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[GreenSnapper]

autan, on 2012-02-10 08:51:09, said:

Thats an easy question to answer. If I dont feel like having sex for about 2 weeks, I will correct her English. I had to learn the hard way.

Really....

If my girl ever would try something like that, I'd be off to my Mia Noi.

But she is clever.

In the beginning, I corrected her English a lot.
And she is a quick learner: now, whenever I fall back to Thai-English, she corrects MY grammar.

[beano2274]

I do correct my wife's English, then she messes around with using her original way of using it again, but she uses English everyday at work, but speaks to a lot of Non Native speakers who probably do not know she is saying it wrong.

Sometimes I get a lovely surprise from her for correcting her - a slap on the back of the head.

[bendix]

Given that a huge proportion of expats - particularly from the UK and the antipodes - struggle to express themselves in English, I'm not sure we are the right people to correct Thais on their English skills.

I've lost count of the times I've heard fat skinheads from Essex get annoyed with perplexed waiting staff for not understanding a simple English phrase like ''Gimme two pints o' stella and a pack of smokes, innit"  and then berating them for being ''innorant gook farkers'

And don't get me started on the Aussies who mumble under their breath, before finishing every statement with the inquisitive ''ay, mate?'

I introduced Mrs Bendix to a guy from Newcastle once.  I could barely understand his English; Mrs B just looked at him like he was an idiot, which shows what a fine judge of character she is.

[GreenSnapper]

bendix, on 2012-02-10 11:25:03, said:

I introduced Mrs Bendix to a guy from Newcastle once.  I could barely understand his English; Mrs B just looked at him like he was an idiot, which shows what a fine judge of character she is.

Fine judge of character - or simply a racist who cannot accept when people do not speak queen's English?

[bendix]

GreenSnapper, on 2012-02-10 11:29:21, said:

bendix, on 2012-02-10 11:25:03, said:

I introduced Mrs Bendix to a guy from Newcastle once.  I could barely understand his English; Mrs B just looked at him like he was an idiot, which shows what a fine judge of character she is.

Fine judge of character - or simply a racist who cannot accept when people do not speak queen's English?

A fine judge of character.  He was an etho-centric idiot for not having the sheer decency and consideration to adapt his colloquilisms, realising he had actually moved more than 10km away from the River Tyne.

He had the gall to ask why Mrs Bendix didn't speak English.  I told him her English was better than his.

[onionluke]

Krupnik, on 2012-02-10 08:52:27, said:

sbk, on 2011-04-07 11:25:43, said:

I realize you are asking about "cute" Thai girlfriend English but I thought I'd put my two pennies worth in anyway

My husband's English is very good and he will ask me for the meaning of words on occasion but I have never really corrected him much. Usually I just make sure I speak proper English with him at all times and he has learned to speak correctly that way. Speaking pidgin English with your partner is foolish IMO since it teaches that person the incorrect way to speak English.

Better to speak more slowly, more clearly and if necessary, use simpler words (or do what I tend to do, use a more complex word but then explain it) so that your partner's English is improved without them feeling picked on, criticized or like an idiot.

Why is this topic only for men with their Thai girlfriend's and Thai wifes pidgin English? What about us women with Thai husbands or boyfriends with cute pidgin English???

Anyway I totally agree with SBK. I hate pidgin English and anyone who speaks pidgin English to their partner just sounds stupid in my opinion. I wouldn't want my boyfriend to speak to me in stupid Thai like that! Can you imagine?! I actually feel embarrassed when I hear some of my friends speak in pidgin English to their partners or other people in general. I am tempting to correct THEM!

Like SBK said I try to speak a little more slowly and clearly and without slang and I tend not to use any special vocabulary that I might with a native as I know he probably won't know it. Although sometimes these words slip up anyway, which is a nice teaching opportunity as he will always ask me. I'm used to speaking like this anyway, with my students and with people in general. It has been this way for some time now which shed me of my natural cockney accent! (Probably a good thing. )

My boyfriend asks me to correct him on everything, this would be impossible. I don't believe anyone can ever have perfect grammar in English unless they learnt it from a very young age perhaps actually in an English speaking country or with a native speaking carer, so to do this would be tedious for my boyfriend and would seem like nitpicking since I always understand exactly where he means. Like someone else said, I would probably only correct repeated mistakes or an error that gives an unclear/misleading meaning....

I always tell him to correct me on the mistakes that I make in Thai even if he still understands what I mean, but my Thai is far worse than his English!

Yeh , come and join the farty .

[theblether]

It can be cute and it can be funny but it can also be embarrassing. I agree with an earlier post that says that his partner finds it hard to switch between languages after talking to her Thai friends or watching soaps. My partner is the same. It is incumbent upon us to not allow our partners to be ridiculed so we must help them as they must help us.

