Dear Hillary,
I have been transferred to Thailand by my company for the next two years. I have been here three months already. I am a native English speaker, and so far I find the Thai language very difficult, to so far almost well-nigh impossible. What is the best way to learn the lingo? I see there are quite a few “language schools” in Pattaya, but why do I get the feeling they are just out to rip me off with their high fees. I want to converse with my lady friend a little better, but she struggles with English. Some suggestions please.
Les
Dear Les the cunning linguist,
I can’t recommend one language school above the others, as I haven’t needed to go to one myself. However, the larger ones are fairly reputable I am told, Petal. The best way, I am told, is ‘immersion’ where you go somewhere where nobody speaks your language and you have to learn Thai, just the same as a small child picks up Thai. Three year olds have a good command of the language, after all. This might be difficult for you if you are employed down here, so you might have to sign up for lessons. There is another method, called ‘pillow talk’ where your lady friend teaches you, but again, I am not offering! There is a book called Pillow Talk, which might be fun to study with your Thai GF.
