We have a terrific textbook for Thai writing with a good summary of important rules of basic Thai writing as well as lots of fun and helpful writing exercise. However, as someone who tends to learn better when I get to see a visual representation/summary of all that I have to know. Hence, I drew up a flowchart that summarises the basic tone rules of Thai writing (without including many of the exceptions). This ‘cheat sheet’ helped me read Thai words more quickly and helped me to remember the tone markings used. As I am still learning and have not checked through this thoroughly, there may be mistakes in the chart so please do bear with me! With that said, here’s the flowchart I made in preparation for my Thai writing test:

Also, I realised that there is one way to read quicker without having to keep referring to this chart: low consonants seem to appear much more frequently in Thai writing so it was easier to remember what the high consonants look like and read accordingly rather than remember every single low consonant. Over time, this method allowed me to remember the low consonants as well anyway. Also, some important things to remember: high consonants will almost never have high tone, low consonants will almost never have low tones and mid consonants can have all the tones. These little reminders actually also helped me to improve on my reading and writing by allowing me to recognise the correct tones more easily.

Week 13 is a busy and stressful week for most university students. Thankfully, I had my Thai language classes to look forward to (even though both classes were exams this week). Monday was our Thai oral test and I had mixed feelings about it: nervous because still felt like I had not practised enough and yet excited to be able to complete it. My partner and I had a different revision method from the previous oral test as this time we decided not to write out complete scripts for the mock oral test scenarios but instead had a Skype session to practise those scenarios on the spot without much concrete script or preparation and then we would revise the rest of the vocabulary in our own time before the test. I felt that this method had its own pros and cons: it would test our ability to react quickly to a different scenario on the spot and could potentially increase our fluency and we had more time to revise all the other vocabulary words (which was helpful because we will not know the actual oral test scenario) but the downside was that a lot of the final outcome would depend on individual work because there was a lack of practice time with my partner to help build the rapport and chemistry needed for the oral test.

On the whole, I think that Natalie and I did reasonably well, but our fluency and pronunciation is still something that we should continue to work on. I also found that being more confident when speaking is really able to change and improve a lot of things. By being more confident in my own speaking skills, I would be less nervous about the entire test and would be less likely to make careless mistakes like missing out certain words when speaking and portraying an image of confidence may also even encourage my partner. This is similar to when I was travelling in Thailand previously where I was encouraged to speak Thai more confidently and found that this helped the locals understand me better for some reason. Speaking and listening are important aspects of a language so I also felt that the assessment style of LAT2201 was highly appropriate and helpful for students who want to see how they stand in their language ability so that they may continue to improve and learn more from there,

Our final part of the module was a written test in full Thai script. I was nervous because this was the first time I would be reading and writing so much in Thai and the format was vastly different from the previous writing test. I was glad to have the mock paper to practise with as it gave me a good idea of how the actual test would be like and this helped to allay my fears slightly. I was also concerned with the tone markers and different classes of consonants – writing in pure phonetics in one thing, but writing in Thai script was just a whole other level from just trying to figure out how to write a word from its pronunciation only. Nevertheless, it is still a challenge I would definitely take up. It is definitely true what people say about Thai writing: there are more exceptions than norms.

Overall, the test was still somewhat manageable albeit was a few spelling errors here and there. The reading text was readable and interesting (learning new words even during the test was cool) and the although the composition topic did throw me off initially, I found it doable towards the end when I tried to relate it to my own ambitions of working and living in Thailand in the future. I am now much more confident in Thai writing my reading speed has also improved tremendously. When I looked through my finished paper before I went to submit it, I was just filled with a sense of joy and satisfaction and it motivated me even more to continue on this journey of learning the wonderful Thai language. My only concern now is how I may be able to keep up my Thai during the long summer break and hope that I can still can catch up in Thai 3 next year!

Finally, some words for my beloved อาจารย์: อาจารย์ขอบคุณมากมาก! อาจารย์ดีมาก! หนูคิดว่าตอนนี่หนูพูดและเขียนและอ่านภาษาไทยเก่งขึ้นแล้วเพราะว่าอาจารย์สอนดีดี! หนูชอบเรียนภาษาไทย หนูจะคอยเรียนภาษาไทยค่ะ!