A major problem for anyone learning the English language is that we spend the majority of the time speaking in metaphors, so not only does someone have to learn the words but they have to learn the metaphors too. When they can understand the metaphors then they are truly fluent in English.

Anyway, the most embarrassing language difference one I came across was an American couple that came to visit me in Scotland, the fella was a US Army Major at the time ( XO ) and his wife was a beautiful self respecting Christian lady. We were sitting in a pub that my family owned at the time and the couple were being treated like royalty, everyone was hanging on their every word. We had driven together from Germany to Scotland and someone asked the lady if the journey was hard. Her reply........

" I was sitting for too long and now I've got a sore fanny "

Cue embarrassed silence................

[theblether]

bendix, on 2012-02-10 11:25:03, said:

Given that a huge proportion of expats - particularly from the UK and the antipodes - struggle to express themselves in English, I'm not sure we are the right people to correct Thais on their English skills.

I've lost count of the times I've heard fat skinheads from Essex get annoyed with perplexed waiting staff for not understanding a simple English phrase like ''Gimme two pints o' stella and a pack of smokes, innit"  and then berating them for being ''innorant gook farkers'

And don't get me started on the Aussies who mumble under their breath, before finishing every statement with the inquisitive ''ay, mate?'

I introduced Mrs Bendix to a guy from Newcastle once.  I could barely understand his English; Mrs B just looked at him like he was an idiot, which shows what a fine judge of character she is.

I have a broad Scottish accent ( Glasgwegian to be exact ) and it is a daily struggle for me to modify and neutralise the way I talk, and I cut out the Glasgow vernacular altogether.

Even after doing that I get irritated by people ( and I'm getting the idea that your one of them ) that complain they find me difficult to understand. My normal and very successful retort to that is that I cannot help the fact they are too lazy to listen attentively.

I say it with a smile as I don't want to be excessively offensive, but I have found that people's comprehension level improves dramatically after that line.

So just as much as it is incumbent upon me ( and everyone else ) to mollify the more unusual aspects of our vernacular and speech, it is equally incumbent upon others to put the effort into listening attentively.

[bendix]

theblether, on 2012-02-10 13:13:02, said:

bendix, on 2012-02-10 11:25:03, said:

Given that a huge proportion of expats - particularly from the UK and the antipodes - struggle to express themselves in English, I'm not sure we are the right people to correct Thais on their English skills.

I've lost count of the times I've heard fat skinheads from Essex get annoyed with perplexed waiting staff for not understanding a simple English phrase like ''Gimme two pints o' stella and a pack of smokes, innit"  and then berating them for being ''innorant gook farkers'

And don't get me started on the Aussies who mumble under their breath, before finishing every statement with the inquisitive ''ay, mate?'

I introduced Mrs Bendix to a guy from Newcastle once.  I could barely understand his English; Mrs B just looked at him like he was an idiot, which shows what a fine judge of character she is.

I have a broad Scottish accent ( Glasgwegian to be exact ) and it is a daily struggle for me to modify and neutralise the way I talk, and I cut out the Glasgow vernacular altogether.

Even after doing that I get irritated by people ( and I'm getting the idea that your one of them ) that complain they find me difficult to understand. My normal and very successful retort to that is that I cannot help the fact they are too lazy to listen attentively.

.

I make it a point to only try hard to listen to people if i feel they have something to say worth listening too.

But - come on - I was expressly referring to talking to Thais in this regard, and my point is that too many of us think we are still in Liverpool, Sydney, Birmingham or even Glasgow and make no effort at all to speak more clearly, modify our vocabulary to make ourselves better understand.

Remember - we are the foreigners here.  Not them.  It's up to us to make ourselves better understood, not the other way round.

[theblether]

bendix, on 2012-02-10 13:33:00, said:

theblether, on 2012-02-10 13:13:02, said:

bendix, on 2012-02-10 11:25:03, said:

Given that a huge proportion of expats - particularly from the UK and the antipodes - struggle to express themselves in English, I'm not sure we are the right people to correct Thais on their English skills.

I've lost count of the times I've heard fat skinheads from Essex get annoyed with perplexed waiting staff for not understanding a simple English phrase like ''Gimme two pints o' stella and a pack of smokes, innit"  and then berating them for being ''innorant gook farkers'

And don't get me started on the Aussies who mumble under their breath, before finishing every statement with the inquisitive ''ay, mate?'

I introduced Mrs Bendix to a guy from Newcastle once.  I could barely understand his English; Mrs B just looked at him like he was an idiot, which shows what a fine judge of character she is.

I have a broad Scottish accent ( Glasgwegian to be exact ) and it is a daily struggle for me to modify and neutralise the way I talk, and I cut out the Glasgow vernacular altogether.

Even after doing that I get irritated by people ( and I'm getting the idea that your one of them ) that complain they find me difficult to understand. My normal and very successful retort to that is that I cannot help the fact they are too lazy to listen attentively.

