| Starting to learn chinese. | |
|---|---|
| Jul 11, 2007 14:05 |   |
 | I started learning to speak and understand Cantonese from the Pimsleur series. I'm getting another set of audio lessons, and a book on Cantonese grammar. This is to help expand my vocabulary and pronunciation. I do plan on learning with an international student in September in exchange to teaching him or her English or French or even Mathematics if that's what they want. In the meantime, I'm learning Cantonese. I'd also like to start writing simplified Chinese as it's becoming more and more common and it's easier. :) Where do I start writing and reading? I found websites with characters, so I guess I'll start doing flash cards and such. Any other tips? Like maybe where I can get grammar rules and such? Or should I just focus on knowing lots of characters and then start reading and writing stories and such? Anyways, any advice is appreciated? Also, later on I'd like to start learning to speak Mandarin after I know enough of Cantonese so I don't mix the two. I'm really enjoying the learning so far. Although all I do is like 20-30 minutes a day (one lesson), and I repeat the lessons until I have it very comfortably. I'd like to spend another 20-30 minutes learning characters. Anyways let me know your tips. Thanks! |
| Jul 11, 2007 19:46 | #1 |
| You'd better live with a cantonese so that you can talk with him in Cantonese as much as possible. Don't just memorize single characters. |
| Jul 11, 2007 20:24 | #2 |
| Yeah, I'll be reading and learning the structure behind the writing as well. I don't think I can live with a Cantonese. That's not practical. |
| Jul 11, 2007 20:42 | #3 |
| Yeah, I'm searching for good sources and books, but I'm finding it hard to find a solid book to learn Chinese characters (simplified). Any recommendations? I found a link that I'll start reading tomorrow about strokes, radicals and such. |
| Jul 11, 2007 21:37 | #4 |
| Cantonese usually goes with traditional characters and Mandarin simplied characters... Chances are that most Cantonese learning materials come with traditional characters. |
| Jul 12, 2007 08:00 | #5 |
| Yes, I know that but all the material I'm getting is for speech only (for Cantonese). I'd like to learn how to speak Cantonese and Mandarin and write simplified. Later on, I'll tackle traditional. |
| Jul 12, 2007 13:45 | #6 |
| I met a chinese girl today. We're going to help each other out. She'll teach me and help me with Mandarin and Simplified Characters and I'll help her with English such as reading and writing. 3 hours a week for each language so 6 hours a week total. If I find someone else, that's 6 hours of chinese learning with an actual chinese. |
| Jul 14, 2007 03:59 | #7 |
| Hi Jason I am living in Australia but have travelled to China four times now and am coming back in October ths year. Anyway, the best Mandarin quick and easy i have found(besides Primsleur-and yes, i found that good too), is a series call Learn to Speak Mandarin by Elizabeth Scurfield and Song Lianyi. You can buy the book and audio in a set. I believe they also have the Cantonese, but by a different author. I also supplement my learnng with a Chinese tutor who i have organised to teach about 8 others and me characters, speaking and Chinese culture- the short cuts and commonly used language. We do that for two hours every Tuesday evening. I have found that after three years of learning from Primsleur, the Learn to Speak series and now two years with the tutor, that i can at least get my message across. It is much better, to be immersed in the culture, and if it weren't for family ties here, i'd be there in a flash!! But at least I can see that it can be done. Australia has a large Chinese populaton, as i suppose Canada would, so it shouldn't be too hard to find a Chinese teacher - they are often married to ex pats and living in their husbands country of origin- my last two were! They are usually very good teachers, and very happy to teach as finding other forms of work when English isn't your first language is so hard. Good Luck! Zie Jien jo, from Australia |
| Jul 19, 2007 07:45 | #8 |
| Chinese are pretty good at Math |
| Aug 30, 2007 19:19 | #9 |
| Only Guangdong province's people can speak and understand Cantonese,including Hongkong,Shenzhen,Guangzhou city in Guangdong province. Few provinces' people can speak mandarin,but all provinces' people can understand mandarin. you choose. |
| Oct 23, 2007 04:37 | #10 |
| we chinese are good at everything :) |
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