[FretDancer]

Was wondering if any of the playas over here are learning Mandarin Chinese?

Would really like a language partner or just anyone to practice Mandarin with thats from this forum.

[psyrus]

I'm currently studying Mandarin using the Michel Thomas Foundations audiobook course. PM me and maybe can arrange some practice time.

[Deluge]

I did it for a couple years in high school before I stayed in China. It's pretty hard as you already know. Good luck bud.

[SimonRierdon]

I've got the complete Rosetta Stone for Mandarin but haven't delved into it much since right now I'm trying to get a bit fluent in Portuguese for a future Brazil trip. The U.S. State Department calls Mandarin an "extremely difficult" language for Americans to learn. Can anyone confirm this because with the way the world is going it might be necessary.

[Pilgrim37]

Go to benny the Irishpolyglot's website at http://www.fluentin3months.com

He's just moved to Taipei to begin his quest of learning Mandy in 3 months ,will be intersting to see how he gets on!
Might give you some inspiration.

[FretDancer]

(01-17-2012 11:46 AM)SimonRierdon Wrote:  

I've got the complete Rosetta Stone for Mandarin but haven't delved into it much since right now I'm trying to get a bit fluent in Portuguese for a future Brazil trip. The U.S. State Department calls Mandarin an "extremely difficult" language for Americans to learn. Can anyone confirm this because with the way the world is going it might be necessary.

Well its difficult alright, but I don't see what the big deal is. Know already my fair share of words and pronunciation, its all about enjoying it and you just forget about the "difficult" aspect.


@Pilgrim: Thanks I will check that out!

[wenjian211]

(01-16-2012 01:34 PM)FretDancer Wrote:  

Was wondering if any of the playas over here are learning Mandarin Chinese?

Would really like a language partner or just anyone to practice Mandarin with thats from this forum.

ni hao, i am from mainland china, free mandarin training here my friend

[Arado]

(01-17-2012 11:46 AM)SimonRierdon Wrote:  

I've got the complete Rosetta Stone for Mandarin but haven't delved into it much since right now I'm trying to get a bit fluent in Portuguese for a future Brazil trip. The U.S. State Department calls Mandarin an "extremely difficult" language for Americans to learn. Can anyone confirm this because with the way the world is going it might be necessary.

Yup, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_Service_Institute
they train full time in it for like a year, just to get to minimum conversation level.

[redneckpunk]

it's extremely hard, no way in hell that dude is learning the language in three months. My only advice and nobody ever takes it (myself included) learn to read the characters.

[mofo]

(01-25-2012 06:44 PM)redneckpunk Wrote:  

it's extremely hard, no way in hell that dude is learning the language in three months. My only advice and nobody ever takes it (myself included) learn to read the characters.

Why do you advise it? Please elaborate.

[FretDancer]

Wanting to become fluent in 3 months is just being irrealistic; however:optimistic, which is always good.

My advice is to learn to read + write, and to speak. All from the beginning. Its only hard if you say to yourself that its hard.

[mofo]

How soon can I expect to become excellent ( nearly fluent ) in both writing and reading in mandarin provided that I study for 1 hour every single day?

[redneckpunk]

(01-25-2012 10:05 PM)mofo Wrote:  

How soon can I expect to become excellent ( nearly fluent ) in both writing and reading in mandarin provided that I study for 1 hour every single day?

never, and I'm not joking when I say that.

Example: Many years ago when i was living in China I read an article by an american guy. He got his BS in Mandarin, Masters in Mandarin then moved to China, worked in an all Chinese company and I think he said he was comfortable speaking Chinese after 1 or 2 years living there. Comfortable not fluent.

If you bust your balls 3 or more hours a day in class in China you can speak pretty good in 1.5-2 years. MAYBE and I mean MAYBE if ur in the sticks and don't utter a word of English or somehow u have a super chromosome to learn Mandarin you can get pretty good in a year.

Most people that study in the Universities over there 3 hours of class a day (not including homework) get good in about 1.5- 2 years. That's if they go to class and do the work. Plenty enroll and after a year or 2 still speak elementary level.

Anyone who tells you different is full of shit or is trying to sell you something.

[FretDancer]

He said in reading and writing. And I tell you what, 1 hour every single day is great. I can write and read pretty damn good, and I don't study every single day, however when I do, I enjoy it and have fun.

You just need to make your vocab limit less and less each day. Say you learn at least 5 words a day (character + meaning + pronunciation), you do the math for as many days as you want.

Speaking fluency is something entirely different. But guess what, you can improve it with reading, which can be improved with new vocabulary.

[mofo]

(01-25-2012 10:47 PM)redneckpunk Wrote:  

(01-25-2012 10:05 PM)mofo Wrote:  

How soon can I expect to become excellent ( nearly fluent ) in both writing and reading in mandarin provided that I study for 1 hour every single day?

never, and I'm not joking when I say that.

Example: Many years ago when i was living in China I read an article by an american guy. He got his BS in Mandarin, Masters in Mandarin then moved to China, worked in an all Chinese company and I think he said he was comfortable speaking Chinese after 1 or 2 years living there. Comfortable not fluent.