.

I make it a point to only try hard to listen to people if i feel they have something to say worth listening too.

But - come on - I was expressly referring to talking to Thais in this regard, and my point is that too many of us think we are still in Liverpool, Sydney, Birmingham or even Glasgow and make no effort at all to speak more clearly, modify our vocabulary to make ourselves better understand.

Remember - we are the foreigners here.  Not them.  It's up to us to make ourselves better understood, not the other way round.

I agree with that......it is a daily struggle for me to modify and mollify my accent and I do have to be very particular when talking to Thais......maybe that is why my hackles raise when I come across English speakers that can't be bothered to put the same effort into listening as I do into speaking.

[robbo1]

My missus when she gets angry says I piss off, I say where are you going no no I piss off Oh pissed off, she is just annoyed that makes me giggle a little but I do not ridicule her as other posters have said my Thai is not the best.
Enough to order a meal or count up to 1000 but not to have a conversation.

[xthAi76s]

My wife holds two masters degrees (obtained in English).  She is essentially completely fluent in all aspects but, perhaps, idiom/expression (since there are so many and which vary from one English speaking country to another).  On occasion, she will correct my (native) English, and, on occasion, I will correct hers (ESL).  I try not to do it in public though.  

All non-native English speakers carry with them some tendencies to make certain kinds of mistakes, whether grammatical, in pronunciation or some other language category like idiom, and after knowing enough people (especially from Europe) who speak English as a third, fourth or even fifth language, I've developed even more respect and patience for non-native speakers of other languages.

[thaiIand]

MSingh, on 2011-04-07 14:35:16, said:

How can someone have a " Degree in English ", yet only speak it " quite well " ??

Where does this " Degree " get issued & to what standard ??

My wife's brother recently gratuated with a university degree in english.

I can't communicate with him.

Edited by thaiIand, 2012-02-10 14:59:17.

[red1green0]

Quote

How Often Do You Correct Your Wife'S/ Gf'S English?

Quite a lot, she's American raised and educated.

[xthAi76s]

red1green0, on 2012-02-10 15:07:15, said:

Quote

How Often Do You Correct Your Wife'S/ Gf'S English?

Quite a lot, she's American raised and educated.

This nonsense makes it into most every thread.

And, if I might ask, where is it you hail from?

And, what is an example of something you correct that you believe is the result of her being American?

Edited by ThailandMan, 2012-02-10 15:17:32.

[red1green0]

ThailandMan, on 2012-02-10 15:16:38, said:

This nonsense makes it into most every thread.

"..almost every thread.', surely.

Quote

And, if I might ask, where is it you hail from?

The English speaking World.

Quote

And, what is an example of something you correct that you believe is the result of her being American?

Leaving '...ly' off adverbs, 'This is real nice' for example, instead of 'This is really nice'.

'How are you?', 'I'm good'.

Me: 'You're good? good at what?'

Just quick examples off the top of my head.

Edited by red1green0, 2012-02-10 15:25:52.

[xthAi76s]

red1green0, on 2012-02-10 15:24:51, said:

ThailandMan, on 2012-02-10 15:16:38, said:

This nonsense makes it into most every thread.

"..almost every thread.', surely.

Quote

And, if I might ask, where is it you hail from?

The English speaking World.

Quote

And, what is an example of something you correct that you believe is the result of her being American?

Leaving '...ly' off adverbs, 'This is real nice' for example, instead of 'This is really nice'.

'How are you?', 'I'm good'.

Me: 'You're good? good at what?'

Just quick examples off the top of my head.

hmm ...  OK

[DocN]

I do from time to time, as I know she wants to learn.
The cutest thing is that "washing" turns into "watching" many times...so we are "watching" the "ditches" or turn on the "watching machine" (TV???)...

[Kwasaki]

I don't correct my wife at all unless she ask me what's this or what does that mean, and I tell her in my pidgen Thai. .

I would like to support my wife who was never lucky enough to get a good education, I understand that speaking pidgin English with your partner maybe thought as foolish by some but my wife really has no interest on improving or in learning more English, so to me understanding communication I think is much more important.

To get my message across by using pidgen English is for me to be understood, otherwise no matter how slowly my spoken English is my point is lost amongst the extra correct words I have spoken.

I thought this was funny.

Quote

Krupnik
I always tell him to correct me on the mistakes that I make in Thai even if he still understands what I mean, but my Thai is far worse than his English!

So do you always know when you make a mistake. ?

I am proud of my cockney accent it is part of who I am, I've got our 18month great great great Thai nephew, saying " ello mate " , the family love it, saying he speaks English already.

Edited by Kwasaki, 2012-02-10 16:20:37.

