Learning Tai...Karla's way...

Here I am in the second country I have lived in and trying to learn another language

 (1st two attempts didn't go so well...Spanish and Portuguese)...

3rd times a charm right!?!?!

the girl who could barely learn English...

the girl with the memory and speech troubles as a kid

the one who is tone deaf, but the blessing is a true talent of singing off key!

Yes, I am that girl and now I am trying to learn a tonal language....

high tone, low tone, falling tone, rising tone, mid tone...

can't you hear it...

it wasn't falling- it was rising...

does it matter?

well, do you want a tiger or shirt at the market---

AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH

I have to make connections...

something I can relate to...

something that fits with what I know...

I need to make it a game...

 see it...

 hear it....

say it...

So here is your first tai lesson from me :) 

I can't read tai so I am learning tai phonetically...

pii (falling tone) saao (rising tone)= older sister

it is pronounced "pee sow"

it took me awhile to stop laughing every time I called my sisters "sow"

muu (with lines through the uu)= pork

it is pronounced "moo"

ok so I just think cows say "moo" but it really means pork (pig)

sua (with line through u and rising tone)= tiger

sua (with line through u and falling tone) = shirt

just remember that if you saw a tiger you would probably raise your voice and end with an aaaahhhhhh

aa chiip (falling tone)= occupation

sounds just like "a sheep" 

at least it sounds like that to me :)

bplaa= fish

sounds like "blah" and I agree I don't really like eating fish


Hope you learned something today by reading "learn tai-Karla's way"
Stay toned for another lesson in a month or two :)