Hi! I'm Pare, a 22-year-old English major at Bangkok University.

I'd like to practice teaching Thai and I'm looking for a beginner who'd be interested in trying a free lesson. I'd really appreciate any feedback afterward. If anyone is interested please let me know!

I find that English pitch patterns take over on words that would be emphasised in English, e.g. (choosing something) "I'll have that one" (they go for the wrong one) "no that one". This obviously messes with the tones.

I would like to understand how this kind of contrastive focus is marked in Thai, because I have a hunch that replacing the English habits with something else that does the same job is a better solution than just trying to repress them.

Just wondering if it's been studied.

Hi everyone, I am trying to get copies of the Intensive Thai Textbooks by Chula. I know there is this thread here and I have access to Intensive Thai 1 via this thread here (Chulalongkorn University Intensive Thai 1 eBook : r/learnthai)

Was wondering if anyone has any luck with procuring the remaining textbooks e.g. second hand, pdfs, etc.

Cheers!

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When I am drunk, I tend to speak Thai without translating in my mind, reviewing grammar, or worrying about tones. I don't even forget what I hear.

I don't mean that I magically become a better speaker; rather, I receive information without judgment and talk without the fear of making mistakes.

Science shows that alcohol affects the prefrontal cortex, making rational judgment and even fear disappear. (Interestingly, the prefrontal cortex doesn't even fully develop until around the age of 25).

But it makes you wonder: Can a rational mind actually be a problem for studying language?

A rational mind is analytical and great for learning grammar, but it also searches for perfection, fears looking foolish, and blocks intuition. This isn't a call to go drinking beer,it’s just an interesting look at why children and younger people often learn languages faster than adults: they aren't held back by overthinking.

I guess the more experience we get, the more conditioned our minds become. You don't just listen to a word as it is; you judge it and compare it with your existing experience, so it takes longer for new information to enter and bypass your filters smoothly.

Sometimes, I meet a kind and smart German friend at the Amazon Café who has stayed in Thailand for two decades and can't speak more than 10 Thai sentences, even though he speaks English very well.

What do you think? Did you have a similar experience?