Wednesday, January 21, 2009

phuut iik thii si kha (Say it again please)

My title for the day is in Thai:) Since I don't have the computer set for Thai language I can't put the signs above the letters for the tones but trust me when I say there is a sign above every word to tell me what tone to use. These 5 words only use 3 different tones--what a relief--ha ha!!

My tutor taught me how to use a phrase in Thai to ask what something is so he puts a bunch of things on the desk (pen, pencil, eraser, phone, etc.) and I have to point to the object and say in Thai (nii riak waa aray kha--what is this called). Then in sentence form in Thai he tells me what the object is and every time I use the phrase (phuut iik thii si kha (say it again please) probably like 5 or more times. I have a really hard time hearing the word and the tone and being able to repeat the word just from hearing it. If he writes it down on paper I can say it but not so much from just hearing it. I am so thankful to have a tutor that is patient, encouraging, and laughs a lot.

The good news from today is that I did my first dictation exercise. He said a simple (one syllable) word and I had to write what I heard. I had to use the correct letters and tone signs. I got 4 out of 5 correct. I felt pretty good about it!

This evening I went to dinner with 2 Thai ladies who work at an office near my apartment. The one lady attends church with me and the other lady I just met tonight. They both speak some English ( a lot more than I speak Thai) so we talked mainly in English. I am thankful for the people that the Lord continues to put in my path here. I will be going out to Sripatum Univ. again tomorrow so pray for a fruitful day!

1 comment:

Laura said...

Let's make a deal! I'll send you some of my cold apartment and a Dr. Pepper for some of your warm apartment, but just till April! LOL. And at least you can laugh with your language tutor. For the first time my language tutor told me I did very good. And I said FINALLY, and that got her attention and made her laugh!