Language Learning Anecdotes
Learning a new language is hard.
I’ve been semi-intensively learning Thai for about ten months now. My time studying Thai is the only truly immersive language experience that I’ve had. I saw a private tutor every day for two months over the summer, and then reduced the number of days to three a week once school started. All areas of my Thai (reading, writing, listening, and speaking) have improved since I started studying more seriously. I can now hold somewhat in depth conversations, and I can read / write (albeit slowly) with only some use of a dictionary. My biggest hurdle is getting over using “comfortable vocabulary” and expanding my repertoire of knowledge beyond familiar grammatical structures.
I’ve familiarized myself with the intricacies of the language that make it unique. For instance, I know the tones (there are five total) well enough to explain the rules to a friend. Thai also has a relatively small vocabulary pool; approximately 30,000 words exist in the Thai dictionary compared to the 600,000 in English (however, it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly how many words there are in Thai). Also, combining words in Thai creates new words with new meaning, similar to compound words in English (for instance, the word for “honey” is the word for “water” and “bee” put together). Making these connections and deepening my understanding has not only been informative, but also enjoyable!
However, like with learning anything new, “mistakes” are bound to occur. I’ve had a few instances (OK, many) in my language learning journey that have resulted in somewhat embarrassing interactions. While these interactions were somewhat horrific in the moment, they made me think about how my students must have similar encounters on a daily basis while in a school environment. Below, I’ve outlined a few of these instances that have happened to me personally, and also how they’ve helped me relate more to my language learning students.
Anecdote 1: Can you deliver?
It was my first month living in Thailand. I started studying Thai when I got the job five months earlier while still living in Kuwait, but I barely had a grasp of the Thai language aside from a few greetings / phrases. I was furniture shopping at a big warehouse when I came upon a couch on sale. Having only a motorbike, delivery was the only option for me. However, I didn’t know how to say the word “deliver” as in getting something for takeout or delivery. So I whipped out my trusty Google Translate. That never fails in expressing thoughts and ideas, right?!
Wrong.
I typed in “delivery” and came up with “klod” (คลอด). Perfect! I know the phrase for “Can you _____?” so I asked the following question to an attendant that was assisting me;
คลอดได้มั้ย or “Klood dai mai?”
The attendant looked at me like I had three heads, so naturally I repeated myself a few times. She still had a look of shock on her face. Eventually, I was able to articulate what I wanted and we made it work.
It wasn’t until later that the word I used for “delivery” was “to have a baby”. I literally asked the poor attendant if she was able to have a baby.
I still got my couch, though.
Making these connections and deepening my understanding has not only been informative, but also enjoyable!
Source: Google Image
Takeaways
Google translate is a lifesaver. But, as we all know, translating is rarely 100% accurate. According to the interagency language roundtable (ILR), elementary / speakers with limited proficiency are still grasping grammar in their new language. In my own experience, I often translate what I would say in English directly into Thai. This happens by accident, but I also do it intentionally when I’m unsure how to express a certain thought or concept.
I have students who do this all of the time. Sometime ideas translate, but often it does not. It’s natural for native speakers to focus on being grammatically correct; naturally, there’s a time and place for this. For beginner speakers, this means that their brain is working overtime. These attempts at expressing complex ideas should be celebrated, not shot down and immediately corrected. My strategy to acknowledge student attempts at speaking while modeling correct use of grammar is by recasting a part of what students say. Take this interaction for example;
Student: Have two. Have three Me have five.
Teacher: I see. When you took two, you added three. Now you have five.
This type of simple interaction is a way to validate what students are saying while simultaneously modeling the use of English, even throwing a tier 2 word in context (added). I’ve found it to be very effective, but it also takes a lot of practice!
Anecdote 2: I’m “fresh”!
One of the things I love about my gym is that it has a great mix of foreign and Thai attendees. A few weeks ago, we threw a pool party for a trainer who was leaving Thailand. I took the opportunity at the party to practice some conversational Thai with my fellow gym mates. One of my closest friends, P’Anda, was poking fun at me because my husband was out of town.
“You’re single now!”, she exclaimed.
She used the word “Sowt” (โสด) for “to be single”. The long /o/ vowel is drawn out and enunciated.
However, I kept saying “sowt” (สด) with a shorter, less drawn out /o/ sound. This literally means “fresh”; you can use it to describe fresh or ripened food.
What I was saying, though, was “I’m fresh!”.
P’Anda and the rest of our crew bellowed in laughter.
