Attempting to Learn Thai 6
December 21, 2006
Months in Thailand: 6
Hours at AUA: 431 (Level 3-4)
Other study: None since I started at AUA (before that, some minimal self-study and 6 very poor classes at another school)
In Class Progress:
I started AT3-4 a couple weeks ago at exactly the 400 hour mark, and have put in 31 hours since. Unlike AT1 and AT2, which were completely separate, AT3-4 are the same class, so essentially AT3-4 is one level that will take twice as long as AT1 or AT2.
AT3-4 is MUCH harder than AT2, and moving from AT2 to AT3-4 is an exponentially greater leap than from AT1 to AT2. In my first 31 hours, classes have ranged from something like a difficult AT2 class, where I probably understand 75-90%, to classes where I have only a vague understanding of the discussion and can't be getting more than 20% of the gist of it all. Most classes are in between, with me understanding the big picture but frequently having gaps about smaller details and not understanding certain utterances at all. AT3-4 uses a far greater range of vocabulary, and the teachers speak much more quickly than in lower levels. Additionally, there is far less body language and use of illustration on the board, although these are still certainly used.
I happened to talk to the American who oversees the Thai Studies Dept, and he cautioned me upon my beginning AT3-4 that the next 200 hours will probably be the most difficult and frustrating of the entire process. I can see this being true, but so far I don't find it frustrating... just difficult. I'm excited to see what happens over the next few months. According to AUA's system, around the time that one reaches 800 hours and moves to AT5-10, speech should start to occur naturally... so I am just over halfway there. AUA closes for three weeks between Dec 17th and Jan 7th though, so I won't be learning much Thai for the next three weeks. Nah song sah...
Out of Class:
Slow but steady progress... I have unexpected moments of clarity, and moments when I feel I should understand something but don't. Progress is slow but not imperceptible.
December 21, 2006
Months in Thailand: 6
Hours at AUA: 431 (Level 3-4)
Other study: None since I started at AUA (before that, some minimal self-study and 6 very poor classes at another school)
In Class Progress:
I started AT3-4 a couple weeks ago at exactly the 400 hour mark, and have put in 31 hours since. Unlike AT1 and AT2, which were completely separate, AT3-4 are the same class, so essentially AT3-4 is one level that will take twice as long as AT1 or AT2.
AT3-4 is MUCH harder than AT2, and moving from AT2 to AT3-4 is an exponentially greater leap than from AT1 to AT2. In my first 31 hours, classes have ranged from something like a difficult AT2 class, where I probably understand 75-90%, to classes where I have only a vague understanding of the discussion and can't be getting more than 20% of the gist of it all. Most classes are in between, with me understanding the big picture but frequently having gaps about smaller details and not understanding certain utterances at all. AT3-4 uses a far greater range of vocabulary, and the teachers speak much more quickly than in lower levels. Additionally, there is far less body language and use of illustration on the board, although these are still certainly used.
I happened to talk to the American who oversees the Thai Studies Dept, and he cautioned me upon my beginning AT3-4 that the next 200 hours will probably be the most difficult and frustrating of the entire process. I can see this being true, but so far I don't find it frustrating... just difficult. I'm excited to see what happens over the next few months. According to AUA's system, around the time that one reaches 800 hours and moves to AT5-10, speech should start to occur naturally... so I am just over halfway there. AUA closes for three weeks between Dec 17th and Jan 7th though, so I won't be learning much Thai for the next three weeks. Nah song sah...
Out of Class:
Slow but steady progress... I have unexpected moments of clarity, and moments when I feel I should understand something but don't. Progress is slow but not imperceptible.
posted by Dan at 5:40 PM
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