ก๋วยเตี๋ยวเส้นเหล็ก "Steel Noodles" by Andrew Biggs

[Tod-Daniels]

I posted this on another Thai language forum but thought I'd put it up here too.

I just wanted to let everyone know that the new book out by Andrew Biggs called ก๋วยเตี๋ยวเส้นเหล็ก "Steel Noodles", is a good easy and fun read. It's well worth picking up for ANY student of the Thai language.

It's not written like his other books which teach English to Thais (except in a round about way). He wrote this book to show what he went thru learning Thai. It covers his growing up, working in Oz, the situation which brought him to Thailand the first time and his oh-so many trials and tribulations in learning this language.

Some of the interesting stories;
How is first teacher taught him that totally over toned, drawn out "foreign sounding" Thai they teach every foreigner here. He talks about how after meeting Thais on the street, parroting the phrases he'd learned in class, he was unable to understand the Thais responses because they didn't match the pre-programmed script he was taught. He talks about the Thai penchant for word shortening and a misunderstanding which arose from hearing สวัสดี spoken as หวัดดี thinking it was a "good cold". How when ordering ก๋วยเตี๋ยว he got the intonation for เล็ก mixed up with เหล็ก (hence the title of the book) and for which the noodle seller made a big joke of it to every seller in the entire market.

He also goes over how several times he very nearly 'threw in the towel' on learning Thai and his love/hate relationship with the language early on. Obviously after 23 years here that relationship morphed into something else, especially so as he's writing these books IN Thai.

He relates many personal fox-pawz about his speaking Thai and about how Thais react to foreigners speaking Thai to them. There are some really interesting anecdotes which thai in, err tie into learning Thai and obliquely to Thais learning English too. It's more a book to show that learning ANY language takes time, takes making mistakes, takes not being afraid of looking stupid, and takes a LOT of determination and practice.

BTW: I am not affiliated with Andrew Biggs; just bringing to light a book which is written in pretty easy to understand Thai (ภาษาพูด for the most part). I'm just part way thru the book now, and I'm also tryin' to pace myself and not read it in a single sitting.

It's definitely been motivational for me, because after nearly 4 years of studying this language myself and via more methods than I care to contemplate, I was starting to lose my determination as far as EVER getting it to "click" with me.

Reading this book I can see many, many parallels in my quest to speak, read and write Thai (even at half-a**ed level I manage to it). I think ANY foreign learner of this language would be able to draw encouragement from this book their quest to learn Thai.

It's available at Se-Ed bookshops and probably at his school's new location in the Taisin Building near the Phrakanong BTS station. ..

Note 2 Modz; If you think this would be better in another area of the forum, please feel free to move it. I only put it here because it's the most widely read one.

[djaidee]

Sounds a good read, will try to get a Copy - must find somebody who will return from Thailand soon so and can buy me a Copy, as I think Se-Ed doesn't ship abroad

Here is the Book Cover

[kikenyoy]

Thanks for another good recommendation Tod. I liked Eri and have just started this one and really like it so far. I never could find any of those เรื่องเล่า... books that you mentioned though.

[alvinkhoo]

hi..anyone knows how much is this book..?

[djaidee]

According to Se-Ed Bookcenter it's 220,- Baht.

You can search any Book Title Online at Se-Ed:

http://www.se-ed.com/

[alvinkhoo]

thanks djaidee!!!!

[djaidee]

Your welcome

[alvinkhoo]

finally!!!!!