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TRANSCRIPT
Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1 Some Simple Facts Regardingthe Chinese Language
Chapter 2 Ways to Learn the ChineseLanguage
Chapter 3 How to Learn Chinese
Chapter 4 Easy Ways to learn Chinese
Chapter 5 Some Basic Skills Required forLearning Chinese
Chapter 6 How to Go About LearningChinese online
Chapter 7 Some Techniques Which MayAssist You When Learning toSpeak Chinese
Conclusion
Introduction
For many years now, the world has been insistingthat everyone should speak English. But across theworld, countries have provided their young withinitiatives to learn other languages also. Yet inrecent months, Americans have now come to realizethat there is now a need for people to able tospeak languages that are more specialized.Certainly the fact is that one language which manyschools are now considering including within theircurriculum’s, not just in the USA, but around theworld is Chinese.
Presently, 1.3 billion people speak Chinese aroundthe world, and of this, 885 million speak Mandarin(the official language of China), which alsohappens to be the most dominant dialect. Currentlyin the USA, only 24,000 students (Grades 7 throughto 12) are actually studying this language, buttheir numbers are steadily growing.
However, the biggest problem that many educators inthe US are facing when it comes to expanding theirChinese programs, is finding people who areactually qualified to teach it. There are only afew Universities in the USA which offer programs toallow people to train and gain their teacher’scertification in teaching the Chinese language.One University (George Mason) included a programwhich would allow people to gain their teacher’scertificate for teaching Mandarin, and a total of 2people enrolled on the course. This is whereexchange courses come in useful, and are verycritical to helping ensure that this language,along with Arabic, can be taught in US schools.
However for those that are interested in learningthe Chinese language, you will find it can be verydifficult. So you need to be prepared to spend agood deal of your spare time, as you will find itwill take some time to learn. However, throughthis book, we hope to provide you with some usefulinformation that will help you to learn Chinese.
Chapter 1 –
Some Simple Facts Regardingthe Chinese Language
Today, the most standard form of Chinese that isspoken is known as Standard Mandarin, which isbased on a dialect spoken in Beijing. It is alsothe official language now used by the people ofChina, as well as those in Taiwan, and one of 4official languages spoken by those people fromSingapore.
Also, you will find that this language has nowbecome one of the six official languages used bythe United Nations.
Another standard language that is spoken by HongKong and Macau, which are also part of China, isStandard Cantonese.
But in this book, we will be looking closely at howto learn Standard Mandarin.
Most of the dialects now spoken by the Chinesepeople will often consist of words spoken by theirancestors, back when China was made up of variousdifferent ethnic groups.
It was only after these groups had come togetherunder the Chinese empire, did they start to unitethe languages that they spoke.
However, as the Chinese use a standard formalwritten language, no matter what dialect theyspeak, often people will regard these dialects asbeing equal. But in fact, they are like any othercountry, their own individuals; they just use astandardized form of writing.
It was during the latter part of the 19th Centurythat Beijing Mandarin became the more standard formof Chinese language to be use. But it was at thistime many Chinese did speak variations of Mandarin,though they were very limited.
However, things changed when the education systemin China was based on Standard Mandarin, and was tobe used as the language for carrying outinstructions. Today, nearly every person inmainland China speaks Mandarin.
It is important to note that the various differentdialects of spoken Chinese use tones. Some areasof China (in the North) will only use as many as 3tones, while in Southern China, they can usebetween 6 or 10 tones as they speak.
Today, more and more people are looking to learnMandarin in the Western hemisphere of the world.Up until about 10 years ago, it was proving to beextremely difficult to find someone who could teachothers this language.
Today, there are quite a number of schools acrossthe US, and across the rest of the world, wherethis language is now being taught.
Back in 1991 there were only 2,000 people takingChina’s official Chinese language proficiency test,and this figure had risen to 117,660 by 2005. In
fact, the Ministry of Education in China believethat there are over 30 million people around theworld who are learning Mandarin.
Chapter 2 –
Ways to Learn the ChineseLanguage
If, like many others, you have wanted to learn alanguage which is both unique, and not many peopleare familiar with, then why not consider learningChinese? Below we provide you with some easy tipswhich can help you to learn a language, which isbecoming increasingly essential in modern life.
First, you need to look at the best way you learnany subject. Are you someone who learns a languagebest when they rewrite phrases that they haveheard? Or are you someone who finds it much easierto learn a language by rereading things over andover again?
