Learning Mandarin

[mantis]

Anyone here been successful at tackling Mandarin? I'm using the Pimsleur audio tapes as I wish to visit China in the near future, perhaps as an English teacher for a year or two. I used the Pimsleur tapes for French which I picked up easily due to already knowing Spanish but Mandarin is out of this world. The tones aren't all that difficult (yet) it's just hard to remember.

[ChiDragon]

There are only four tones in Mandarin....

1 2 3 4

- \ ~ /

[ChiDragon]

This British 19 year old girl, only been two months in China, learned a Chinese song in two weeks and won the competition in China.

 

Edited December 6, 2011 by ChiDragon

[mantis]

This British 19 year old girl, only been two months in China, learned a Chinese song in two weeks and won the competition in China.

 

 

While impressive, singing a song and being fluent in a language are two completely different things. Do you speak Mandarin?

[ChiDragon]

While impressive, singing a song and being fluent in a language are two completely different things. Do you speak Mandarin?

 

Yes, I do speak mandarin. Ni hao ma(how are you)..???...

 

Singing a song and being fluent in a language are two completely different things. Yes, if one being fluent in a language and singing a song is completely different. In a way, I mean really different.

 

BTW She sung this song in Western style which made it sound so good and different. I love to sing too, I'll try to sing in her western style tone. I was really fascinated with her western diaphragm tone. Her voice(western way of singing) has a magnetic attraction as how we would describe it.... As a matter of fact, I'd heard many westerner learned Chinese and sung songs. The Chinese songs from a western singer are very different. Here is another good example.

 

A comparison between western and eastern. The western style with diaphragm.

Edited December 6, 2011 by ChiDragon

[ChiDragon]

American speaks Mandarin:

 

Chinese spoken by a Black person:

 

College students in Boston UMASS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49v_gUJFSf4&feature=related

Edited December 7, 2011 by ChiDragon

[de_paradise]

I learned Mandarin pretty fast and well due to my systematically learning via pinyin, and ignoring the characters for the first year or 2. Understand that the characters add too much to the learning, bog people down and thus make it frustrating. You will have enough challenge understanding the definitions and the grammer which are not so translation friendly as European language to European language. Also it is very important to spend a good amount of time learning pronunciation as exact as you can. The words are all similar, so in fact it makes it very easy when there are so many different things are all the same pronunciation. Also I would advise to learn in phrase context, not word by word. Learn pieces of phrases, and common structures, entire sentences, because when you inevitably make pronunciation mistakes, people can still understand you because of the context. Chinese is an easy language after you get the base and its super fun to speak and the Chinese are very supportive and patient.

[Cameron]

Yup, I am trying. It will be a process.

 

Let me know if your ever in Beijing!

[mantis]

Yup, I am trying. It will be a process.

 

Let me know if your ever in Beijing!

 

Are you in Beijing as an English teacher? I plan on going down that route and although I hear you can get a job without a 4 year degree I'd prefer going with one for reasons of longevity (in case I want to stick around longer).

 

How do you like it so far?

[Cameron]

I like it.

 

I worked in Korea for 2 1/2 years and have been in Beijing a little over 3 months. You need a Bachellors and 2 years experience teaching.

 

Best,

 

Cameron