Thai Language Learning Tips and Tricks with Dave Voetberg

Learning Thai is no simple task.

For those of us who’ve spent a considerable amount of time climbing this Everest, I’m sure you can attest to this reality. While there are certainly a number of noble reasons for learning a new language, doing so “for the sake of elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory”(2 Tim. 2:10) is most commendable.

In the midst of your struggle to acquire Thai in order to be a witness for Christ, remember that the struggle of language is to be counted among the various difficulties endured for the sake of gospel. Jesus died the one big death for us & for our salvation. Now, we die little deaths in the day-to-day for the promotion of his kingdom in the world (1 Cor. 15:31). As we battle to learn Thai, a kind of death is at work in us so life can be at work in others (2 Cor. 4:12). Love calls us to pursue the other. Therefore, we don’t wait for Thai people to learn our language so they can hear the gospel. Rather, we step out & seek to learn their language first. We go to them first. In so doing we reflect the image of the one who didn’t wait for us to come to him (we never would’ve!), but rather came down to seek & save us first.

Although there is ultimately no silver bullet to learning the Thai language, there are various tips & tricks that can certainly aid in the pursuit. The following list of bullet points (in no particular order) is not exhaustive, but I hope it can be of some assistance to you as you work away at the language for the good of Thai people & the glory of God in Christ. I’ve also included a small sampling of feedback from Thai language learners who were asked what they would do differently if they could start learning Thai all over again.

Thai Language “Cheat Sheet”

• Get a good grasp on the 5 Thai tones. They are integral to learning Thai well
• Ask for honest feedback from native speakers who will be forthright with you about your pronunciation
• Where possible, focus on memorizing phrases, not just words alone
• Spend a sufficient amount of time on foundational areas of Thai before moving on. Rushing typically doesn’t yield good results when it comes to language learning
• Start learning how to read Thai (with all the tone rules included) as soon as possible
• Giving a little time to Thai everyday (even 5-10 minutes) is better than giving it no time
• Practice writing out the alphabet as you learn it until you can do it all by memory
• Reviewing helps solidify what you’ve learned (one time through usually isn’t sufficient)
• Use transliteration only as long as necessary before switching over to Thai script
• To the best of your ability, write down/type out Thai words/phrases you hear natives speakers using day-to-day
• Take concrete steps to implement new words/phrases into real-life situations
• Identify the “holes in your Thai” & implement concrete ways to fill in those gaps (credit: Brett from Learn Thai from a White Guy)
• Stepping out & trying to speak Thai (even imperfectly) is part of the growth process
• Don’t count on learning Thai alone in a closet perfectly before attempting to speak
• Anything done right will be done wrong first. The road to fluency is filled with mistakes
• A lack of output can at times be traced to a lack of input. Keep filling up with Thai
• Look to the Lord for wisdom/understanding & pursue Thai diligently & consistently
• Whenever you read, try reading out loud as a way of developing your pronunciation

If I could learn Thai again, I would:

• Nail down the Thai alphabet

• Learn how to spell better

• Learn to read before speaking

• Learn to read from the start

• Spend more time on the foundations of Thai before moving on

• Go straight to learning Thai characters (skip transliterated Thai, ex. sabaidee)

• Being able to read makes life so much simpler in Thailand, but also has helped my Thai improve way more than if I was just relying upon listening & speaking

• Spend more time studying children’s material (books/cartoons/etc.)

• Practice my pronunciation more diligently

If you don't see a video above click to watch Dave Voetberg's Thai Lanuage Cheat Sheet" (tips for beginners)