You may find it much easier to learn the languageif you either say them out loud yourself, or hearsomeone else saying them out loud for you. But ifyou are unsure, then try practicing each techniquethat has been mentioned above, and you will soonsee which of them will help you to remember whatyou are learning more effectively.
By rewriting each phrase or word on to a page of abook will definitely help, as this means that youhave something that you can refer back to if youare having problems.
It is also essential that you learn the 4 differenttones that the Chinese people use when they speak.Each tone will be drawn over the word that isspoken in order to give it a different form ofpronunciation.
The first tone that the Chinese people use is highbut flat. This means that the voice stays flat andshould not either rise or dip in any way.
The second tone that the Chinese use is a risingtone, and the person’s voice should raise as theyspeak.
The third tone is known as the dipping tone, andwhen a word is spoken it will go up and then rise.
While the fourth tone used when speaking Chinese isthe lowering tone. When used, this makes the wordbeing spoken sound manlier.
The best way of learning how the tones sound isthrough listening to a native speaker, as for many,actually getting an idea of what they should soundlike simply by reading text is extremely difficult.
There are various ways that you can learn to speakChinese, and below are some ways that you may wantto try.
1. In order to learn more phrases, you shouldtry and get hold of a copy of “How to LearnMandarin”. This you can easily do eitherthrough your local bookstore, or onlinethrough such sites as Amazon.
2. Get hold of some CD’s which you can thenplay while driving your car, or whilerelaxing at home.
3. If you are able to, and your local School orCollege are offering them, then take part inan introductory course to learning Chinese.This is probably one of the best ways to notonly gain confidence in speaking thelanguage, but also helps to ensure that youpronounce the words and tones correctly. Bydoing this course, a person will be able tohave a solid foundation for then learningthe language on their own.
4. Another way of helping yourself to learn thelanguage more effectively is by usingflashcards, which can be extremely helpful.However, when using this system, it is alsoimportant that you practice using each wordthat you learn in sentences.
When it actually comes to learning any language,and not just Chinese, persistence is the key. Sayyou have learned something, then you should notstop studying it or repeating what you havelearned, otherwise you will find that you willforget it.
Certainly practice is essential when it comes tolearning any language, but you should not practicetoo much, or else you will find that you begin toforget what you have already learned. Overdoing thestudying will simply add too much information tothe brain, causing some of what was learned to bedumped to make space for the new information (thisrelates to short term and long term memory).
Chapter 3 –
How to Learn Chinese
Today, Chinese is now becoming one of the mostpopular languages that people are studying andlearning. The reason for this is that China isbecoming extremely influential in the world’sbusiness markets.
However, if you are considering learning thislanguage, it is important to note that it can bevery difficult.
Again, it is important to remember that thislanguage is tonal, and each word, when pronouncedusing the 4 different tones, will have a differentmeaning.
Also, you not only need to learn about the tones,you also have to learn about the Chinesecharacters, and these, then, need to be memorized.
Certainly the best way to learn and study thelanguage is by going to China. Immersing yourselfin the language and culture will probably provide aperson with a better rounded way of learning thelanguage.
If you can, find somewhere that does exchangeprograms, or find a private school in one of themany beautiful cities in China that you couldattend.
However, going to China, for some people, is aproblem because of the cost implications. Luckily,this is where the internet comes in.
The internet has now made it extremely easy andpossible for anyone who wants to learn Chinese,without actually having to go to China to carry outtheir studies. There are several different siteson the web which can offer you free lessons tolearn Chinese. One such example ishttp://www.chinese-tools.com/learn/chinese
Another great way for learning the language, if youare unable to spend time in the country itself, isthrough finding an exchange partner.
The best way of finding an exchange partner isthrough your local College or School or ESLDepartment. They will be able to find you astudent whose native language is Chinese, and iswilling to spend time with you teaching you theirlanguage.
However, you will need to reciprocate and beprepared to spend time with them teaching them howto speak your language. It is recommended to havebasic familiarity with the language before lookinginto this, as communication in the early going canbe rather difficult!
There are also a number of groups that have beenorganized by such sites as Yahoo, where you canjoin and start to learn Chinese. One example ishttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/alearningchineseonlineclub/
It is through these groups and forums that you willbe able to post any questions you may have
regarding the language, and be provided withfeedback from those that either speak Chinese orthose that are also learning it themselves.
The final way you may want to consider for learningto speak Chinese is through making new friendswhose native tongue is this language.
Soon, you will discover just how much easier it isto learn this language when you spend time withthose people whose speak this language first andforemost.
