Time to streamline

Re: "Literacy hurdles", (PostBag, March 15).

As one trying to pick up a bit of conversational Thai late in life, I agree with Stephen Soul that the language could be simplified to improve literacy levels in children. My main difficulties with reading Thai are not the multiple consonants with the same sound or the layout of the vowels, which I found fairly easy to learn, with pronunciation being very consistent (unlike English), but rather the missing short a's and o's with the absence of spaces to show where words end. It seems to me that this must also be a problem for Thai children learning to read. It is almost certainly unrealistic to expect a traditionalist country like Thailand, or indeed many countries, to implement a wholesale makeover of its written language but to introduce a space between words and to introduce those missing vowels, possibly in brackets, in early reading materials, would surely be helpful until students recognise a basic vocabulary of words without having to sound them out.

Ray Ban
Thirst for change

During a recent walk from Sukhumvit 49 to Emporium Department Store at midday, I couldn't help but notice a glaring issue -- the absence of accessible drinking water unless one purchases a bottle from the numerous stores lining the route.

The smallest bottle, about 300 to 350ml, commands a minimum price of 10 baht, translating to around 30 baht per litre. Each of these bottles is made of PET plastic, further wrapped with a plastic label, and transported over long distances via trucks reliant on fossil fuels. In a city as vast as Bangkok, the collective consumption of millions of such bottles daily not only strains the wallets of citizens but also inflicts significant harm on the environment.

By establishing readily accessible points offering clean, free drinking water at regular intervals throughout the city, we can encourage sustainable practices and reduce reliance on single-use plastics. Such an initiative would not only promote public health but also underscore Bangkok's commitment to environmental stewardship.

I urge the authorities and concerned stakeholders to consider this proposal seriously, as it presents a tangible step towards a more sustainable and equitable future for our city.

Samcharoen
Teaching tactics

Re: "Literacy hurdles", (PostBag, March 15).

I don't pretend to know a lot about teaching, but could the reason for low Pisa scores be explained by lesser-quality teachers outside the main cities? And that Thai students, as far as I know, can transfer to the next higher class regardless of their (failing) grades?

Another solution may be to help Thai students and others alike greatly by applying spacing between words (like in many other languages) instead of having to wrestle through discouraging chunks of Thai texts.

Moreover, I fondly remember a Thai national working at the Thai embassy in Taiwan (Thailand Trade and Economic Office), who taught me the Thai language in a very organised and efficient way with an incredibly easy systemic approach. He just used a simple double A-4 sheet of paper containing the vowels and consonants, the most important grammar rules and the usage of tones.

After that it was just learning vocabulary, idioms, pronunciation and practising the language in a playful way. On the other hand, it also depends on the degree of discipline of the (Thai) student, of course.

After all, Chinese students need a vocabulary of at least 3,000 characters in order to read, write, speak and understand their language. They, and most other Asians, do better in Pisa scores.

S de Jong
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18 Mar 2024 18 Mar 2024

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