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Re: learning Mandarin

Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2003 4:26 pm
by hanna
how can I learn to speak manderin online????????????????????????

Re: learning Mandarin

Posted: Sun Aug 23, 2009 9:06 am
by maana
I just found ou that my grandfather is chinese and my grandmother is Puerto Rican. Want to leanr mandarin now.I have a few friends im school that speak it, but i'd like to learn mandarin through here too.I live in Rochester, New.I just moved here from the Bronx.

Re: learning Mandarin

Posted: Tue Jul 06, 2010 7:45 am
by jaz
IronMonkey wrote:Hey,

I've been studying Mandarin and Cantonese for a little while now, and I think they're about equally as easy. I don't think you'll have a problem with Mandarin if you already speak Cantonese.

Iron Monkey ;)
Im sure you made a mistake there. Surely it should be equally as hard :lol: . I have been learning mandarin for about a year now in shanghai and it hasnt gotten any easy.

The tones are the problem. I know cantonese have more tones than mandarin but i have heard that it does effect the language as much as the tones do in Mandarin.

Good lucking in your mandarin

Re: learning Mandarin

Posted: Mon Jul 12, 2010 5:30 pm
by zaydenkuh
I'm studying Chinese Mandarin for a while now, at first I find it overwhelming but then later on I'm enjoying it . 8) I came across a language learning program called L-Lingo recently and I would have to say that it’s way better than the others that I have checked. Some programs really cost a lot and they just aren’t affordable. I especially love the downloadable flashcards and textbooks that they have, not to mention they are absolutely free!

Re: learning Mandarin

Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2010 3:22 pm
by tingdiver
Anybody who's ever studied Chinese properly knows that Mandarin is all about tones and pronunciation. SO YOU NEED TO SPEAK IT! Books and CDs can only do so much, but what will really carry you is DAILY PRACTICE and ACTUALLY CONVERSING with Chinese people.

You may know the pinyin and definition of 1,000 words and characters, but if you still can't say them right, NO CHINESE PERSON WILL UNDERSTAND YOU!

It's not about which is the easier dialect to learn versus putonghua. Like everything else in life, it's about patience and determination - how much time you want to invest studying and immersing yourself in the language comes down to HOW MUCH DO YOU WANT IT?

It's really all about PRACTICE.

Self studying is great, but if you're really serious about learning and improving your Mandarin skills, some kind of structured learning is still needed. The best would really be to take up 1-on-1 classes, where a teacher is solely focused on helping you get the tones and consonants right (those annoying zh, ch, j, q, c, ch, etc.). Or an intensive group class where you can speak Mandarin EVERYDAY.

Live the Language (LtL) Mandarin school is a new language school in Beijing that specialises in MAKING SURE STUDENTS ACTUALLY END UP SPEAKING CHINESE.

The faculty is made up of top quality teachers who are all Bachelor (and some even Master's) - degree holders in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language from China's top universities.

You can have private 1-on-1 classes up at the school, in your home, at your office or favorite coffeeshop... the teachers can go to you! Or you can join a SMALL group class (maximum 6 students), if you want intensive but more affordable option.

You can study on a monthly basis, semestral, yearly or just on weekends. You can ask for a customised program (for example, one that has a heavy emphasis on speaking to practice your pronunciation), rates are quite flexible and you can request for other activities and services that will 'immerse' you and allow you to really LIVE THE LANGUAGE, such as work internship programs, immersions in the Chinese countryside, kung fu class, cooking class, calligraphy class and others. Everything is geared towards MAKING SURE YOU ACTUALLY END UP USING YOUR MANDARIN DAILY and THAT YOU MAKE PROGRESS.

If you want more information (especially since I am a non-Chinese who knows the challenges of learning this increasingly important language and has some tips and advice on studying), send me an email at ting@livethelanguage.cn, or check out the school at www.livethelanguage.cn. We have some useful tips up there on how to learn Mandarin better!