Nay Petrucelli
2023 WISLI Thai Student
Why did you choose to study at WISLI? What motivated you to choose our program?
I had been learning Thai on my own and with the help of a private tutor. My tutor is fantastic, but our time together is so limited. WISLI gave me an opportunity to immerse myself in Thai for a full 8 weeks, which was a huge boost in my learning. I don’t know where else I would have an opportunity like that outside of Thailand.
How has learning a less commonly taught languages enriched your personal and professional life?
I am hoping that in the not-too-distant future I will be able to put my language skills into action in the real world by working and living in Thailand. Although I haven’t had the opportunity to use Thai professionally yet, I feel that personally I have broadened my perspective by taking on learning the language.
Thai and English are different in some fundamental ways and that forces you to think about everyday things in slightly different way. One straightforward example of this is with Thai pronouns. In English, if we want to address someone we are talking with using a pronoun we only have one option: “you”. In Thai, the word that we would use would differ depending on our relationship with the other person. If you are watching a Thai movie subtitled in English nuances like these provide depth in the story but are often lost in translation.
However, Thai and English also have some surprising similarities which I think is a great illustration of a shared human desire to express ourselves and explain the things we see in some pretty universal ways.
What about WISLI/UW-Madison stands out to you?
WISLI brings together a group of passionate and knowledgeable people who are learning their target language in order to do and to study really interesting things. I learned so much from just being in conversation with my peers in WISLI. I was also pleasantly surprised by my experience with the resources on campus. I unfortunately had to use health services while I was there, and I had such a positive experience with the care and communication I received I was almost disappointed to not be under their care anymore.
How do you plan to apply proficiency of your target language and cultural skills to your personal/professional journey?
This summer gave me a huge boost in how much I understand in Thai. I have a much clearer sense of what my level is and what I need to learn still. I will be spending some more time learning, studying, and building my confidence with the language before looking for the right opportunity to use those skills in Thailand.
What were some of the highlights of your program? What events did you particularly enjoy?
Definitely the biggest highlight of the program is the people. What a gift to spend 8 weeks alongside a cohort of students and professors passionate enough about a language to spend most of their summer studying and teaching it. I got to meet students in many of the Southeast Asian Language courses who are doing all different types of research from ecology to linguistics to art history. The program is intense, but it is so important to sneak in those moments to get to know your peers.
One of my favorite “aha moments” was learning about the influence of Khmer (the national language of Cambodia) in Thai. There are some grammatical and spelling idiosyncrasies in Thai that I begrudgingly had to memorize. Learning the Khmer influence in those patterns didn’t make the memorization easier but it made those quirks of Thai feel less like a mysterious, unexplainable thing and gave context to the why and where to look for those patterns. Another favorite moment was celebrating Dangdut Night with the Indonesian students. I learned a lot about Dangdut music, most importantly how fun it is. If you are in WISLI, do NOT miss Dangdut. The Indonesian program throws a great dance party!
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?
The cost associated with studying during the summer, especially out of state, can feel prohibitive. However, many students seem to have received significant tuition support through a lot of different types of programs like FLAS, government sponsored fellowships, or WISLI Tuition Scholarships. Because I am not a student I was not eligible for a scholarship like FLAS. I knew if I attended, I wanted to attend class in person but housing in Madison is also not cheap! I felt a little shy about asking for recommendation letters for the WISLI scholarship but I am glad that I did. The program is already so intense and not being as preoccupied with budget was a huge relief. I am also glad that I took my time reaching out to as many sublets as I did before signing. It’s definitely stressful looking for housing on a tight timeline and I had almost signed a couple of times with places that weren’t the best fit because sublets were moving so fast. But I am glad I held out for a bit and put in the effort because I ended up with a perfect space for me that was a reasonable price.
What advice would you give to students who want to study the same language as you?
Watch a lot of lakorns (Thai dramas)! I am kidding, but only partly. Finding media or music you enjoy in the language you are trying to learn will keep you engaged in learning because it is fun and it will just naturally draw you back in. This way, language learning won’t feel like a homework assignment. In my opinion, it’s the second best way to motivate learning. The best way is to find someone you are attracted to who speaks the language you want to learn and who does not speak a language you know. Language learning #lifehacks.
But more seriously, two things that many people think are overwhelming about learning Thai is the Thai script and tones. As someone who did not speak a tonal language previously, the first time I heard the different tones in Thai I did not think there was any way I would ever be able to differentiate between them. But eventually, it started to click. If you are persistent and patient with yourself, you can get there. The same is true for learning the Thai script. But that’s why having fun with the language you are learning can be so beneficial.
What is your favorite expression in the language you studied this summer?
My favorite expression that I learned so far is not one I learned this summer, but I had to practice it this summer: “จับปลาสองมือ” it’s pronounced similar to “jap plaa song mue.” The literal translation is “catching fish with both hands” but it’s an expression essentially meaning taking on too many things at once (or dating multiple people at once). Holding on to one fish is a two-handed job and if you try to hold two fish at the same time, you will end up with no fish. I am somebody who constantly needs the reminder to stop trying to “จับปลาสองมือ” in a professional development sense and to focus on doing well in a smaller number of projects. It’s good advice for a summer at WISLI too.