Kham Mueang
Learning, Using, and Retaining Kham Mueang, the Northern Thai language in Chiang Mai
This presentation is based on what our presenter, Dr. Michael Calavan, has learned through interviews with 20 Chiang Mai women and men who range widely in age, education, and occupation. He will share with us their experiences and insights about the use of Northern Thai – or Kham Mueang – in the past, present, and future. From attending this class you will gain a richer understanding of the use of the local language and perhaps increase your curiosity about Lanna culture.
Dr. Calavan came to northern Thailand for the first time in 1969, and since then has observed the solidification of central Thai as the primary language of education and official affairs. By combining his own perspective with those of his interviewees from Chiang Mai, he will explore the complex question of Kham Mueang’s importance to Northern Thai identity.
The presentation and discussion will focus on the following issues:
What is Northern Thai? Is it a language or dialect? How is it different from standard Thai?
When, Where, How, and Why is it Used? What situations are appropriate for using it? For example, how is it used at such places as a municipal office, a bank, a hospital, a fresh market or department store? How does its usage change with family members, friends, and neighbors, or at school and on the playground?
How is it Learned and Retained [or Not Retained]? What is the role of family, pre-school, primary and secondary school, university or vocational college in passing the language down? How does Thai working culture promote or diminish Kham Mueang? Are there issues of propriety and embarrassment?
What is the Future of Kham Mueang and Why Does it Matter? How important is Kham Mueang to “Northern Thainess”? What impacts are TV, computers, and texting having on its legacy?
About the Presenter:
Dr. Michael Calavan has been a participant and presenter for Lifelong Learning Payap since the program began. Aj. Michael states that he is a former bureaucrat [at USAID] and an anthropological researcher (when he has sufficient time and energy). He has been observing life in Thailand, off and on, since 1969. He and his wife, Kay, spend five months a year in Thailand, mainly in Chiang Mai.