Language and Communication: Thailand - Essay Example

It's possessions, as he or she may feel embarrassed, or obligated to give you the item in question. It is best to give general praise, such as 'You have a wonderful office.' Direct questions are also quite common, and people will often say something like 'I'm sorry, are you married' Part of this is trying to identify your position in the group. Age is also a common question, especially if you are not yet going bald or grey! Direct replies are appreciated but can be avoided if you don't feel comfortable replying (Campbell, 1957).

'I feel like I'm 21 again!' is a good example of an indirect response. Be aware that Thais will often state bluntly that you are either fat or fatter than the last time they saw you. Don't take offense at this and simply laugh it off and give a simple reason--usually all the delicious Thai food you have been enjoying recently. There is no need to reply with a similar comment.The Thai language uses a phonetic alphabet of 44 consonants and 32 vowels (Noochoochai, 1978). All syllables must contain a vowel sound, but may begin and/or end with a consonant sound.

A syllable that ends in a vowel sound is called open, and a syllable that ends in a consonant is called closed. Each syllable is pronounced in one of five tones: mid, high, low, rising, or falling; as a result, speaking correctly creates a pleasing melodic pattern which has led to the language being sometimes called a sing-song language by foreigners. Since the alphabet is phonetic (like English but unlike Chinese), it is possible to pronounce a word without knowing its meaning.Most Thai words are a simple single immutable syllable; there are no suffixes, declensions, subject-object agreement, or word conjugations (Noochoochai, 1978).

Thai words are assembled into larger forms by aggregation; perhaps because of this, "Thais greatly appreciate puns and double-entendres which, besides enlivening everyday vernacular, spice and propel outrageous dialogue in popular art forms such as folk theatre."