[xthAi76s]

theblether, on 2012-02-10 13:04:47, said:

It can be cute and it can be funny but it can also be embarrassing. I agree with an earlier post that says that his partner finds it hard to switch between languages after talking to her Thai friends or watching soaps. My partner is the same. It is incumbent upon us to not allow our partners to be ridiculed so we must help them as they must help us.

A major problem for anyone learning the English language is that we spend the majority of the time speaking in metaphors, so not only does someone have to learn the words but they have to learn the metaphors too. When they can understand the metaphors then they are truly fluent in English.

Anyway, the most embarrassing language difference one I came across was an American couple that came to visit me in Scotland, the fella was a US Army Major at the time ( XO ) and his wife was a beautiful self respecting Christian lady. We were sitting in a pub that my family owned at the time and the couple were being treated like royalty, everyone was hanging on their every word. We had driven together from Germany to Scotland and someone asked the lady if the journey was hard. Her reply........

" I was sitting for too long and now I've got a sore fanny "

Cue embarrassed silence................

I've noticed this metaphor/idiomatic problem, and, in my opinion, it is more acute in English speakers from the smaller (than the US) countries.  Also, there's a tendency (even in the US) for English speakers to use idiom heavily (and metaphor, as well) as a way to

a.) display their 'intelligence' to the world and
b.) to distinguish themselves from other speakers hailing from other English speaking countries/regions.  

The more trouble listeners encounter trying to understand these speakers, the better the speakers feel.  It does seem though that speakers from places like UK, OZ, etc (the more quaint English speaking countries) utilize these communication instruments heavily.

Edited by ThailandMan, 2012-02-10 16:41:59.

[GreenSnapper]

thaiIand, on 2012-02-10 14:59:06, said:

MSingh, on 2011-04-07 14:35:16, said:

How can someone have a " Degree in English ", yet only speak it " quite well " ??

Where does this " Degree " get issued & to what standard ??

My wife's brother recently gratuated with a university degree in english.

I can't communicate with him.

Lucky that he is not a surgeon ....

[scorecard]

tonititan, on 2011-04-07 16:56:40, said:

sbk, on 2011-04-07 11:25:43, said:

Speaking pidgin English with your partner is foolish IMO since it teaches that person the incorrect way to speak English.

Better to speak more slowly, more clearly and if necessary, use simpler words (or do what I tend to do, use a more complex word but then explain it) so that your partner's English is improved without them feeling picked on, criticized or like an idiot.

Agreed!  I cringe every time I hear someone speaking pidgin English to his/her partner....especially when the person wants to learn more English!  It doesn't help them if you model poor English.  For the most part, an English language learner can understand "Should we go to the store?" or "Wanna go to the store?" just as well as "We go store?"

Here's another example of pidgin / Thinglish   "You go Bangkok.".  This could mean:

- Did you just go to Bangkok?

- Have you ever been to Bangkok?

- Are you going to Bangkok?

In fact it doesn't take long to say (and write down) the correct sentences and explain the full and clear meanings. With some further reinforcement the Enlish learner will convert to the correct English.

[rizenkroft]

Siammcfarang I have the exact problem I just find it too amusing and don't want to feel like her father correction her every time. One classic that I will never correct is " I ask when I did something she is accusing me of" wife says back you do that everywhen!

[inzman]

I try to be helpful when I correct them. I appreciate that they try to speak english.

[Kwasaki]

scorecard, on 2012-02-11 20:07:48, said:

tonititan, on 2011-04-07 16:56:40, said:

sbk, on 2011-04-07 11:25:43, said:

Speaking pidgin English with your partner is foolish IMO since it teaches that person the incorrect way to speak English.

Better to speak more slowly, more clearly and if necessary, use simpler words (or do what I tend to do, use a more complex word but then explain it) so that your partner's English is improved without them feeling picked on, criticized or like an idiot.

Agreed!  I cringe every time I hear someone speaking pidgin English to his/her partner....especially when the person wants to learn more English!  It doesn't help them if you model poor English.  For the most part, an English language learner can understand "Should we go to the store?" or "Wanna go to the store?" just as well as "We go store?"

Here's another example of pidgin / Thinglish   "You go Bangkok.".  This could mean:

- Did you just go to Bangkok?

- Have you ever been to Bangkok?

- Are you going to Bangkok?

In fact it doesn't take long to say (and write down) the correct sentences and explain the full and clear meanings. With some further reinforcement the Enlish learner will convert to the correct English.

Nothing wrong with, " You go Bangkok.", it really depends on the situation or the circumstances, pidgin english has a benefit in different cultures, try this with your intelligent Thai partners :-

1) The bandage was wound around the wound.
2) The farm was used to produce produce.
3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
4) We must polish the Polish furniture.
5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.
8) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10) I did not object to the object.
11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
13) They were too close to the door to close it.
14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18) After a number of injections my jaw got number.
19) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.
20) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.