Amani D

2024 WISLI Thai Student

Why did you choose to study at WISLI? What motivated you to choose our program?

I chose to study Thai through WISLI for both personal and professional reasons. On the personal side, my partner is half Thai, and grew up in Thailand. I wanted to learn the language to better connect with his culture and heritage – and to be able to communicate better with his family. On a professional level, I believe this program will make me a better educator and practitioner. I currently work in the study abroad field, and being able to build a rapport and communicate effectively with partners around the world is crucial to my work. My current proficiency in French has enabled me to navigate paperwork and visa requirements, understand cultural norms, and connect with individuals & organizations in French-speaking locations. In a similar vein, I hope learning Thai will allow me to broaden my professional skillset and cultural knowledge. Of course, after 8 weeks of classes, I know I won’t be able to read legal documents or conduct business in Thai. However, the introductory Thai skills I gain will allow me to engage on a deeper level with Thai professionals and organizations.

As for why I chose WISLI specifically – as someone who was already living and working in Madison, studying through WISLI was a no-brainer. We’re so fortunate to have this incredible language-learning program right in our backyard!

How has learning a less commonly taught languages enriched your personal and professional life?

I’m just a few weeks in, but it’s been really fun, honestly! I was a linguistics major in undergrad, back in the day, and I haven’t gotten to use that part of my brain in a while.  And my mother-in-law is really impressed with me ?

What about WISLI/UW-Madison stands out to you? 

Madison in the summer is such a delight – there’s a lot to see and do. I’ve been enjoying grabbing an ice cream and sitting by the lake on the Memorial Union Terrace after class on Wednesdays. Within WISLI, and the Thai classes specifically, it’s been really cool to see the different reasons people choose this program. We have folks who are looking to connect with their Thai heritage, folks who have lived and worked in Thailand in the past but want to gain a more academic grasp of the language, graduate students who hope to use Thai to enhance their graduate research in fields like entomology, media studies, and literature, and more! Each person brings their own strengths and motivations to the classroom every day.

How do you plan to apply proficiency of your target language and cultural skills to your personal/professional journey?

It’s been fun to come home every day and share what I learned in class with my partner. He’s proud of the hard work I’m putting in, and it’s great for me to have a conversation practice partner! I look forward to traveling back to Thailand with him and being able to communicate with his family better.

Though a less immediate goal, I hope that I’ll be able to expand my work portfolio to include some programs in Thailand that would allow me to continue using my newly-gained language skills.

What were some of the highlights of your program? What events did you particularly enjoy?

My classmates are friendly and encouraging – it’s been fun to have little running jokes develop in the classroom and someone to tell you “ดีมาก” when you tackle a particularly challenging assignment. This week we took a field trip to Madison’s Olbrich Botanical Gardens, which is home to a beautiful Thai sala gifted to Madison by the Thai Government. We got a tour of the lush tropical garden surrounding the sala and learned some new vocabulary for Thai plants and sculptures. We even got an inside peek at the renovations to the sala that are currently happening!

What role did the WISLI Tuition Scholarship play when you were making decisions? How would you encourage other students who might be interested in the scholarship to apply?

As a professional rather than a student, I wasn’t eligible for some of the scholarships that are available for language study, so I was happy to see that the WISLI Tuition Scholarship was open to adult learners and non-degree-seeking students. In March, I was notified that I was selected as an alternate for the scholarship – and then in April I got the exciting news that I had been awarded the scholarship! In order to attend class, I had to significantly reduce my hours at work which was an added financial burden, so receiving the WISLI Tuition Scholarship really helped the program feel like an exciting opportunity rather than a risky decision.

I’d encourage other prospective WISLI students to apply for this scholarship, even if you’re not sure you’d receive it! The application process was not difficult and the possibility of getting 50% of your tuition covered is such a great opportunity.

What advice would you give to students who want to study the same language as you?

I have a few pieces of advice for other students considering learning elementary Thai:

• Don’t give up! There are times when things might feel challenging or confusing – that’s okay. Keep a growth mindset and remember that it’s okay to make mistakes.
• Repeat, repeat, repeat! That’s the key to getting things to stick in your memory. It may feel boring to ask the same question 5 times, switching the vocabulary each time (“Do you like to swim? Do you like to draw? Do you like to speak Thai?”), but that helps the sentence structure feel more familiar and allows you to speak more smoothly.
• Find fun ways to get more listening practice in! One of my classmates is a huge fan of watching Thai lakorn (TV dramas). I like to listen to Thai pop music on my way to class. Anything you can do to get your ears more familiar with the sounds of Thai – and especially the tones – will only help you!

What is your favorite expression in the language you studied this summer?

สู้ สู้ ! Sûu sûu means “Don’t give up!” or “Keep fighting!” and we hear it a lot in our classroom, whether we’re encouraging a classmate as they spell a tricky word on the blackboard or motivating each other ahead of a test. It’s the attitude I want to keep for my whole Thai language learning journey!