Week 12’s lessons were much different from the usual style of learning from the textbook. Groups in the class were tasked to compare a cultural aspect of Thailand and Singapore and present it to the class.

I definitely enjoyed the presentations by the other groups in the class and gained some valuable insights into the cultures of both countries. One of the other groups presented on the differences between the issues facing the LGBT community in Thailand and Singapore. It was insightful to see how the LGBT community was treated so differently in both countries and to analyse certain reasons for the difference. The other group presented the different types of local songs in both countries and the reasons for the stark contrast in popularity and support that these local songs enjoy. Their presentation was engaging and lively with a game segment where we had to complete the lyrics for some Singaporean songs and then guess the meaning of some Thai lyrics. The latter part of the game really tested our quick translation skills and our ability to understand Thai words in a given context. Also, since we did not know the meaning of all the Thai words in the lyrics, we had to guess the overall meaning based on the words that we already knew. I felt that this was a good skill to have in learning a new language as it tests one’s ability to fully comprehend the nuances of the grammar and vocabulary of the language. In that same presentation, we even learnt some new colloquial Thai vocabulary used to name the different genres of local Thai songs. This made me realise that even though language can be considered an important part of culture, it is ultimately culture that changes and shapes the language – a language is often the reflection of the culture – this is the beauty and elegance of language.

At the end of each presentation, we had a lively discussion where the audience posed questions to both the presenters and to the entire class. Everyone shared their open and honest views and we listened to each other’s views critically. Hearing many different perspectives about the same issue provoked some further thought in me as I realised that there may be more that meets the eye in seemingly simple issues that we see in our daily lives.

My group presented on the differences in media censorship between both countries. We considered that topic because the media and governance are two integral aspects of every citizen’s life. Moreover, with the current discourse on the fake news bill in Singapore and the military junta in Thailand, my group felt that this was a highly relevant topic that we would want to explore with the class. In the process of preparing for the presentation, I had to read up a certain amount of information on both countries and I learnt a lot about the current situation from the researching and reading alone.

The presentations in general made me more aware of the world around me and gave me fresh perspectives on certain issues. They were also extra relevant to me as someone who majors in Southeast Asian Studies. It is also important to always remember that culture is something to be aware of when learning the language as it reflects the nuances and dynamics of the culture or society at large.

Week 11’s lesson had a variety of teaching/learning methods that targeted different aspects of learning the Thai language.

We were introduced to new grammar structures:

• เลย (ləəy): to be used to describe travelling beyond a certain location. (This usage was different from the two ways that we were taught previously.)
• นาน (naan): a very long time. It was used in this chapter as part of a question structure to ask if something has already been happening for a long period time
• …ก่อน (kɔ̀ɔn)…แล้ว (lɛ́ɛw): to be used to express completing action 1 before carrying on to complete action 2
• อีก (?ìik): in another
• ไม่ถึง (mây ˈthʉ̌ŋ): to be less than something else (referring to amount or quantity)
• จวน (cuan): almost

I found that not having the English translation of these terms in the textbook helped my understanding and learning of these structures for a few reasons:

1. It would be difficult to provide students with a good English translation/definition that would be interpreted accurately by all students simply due to the complexity of the language. Hence, having an English translation in the textbook may only serve to confuse students.
2. I would be encouraged to define these terms in my own way and that would ensure that I am less likely to misinterpret the meanings and nuances of using these terms.
3. This entire process of figuring out my own definition/translation helped with memorising the meanings and usage of the terms taught

I enjoyed learning these new words and phrases as having more to add to my vocabulary is helpful in allowing me to better express myself in Thai. The grammar practice on page 89 of the textbook was also helpful in clearing some doubts on the usage of อีก, ไม่ถึง, and จวน as I learnt how to decide to use each word depending on the context presented. However, after reviewing the exercise again at home, I realised that I have some doubts on whether those three words could sometimes be used interchangeably or if each word has a very specific usage and meaning at all times.

