Learn Thai using YouTube
The Thai language, it is of course a regular topic on this blog. I have discovered 2 new teachers on YouTube in recent months. Maybe more people can benefit from it. They both have very different approaches and there are new lessons very often.
1. IwanttolearnTHAI with Kru Bo
The structure of her lessons is very consistent. Pronounce a word or phrase first at slow, then faster, and then at normal speaking speed. With a lot of emphasis on the correct pronunciation. And with the written Thai text. Repeat a few times and then move on to the next sentence. Usually the topics are made on one theme.
No nonsense, no fuss, but solid lessons that I love to watch.
Lesson example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQ9PuyNQKUE
2. Right now my favorite: Speak Thai Easy with Kru Nun
She has a different teaching style. All kinds of topics are covered. From bananas to how to take a bus on Ekkamay. She also sometimes has personal matters in her classes. Stress and that meditation helps her with that, for example.
Usually with the Thai alphabet; sometimes written on a whiteboard. She's very good at that. Write and erase again. 555 She also regularly sings a song. Also a pleasure to watch.
Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lW2Et_CS7jY
(Black and white due to the mourning period.)
I hope the blog readers find this useful. And to be honest, I also wish the two ladies the income from Youtube. But then they will have to get some more views.
There are of course many more kru's on the internet, but this one I've been particularly liking lately.
Submitted by Rene Chiangmai
I listened and watched for a while. These are indeed fun lessons. Good explanation, clear in terms of tones, also in the phonetic script, short, useful sentences. This is how they write the notes: á high à low a middle â falling ǎ rising.
A comment. An important distinction in the Thai language is between the non-aspirated consonants ktp and the aspirated (a burst of air comes from the mouth) kh-th-ph. You don't see that in phonetics. For example, it says tâ (if) instead of the correct thâ. Hold a hand in front of your mouth and you will feel the difference.
My favorite Thai language lessons on youtube are those from thaipod101.com. See for example https://youtu.be/_fbi20uEWT8
Best of all is undoubtedly Kruu Wee. Hundreds of step by step lessons for free on you tube. Fantastic course. Khruu Wee deserves kudos!!! All the others can suck at that. Try it and you are sold. Success guaranteed. You can also organize private lessons via Skype. Haven't tried that, but for all the effort that Kruu Wee has been doing for years (free) I definitely give them the medal! Once you learn something, you have to make the effort to practice it with Thais. 🙂
Agree with you: Khroe Wie. Here about the tones in the Thai language, very well:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lnA_vX7fuM&list=PL4_rGB54wvYyy-xHwn0cM75_7aWGfHIHY&index=2
Just her pronunciation of English, aaahhh. Have her take a YouTube course to change pronunciation in English. Just like that many also learn Thai, she can also do her best to pronounce something well in English.
I find that really annoying. Completely unnecessary and unfair. She speaks excellently understandable English - so what is 'good pronunciation' according to you? The English language also has many variants in terms of pronunciation.
Well, as an example, the emphasis she places on English words. This is precisely the essence of Thai that you use tones to distinguish between meanings in Thai. And yes, I know many Thais who speak perfect English, Oxford English sometimes or they have had a good native speaker as a teacher and then have a pronunciation that many Australians or so would envy.
But all this is my humble opinion after listening to a Youtube of her in the link of Tino Kuis.