“Really?! I don’t think you’re “sowt”. “
It turns out “sowt” with the a shorter /o/ sound actually means “virgin” when you use it to describe a person. I was essentially shouting out, “I’m a virgin!”.
At least now I know the difference between the two words, so I won’t go to the market and ask for “bananas that are single” or something equally crazy.
Source: Google Image
…validate what students are saying while simultaneously modeling the use of English
Takeaways
Vocabulary is a fickle beast, especially in English. Words can have multiple meanings depending on the context of the situation. While Thai doesn’t have the breadth of vocabulary that English does, the principles remain the same. For instance, the word that is used to describe food as sour is also slang for “to be fierce or cool”. Learning different meanings of words requires a degree of trial and error, especially when engaging in colloquial conversations. Even dictionary definitions sometimes don’t capture the true essence of a word.
While it’s impossible to teach the use of every word to our students, we can still explicitly teach multifaceted tier two words in context. Amplify instruction even more by providing opportunities for students to use words in ways that represent them and their lives. Take teaching the word “scalding”
Teacher: “When something is scalding, it’s so hot that it could burn you from the touch. What are some things that can burn you?”
Students: “Fire, a stove, an oven, boiling water, a hot shower.”
Teacher: “What about my coffee that’s been sitting on my desk all day. Do you think it’s scalding?
Using methods like these helps students connect words in multiple ways, whereas dictionaries only provide a single entry to new words.
Anecdote 3: Is it shrimp curry?
I was in Bangkok a few months ago for TESOL Thailand 2019. The night I arrived, I decided to treat myself to a fancy Thai meal next door to my apartment. I was reading through the Thai menu and noticed an enticing shrimp curry. The name, however, contained a somewhat unfamiliar letter to me at the time; cho ching ฉ. This letter is a cross between a ch and an sh sound. It’s not as hard as a ch, but not as soft as an sh. Plus, a letter already exists for the ch sound.
The shrimp curry dish was called, “Choo Chee Goong”. Goong means shrimp, but I was unsure of the “choo chee” portion. I assumed it was a type of curry after reading the English description.
When the waiter took my order, I spoke in Thai; “I would like choo chee goong, please.”
The waiter paused, then started laughing out loud. Confused, I thought to myself, “Oh no, what did I just say.”. Then it hit me. I mispronounced the “chee”. My ch sound was too hard, and the tone that I used was incorrect. Instead, I said ฉี่ (also chee), which actually means “urine”.
I ordered shrimp urine.
Upon this realization, I apologized profusely to the waiter. He laughed it off and corrected my pronunciation.
Eventually, the shrimp curry arrived. It was delicious
Source: Google Image
Takeaways
One of the most challenging pieces of learning Thai is the accent. Thai language has over 70 symbols; 44 consonants and 26 vowels. Factor in five different tones and you get. . .well, a lot of sounds. A simple pronunciation mishap can change word meaning or intelligibility, and in some cases change for the worse (much like my situation).
Correcting accents in a classroom can be a problematic issue. Many correct accents so learners can try to “sound like a native speaker”, but what does that even mean? The US alone has over 100 different accents. New York City alone has a different accent for each borough (this video makes me reminisce about family holiday dinners – they’re all from New York!). Larry Ferlazzo posted a short video on his blog from PBS about the stigmatization of accents as well.
A learners accent is an indication of their history and heritage. Being in an ever growing multilingual, multicultural environment, it’s our duty as educators to honor students’ heritage. Accent is a small part of this heritage – so why not embrace is rather than discourage it?
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Language learning is an impactful learning experience for me. However, it’s also been stressful at times. It makes me consider the experiences of students learning an additional language. In a school environment, they’re using language to access a variety of new content on a daily basis. Stress can hinder learning and raise students’ affective filter, creating a negative experience with language. We need to remember to keep learning lighthearted and enjoyable. In my case, taking a reflective step back and having a good laugh at my learning experiences (not mistakes, because I learned something new in each of my interactions) helped me stay motivated. It’s up to us to provide a similar environment for our students!
And, of course, here are some tips on how to create a low stress environment for students. These points have helped me during my own language learning as well.
I can relate to many of these anecdotes, Justin while I was learning Laos. I once tried to say, “He will come”, but because of the tones, I said, “He will fornicate with a dog”. My friends errupted tearful laughter.
Thanks for the takeaways and share your infographic on Twitter. These get readers to actually read the post.
As always, your insights are precious and valuable, Justin. Bravo! Another terrific blog. And I am going to use it in my presentation on Friday!