There was also a large focus on reading Thai in this lesson. For example, the lesson started off with a fast-paced question-and-answer activity where we had to answer questions using answers in a set list of phrases that were written in Thai. It really challenged me to try and read Thai in a speed that was way faster than anything that I had tried by myself before. Activities like these allow me to read Thai more quickly and accurately after being more familiar with some common words and phrases and being able to read out the different syllables individually. We also had another reading activity later on in the class to read a short passage written in Thai and I found that reading aloud also helps as I am able to sound out the words and it somehow was able to let me recognise certain characters more easily. I still have some difficulty reading when there are diphthongs as I tend to forget that they are diphthong and may try to read the word inaccurately as if it were spelled with the basic vowels only. I also am not able to remember the tones accurately based on both tone markings and the different classes of consonants and it could pose a challenge to writing Thai and hence this is something I would have to work harder on.

The lesson focused on introducing more vocabulary both through the textbook examples and through an interesting role-play session. The new vocabulary learnt included mostly the names of important places and some common activities.

I particularly enjoyed the role-play activity where we had to get into groups to have a conversation to plan a picnic. It tested my vocabulary skills to categorise different types of nouns for example, using certain adjectives and phrases to describe a location, the weather, or types of possible activities. As mentioned previously, such spontaneous and fast-paced interactions help to tremendously improve my listening and comprehension skills as I had to listen actively to the ongoing conversation and understand it to be able to provide a relevant and prompt response.

We also revised and practised some grammar structures that were introduced previously such as เลย. It is a new word that is extremely useful to use to link two related clauses together, especially if they have a causal relationship. เลย means “therefore” or “that was why something happened” and I find myself using it a lot more now that I understand its meaning and this has definitely helped me express my sentences in Thai more clearly.

Our first lesson of the week started off with our usual conversations with Ajarn Sasiwimol about our weekend. Ajarn usually asks us about how we’re feeling and what we did over the weekends (and we also learnt how to read and write “weekends” in Thai which is วันเสาร์อาทิตย์). I always enjoy such spontaneous and exciting conversations with the class because it really tests my listening and speaking skills in a more “real” setting, which would make it really helpful in future situations where listening and replying promptly on the spot would be important to keep a proper conversation going. Also, these quick conversations allow me to improve on my Thai vocabulary and grammar by actively practising the language.

On Monday’s pre-class conversation, Ajarn brought in a new question on how we usually get to school which tied in with the topic of the lesson of the day which was about modes of transport. It was fun and helpful to learn more vocabulary regarding transportation as it is such an important part of everyday life. I had some difficulty at first understanding the conversation on page 76 of the textbook at home, but after going through the textbook’s glossary and searching up some words on the Internet, I managed to understand it fully. The textbook’s glossary came in extremely handy in my self-study and preparation for the lesson as I managed to remember the meaning of the words better than having the meaning said out to me which in that case I am more likely to forget. Having done the other comprehension exercises in the textbook prior to class also helped me to understand certain vocabulary and grammar used as I was able to understand it in context and this helped to make my learning in class clearer and more manageable.

However, I was a little confused as to why certain grammar phrases turned up a few times throughout the textbook. I thought that this was the case because these grammar phrases had multiple meanings and uses but as Ajarn pointed out, it was to highlight the importance and usability of these phrases and that helped to clear those doubts of mine.

We also had a mini game of charades which I definitely enjoyed as it was a nice change from the usual pen and book style of learning. When my classmate tried to give me some hints to guess the keyword, I realised that I was able to guess certain words based on the context given by my classmate of the usual situations where these keywords are used. That served as a good revision on certain vocabulary that I can use for specific situations.

Overall, I had a fruitful and enjoyable class on Monday and I learnt new vocabulary and grammar structures both from the textbook and from classroom interactions. I was also able to revise older grammar structures through class activities. I am still slightly confused on the differences between ด้วย, ด้วยกัน, เหมือนกัน and now there is a new structure, เดียวกัน, but I will probably read back on the previous lessons to help with my understanding as I feel that these are important words that I should be able to use accurately and correctly.