Chapter 4 –
Easy Ways to Learn Chinese
No matter which language it is you have decided tolearn, you will need to be committed to putting alot of time and effort into your studies. This iseven truer of Chinese as there are a lot ofdifferences between the native language, and whatis considered to be the official language of thecountry. Below we provide some suggestions on howto maximize the time you spend learning Chinese,making it as easy as possible for you.
1. By integrating new items with material thatis more familiar to you, it will make thefoundation of your learning much stronger.
2. A good idea is to create a concept map,which will then help you to analyzecharacters or those groups of characterswhich are similar. However, it is importantthat the groups of characters should havethe same sort of meaning, and should becreated in the following types of clusters.
a. Words which fit into the same sort ofpattern.
b. Those characters which share the samesort of radical or same sort of phonetic(similar pronunciation) components.
c. Those characters which share any othertype of component that is similar.
d. Look at placing those characterstogether which have a shared idea, suchas colors, activities or places.
3. Create yourself a hierarchical chart that isable to break down single characters intomuch smaller and also more meaningfulcomponents.
4. Create yourself a mnemonic device which willthen help you to remember particular partsof your character. One way of rememberingit is through using a picture, which willsuggest the characters particular strokes.
5. After each lesson, it is best if you reviewwhat you have been taught 15 minutesafterwards. In studies carried out, it hasbeen shown that those students who carry outa review of what they have been taughtshortly afterwards are able to retain theinformation much better.
6. Read out loud. Reading out loud is not onlya great way for you to practice what you arelearning, but will help you to discoverparticular words and phrases which you mayhave not mastered as yet. Also, when itcomes time to read out loud what you havebeen learning in classroom environment, youwill find it much easier to do.
7. Rather than studying for long periods oftime, just study a little each day,especially before you are due to take atest. By doing this, you will find that itmakes it much easier for you to learn thelanguage, rather than having to spend timecramming at the end just before you areabout to take the test. Certainly you aremore likely to retain information betterusing this method.
8. Rather than carrying out the learning of anynew vocabulary in one long session, youshould instead break it up into severalsmall sessions. You can do this whiletravelling to school or work, or even whenyou are waiting in line to pay for yourgroceries.
9. The most effective way for anyone to learnChinese characters is through memorizingthem. A great way of doing this is throughwriting them down. However, instead ofwriting the same word down over and overagain, you should write each word down onceor twice before you move on to the next one.Then you need to go through the list againuntil you have carried out the number ofrepetitions as required by your instructor.Doing this actually helps to put the wordsmore firmly in to your mind and memory.
10. If you can, practice things with a studypartner. You can do this by getting each ofyou to read a line, and then get the otherperson to respond (but you must not use your
books or study notes). Then, in order foryou to understand what has been said, youshould each then provide them with aresponse in English.
11. Also, when you are reading Chinese, and inorder to understand the characters better, aperson should cover up the pinyin while theyare reading the text. If you are unsure ofwhat a character is, then write down somenotes on a separate piece of paper which youcan then refer back to later.
By developing some of the habits that we havesuggested above, a person will soon find learningthe Chinese much easier.
Chapter 5 –
Some Basic Language SkillsRequired for Learning Chinese
When it comes to learning the basics of the Chineselanguage, the biggest obstacles that people willface are as follows:-
1. How to write, as well as recognize thecharacters which make up the Chineselanguage.
2. How to pronounce the characters correctly.
3. What each character means.
4. How to find each character.
However, because there have been advancements inrelation to the technology used for producingChinese software, this now makes it not only easyfor a person to learn the language, but also makesit a lot of fun as well.
In this article, we will be taking a closer look atthe Chinese characters.
There are well over 80,000 Chinese characters to befound in the Chinese language, but a lot of theseare very rarely used today. In fact, in order tohave the basic foundations for being able to readand write in Chinese, a person will only need a fewthousand of these characters.
However, what you will soon discover is that, forevery English word in order for it to be translatedinto Chinese, they will use two or more characters.Each character should be used together, and thenread from left to right.
So in order for you to master this language, youreally need to learn everything with regard to theChinese characters.
There are a number of different styles of Chinesewriting, and some styles are, in fact, more ancientthan others. What also should be noted is that, aswell as different styles, there are differences inthe way in which these styles are written.
So each Chinese character, no matter what style ofwriting is being used, will be used according toits purpose within the written text.
As well as the different styles, there are 2 formsof Chinese characters which are being used. Theseare simplified and traditional.
