How to go about learning Mandarin Chinese?
Classes are not an option seeing ad I live in a small town and they are unavailable. I am looking for any books, CDs, and especially online resources to aid me in beginning to learn this language. Once I gain a basic foundation I definitely will be talking with other natives online to further my knowledge.
Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Start small. Don’t push yourself to do too much. Purchase some books from a bookstore, look in the Guides and/or Languages sections to teach yourself the basics. If you can, contact a friend who lives in China, and they can get really good books from there. If you don’t have one, try to find online pen-pals !Find opportunities to practice what you learn. Maybe there’s a Chinese restaurant down the road. If there are Chinese people there, go in and greet them in Chinese! You don’t need to buy their food. They will be delighted that you are taking an interest in their culture. If you can’t find any, go to Chinatown. Maybe one of your neighbors speaks Chinese. Make sure they speak Mandarin, though, or it could mean a very embarrassing visit!
Learn the tones. There are four tones. One type of tone is usually over each Chinese word. Each tone type is drawn over the word ‘ma’ to show the different ways of pronouncing it.
The first tone is a high, flat tone. Your voice stays flat, with no rise or dip in the way it sounds. e.g.
The second tone is a rising tone. Your voice rises when you say this, sort of as if you were asking someone to repeat something by saying “huh?” or “what?”
The third tone is a dipping tone. The way you say the word goes down then up. Such as when you say the letter “B”. When two third tone syllables are near each other, the first one retains its third tone sound while the next takes the sound of the fourth tone. Also, unless at the end of a sentence or in the case aforementioned, the third tone just sounds like a second tone starting slightly lower.
The fourth tone is a lowering tone. Just say the whole word as if your voice is becoming more manly, or as if you’re reading a book and have come across something new and interesting and are saying “huh”. Easy enough? If not, don’t fret. It’s definitely recommended to hear the tones demonstrated from a native speaker, since it’s hard to get an idea of what they sound like purely through text.
Learn simple Chinese characters first; these are most likely the “radicals” that use their meaning and/or pronunciation to give hints in complex characters [which are most likely groups of radicals themselves].
Flashcards are very useful for learning new vocabulary, but it is equally important to practice using new words in sentences.
If you intend to learn how to read Chinese characters, seek out a good reference book or character workbook at your local bookstore or library.
Persistence is key! If you think you know a lot, then just stop studying or repeating it, you will forget what you have learned. How frustrating will it be to have to relearn things over and over because you don’t study at least 4 times a week.
One good skill to learn is how to downplay compliments that native speakers give you.
There are free podcasts available online.
By and large, Chinese people are very proud of their culture, and enjoy helping people learn their language. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or practice with a native speaker.
While Taiwanese Mandarin is very similar to Chinese Mandarin, there are very subtle differences in terms of pronunciations, vocabulary and subtle grammar structure differences. Much like American English and Standard British English.
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