Before deciding to come to Thailand, I was really interested in the language, so I began learning Thai on my own. My native language is English and in school I studied Spanish, so learning a tonal language was a very big jump. For me personally though, I found it a lot easier to wrap my head around the basics of Thai than I thought I would. However, there were a couple of big downsides for me learning Thai on my own. The biggest two were: 1. Thai language learning resources weren’t as easily accessible, especially free ones and 2. I personally don’t live in an area with a high population of Thai speakers, so I didn’t really have people to practice with.
When I decided to come to Thailand to study abroad, I was really excited for the opportunity to actually experience taking a Thai language class in person. In the classroom, I really enjoy being able to get feedback as well as being able to practice with the other students in my class. I think the hardest part of learning a language in a classroom setting, for me, is the pace. When working on my own, I was able to set my own place and spend more time on the things that I was struggling with, however in class things are a lot more fast paced.
My biggest tips for succeeding in a classroom setting would be: 1. Don’t be afraid to ask questions for clarification in the classroom and 2. Find a friend to practice with. I would also recommend using your knowledge outside of the classroom. I know it can be really nerve wracking to speak to native speakers when you first start learning a language, but if you can do something as simple as ordering your daily coffee in Thai, it will really help with your confidence with the language.
Being able to speak the language of the country you’re choosing to visit can make the experience all that more enjoyable. While everyone’s generally pretty nice and in the big cities like Bangkok a lot of people do speak some English, I definitely think that I get better reception when I speak in Thai. I definitely encourage learning at least a few phrases to make the most of your time in Thailand!
Me wearing traditional Thai dress visiting Wat Pho and the Reclining Buddha: “Being able to immerse yourself in Thai language and culture while in the country is a very unique opportunity, so I encourage you to make the most of your time!”
Alyesia Watkins, University of Pittsburgh, is studying abroad in Thailand with TEAN.
