We have been very busy the whole time last year that we didn’t put enough time learning it. We’ll be playing catch up this year. Hoping and praying that after six months, we can speak the words with the right tones.
Our effectiveness and usefulness here for the kingdom work really depend on our ability to learn the languages. And we know it will take a lot of hard works and patient.
Here are some of the characteristics of the Thai language that are different from English:
- There are no variant or plural for adjective and nouns.
- Adjectives follow the noun. Example, instead of saying “red car”, a Thai would say “car red”.
- There are no verb conjugations in Thai. Tenses of verbs are understood from the context or from adverb of time. This makes our life easier.
- There are no articles.
- There is no verb “to be” with adjectives. So if you want to say, “She is beautiful” Thai would say “she beautiful”. I like that, English is just too complicated.
- Thai is usually omits the subject of a sentence when it is understood from the context.
- Thai is a tonal language. If the tone is not correct, you won’t be easily understood, even if your pronunciation is perfect.
เพราะว่าพระเจ้าทรงรักโลกจนได้ประทานพระบุตรองค์เดียวของพระองค์
เพื่อทุกคนที่เชื่อในพระบุตรนั้นจะไม่พินาศ แต่มีชีวิตนิรันดร์
3 comments:
My buddy with YWAM also has been having a rough go with the language. I think he's able to get by now, but it is discouraging when his kids seem to fall into Thai so easily.
Hang in there bro.
Filipinos, in general, have a high language aptitude. I've met a lot of Filipino missionaries (those who do frontier missions work in China, Thailand, Cambodia, Japan, and Ukraine) who could already speak fluently the local language/s of the country where they are currently based. Amazing!
In Switzerland, meanwhile, the Filipino leaders in our international church in Zurich speak Swiss German like the natives! Ang galing.
So, I'm sure you and your family will be fluent in Thai and Burmese pretty soon. First, because you are Christians; second, because you're Pinoys. :-)
Thanks for the encouragement, guys. You're right Frank, kids seem to learn the language effortlessly.
I agree Jayred. Many Filipinos here become fluent in Thai just by staying here in three years. But of course, there are exceptions, and I'll make it sure i'll not be an exception.
More power to both of you. Blessings!
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