Top Ten Mistakes when Learning Khmer

Top Ten Mistakes when learning khmer

10. Giving up 

Most foreigners eagerly start trying to learn khmer. At first there learning is going up exponentially and their confidence is growing as now they can eat at local restaurants, can go to the market and negotiate, and direct a motodop. Sadly after learning the basics, going from beginner to intermediate is hard. It takes a lot of work and practice to move up from basic to intermediate and eliminating all those basic mistakes when learning Khmer.

9. Only listening and not watching 

When trying to learn new sounds, if one just listens to the new sounds he does not know how to recreate that sound. He needs to look at the teacher and examine their mouth movements and where the tongue is. Then he or she needs to try to copy that action.

8. Ego

Some of those new sounds will involve using your tongue in some strange new locations and some students will be shy and will revert to saying the khmer word with their foreigner transliteration instead of trying to pronounce like a khmer. If you dont try, you will never get better and wiil continue to make mistakes when learning Khmer.

7. Thinking a tutor is magic

The student needs to learn through a plethora of methods. One method is one on one lessons. Another method is studying flashcards…Youtube is a great tool, while just going out on the street and trying to use new khmer words to the native speakers is good too. Stop hating that egg seller at 7 am, and start trying to decipher what he is saying!

6. Translating A=A (verbatim)

Khmer is different then English. A khmer word might have multiple meanings or you might have to say that, ‘’the book is at on the table” in khmer…Some students will say that is stupid to say at on the table, but that is how we do in Cambodia….remember English has a bunch of funky rules. 

Click more to read the last 5 mistakes when learning Khmer.

5. Losing confidence

Some students will be doing really well until a motodop or seller doesnt understands them or even worse laughs at them. Just forget them, and keep trying to improve everday. You will complete your goal one day!

4. Staying in a comfort zone

Eat local….eat on the side stalls, go drink at a beer garden, go to o’russei market and not central market (psar thmei). If you eat at foreign restaurants, drink with foreigners, and shop where tourists shop your missing out on a great advantage on having to try to use your new found knowledge. This will help tremendously on eliminating mistakes when learning Khmer as practice makes perfect.

3. Not using the internet enough

Sooooo many FREE resources out there to learn the language, from podcasts, youtube lessons, khmer music videos, written lessons, etc….use this technology to your advantage.

2. Forgetting one word a day/week/month is still learning

Even if you only learn one new word of khmer a month that is still learning. Albeit very slowly, but hey you are going in the right direction, and next month aim for 2 words….then 4…

1. Not having me as a teacher

Either locally or through skype. Lol. 😉 So what are you waiting for….Contact me now and eliminate all those mistakes when learning Khmer.