This course is designed for students who have little or no knowledge of the Thai language. The focus of Thai 1A is to build vocabulary and develop the ability to speak with correct pronunciation through basic conversation in day-to-day settings. Students will be introduced to the Thai alphabets and syllable construction rules. To prepare students for intensive literacy acquisition in the spring semester, students are expected to read and write simple words and short sentences by the end of the semester. The class will study common facts about Thailand, etiquette, customs, and values in contemporary Thai culture, through discussion, proverbs, and participation in cultural activities.

Continuing on from the fundamental knowledge of syllable construction learned in Thai 1A, this course is designed to rapidly elevate student's literacy, with the goal of completely abandoning transcription by mid-semester. By the end of the course, students should be reading and writing short descriptive and creative essays, equivalent to 2nd grade students in Thai school. Students continue to learn new vocabulary, grammar and practical thematic conversation with the opportunity to practice with native speakers. Students will also be introduced to Thai customs, culture and value, through a variety of media and cultural activities. Thai is used as the language of instruction up to 20% of the time.

This course continues to integrate cultural awareness into language education. The emphasis shifts from the concrete to the abstract. Students will begin to read and write compound sentences, formal essays, and letters. Students will have the opportunity to practice conversation with native speakers. Students will also watch Thai films throughout the semester. Thai as the language of instruction will gradually increase from 20% up to 50%. By the end of the semester, students should have acquired a level of literacy equivalent to 4th grade in Thai schools.

A continuation of Intermediate THAI 100A. Students will learn to read longer and more abstract writing, advertisements from newspapers, and articles from magazines and webpage. The class will cover expressions, figures of speech, higher level grammar, and hierarchical pronouns. Writing will move from descriptive to expository. To increase verbal skills and cultural education, students will watch karaoke, TV advertisements, and films. Students will also have regular intensive conversation practice and in-class presentation. The language of instruction will be in Thai approximately 50% to 70% of the time. By the end of the semester, the average student should have acquired a level of literacy equivalent to 5th to 6th grade in Thai schools.

In this third-year course, students further improve active literacy by reading and listening to authentic materials from a variety of contemporary sources including print, web, and broadcast media, and short stories. The class will learn the history of Thailand in the Ayuddhaya period and explore the Thai cultural psyche in order to gain a deeper understanding of cultural values and constructs, their historical development, and the dialectical forces of the old and the new. Students will be required to employ the language in critical analysis and debate in both writing and speech.

This course is designed to enhance students’ competence in reading and writing Thai. Students will be reading texts from "The Thai Cultural Reader," newspapers, news from the internet, and selected short stories. The students will improve their listening skills and will discuss selected topics both orally and in writing. The language of instruction is Thai.