Learning Lao or other Tai Languages

Lao is the official language of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, but only about half the population speaks it as their native language; it also serves as a lingua franca among diverse ethnic groups. In Northeastern Thailand (Isan) and other areas, another 15–20 million people speak Lao, making it the mother tongue of up to 25 million.

Part of the Tai-Kadai language family, Lao is a tonal, originally monosyllabic and isolating language, though contact with other cultures has introduced many polysyllabic words. Lao words are not inflected for tense, person, or case. The Lao script, derived from ancient Khmer and influenced by the Indian Brahmi tradition, is a consonant-based alphabet with 33 consonants and 28 vowels, where vowel placement and initial consonant class together determine tone.

Our Lao/Tai language courses are open throughout the university to students of various disciplines, but participants must demonstrate a sufficient mastery of Thai, as these courses heavily rely on prior Thai language skills.

For legally binding study regulations, please always refer to the information given by the Studienbüro (Student Services Office).