I want to learn chinese(mandarin) on my own pace..

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z0mb13

Lifer
May 19, 2002
18,106
1
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Anyone done the same thing?

I have some background... know the basics since my mom can speak chinese

any suggestions are appreciated!
 
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kogase

Diamond Member
Sep 8, 2004
5,213
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Go to China. Seriously, if you wanted to learn Cantonese it would be alot easier to stay in America, but very few Chinese immigrant communities are heavily populated with Mandarin speakers. Forget learning "at your own pace". There's only one pace to learn a language at: either you learn and apply it, or you forget it.
 
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z0mb13

Lifer
May 19, 2002
18,106
1
76
Originally posted by: kogase
Go to China. Seriously, if you wanted to learn Cantonese it would be alot easier to stay in America, but very few Chinese immigrant communities are heavily populated with Mandarin speakers. Forget learning "at your own pace". There's only one pace to learn a language at: either you learn and apply it, or you forget it.
Click to expand...

this is actually on my plans: going to shanghai to learn chinese... but I want to learn the basics by myself a bit more so I can learn much more when I get there

 
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brtspears2

Diamond Member
Nov 16, 2000
8,659
1
81
Rosetta Stone software and Mandarin lessons on CD for my 3 hour commute.

EDIT: Oh yea, dating a FOB helps too. Having random junk being yelled at you works wonders for learning.
 
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dc

Diamond Member
Nov 26, 1999
9,998
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there's tons of mandarin speakers here these days. atleast in california. :p
 
Sphexi

Sphexi

Diamond Member
Feb 22, 2005
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My fiancee speaks Cantonese, I have to learn at some point, I got some software to help but it's not the greatest, but the Rosetta Stone stuff is really nice. Expensive, but nice.
 
K

kogase

Diamond Member
Sep 8, 2004
5,213
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Originally posted by: z0mb13
Originally posted by: kogase
Go to China. Seriously, if you wanted to learn Cantonese it would be alot easier to stay in America, but very few Chinese immigrant communities are heavily populated with Mandarin speakers. Forget learning "at your own pace". There's only one pace to learn a language at: either you learn and apply it, or you forget it.
Click to expand...

this is actually on my plans: going to shanghai to learn chinese... but I want to learn the basics by myself a bit more so I can learn much more when I get there
Click to expand...

If you need the basics in preparation to steep yourself in the language's natural environment, check out the Pimsleur Mandarin course. You can probably find it at a library around you. It will take 3 months, doing a 30 minute lesson every day.
 
D

DaWhim

Lifer
Feb 3, 2003
12,985
1
81
are you chinese? feel the shame of being chinese and don't know chinese?

well, if you are over 20y/o, you should just forget about it.
 
Nitemare

Nitemare

Lifer
Feb 8, 2001
35,461
4
81
Originally posted by: cirrhosis
Originally posted by: kogase
Originally posted by: cirrhosis
Watch lots of mid 80's to mid 90's gangster flicks from Hong Kong.
Click to expand...

Honk Kong cinema is generally in Cantonese.
Click to expand...


Aaargh!

Foiled!
Click to expand...

99.99% of the DVD's have Mandarin dubs though

Pimsleur or get a Chinese girlfriend
 
EvilYoda

EvilYoda

Lifer
Apr 1, 2001
21,198
9
81
There's a very popular series of audio CDs that teach various languages...my mom rented the Canto series once and I listened to the first disc or two and it was pretty nice. At our age, learning Mandarin (or Cantonese) from the bottom up would be very difficult. Instead, these discs are like other teaching books and teach basic terms, phrases and words that you'll be likely to you. We might have the Mandarin copies sitting around somewhere as she bought them for the local Chinese school we started (for non-Chinese parents), I could at least find the name of the series for you.

reminds me that I should try learning Canto again...that was cool. I hate knowing only Mandarin.
 
EvilYoda

EvilYoda

Lifer
Apr 1, 2001
21,198
9
81
If you need the basics in preparation to steep yourself in the language's natural environment, check out the Pimsleur Mandarin course. You can probably find it at a library around you. It will take 3 months, doing a 30 minute lesson every day.
Click to expand...

Pimsleur, that's it. doh.
 
Z

z0mb13

Lifer
May 19, 2002
18,106
1
76
Originally posted by: DaWhim
are you chinese? feel the shame of being chinese and don't know chinese?

well, if you are over 20y/o, you should just forget about it.
Click to expand...

yes, yes, yes, no way

tiu lei lo meii!! :D:D
 
D

DaWhim

Lifer
Feb 3, 2003
12,985
1
81
watch taiwanese shows, they have some good ones. ever heard of meteor garden? I watched that and my mandarin just improved greatly.
 
Z

z0mb13

Lifer
May 19, 2002
18,106
1
76
Originally posted by: kogase
Originally posted by: z0mb13
Originally posted by: kogase
Go to China. Seriously, if you wanted to learn Cantonese it would be alot easier to stay in America, but very few Chinese immigrant communities are heavily populated with Mandarin speakers. Forget learning "at your own pace". There's only one pace to learn a language at: either you learn and apply it, or you forget it.
Click to expand...

this is actually on my plans: going to shanghai to learn chinese... but I want to learn the basics by myself a bit more so I can learn much more when I get there
Click to expand...

If you need the basics in preparation to steep yourself in the language's natural environment, check out the Pimsleur Mandarin course. You can probably find it at a library around you. It will take 3 months, doing a 30 minute lesson every day.
Click to expand...

Thank you very much! I will check it out!!
 
Z

z0mb13

Lifer
May 19, 2002
18,106
1
76
Originally posted by: DaWhim
watch taiwanese shows, they have some good ones. ever heard of meteor garden? I watched that and my mandarin just improved greatly.
Click to expand...

yes that show was super famous..

I liked the song: ni yau te ai by penny dai...

hmm I wonder if I can borrow/get the vcds from someone... :D:D
 
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