Speaking Khmer

Kammekor · Post by **Kammekor** » Mon Dec 25, 2017 3:50 pm

Duncan wrote: ↑Mon Dec 25, 2017 3:36 pm
Kammekor wrote: ↑Mon Dec 25, 2017 3:09 pm
Duncan wrote: ↑Sun Dec 24, 2017 9:37 pm How many of you can speak Khmer, just a little,, or a lot. I know some of you can pick up a new language in a very short time. Others like myself, learn just a few basic words,
enough to buy stuff at the markets. Do you think I'm lazy or just plain dumb for not learning Khmer after 13 years here .
How would you feel about an immigrant back home speaking 40 (100?) words of English after being there for 13 years? This thought only made me decide to learn the language from day one.

Too often I had (Muslim) parents visiting me on parent's night at the high school I worked, they had been in my country for over twenty years and were unable to have a conversation beyond 'hello' and 'goodbye' with me. I decided I did not want to be like them.
I think that's a totally different situation. Yes, there is an advantage in me learning Khmer,,, but then everyone in the family would expect me to speak it, and it would be of no advantage to them

Think about the advantage it has for you and your 8 year old. If there's none, leave it. If there are advantages, reconsider.

And if you can speak Khmer, you can still speak English at times, can't you? Your skills to teach them English might even improve if you can speak both, but up to you.

phuketrichard · Post by **phuketrichard** » Mon Dec 25, 2017 5:06 pm

I speak about 10 words, as i would prefer my gf learn English, rather than me learn a language only spoken by less than 16 mil.

Kammekor · Post by **Kammekor** » Mon Dec 25, 2017 5:15 pm

phuketrichard wrote: ↑Mon Dec 25, 2017 5:06 pm I speak about 10 words, as i would prefer my gf learn English, rather than me learn a language only spoken by less than 16 mil.

If your GF is the only Cambodian you'd ever talk to that's quite valid.

taabarang · Post by **taabarang** » Mon Dec 25, 2017 6:13 pm

In our home of 1barang husband, 1Khmer wife and our two teenage kids, English is spoken exclusively. Plus for more than 10 years they have been reading and writing in English. My wife speaks fluent, but not native English and I speak Cambodian the same as she speaks my language. My only regret is that of the five languages I know, Khmer is the only one I'm illiterate in.

Post by **Jamie_Lambo** » Mon Dec 25, 2017 6:26 pm

can speak, read and write, far from fluent though but know more than enough to get by,
being able to read and write is a huge advantage (obviously), can learn new words easily but takes practice to put them into your everyday vocab

timmydownawell · Post by **timmydownawell** » Mon Dec 25, 2017 6:30 pm

After 18 months I can get by at the markets and that's about it. I don't have a SO to converse with, but if I did I would be easier to learn. If i thought I would stay here longer term I would make an effort, but with the EOS situation getting tighter I feel I'll inevitably have to look elsewhere, so making an effort to learn Khmer seems pretty pointless atm. But, who knows, maybe I'll end up staying longer and wonder why I didn't try. Besides, with a smartphone you can show a picture of what you want, or get a mangled translation from Google Translate if necessary.

taabarang · Post by **taabarang** » Mon Dec 25, 2017 6:33 pm

Some people pick up a foreign language with their ears and others with their eyes. Really quick learners care gifted with both.

phnompenhsteve · Post by **phnompenhsteve** » Thu Sep 26, 2019 10:03 pm

Yea.
Not like you live in a country where the language is spoken or anything.

phuketrichard wrote: ↑Mon Dec 25, 2017 5:06 pm I speak about 10 words, as i would prefer my gf learn English, rather than me learn a language only spoken by less than 16 mil.

Bubble T · Post by **Bubble T** » Thu Sep 26, 2019 10:39 pm

I came here pretty much fresh out of high school so learning was relatively easy as my brain was still in school mode. I don't think I could learn another language now.

explorer · Post by **explorer** » Thu Sep 26, 2019 10:51 pm

If people put in the effort it is easy to learn. But you need to put in the effort, and it does take time.

It seems many people dont put in the effort, and want to spend most of their time with their English speaking friends anyway.

When you speak Khmer, you can have good Cambodian friends, and spend a lot of time with Cambodian people. You can live in the same country, but in a different world.

Speaking Khmer

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