at first but once you kind of master this you can have suprisingly good conversation about culture and politics etc.. it's not insulting to thenm at all, they are just happy to be able to understand you so well.
The two down sides to this are that you're not really helping their English, just reaffirming their incorrect way of using it, and I suppose this creates a bit of an endless cycle.
The other down side is that you temporarily balls up your own use of English, and I struggle to shake it off when I return home after a long period away. What's worse is that I work as a writer, and I'm already a bad speller and typist, and now there LBs are completely destroying my Englsih.
http://www.lb-69.com...go_trouble.html
I posted that as a joke, but to also highlight my frustration.
I've spent a lot of time with several LBs of various langauge abilities. I find you have to meet them half way with the English language and learn to use it in the same way they do, using English verbs within the Thai language structure.
You will feel a bit of a twat at first but once you kind of master this you can have suprisingly good conversation about culture and politics etc.. it's not insulting to thenm at all, they are just happy to be able to understand you so well.
The two down sides to this are that you're not really helping their English, just reaffirming their incorrect way of using it, and I suppose this creates a bit of an endless cycle.
The other down side is that you temporarily balls up your own use of English, and I struggle to shake it off when I return home after a long period away. What's worse is that I work as a writer, and I'm already a bad speller and typist, and now there LBs are completely destroying my Englsih.
http://www.lb-69.com...go_trouble.html
I posted that as a joke, but to also highlight my frustration.
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#3
patrick
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Posted 13 April 2007 - 02:14 PM
Thanks Kliome, I guess that's just what I was hoping to hear. I actually had a phone call from her 10 minutes ago, when you think it's hard talking face to face, bloody phone calls are a nightmare!
I took a short Thai course about a year ago, which has given me a string of sentences I suppose, but they are more about " Please take me to ***** hotel and how to bargain for mangos at the market. the best thing I picked up is "khun jai dee" which I use liberally with all LB's I have met and basically any Thai that's not an arsehole.
Now if only I could find a course in basic Thai english I would be off and running.
I read an interesting article in the paper a few weeks ago, basically a review of a book called Global English (think that was the title). The main theory was that english would continue to be the world language, but it would not be anglo english, he gave lots of examples such as sister in law will be wife of my brother etc.
Lovers of real english (whatever that is) won't like it but you can imagine it would work better and make a lot of sense.
I took a short Thai course about a year ago, which has given me a string of sentences I suppose, but they are more about " Please take me to ***** hotel and how to bargain for mangos at the market. the best thing I picked up is "khun jai dee" which I use liberally with all LB's I have met and basically any Thai that's not an arsehole.
Now if only I could find a course in basic Thai english I would be off and running.
I read an interesting article in the paper a few weeks ago, basically a review of a book called Global English (think that was the title). The main theory was that english would continue to be the world language, but it would not be anglo english, he gave lots of examples such as sister in law will be wife of my brother etc.
Lovers of real english (whatever that is) won't like it but you can imagine it would work better and make a lot of sense.
#4
Phil Lander
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Posted 13 April 2007 - 09:53 PM
I've been married to a Thai for almost nine years and having to repeat everything four times and still not getting your point across gets pretty frustrating at times . Not really sure what the answer is as I have only managed to master the rude body parts and some basic words so I may not be much help.
We live in an English speaking country but she now works with Thais which has set her language skills back so maybe I should just learn Thai.
We live in an English speaking country but she now works with Thais which has set her language skills back so maybe I should just learn Thai.
#5
sev7en
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Posted 13 April 2007 - 10:36 PM
I've having to repeat everything four times and still not getting your point across gets pretty frustrating at times
Oh, i´d go nuts if i had to do that. Seriously. I was dating a latina that spoke my language decent, but even if i had to repeat myself a few times a day , it was annoying.
One of the nicest lb´s i met spoke hardly any english, and its very frustrating. I like to talk to them about all kinds of things, its defenately a big part of the meeting with them, just not sex.
Mings english sucks, Odette speaks great english.
"some see an erotic photo display, me i just hope the hot water soothed her ageing joints."
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#7
kliome
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Posted 14 April 2007 - 04:12 PM
Even if you only learn a few words and phrases in Thai, the Thai people will really appriciate the effort, no matter how bad.
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#8
patrick
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Posted 14 April 2007 - 04:44 PM
Kliome, your reading my mind, that's just what I decided yesterday, So the book has come out and the CD's are in the car, infact I had half an hour with the book this afternoon, result two new scentences which I have just tried out on Pookie at the local Thai take away. She was impressed, but that doesn't mean much, she is impressed by my sawadee khrap.
I don't like setting goals, I usually set them extremely low to avoid failure, but I reckon a few new words a day a few scentences a week and there could be a big improvement before my return in two months.
I don't like setting goals, I usually set them extremely low to avoid failure, but I reckon a few new words a day a few scentences a week and there could be a big improvement before my return in two months.
#9
patrick
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Posted 13 April 2007 - 08:58 AM
Avid readers of the forum may know I've just spent a great, but short time in Pattaya and spent a bit of time with one particular LB. She scored high on almost all my criteria for the perfect companion except that her English was probably below that of the average LB. I hasten to add her english is a lot better than my Thai though.
