This article was originally posted on WomenLearnThai.com.
Have I got a Thai typing tutor game for you…
While I was adding thai-language.com’s logo to the top of WLT (glance up and over to your right) Glenn was happily showing me his new toy developed with Josh Sager (Let’s Talk Thai): TLC’s Thai Typing Tutor Game.
Waiting for the countdown to 2010, I contacted Josh to get instructions.
- Start the game (obviously).
- The character will fall from the top a la Space Invaders.
- You have to type the appropriate keyboard key that matches the character; your score is on the right, determined by how many times you hit the right or wrong keys.
- If you get the character WRONG, the correct key suggestion will show up in the bottom right corner of the game; that’s what you use to learn when you make a mistake. Just be sure to pay attention to what is capitalized and not, since obviously the SHIFT key on the keyboard will produce different Thai characters.
- If the character makes it all the way to the bottom without getting correctly entered, the game will pause.
- To start the game again, just hit the “continue” button.
If you are bad (but don’t know it yet), click the box next to adapt. That way, the speed will slow down to accommodate your skill level.
And if you are really, really bad, you can even pause the Thai character partway down. How great is that?
Hi Tony, thanks for stopping by with your new typing game. I have it on my list of resources to review and often share it with other typing resources.
Learning the Thai keyboard made a huge difference to me, it really sped up my learning. I could already touch type in English so after orientating myself with the Thai keyboard I could start working through writing practice sessions pretty quick.
So I put together a site focussed on learning Thai through typing practice: https://www.learnthaiping.com
The practice phrases on LearnThaiPing are designed for learning to read/understand Thai at the same time as learning to type. It includes word-by-word audio for each phrase and it highlights each word as you’re typing, which helps new readers come to grips with the lack of spaces in Thai script.
If you don’t have a Thai keyboard then the quickest way to get started is on a phone or tablet where it is easy enough to quickly turn on a Thai touch screen keyboard. Personally I prefer practicing on a full size keyboard though where I can use all fingers touch-typing style. This helps take advantage of the “muscle memory” factor when repeating common keystroke patterns (i.e. helps memorise words).
A good typing game thanks.
Ah, ok… I wasn’t sure where you were going with it.
What I have is actually a keyboard software driver for the Windows PC (Apple Mac later on). It’s not a method of instructions on how to type Thai on a Thai Kedmanee keyboard. So writing an ebook is not feasible.
Anyhoo… Thanks for the suggestion…
Hi James, interesting. The only thing I can think of is to sell it via e-book. Create a site for a home base, and then sell it around at places such as Vern’s Thailand eBooks.
Before you Thai enthusiasts decide to jump in and embark on the laborious task of learning the Thai keyboard, let me advise you to wait.
I have developed something quite groundbreaking which requires only about an hour of orientation and with some practice, you can type like a Thai native in no time. No kidding. (Methink even Thais have problems with their Kedmanee keyboard)
The only requirement is that the typist knows the Thai script fairly well and is familiar with a QWERTY keyboard. Yes, just your existing knowledge of where the ABCs are in a QWERTY keyboard.
I have used and refined it for over a year now, using it to chat in Thai with Thais. Many of them have been puzzled as to how a foreigner like me, (I’m a Chinese Singaporean btw), can type Thai as fast as they do.
Right now, I have been thinking of how best I can release it and receive some bread and butter along the way…
Maybe your readers can give me some ideas…
Magnoy, I gather it would be a qwerty keyboard, but I’m not up on the differences. I don’t know my Thai numerals on the keyboard either (I don’t often use them).
I guess this game is for qwerty keyboards. As I am using a qwertz it should be same ketmanee anyway but it seems slightly different or is it just me with the numerals which I can’t type blind so i am just figuring out the intricacies of qwerty, qwertz and ketmanee. Thanks Kat.
The advice I got was to avoid getting a Thai keyboard as then you are forced to really know where everything is. I don’t type in Thai every day, so I’m afraid I need to be able to see the odd key.
No Thai keyboard here but if I play around with it long enough I can remember which keys they characters are mapped to to a certain extent which is a whole nother memory game. It would be cooler if it was a shoot em up game though lol.
Talen, do you have a Thai keyboard? That might be the ticket. If not, you can always grab Google’s online keyboard.
I know, I know… your idea would be more fun, but a tad distracting I would imagine 😉
Well I am usually great at games but failed miserably at this one…I’m thinking their might be a better learning method like a flashcard type of thing except instead of cards the Thai characters are painted on the flat stomachs of beautiful Thai women…It may be sexist but it will guarantee that the male learner will stick with the program.