Simplified is the form of writing which is now usedin mainland China, while the more traditional formof writing can be found being used in Taiwan andHong Kong.
Within the simplified writing there are a total of2,235 characters, and this results in the Chinese
characters being the same but just in 2 differentforms.
However, the actual number of commonly used Chinesecharacters being used today is around 3,500. Mostof the Chinese characters you will see on manysites today will use the simplified form.
Chapter 6 –
How to Go About LearningChinese Online
When it comes to learning the Chinese language, oneof the most interesting ways is by finding courseonline. More and more people are becominginterested in learning this language because of thegrowth in China within the economic markets.Currently, over 1.2 billion (1 in 5) people speakthis language. In fact, it is the most commonlyspoken language throughout the world today.
When it comes to learning Chinese online, it doesnot matter whether you are a complete novice, orsomeone who has a little experience, there arecourses available to suit all standards.
These courses will help you to learn how to writethe characters, understand the grammar as well asusing the right tones and ways to pronounce thewords.
So if you are really interested in learningChinese, but you just do not have the time or moneyto either go to China or attend a local school orcollege, there is a great new way of learning thislanguage. There are some teachers who providelessons relating to the Chinese language usingSkype (which is a widely used and free form ofVoice over Internet Protocol).
Because of the growth in internet connections, aswell as the advancements in voice over internetprotocol (VOIP) software, it has made it extremelyeasy for people to find a tutor who can teach themthe basics of the language. You can also use thismethod if you want to polish up on what you havealready learned.
If you are really interested in being able to carryout conversational Chinese on a regular basis, thenSkype may be the way to go.
You will find that, not only can you get hold offreelance tutors providing Chinese lessons onSkype, but there are also language schools whichhave now decided to use this form of technology tohelp their students with their lessons. The greatthing is that most of these schools and tutors areactually located in China. But because of the timedifference, learning Chinese this way is beneficialfor many students in the US, as they can actuallycarry out their lessons from the comfort of theirown home and it will not actually interfere withtheir normal daily routines.
Using Skype is certainly beneficial to those peoplewho want to enjoy speaking conversational Chinesewith those people for whom this is their firstlanguage.
Chapter 7 –
Some Techniques Which MayAssist You When Learning to
Speak Chinese
When it comes to learning Chinese, the best thing aperson can do is learn various techniques, whichwill make all the difference at just how successfuland effective your training is.
Below, we provide some tips, as well as techniques,which can help you to master the Chinese language.Certainly by using either one or variouscombinations of the techniques and tips providedbelow, a person will not only maximize their time,but also how effectively they learn the language.Remember, when it comes to learning a language, youshould make it as much fun and enjoyable aspossible.
Step 1
When it comes to learning Chinese, the first thinganyone should do is learn Chinese Pinyin. It isthis which contains the Chinese phonetic alphabetsthat are used to pronounce the Chinese characters.Also, learning Pinyin will help you to distinguish
the 4 different tones that are used in the Chineselanguage.
Step 2
You will need to spend time listening, as well aspracticing, both simple Chinese sentences, as wellas vocabulary, so that you can memorize it.
Below are some tips which should help you toachieve your goals with regards to the above 2steps.
a. If you are able to, take a local communityChinese class as well as carrying outpractice drills with a study partner. Themore you are able to speak the language,then the easier it will get.
b. Get yourself a good dictionary, and ensureit is one which has the right phoneticspellings of each word.
c. If you can, find someone whose nativelanguage is Chinese, and spend time withthem conversing in their own language.There are a lot of Chinese students nowcoming to the US on exchange programs thatwould like to spend time with Americanslearning English, and will in return provideAmericans with chances to learn and speakChinese.
d. Get hold of some tapes or CD’s where youhave to listen to, and then repeat out loud,what they have said. Also, try and get holdof some Chinese newspapers and magazines sothat you can read what is contained withinout loud.
e. Sing some Chinese songs. Go to your locallibrary, or purchase online some tapes orCD’s, and then listen to them frequentlyuntil such time as you are able to speak thewords and the sentences on your own.
f. It is important that you review all theother words you have learned previously on aregular basis so that they become fresh inyour memory again.
Step 3
It is important that, as well as learning to speakthe Chinese language, you spend time writing it.By doing this, you will not only be able tounderstand the strokes and rules relating to eachChinese character, but it will also provide youwith a sound foundation of just how each characteris formed.
