Tips to Learning The Thai Language
Thailand is one of the most beautiful countries in the Asian continent. There are several reasons why the country receives a lot of visitors – from the delicious Thai food to the beaches, to its ancient and contemporary Buddhist temples, there is a lot to see and experience in this beautiful country.
Native English speakers, from time to time, are needed to teach in Thailand, making it one of the most popular destinations for tourists travelling abroad to look for work. When travelling to a foreign country, it is important to always learn something of the language, even just the basics.
If you are interested in learning the Thai language there are several sources on the internet and even books to help you. Learning the alphabet is a challenge, but far from impossible. Here are a few tips to help you learn the language easily.
Invest in a notepad
This is a great tip that can help you grasp the Thai alphabet very easily. You can opt to buy a cheap and a cheerful notepad to help you in this.
This is simple, this essential tool helps you to quickly familiarize yourself with different characters every day as you prepare to travel to the country. Ensure that you get a pocket size device that you can carry around while on the go.
Being able to reach for your pad anytime you need it will help embed the script in your memory, allowing you to write down different fonts you grasp when you are out and about.
Use, visualize and draw technique
The best way for learning the Thai language script is to memorize every character one by one. Start with a group, low, medium and high, and break them down into groups you can manage even more easily.
Look at each character for a few seconds and then memorize it by closing your eyes. Visualize drawing the character in your head before attempting to draw it in your notepad or even on paper.
Creating this image and visualizing a tangible version is a great way to etch something in your mind.
Use a wall chart
If you happen to work in an office, or have a spare room in your house, get an alphabet wall chart that you can use.
If you are in Thailand, you can get a chart from a bookshop easily or the local markets. These charts are standard issue in schools and are thus readily available.
A good chart will feature consonants, groupings, vowels and meanings. This kind of reminder in your office or at home provides you another awesome tool for memorizing characters and a reminder that you should be learning.
Use Anubaan Books for practice
Anubaan is a Thai words that stands for elementary school. Children in the country learn the language from these books, which help them with forming characters and words using guidelines in the form of dots.
Anubaan books are affordable, starting at 10 Baht and are readily available in bookshops. They are a great way of learning to write in Thai from scratch, and before long, you will be well versed in writing and reading the basics.