It's frustrating when you start a conversation and almost immediately realise the subject is way too ambitious, the end result is that you spend a lot of time holding hands and smiling at each other.
I wonder if the more experienced among us have any techniques to get around this problem, (I do make an effort to increase my Thai vocabulary each trip, but I doubt if this is the answer). Have any of you mastered the technique of dumbing down what you want to say into very basic Thai English.
I somtimes feel like I'm taking the piss a bit when I go of with lines like "I look you long time"... but maybe this is the way to go.
It's frustrating when you start a conversation and almost immediately realise the subject is way too ambitious, the end result is that you spend a lot of time holding hands and smiling at each other.
I wonder if the more experienced among us have any techniques to get around this problem, (I do make an effort to increase my Thai vocabulary each trip, but I doubt if this is the answer). Have any of you mastered the technique of dumbing down what you want to say into very basic Thai English.
I somtimes feel like I'm taking the piss a bit when I go of with lines like "I look you long time"... but maybe this is the way to go.
#10
kliome
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Posted 13 April 2007 - 01:56 PM
No, you shouldn't feell like you are taking the piss by dumbing down your English. The trick is to do just that.
I've spent a lot of time with several LBs of various langauge abilities. I find you have to meet them half way with the English language and learn to use it in the same way they do, using English verbs within the Thai language structure.
You will feel a bit of a twat at first but once you kind of master this you can have suprisingly good conversation about culture and politics etc.. it's not insulting to thenm at all, they are just happy to be able to understand you so well.
The two down sides to this are that you're not really helping their English, just reaffirming their incorrect way of using it, and I suppose this creates a bit of an endless cycle.
The other down side is that you temporarily balls up your own use of English, and I struggle to shake it off when I return home after a long period away. What's worse is that I work as a writer, and I'm already a bad speller and typist, and now there LBs are completely destroying my Englsih.
http://www.lb-69.com...go_trouble.html
I posted that as a joke, but to also highlight my frustration.
I've spent a lot of time with several LBs of various langauge abilities. I find you have to meet them half way with the English language and learn to use it in the same way they do, using English verbs within the Thai language structure.
You will feel a bit of a twat at first but once you kind of master this you can have suprisingly good conversation about culture and politics etc.. it's not insulting to thenm at all, they are just happy to be able to understand you so well.
The two down sides to this are that you're not really helping their English, just reaffirming their incorrect way of using it, and I suppose this creates a bit of an endless cycle.
The other down side is that you temporarily balls up your own use of English, and I struggle to shake it off when I return home after a long period away. What's worse is that I work as a writer, and I'm already a bad speller and typist, and now there LBs are completely destroying my Englsih.
http://www.lb-69.com...go_trouble.html
I posted that as a joke, but to also highlight my frustration.
Dating ladyboys in Thailand Thai Friendly
Meeting ladyboys around the world My Ladyboy Date
Best Thailand (and global) hotel deals Discounted Hotels
#11
patrick
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Posted 13 April 2007 - 02:14 PM
Thanks Kliome, I guess that's just what I was hoping to hear. I actually had a phone call from her 10 minutes ago, when you think it's hard talking face to face, bloody phone calls are a nightmare!
I took a short Thai course about a year ago, which has given me a string of sentences I suppose, but they are more about " Please take me to ***** hotel and how to bargain for mangos at the market. the best thing I picked up is "khun jai dee" which I use liberally with all LB's I have met and basically any Thai that's not an arsehole.
Now if only I could find a course in basic Thai english I would be off and running.
I read an interesting article in the paper a few weeks ago, basically a review of a book called Global English (think that was the title). The main theory was that english would continue to be the world language, but it would not be anglo english, he gave lots of examples such as sister in law will be wife of my brother etc.
Lovers of real english (whatever that is) won't like it but you can imagine it would work better and make a lot of sense.
I took a short Thai course about a year ago, which has given me a string of sentences I suppose, but they are more about " Please take me to ***** hotel and how to bargain for mangos at the market. the best thing I picked up is "khun jai dee" which I use liberally with all LB's I have met and basically any Thai that's not an arsehole.
Now if only I could find a course in basic Thai english I would be off and running.
I read an interesting article in the paper a few weeks ago, basically a review of a book called Global English (think that was the title). The main theory was that english would continue to be the world language, but it would not be anglo english, he gave lots of examples such as sister in law will be wife of my brother etc.
Lovers of real english (whatever that is) won't like it but you can imagine it would work better and make a lot of sense.
#12
Phil Lander
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Posted 13 April 2007 - 09:53 PM
I've been married to a Thai for almost nine years and having to repeat everything four times and still not getting your point across gets pretty frustrating at times . Not really sure what the answer is as I have only managed to master the rude body parts and some basic words so I may not be much help.
We live in an English speaking country but she now works with Thais which has set her language skills back so maybe I should just learn Thai.
We live in an English speaking country but she now works with Thais which has set her language skills back so maybe I should just learn Thai.
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