Below are some tips to help ensure that you canlearn the Chinese characters.
a. The first thing you should do in order tomemorize each character is to write themdown on paper until you have remembered it.You should start with the easiest ones firstand then gradually build up to the much moredifficult ones in the future.
b. However, instead of writing each one downmany times over, you should only write themonce or twice. You should have a whole listof words in front of you, and you should gothrough this list writing each word once ortwice, and once you have done this list, youthen start from the beginning and go through
it again. Do this for as many times as thecourse instructs you to do it. Doing thiswill help to ensure that the words you havelearned are more firmly ensconced withinyour memory.
c. Whenever possible, watch either movies, orTV programs that have Chinese subtitles. Itis one of the best and easiest ways for aperson to learn Chinese, through both thespoken and written word.
d. Get some post it’s and then write downparticular characters you are about tolearn, and place them on the objects thatthey relate to.
After some time, you will notice that many ofthese Chinese characters have some elements incommon. They may be related to each otherthrough the meaning or pronunciation of the word.By noting these common elements, you will findthat it helps you to remember the characters mucheasier.
Step 4
This step looks at the grammar of the Chineselanguage, which is almost identical to that of allother languages. The only difference you may findbetween the Chinese and English grammar is thesequence in which it is placed. Therefore, youneed to pay close attention to these differencesand practice them as much as possible.
However, the most important thing to remember whenlearning any new language, and not just Chinese, isthat you should not be afraid to make mistakes.Certainly a lot of people find it difficult to
learn a language, as they are extremely selfconscious and are worried that they may makemistakes, and people will laugh at them when theydo.
So do not be discouraged, and remember that bypracticing what you have learned, you will soon beamazed at the amount of progress you can make.
Also, in order to achieve your goals, you shouldallocate some time each day to carrying out yourstudies, and it is important that you keep to theschedule you devise for yourself. It is best ifyou set up a schedule where you study a little andoften, rather than studying for long periods oftime all in one go.
Conclusion
In recent months, China has become big news,especially since in 2008 it will be holding theSummer Olympics. Because of the increased interestin this country, many people are now consideringthat it may be important that they start to learnthe Chinese language. Certainly many schoolsacross the US and around the globe are offeringstudents the chance to learn Mandarin Chineseinstead of, say, German, French or Spanish.
Certainly there are a number of reasons as to whymore and more people are considering learningChinese. Certainly those young professionals, orthose who are career minded, are starting to seethe benefits to be gained from learning thislanguage. Below are a few other reasons that arecontributing to the rise of interest in learningChinese:
1. Because China has been admitted to the WTO(World Trade Organization), this hasresulted in their economy booming, andtherefore people now need to interact withthem on a regular basis.
2. Today in the US, when it comes to learning anew language, more and more people are
enrolling on courses to learn Chinese.Today, the enrolment courses have reached anall time high, and a bill was introduced inthe US that students at high school could beprovided with Chinese language classes.
3. By being able to speak Chinese, a personwill set themselves apart from others andshow that they are proactive. By doingthis, not only will you be able to competewith those people who have just graduated,but also you will be able to take advantageof the opportunities that will arise in thefuture as trade with China also increases.
4. The Chinese work force is one of the best inthe world for carrying out labor intensivejobs. This results in much lower costs withregard to the products that they produce.Many of these manufacturing companies inChina now employ foreigners to manage, aswell as act as consultants, and also employthem as accountants. By learning Chinese,you will then help to provide a link thatcan be used between the variousmanufacturing companies in China, andAmerican businesses.
5. Many companies are now looking to sell theirproducts in China, and currently around16,000 American companies are now sellingtheir products to the Chinese. In fact, theChinese people are hungry for consumerproducts, and certainly those producedabroad. It is these companies who areselling their products to China who willneed those who are able to speak and writethe language, in order for them to gain afoothold in this very lucrative market.
6. When it actually comes to learning Chinese,it is not as hard as you may think. Becauseof modern technology, the learning processcan be extremely helpful. In fact, a lot ofprofessionals have already found that theycan speak the language without actuallyhaving to learn how to write it. It islearning to write the characters which oftentakes up a lot of people’s time whenlearning this particular language. In fact,the computer can actually help you when itcomes to writing the Chinese language, asthere are software programs now availablewhich will convert the English word in toChinese, and you do not even need to changeyour keyboard.
By using the right approach, a person can soon findthemselves speaking Chinese in a very short periodof time. Learning this language or any otherlanguage can provide you with benefits that willhelp to advance your career in the future. But itwill actually take you less time to learn thislanguage, instead of getting a degree or learninganother skill.