Broken English

[Naang Faa]

Is it just me,but does anyone else here who spends a fair bit of time with ladyboys/Thais start talking in broken English?
"i not go,i tired"?? you know what i mean..
I talk in a cross between scouse (Local Liverpool dialect) and a ladyboy slang with the girls in BKK and they all understand what I'm on about..
But i just returned from a trip to Germany,where a couple of the girls have been away for 3 years and i end up talking like they do..
It's driving me mad!!!
x

[PigDogg]

Me too.

For a date often I'll say number 16 or number 20.

Communication is not about fancy words; it's about being understood.

[daveduke007]

I do it everyday (broken English   ) on the phone with my "teerak" ,her English was very very limited when we met if non-existant and she needed the aid of a dictionary all the time.
I speak "Pidgeon English" to her at first so she understands me and then after she is used to speaking it I will teach her the correct way.

One example she would say about herself was " I Thai people" and call me "You English people"
I let this go for a while before telling her the correct way is "I am a Thai person" and I  " Your are an English person" which went onto "I'm Thai" and "You are English" etc
I only have to explain it once and she never forgets it  
Her English is coming on very nicely now but a couple of her "classic" questions are "You want Insert" or "Can you Insert " when we are together     and they are  phrase's  of her's I will never change, I love them    


It is quite amusing sometimes from the "look's" I get from "punter's" when I'm on the phone to her whilst I'm behind the bar working listening to me "parroting" on  

[EyeMahk]

Me no speak like Thai people when me speak English. My friend me and my friend you not same same.

[pacman]

When it is appropriate, I have always corrected simple mistakes the locals make when speaking English.

Rather than finding me patronising, I have been encouraged to continue by the positive appreciation I receive back.

Some who considered their English to be very good were shocked to learn that an expression they used with confidence was actually not correct English, & asked me why after so many years no-one had ever bought it to their attention.

Our desire to not want to offend them was the only answer I could give them.

Then they want to test their entire repertoire for mistakes ....

[EyeMahk]

(pacman @ Jul. 16 2008,20:32) Some who considered their English to be very good were shocked to learn that an expression they used with confidence was actually not correct English, & asked me why after so many years no-one had ever bought it to their attention.

It is the same when I use a Thai expression that is not exactly correct. Virtually never does a Thai person correct me.

[petesie]

I'm Scottish, live in Ireland and work in Saudi, you get divorced, go to Thailand to learn Tinglish!

Whatever gets you by, as long as you're nice with it.

[Road Runner]

my eeenglishh she not broken..... why you say?


RR.

[allstar88]

yes i do this too and when back at work in the uk i sometimes say the odd thai word without thinking

[stogie bear]

(PigDogg @ Jul. 16 2008,18:59) Communication is not about fancy words; it's about being understood...

That's correct... being understood trumps knowing big words!

Oftentimes English teachers forget this when they are in the classroom.

There are two types of English... language and literature.

Literature is a constant and can be learned and understood by rote or any scientific methods.

The language is in a state of flux and is always evolving. As are all languages. It takes a more artistic type of person to be able to learn it.

I find myself repeating things that some Thais say in the correct way so they hear it but don't feel as though I'm correcting them.

For example if someone I know says "I talk to she!" (which is a common error) I might say, "Oh, you talk to HER?"

Most of the time the rules of English don't make sense and fall on deaf ears anyway so you may as well just keep parroting the most commonly used words and phrases till they sink in.

I have picked up a few expressions and noises that are Thai, for example saying. "Uh uh uh..." instead of "Yes yes yes..."when you are agreeing with someone. I confess I have also picked up the annoying habit of saying "Ooooooy!" as a whiny exclamation when something unexpected or annoying happens!

When talking to strangers I keep it simple and on their wavelength but most of the time I speak correct English but a lot slower and I repeat myself fairly often, so it's clear and understood and hopefully partially retained in memory!

[Monkey]

I speak good England I do, just like what my father used to did.

[ciobha]

Jimslim and i speak perfect english,yet for some reason no-one understands us!

[jimslim]

(stogie bear @ Jul. 17 2008,05:27) I confess I have also picked up the annoying habit of saying "Ooooooy!" as a whiny exclamation when something unexpected or annoying happens!

Hanging around the Guess pool table too long does that to a guy , as long as you don't shriek it at high decibels it should be fine .

I suppose anyone who has met me here has the right to give me stick because I talk 100mph , an Irishman teaching English to the Thais  

I try to avoid as much as possible talking in simple broken English , I find anyone with a basic understanding of English can pretty much understand you as long as you don't talk too fast , if you use a word they are not familiar with most Thai's will ask you what it means because they are keen to learn and understand English better , I find some of the expressions they use sometimes really funny , as has been mentioned the use of "she " instead of "her" .
I remember one jealous ladyboy giving off to me one time because I went with someone she didn't like ......
"How many times you fuck she ?"
"How many times you come with she ?"
I couldn't stop laughing which made her madder  

Lets face it English is one of the most difficult languages to speak properly

[perth_couple]

Definately effects me.. I alternate between atrocious and very limited Thai, and a poor imitation of Thai accented/structure English... It really is embarrassing...

Glenn

[Snick]

Whats annoying is when you start talking to another local Farang and forget to switch back to "Normal mode"

You start saying things like "me go Fortune", and then they say you don't have to talk an idiot to me...D'OH