This article was originally posted on WomenLearnThai.com.
James Higbie’s Essential Thai has arrived in Bangkok…
At long last, Jim’s Essential Thai has hit the bookshelves at Orchid’s Bookshop in Bangkok. You can purchase Essential Thai online from Orchid Press or stop by their bookstore on the 4th floor of the Silom Complex Shopping Plaza. Oh. And I asked at Kinokuniya’s too – it’s on order.
Orchid Press: Essential Thai is a complete learning package for those who want to acquire basic working skills in the Thai language, quickly and efficiently. Freshly updated and back by popular demand, Essential Thai includes a CD ROM with MP-3 audio files to introduce the student to Thai pronunciation and beginning phrases.
Focused completely on developing practical language skills, Essential Thai introduces conversation and grammar, commonly used vocabulary and how to read Thai script in a logical, graduated, manner.
Whether you are traveling or planning to live in Thailand, whether shopping, booking a hotel, ordering a meal or speaking on the phone or much more, this is the language tool for you.
Anyway, I picked up a copy of Essential Thai this week so a review is indeed in the works (as is an interview with Jim).
August, out here supplies in bookstores come and go so it’s easy to miss what’s still around or not. Because I have WLT, I scour the web looking for opinions on resources, so Jim’s book was on my ‘gotta have’ list from the very beginning. Finding Jim was another task I set myself so now both are complete.
“Guess no one will need any xeroxed versions now though”… oh, I’m sure there will be some floating around even still 😉
Stupid me, I didn’t realize it was out of print. But I did wonder every once in a while why I never noticed any in the bookstores, seeing as I thought it was such a useful book. Guess no one will need any xeroxed versions now though.
Thanks for stopping by August. I heard from others that they’d make copies of Jim’s book and share it around. And then the copies of copies even become cherished (and rare). So the rest of us have been waiting quite awhile.
In order to flesh out my review of Essential Thai, this morning I sat down with a Thai teacher. She gives Jim’s phrases a 10 out of 10. High praise from her indeed!
This is one of the first Thai langugage learning books I bought – and my all-time favorite. To be honest, I have several books that I bought and barely cracked open. This one was beat up and dog eared. For me at least, it covered more or less all of the basics – great vocab lists, great sets of important language constructions, great sets of common phrases.
I’ll be sure to check that out.
He’s constantly pounding HAVE FUN!! HAVE FUN!! into each post. And it works for Thai too.
This one is interesting: How To Enjoy Movies You Don’t Understand, Like A Kid
I see where you are coming from and I agree, learning Thai is a huge undertaking. Ok. Some take to learning languages like a duck takes to water so don’t know what the problem is. But it’s a long hard slog for a lot of people. The advice is to make learning Thai fun. Watch movies you like, read books that interest you, make up games to make you smile. AJATT is all about going after Japanese in such a way. Have you spent any time over there?
I’ve always found learning Thai to be a daunting task. Of course I have always had the outlook that it is something that I could eventually achieve, but there are setbacks from time to time that ultimately hold me back. There are the inspired highs and the uninspiring lows. I wish that I could always be making progress, but unfortunately that isn’t always the case. When it comes down to it, tomorrow, I will likely be further along in my learning then I was today, it just doesn’t always feel that way.
Uninspired to learn Thai?
Don’t hold your breathe, I’m feeling very uninspired lately.
Lawrence, if you do get your hands on it let me know what you think. Right now my copy is with a Thai teacher (I always get an educated opinion before writing my reviews).
Sounds interesting, I may have to check it out. Not too many big bookstores here in Phuket though unless I want to go to Patong. I guess I’ll just wait until the review is in.
Snap, in Bangkok the largest section is at Kinokuniya’s in Paragon so if you do manage to swing by, it’s an easy one stop shopping experience for Thai learning materials. They have two bookcases full of Thai grammar books, dictionaries, course books with CDs, the lot. It didn’t use to be that way so I’m quite chuffed that it wasn’t a brief flash in the pan (as often happens in Thailand).
I make a point to stop by Kinokuniya’s to see what crazy Thai course is available each month (there’s been some doozies!) And I did find a new one but I won’t name it in Jim’s post.
Catherine, the biggest book store I’ve seen here is DK’s (on the outer moat road, on the east wall, south of Tha Pae gate). Not sure about their learning Thai section for English speakers…was in the kids Thai book section when I visited 😉 But, I’ll go back and check it out. It’ll be much cheaper to purchase learning materials over here and I imagine there would be more of a range.
Talen the closest thing I can find to a brain chip are the classics. I downloaded two new albums yesterday for my studies: Classical Music for Exams, and Beethovan for Your Mind. Baroque opens connections in my brain – I hope the gateway is big enough for a bit of learning to sneak through 🙂
It might take a week or two for Jim’s book to reach other bookstores around Thailand. I’ll check again at Kinokuniya’s next week just because I’m curious (ie nosy).
Cat, when you find the chip I need one too 😛
I am definitely looking forward to your review on this one and will check out my local book stores for it too.
Snap, I’m looking forward to that computer chip too. But for now, Jim’s book will have to do 😀
Btw: Please let us know where you find it in Chiang Mai. Is there one main store that has Thai language books?
…what, still no brain computer chip? 😉 I look forward to the review. I’m frantically gathering resources, for when I’m back home…on my own.