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Silent Ninja

I'm so happy with my AUA Language Center books that I brought from Amazon

Soon I'll be finished with the books that I have, but I cannot find the next ones (2, 3, etc.) at Amazon or anywhere else online

Does anyone know where I can buy them online or in Thailand (Songkhla/Bangkok)? Do they for example have them for sale at the AUA Language school?

Thanks.

friscofrankie

They were available at teh AUA center in BKK and are still available at teh center in Chiangmai (assuming that they are still in BKK as well). The books, in my opinion, are among the worst, you have to learn a third language to decipher their so-called transliterations and actually use them. In fact the books I bought had so much material on the AUA transliteration method I tossed 'em.
There is no transliteration of many sounds/letters in the Thai language. None. Learning Thai language using these transliterations fosters poor pronunciation habits that will be difficult to break.

Many better books on the Market.

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Silent Ninja

... strange. My wife thinks my pronunciation has finally become understandable after I started using AUA.

dirtydog

Have a look thru the 2 adverts at the top, I believe they both have ebooks and have sound with the way to say words.

Gerbil

I find that the more I get pissed in a bar, the more the girls understand me. No need for this reading and learning rubbish.

friscofrankie

^Absolutely true. My Ol' Lady supports me going to these establishments so I can better learn the language. Course, when I get home at 5 - 6 AM she is very careful to review all the lessons I had over the evening.

Whatever works! Was it real bad before?? I bought a couple hunnert hours of AUA about 5 years ago in BKK. I had the Benjawan Boomsan Becker series of books but the AUA folks convinced me the AUA books (Reading & Writing) were better.

I started working with a Thai student of English there. He was a big help with Reading & Writing he told me to throw the AUA books away, we worked from the ones I already had. If you have a Thai ol' lady then whatever books you've already got auditory assistance & might be able to skip learning their special "transliteration language."

BTW ~ I've still got about 30 hours left of the AUA time.

Silent Ninja

I don't think the AUA transliteration language is that bad. Must confess that I actually find it quite useful

The Basket Weaver

The transliteration is very good.
I got my books from a local library. The teaching style was not to my liking though.

However, AUA did produce and excellent book based on 50 or so small conversation pieces. Cant remember the title of this book.

Silent Ninja

That would be AUA Thai Course Book A, Small Talk

Johnny Rotten

the books were written around 1960. The world has moved on and there is bigger and better ways to learn the language

Told Stool

Hi. I thought for a minute that you were taking the Thai language courses at AUA. I visited their campus once and found it quite impressive.

They have a learn Thai program that you can take. If you're interested, PM me and I can send you the details of what I found out on their program.

sunderlandstephen

Could be the book i seek. Am i right in assuming it`s ideal for beginers

Silent Ninja

Depends on which of the AUA books you choose, book 1 is for beginners, 2 for intermediate, etc.

Texpat

I studied Thai at AUA, Udon Thani, for eight months.
It's not my first foreign language.
That transliteration bullshit in the AUA books is absolute crap. If my instructors weren't hot, I'd have quit.
My suggestion: Learn the writing system first (using the Thai words you already know) Skip having to learn the (third) language that is transliteration. It's a massive waste of time.

As soon as you learn to read and write, you'll kick yourself for not doing it first.

May, hay, ray, say, bay, lay, day -- all sound like _ay.

In transliterese they're pronounced Mai, hai, rai, .... crap.

Matthew

I've got a friend who put in over 20 hours a week at AUA, went through levels 1 thru 10 and on to reading and writing, and is functionally fluent in Thai.

He's an exceptionally smart and focused person, though. Nonetheless, it seems the ALG (Automatic Language Growth) system will work if you put in the time enough to constitute 'swimming in the sound of the language' etc.

I think the canteen at AUA has some of the best grub deals in Bangkok.

sunderlandstephen

Thanks