| HELP! I want to learn Mandarin | |
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| Dec 3, 2006 13:57 |   |
 | Dear Community I would love to learn Mandarin and I was thinking of Taiwan as a suitable place to learn. However, I don't really have any idea of how to go about this. Can anyone out there advise me about what type of language schools I should apply to and where I would stay etc? Is anyone learning Mandarin in Taiwan at the moment?? As some background I am 27 and have been working for 4 years. I have a degree but not much savings! Look forward to hearing from you all!! H |
| Dec 3, 2006 20:40 | #1 |
| Have you considered working in Taiwan or China as a teacher? You have a degree which is the basic requirement. You can find many sites listing jobs, but the one I always look at first is www.anesl.com |
| Dec 5, 2006 13:12 | #2 |
| Thanks - I had considered teaching English, but I thought it would be nice to have some language skills under my belt first, even if it's just basic level. But thanks for the website - I'll check it out.... |
| Dec 6, 2006 00:36 | #3 |
| Hi Hibbsey, I just joined today and this is my first post. I am in the exact same position that you are in. I'm chinese, but I was born in the USA. I graduated college in 2002 and I recently have been really interrested in leaving the corporate world and moving to China where I can learn the language and the culture. I have been trying to learn mandarin by listening to the pimsleur language course. It's kind of expensive though. Also I was looking into Chinesepod and they seem really good. but I'm going to try to finish one thing at a time. Does anyone else have any suggestions about what to do in China to survive that isn't teaching?... I have no experience in that area. thanks. |
| Dec 6, 2006 03:26 | #4 |
| To RCHURRO, Working as a teacher is a nice but not the only way of making money to survive in China. There're lots of foreign businessmen, administrators, and officers in international companies in China. It's your interest that really counts, so what do you like to do? |
| Dec 6, 2006 17:51 | #5 |
| I don't really know what I like to do. Does anyone have any ideas on anything else that can be done to take advantage of my english that's not teaching? maybe travel agency or anything to cater towards tourists. but then again I'd be a tourist too... it would be like the blind leading the blind. If my chinese was better I could translate movies to english. that would be awesome :) |
| Dec 7, 2006 01:55 | #6 |
| For you guys who want to learn Chinese, listening and speaking is the most important. I am a native Chinese girl in Beijing. I can also speak fluent English. I have many foreign friends and they’ve learned a lot of modern Chinese, also Chinese idioms, from me. Even native Chinese speakers are surprised by their Chinese “talk-show”! Wherever you are, the only things you need are a computer, a webcam, an earphone and a MSN or Skype account. Then you will contact real people and touch real fun. More exciting, I offer you a 30-mins free trial. Link http://www.echineseonline.com/ |
| Dec 8, 2006 08:12 | #7 |
| Hi RCHURRO I'm glad there's someone else out there who wants to do the same! I agree with the other posts that to listen and speak is the best way to learn - I used to have Mandarin language evening lessons and really loved it. But I found it frustrating that I wasn't learning fast enough or having enough chance to practice! (my flatmate, who is Mauritian Chinese and so doesn't speak chinese either, and I were rubbish at practicing!) That's why I thought that if I was in a 'Chinese' speaking country I'd be forced to speak the language! I also have no experience in teaching although I've done a 40hr online TEFL course, which is a start!. I find the idea of teaching a bit daunting though. I never thought there might be other employment options - to translate films would be cool !! |
| Dec 9, 2006 18:26 | #8 |
| Hey Hibbsey, whuuut??!! Classes are moving too slow for you? you suck :P I have tried in the past and failed miserably 3 times. that's why I like audiotapes because I can take it at my own mush-headed pace. |
| Dec 9, 2006 18:51 | #9 |
| I can recommend the 3 level Pimsleur training. It is working for me, but it is not easy or fast. There are 90 lessons. What Mandarin speech I now know, I know well. At this point though I cannot carry on a conversation and do not know if that will be accomplished even when I complete the 90 lessons. You can probably find the same Pimsleur training course on eBay or other online merchant for $300 USD. You do not have to buy all 3 levels at once. I suspect that even when you learn Chinese speech the bigger step will be understanding spoken Chinese. It probably takes a while to get your ears tuned to that. |
| Dec 9, 2006 19:54 | #10 |
| I say good luck to anyone who wants to learn Chinese, and well done to any that have!!! my experience prior to visiting China and in China was that I can take hours to learn to say a phrase to the satisfaction of my teacher and then still find that few people can understand what I am trying to say :( I know part of the problem is that I cannot hear tones very easily and generally have great trouble creating them myself...but what can you expect from someone that karaoke clubs refuse to allow on the premises??????? But I will keep trying! |
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