Thai study abroad profiles

Immediately after landing in Bangkok I became aware of the Thai I had already learned in Leeds. I was able to recognise words on airport signs and explain in Thai to the immigration officer that I would be studying in Chiang Mai. This gave me the confidence boost I needed to get over my initial reservations about my language ability.

I used Thailand as a giant textbook and became almost addicted to reading everything I saw. The days of trying to work out where to split a sentence into each syllable seems very long ago and I now recognise many words at a glance. This also proved a good method for me to pick up new words. The dictionary we used in the first year is almost worn out from looking up so much unknown vocabulary I read from signs and posters.

I also took the opportunity to teach English at a local school, which proved to be an extremely rewarding experience. It also helped improve my Thai much more than I had anticipated. The children we taught were aged 7-8, so only had basic English skills. Therefore, we also had to explain most things to them in Thai. One of my prouder moments was realising I was able to tell the story of ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’ in Thai. I also developed a friendship with the children’s teacher and often had the opportunity to speak with the monk who taught the children Buddhism. I felt I met many unexpected opportunities to learn about a wide range of Thai subjects from the people I met through the school.

After the culture classes we took in Leeds, as well as from the knowledge I had picked up on previous visits to Thailand, I didn’t feel worried about making any faux pas in the Thai cultural setting. I also had an awareness of the depth and complexity of Thai culture and was looking forward to experiencing it more closely. Despite the knowledge I already had, there were still many new things to learn about the depth of Thai culture. I found particularly interesting Thai youth culture and was surprised to see the mix of traditional Thai behaviour with modern more western behaviour among Thai teenagers.

Being part of the year abroad programme at Chiang Mai University offers some truly rare opportunities to experience Thai culture, in ways that being a tourist never could. The university days out took us to temples and villages that as a tourist I would certainly have overlooked. Although I felt I understood the basics of Thai culture, learning about the history and heritage of Lanna people gave me a whole new insight on Thailand. I can now see how much Thai people differ from different parts of the country.

The highlight of the university trips was without doubt the village stay. I had absolutely no idea what to expect of the village or the people we were staying with. I was nervous at the prospect of staying with a family without the security net of friends, but also knew this would be my chance to go it alone and prove to myself I was able to apply the Thai I had been learning to an unusual situation. However, I had no reason to feel apprehensive, as the family I stayed with were incredibly warm and welcoming. The daughter-in-law of the family was the same age as me and became my companion for the whole time I stayed there. Despite our incredibly different backgrounds and lifestyles we managed to forge a friendship and I plan to visit the family when I next return to Thailand. Now that I have returned to England, the brief experience of Thai village life I had seems a very long time ago, but the memories of chopping down bananas, eating snake and watching a cockfight are still very vivid!

I feel proud of my progression in Thai language and think my ability to learn and digest Thai has improved and quickened. At times learning a language can be frustrating as the more you learn, the more you realise you have to learn. However, when reflecting on the progress I have made, I can see how my language skills have been developing.

On a more personal level, the year abroad could not have happened at a better time. I had had a difficult year previous to departing and felt very much that I was at a juncture in my life. I was able to take the opportunity to improve myself in a very positive way, as well as being able to take the time to reflect upon previous events and decisions. I am tremendously grateful for the opportunities I have been given while studying abroad and have learned so much them. I am sure I have returned to England a better person for the experiences I have had in Thailand.