Teaching Thai Tone Rules -- Walaiporn Tantitkanangkul (aka Uan)
Many students can become quite fluent in speaking Thai without learning tones rules properly, but this does not mean that they can speak the language with accuracy (in terms of sounds and meanings) and it can result in real communication difficulties. When learners encounter a new word they have to remember how to pronounce it correctly and this can cause some difficulties in mastering the new word. It is also true that some students find learning tone rules requires a great deal of effort as it involves memorising the different classes and rules for each tone. Indeed, they may find that exercising this mental process is somewhat daunting when learning Thai. However, learners can be persuaded that this form of mental exercise is both interesting and challenging, and will pay off in the end since the benefits are much greater and more satisfying in the long term.
To help with this important aspect of learning Thai, this article and the related materials are as follows:
- The myth about tone rules: Reading Sounds in Thai - PDF, 42 pages, 744KB
- Thai Phonetic Chart - PDF document, 2 pages, 210KB
- Exercise on Short and Long Vowels - PDF document, 2 pages, 57KB
- Teaching Thai Tone Rules - Word document, 3 pages, 66KB
Walaiporn Tantitkanangkul (aka Uan), Thai teacher, SOAS Language Centre, November 2005
