starkmonster wrote:

TheGrinchSR wrote:You can learn as much of the culture by speaking to a local in your language as you can in his/her language.

No you can't, it's not even close. Language is part of culture, when speaking in a foreign language we tend to avoid sensitive subjects because we are worried that we will make a mistake and our intentions or opinions will be misunderstood or cause offense.

When speaking Khmer I duck sensitive subjects that I would have no qualms discussing in English. Cambodians and Asians in general are way more sensitive about causing offence than we are, so will stick to safe subjects, when you speak to them in their own language it's a different story.

Your anecdotal evidence of how you approach talking to people bears no relevance on the ability to understand a culture without learning the language. Many cultural experts can't speak the language of the cultures they study. It is quite easy to assert that most people say one thing and then do another. If you observe people, you are much more likely to get an accurate read on a culture than if you ask people to explain it to you.

And in my experience, there are few sensitive subjects between friends. People who speak good English can explain just about anything in the language.

tbh there has been a fair few times when i try and ask some of my khmer friends stuff and theyve replied with the phrase "i dont know how to say in english" whether it be a certain food dish or some ritual they are doing, my khmer friends much prefer speaking to me in khmer than they do english

TheGrinchSR wrote:People who speak good English can explain just about anything in the language.

Bingo. If you can't understand the language there are many things you can't personally experience within the culture. The power of songs, subtle humor, taboo subjects, human interactions.

Someone else can experience those things and then explain them to you, but you haven't directly experienced them yourself. Who do you think has a better idea what prohok tastes like, someone who's eaten it or someone who's had the taste explained to them? Can you really feel the emotion of a song by having the lyrics explained to you without listening and understanding them with your own ear?

Jamie_Lambo wrote:tbh there has been a fair few times when i try and ask some of my khmer friends stuff and theyve replied with the phrase "i dont know how to say in english" whether it be a certain food dish or some ritual they are doing, my khmer friends much prefer speaking to me in khmer than they do english

Jamie, i think the way you learn khmer is just like the way i learn English. i learn more English via interaction with native speakers. I like talking to them in idioms, colloquial and expression. I know it is not necessary or useful for work, but i like them. There was a thread (Khmer Idiom) i hope you can learn more.

Samouth wrote:

Jamie_Lambo wrote:tbh there has been a fair few times when i try and ask some of my khmer friends stuff and theyve replied with the phrase "i dont know how to say in english" whether it be a certain food dish or some ritual they are doing, my khmer friends much prefer speaking to me in khmer than they do english

Jamie, i think the way you learn khmer is just like the way i learn English. i learn more English via interaction with native speakers. I like talking to them in idioms, colloquial and expression. I know it is not necessary or useful for work, but i like them. There was a thread (Khmer Idiom) i hope you can learn more.

yeah for sure,
you have a link to the idioms?

Learn how to read and write! It does wonders for pronunciation. I also want to encourage folks who are here for the long haul to become fluent in Khmer. I believe it shows a level of respect and it's honoring to the Khmer people if you take the time to learn their language.

For me, one of the main reasons I'm studying my ass off is because I want to really be able to speak, at a heart level, to a Cambodian. I don't want to just chit chat. I want to speak about life and build a relationships that can be genuine, deep and meaningful. It helps if you can truly communicate, right? I don't want to be dependent on a translator as my "conduit".

On another note, which I just posted about -- has anyone had experience with Gateway 2 Khmer?

Jamie_Lambo wrote:

Samouth wrote:

Jamie_Lambo wrote:tbh there has been a fair few times when i try and ask some of my khmer friends stuff and theyve replied with the phrase "i dont know how to say in english" whether it be a certain food dish or some ritual they are doing, my khmer friends much prefer speaking to me in khmer than they do english

Jamie, i think the way you learn khmer is just like the way i learn English. i learn more English via interaction with native speakers. I like talking to them in idioms, colloquial and expression. I know it is not necessary or useful for work, but i like them. There was a thread (Khmer Idiom) i hope you can learn more.

yeah for sure,
you have a link to the idioms?

Here you go Jamie

https://cambodiaexpatsonline.com/post634 ... eck#p63416

https://cambodiaexpatsonline.com/khmer-l ... er%20idiom