Page:Adapting and Writing Language Lessons.pdf/253

CHAPTER 5 People react to mistakes in either area, but they are more likely to react verbally to mistake in the verbal area. Unfamiliarity with the non—verbal code often leads misunderstanding, while unfamiliarity with the verbal code inevitably leads to total (verbal) unintelligibility. Language learning is time-consuming. 

3. Whenever we limit our attention only to the cultural area or only to the linguistic area, or to only one of them at a time, we do so at our peril. There is no language without meaning, and there is no culture without words. Nevertheless, this synopsis will violate that principle by concentrating entirely on the mechanics of speaking Thai. It is addressed primarily to native speakers of English who expect to live in Thailand, and gives a bird's-eye-view of the tasks they will encounter in their study of the language.

4. There already exists at least one reference grammar of Thai, as well as courses which contain detailed grammatical notes. But people learn things when they are ready to learn them. They also need to have the same facts available on more than one scale. Experience with basic courses in other languages suggests that most students need a connected summary of the main points of structure, in addition to and not instead of the notes that are scattered among the lessons. A reference grammar, of course, does just that, but if it is as detailed as it ought to be, it is necessarily too long to be accessible to many students until after they have completed most of their study. A Synopsis, on the other hand, should be short enough and general enough so that a person who has not yet