[China] Good resources for learning Chinese (Mandarin or Cantonese)

[Mib2112]

While I wait for the Mandarin Chinese classes to start up at the local community college, what are some other good resources to try?

I have the Pimsleur learning Cds, but they are not that great for making sure you have the tones down correctly.

The Tell Me More software has a wonderful feature that plays the words for you, and has you speak them back into a microphone, and tells you how close you are and shows you where you are missing the tones. I would love to find more software similar to this, but lets me pick my words a little easier.

I am even wondering where to get like Kindergarden level school books on Chinese writing to work on it.

So what does MAP suggest for me? Where should I go to make my learning of Chinese easier?

[daftyman]

I've found pimsleur to be fine as I get to hear the sound, but then I think I have a pretty good ear for tones (from the musical instruments that I play) so found this good enough. I tended to do the lessons over and over 'til I felt I had it down pat. I'm at Unit 11 of the third course, but I still do each lesson about four times before moving on. Slow and steady is the key. Of course lessons with a human teacher is the best, but not been able to do that yet.

If you can't hear the difference then it does make it harder. Even when you get a teacher it can still be hard if you cannot detect the difference. One idea is to kinda forget the tones to start and work on the grammar/phrases. If you're lucky a chinese speaker will understand what you're trying to say from the context of the question.

Personally I would learn to speak chinese before tackling the written form. Or at least restrict yourself to pinyin. Then when you a re ready to learn the characters you will already know the sound of them and can build from there possibly making use of Zhuyin(BoPoMoFo) characters to help out. I am waiting until I reach the end of the Pimsleur course before starting on the characters.

[Zuarko]

You can take a look at http://www.csulb.edu/~txie/online.htm It has lots of links to very useful chinese learning webs. Even news, little children books... well, better if you see it yourself :)

[El Tejon]

Hi, Mib, have you tried China Sprout? I have a couple of their books and practice my characters out of them.

Try here, I think this is what you want: http://www.chinasprout.com/shop/books/learn

[RickMatz]

I study Japanese, and have found this free online dictionary indispensible:

http://wakan.manga.cz/

I especially find it useful for character lookups, etc.

Best Regards,

Rick

[Mib2112]

The ChinaSprout is exactly what I need :)

I can hear the tones, and tell the difference between them, but I have a little trouble telling if I am pitching them right. Thats why I like the software, it shows me how it is coming out so I can see where i am getting it wrong. Least with going with Pinyin I would at least be able to write out what I am trying to say.

[El Tejon]

Glad I could be helpful (for once).

[nready]

http://www.loquella.com/learn-chinese/

I ask this of some of the more experienced speakers, is this place any good?

I really do not know, I wish I had people to practice with!

Recently started a class on conversational Spanish and it has made some differences. In what I say, also realizing no mater how hard I try I will always speak with a accent!

[Mib2112]

Doesn't look too bad. And being free helps a lot.

[hamihaha]

You have http://www.chinese-tools.com, with the audio mandarin lessons (http://www.chinese-tools.com/learn/chinese)...
Good luck!

[nready]

Serious Question:

What is the name for when someone speaking Mandarin is butchering English and Mandarin at the same time? Guessing, Man-english or Chin-englis

Same question but with Cantonese as well. Think Canto-englis

Relating to how Spanglish is done in America.

[hamihaha]

They use Chinglish.

[nready]

Thankyou, hamihaha for the answer!

Here is a place to buy or find more information on the Chinese language.
Omniglot:
http://www.omniglot.com/books/language/chinese.htm#taiwanese
http://www.omniglot.com/writing/chinese.htm
http://www.omniglot.com/writing/cantonese.htm
http://www.omniglot.com/writing/taiwanese.htm
http://www.omniglot.com/writing/mandarin.htm
http://www.omniglot.com/writing/index.htm

[SimonW]

I've found CantoDict (http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/scripts/wordlist.htm) extremely useful for translating Kung Fu terms etc. I'm sure it would be equally useful for learning Cantonese/Mandarin too.

Simon

[RickMatz]

There is a glossary of Chinese martial arts terms, together with the proper characters here:

http://www.thewushucentre.ca/wushudictionary.htm

Best Regards,

Rick

[onebir]

There are some very comprehensive US govt developed courses available for free here:
http://www.fsi-language-courses.com/

Cantonese as well as Mandarin. They're a bit dated (in content and methodology) & don't cover characters, but I think people have been able to get somewhat fluent using them on their own.