If you bust your balls 3 or more hours a day in class in China you can speak pretty good in 1.5-2 years. MAYBE and I mean MAYBE if ur in the sticks and don't utter a word of English or somehow u have a super chromosome to learn Mandarin you can get pretty good in a year.

Most people that study in the Universities over there 3 hours of class a day (not including homework) get good in about 1.5- 2 years. That's if they go to class and do the work. Plenty enroll and after a year or 2 still speak elementary level.

Anyone who tells you different is full of shit or is trying to sell you something.

Damn, that's hardcore man. I'm thinking if I should learn Spanish first and then start Mandarin or just learn Mandarin. Any advice?

[redneckpunk]

follow ur heart as cheesey as it sounds. The problem I had was I learned spanish, spoke excellent spanish. Moved to China, spoke pretty good Mandarin after many years, but in that time forgot my spanish. Now (I left China in '09) my Mandarin is crap and my Spanish is very good again.

Maintaining both is no walk in the park. Find out why you want to learn them which culture you like more then decide. To speak either really well you need to move there. It is a lot easier to like Latin America than it is China.

China is a whole new ballgame and most people don't like it and don't last. Living abroad anywhere is COMPLETELY different than travelling.

[FretDancer]

Indeed, you gotta make a choice, go for the one that from which you can benefit the most, which I'd say is Spanish.

[Pilgrim37]

I give this guy props..I bet he knows more in 2 weeks than most expats do in a year or 2.

[redneckpunk]

(01-26-2012 07:27 PM)Pilgrim37 Wrote:  

I give this guy props..I bet he knows more in 2 weeks than most expats do in a year or 2.

remember one very important thing.....he is selling something.

he studies the language before he goes to any country.

he wasn't having a conversation he memorized a script.

Chinese do this all the time and you think...this dude speaks pretty good English, then you ask them a simple question and it's like watching a robot short circuit.

he gives lots of good advice: mainly move to the country speak their language not yours and you will learn fast.

there you have it and you don't have to pay me 100 bucks for that info.

[mofo]

(01-28-2012 04:29 PM)redneckpunk Wrote:  

(01-26-2012 07:27 PM)Pilgrim37 Wrote:  

I give this guy props..I bet he knows more in 2 weeks than most expats do in a year or 2.

remember one very important thing.....he is selling something.

he studies the language before he goes to any country.

he wasn't having a conversation he memorized a script.

Chinese do this all the time and you think...this dude speaks pretty good English, then you ask them a simple question and it's like watching a robot short circuit.

he gives lots of good advice: mainly move to the country speak their language not yours and you will learn fast.

there you have it and you don't have to pay me 100 bucks for that info.

'he memorized a script' - My thought too. It's easy to fake that you know a language in a video.

[nmmoooreland20]

I’ve been going through the Pimsleur tapes for a couple months. Exactly half way through (45/90 lesson, but I do each one 3 times). I’m thinking after I get through the Pimsleur lessons I’ll try and get a conversation partner.

So far, I think Mandarin has been pretty easy. The syntax is pretty logical, there’s no gender differences and few plural differences. Of course, certain sounds and tones are tricky, and there are some odd-ball phrases to get the hang of. I’m sure there’s other speed bumps once you get deeper into it to.

[memcpy]

I studied chinese for 3 years, my advice is to learn the 5 tones and their rules (there's not many), it makes speaking a lot easier. Listen to a lot of stuff, look up words, you don't really need to spend money on anything. All you pretty much need is youtube, a few movies and you'll be set, and stuff YOU like. Make sure you save words using a program or something. I recommend the Iphone/Ipod app ChineseFlash http://www.chineseflashapp.com/ I think it cost something but it's really all i've really paid for in my language learning.

Once you get the feel for it , and your ready to speak, head on over to http://www.sharedtalk.com there's TONS of chinese speakers their you can voice chat to, and its free.

I currently use jflash for japanese because I save the words I hear, then read them with several provided sentences the program gives.

I listened my ass off to japanese for the past 6 months straight hardcore, and only now do I feel like I can catch the 'flow' of conversation, and it doesn't sound fast anymore.

[BHirsch]

I grew up hearing the language around my house but I've yet to study it formally. I can speak elementary level, but my brother goes to a class for 5 hours every sunday and after 3 years he's almost fluent. He can have whole conversations easy, but I dont usually expect him to make any jokes or use a large vocabulary.

If you want to learn fast you should probably spend a lot of time somewhere the language is spoken alot, so you can get used to hearing it from people.

[Vacancier Permanent]

I took Chinese course at a local college last year but had to stop as I returned to Thailand. But I do want to learn Chinese and after that, Japanese. I plan on spending a few months in China and enroll in an intensive chinese course when there. Kunmin in the south of China is a good place based on what I read and from suggestions here by YMG.

[FretDancer]

(02-20-2012 10:35 PM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote:  

I took Chinese course at a local college last year but had to stop as I returned to Thailand. But I do want to learn Chinese and after that, Japanese. I plan on spending a few months in China and enroll in an intensive chinese course when there. Kunmin in the south of China is a good place based on what I read and from suggestions here by YMG.

VP, are you planning on taking scholarship for chinese studying at China?