Unlearning Thai: Talking with Stu Jay Raj about cracking Thai fundamentals (2.41)

We're talking with Stu Jay Raj, who uses his fluency in 12
languages to help "fluent" Thai second-language speakers connect on
a more personal level than they ever thought they could. But first,
the most Thai way to listen to the show and communicate directly
with Evo. (Don't tell Greg!)

Before we get started, we need to talk about
our Patreon page, the only way we raise funds
to support the show, and how many people have already signed up
to get bonus content and extra content from us for a few bucks.
There's also our quasi-official LINE
account, where a few of our followers are engaging
in one-on-one conversations with Evo all the time. Are you
connected with one or both of those? No? Fix that. You'll get the
warm fuzzies almost immediately! Prosody. It's not a
Thai word, but it's not a word that either of us were familiar
with. And, as it turns out, it's key to becoming a better Thai
speaker. That's what you'll learn when you listen to Greg's
conversation with one of the most talented and well-known
polyglots in Asia, Stu Jay Raj.
 He's fluent in over 12 languages including English, Thai,
Lao, Indonesian, Malay, Khmer, Burmese, Spanish, Hindi, Danish,
and Vietnamese, with working knowledge of several more.  But
he's not your average language educator. He has a degree in
Cognitive and Applied Linguistics and uses his skills as a
corporate facilitator, cross-cultural training specialist, and to
assist multinationals, governments and NGOs in high-level
conflict resolution. Here's what you'll learn from
Stu when you listen to this conversation:



Why the street is your best classroom when learning the
natural rhythms and patterns of the foreign language you're
trying to learn.


The truth about "fluency" and why it doesn't really tell
you how well someone can communicate


Why you never want to be complimented on your skills when
speaking another language


How much leaned sound patterns from your native tongue
are screwing up your mastery of Thai


Why it's OK to blame the Romans for the naughty phrases
we accidentally say when we try to speak Thai


How much easier it is to learn multiple languages at a
time (as crazy as that sounds)


What the biggest mistakes Thai language learners make…
and how to stop!


Why Stu claims that Thai is a beautiful, logical, and
confusion free language -- once you learn it the right
way


And finally, why you should buy the
book or take the course
and start learning Thai the right way.

Love, Loathe, or Leave

Some things really push our buttons. In this case… it's
Thai people in elevators pushing the door close or door open
button. Every. Time. Even though they know the door will close in
a matter of sub-seconds… they'll still push the button. Every.
Time. You can probably guess how we feel about this. But if you
listen, you'll learn a fun prank to play. (And it won't get you
kicked out of the country! Probably not.)
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Podcast!


(Direct download .mp3)