This course aims to provide a foundation in conversational Thai for students who have little or no knowledge of the Thai language. In this course, a large focus is placed on the development of general communicative competence at both colloquial and formal levels. Students will be introduced to basic Thai characters and tones as they learn the vocabulary and grammatical structures for everyday use, as well as an introduction to basic aspects of Thai culture.

By the end of this course students will able to engage with Thai speakers in everyday conversation using a variety of vocabulary and sentence structures in appropriate contexts. Topics such as self-introduction; daily routines; talking about time; describing things, places, experiences; making purchases; and expressing desires will be discussed. Emphasis is placed on speaking and listening, but students will also learn how to compose and read short sentences. Students will also be able to describe basic aspects of Thai culture.

Course Requirements:

Because mastery of the Thai language depends on practice, evaluation will be based on attendance, participation, and homework in which students will practice what we learn in class. There will also be unit quizzes, a midterm exam, and a final exam to check for understanding.

Intended Audience:

ASIANLAN 161 is for any student interested in learning the Thai language and culture. Students can have no knowledge of Thai, or little knowledge of Thai and have been placed into the class based on the department’s placement test.

Class Format:

Section 001 will meet in person on Mondays and occasional Wednesdays and will meet virtually on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Section 002 is for students who will be participating 100% online and class meetings will be held virtually Monday-Thursday.