Learning Chinese - A Few Thoughts on Mandarin and Pinyin

The official language of mainland China and Taiwan is usually referred to as Mandarin in the Western world. The Chinese however, depending on the country or region you are in, use different expressions to refer to Mandarin. Literally translated from Chinese, they call it common speech, Han language, national language or just plain "Chinese (language)."

Keep in mind that China is a vast country with about eight major dialect groups, not counting the languages spoken by the different ethnic minority groups. While the majority of Chinese can speak Mandarin, their accents will differ greatly, reflecting their local dialect and making comprehension difficult at times. It is generally acknowledged that the correct Mandarin pronunciation can be heard in and around the capital Beijing.

Another characteristic of the arguably correctly pronounced Mandarin is the rolling 'r' which gets added to the end of a lot of words and expressions. Again, this is the typical Mandarin you will hear in the Beijing region. A more common and also correct pronunciation of Mandarin is spoken in Shanghai and Taiwan.

To a Westerner, the hardest and trickiest part in learning Chinese is mastering the tones. The example that comes to mind is the word "ma." This word means mother in most western languages. To a Chinese-speaking person, depending on the tone, this word might mean mother, to scold, horse, hemp or just an interrogative particle.

That is why audio lessons play a very important role in learning Chinese. It is vital to have a good Chinese learning software program that includes audio lessons if you want to learn Mandarin through self-study.

Another extra hurdle to take for a Westerners is reading Chinese. Their written language consists of pictographs. Luckily, the Chinese government adopted a romanization system for their writing language, commonly named Pinyin. Its counterpart in Taiwan is a phonetic system called bopomofo. A student learning Chinese will have to master one of these phonetic writing systems before he or she can begin to read Chinese without being able to read the characters or pictographs.

The good news is that it is much easier to learn how to read and write Pinyin or bopomofo than to learn how to read or write the traditional characters. Unfortunately, different types of romanization systems have been used in the past and you will still find a lot of street signs on the mainland and in Taiwan which do not conform to standard Pinyin. A good example is Peking which in proper Pinyin became Beijing.

So for those of you interested in studying Chinese at home I would recommend you invest in some good Chinese learning software that teaches you proper Pinyin and offers relevant audio lessons.

If you're looking to learn Chinese and don't know where to start, or just want to start to learn for whatever reason, why not take a look at http://chineselearningsoftware.net.

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Learning Chinese Tips For Children, Including Pre Schoolers and Toddlers

First things first: Which Chinese to Learn?

Mandarin is the official language of China and Taiwan. It is the dialect of the majority in Mainland China and the Chinese overseas. Cantonese is not as commonly used since Britain's turnover of Hong Kong to China. It may become a dialect that is used among family and friends.or business purposes, Mandarin is more practical to learn.

Learning Chinese at Home

A great way to start your children in learning the Chinese Language is through Learn Chinese DVDs and videos and audio CDs. These DVDs are specially designed to optimally expose your child to the tones of Chinese with fun things to watch. The learning pace in DVDs are carefully programmed to help your child remember the words and phrases. Chinese songs on CDs on the other hand, are great to use while travelling or during your child's relaxation time. For bigger children, Chinese stories on CDs can be played to expose them further to more Chinese vocabulary and sentence construction.

If one parent speaks Chinese, arrangements can be made that 1 parent will speak to the children in Chinese and the other will speak to them in English. Kids have an amazing ability to keep up with each parent's language.

Exposing Children to Native Chinese Speakers

o Chinese tutors are available to teach children and even the entire family to speak Chinese. Check online or newspaper ads for available tutors.

o Play dates with children who are learning or already know Chinese is a fantastic way to expose your kids.

o Another option is to hire Chinese-speaking baby sitters. Local universities often have students who are half-Chinese or spouses of Chinese. This can be an option you can try.

o Other families get au pairs from China.

o Some families hire Chinese nannies to ensure the children grow up hearing the native Chinese tones. Be careful in the hiring though. Truth to be told, there is a large number of people in the US from China who don't have the necessary papers but are working as nannies. Nannies also take care of your children, so picking the right person is extremely important, especially if they live with you. Friends of ours have gone through multiple nannies and it was not a good experience.

Learning Chinese Online

There are online Chinese programs available for adult English speakers. So far, I am not aware if there are any online programs available for English speaking children.

Chinese Private Schools

Traditionally, non-public Chinese schools teach a child the Chinese language when the child is old enough to sit still and copy characters. Most schools still use the method of rote teaching used in China and Taiwan. Children in the US are very independent, therefore the rote method may not be the best way for children to learn the words and characters. Instead, the Montessori or ESL method may be used to interest the kids to learn Chinese. These methods place emphasis on using Chinese in conversation . Other programs that teach using a lot of singing and other fun activities will definitely make children learn Chinese easier.

Summer Camps

Chinese summer camps expose the child to full immersion of the Chinese language. Summer camps may be a weekend trip in the US, a full boarding school stay, or traveling to live for several weeks to China or Taiwan. There are few sites that produce the largest list of Chinese summer camps available so stay tuned for updates.

Learn Chinese Materials

There are a lot of products available in the market to help children learn Chinese. Books, videos, audio CDs/ cassettes and software can be used at home to learn Chinese. These materials not only expose the child to vocabulary or tones, but also show the beauty of Chinese culture. These materials can also be used for parents and children to spend time together.

Books

A big challenge to teaching Chinese from books is that one parent/ adult should know how to read it. For families who are starting to learn from scratch together, bi-lingual books are a big help. Story books that can be read along with audio CDs are useful to learn the proper pronunciation. A great introductory book to reading and writing Chinese characters is Long is the Dragon. For smaller children, I Won't Bite is a very interesting material. Kids will be able to touch and feel the different types of animal skin textures.

Videos

Videos teach through engaging visuals, songs, and repetitive vocabulary. Viewers will also be exposed to how different places and persons look like. In 1 DVD of the Follow Jade series, Teacher Jade goes to a Chinese Kindergarten. Children will be able to compare how their own school and classmates look like. The Bao Bei series has 5 enjoyable videos that teach Chinese vocabulary of a lot of common words. Bao Bei is a panda puppet that children will like to study Chinese words.

Audio CDs

Chinese CDs can be grouped into 2:

o 100% Chinese songs and stories. Some do not have printed guides, others include a book/ booklet

o Learn-Chinese CDs specifically designed for those learning Chinese as a second language. These CDs usually include books, booklets with Chinese, English and Pinyin. Songs are sung in both Chinese and English, or booklets show the English translations. For example, the songs in Teach Me Chinese Book and CD are popular and sung in both English and Chinese. Parents can also learn songs to sing for their children, such as Happy Birthday. This series also comes with a Teacher Guide. Other Learn Chinese Book and CD series such as Sing and Learn Chinese Series and Let's Sing Chinese also engages its listeners with interesting songs.

Software

So far, I am still waiting for a very highly recommended software that is easy for learners to use.

ChildBook has many free materials that children may use to enhance their learning of the Chinese language and culture. Use the Chinese coloring pictures/pages, crafts projects and instruction for games to show the children that learning Chinese can be fun. You can buy discounted Chinese textbooks and English Chinese learning videos at Childbook.com an online Chinese Book Store store.

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A Short Look At Learning Chinese Online

In recent years a lot of people are trying to learn the Chinese language. Why not? China is one of the most influential Asian countries in the world, and it is now practical to learn Chinese. China is also one of the top economic producers in the global market. The Chinese language has influenced a lot of Asian countries including Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.

The languages of these countries contain many Chinese characters, and the structure of these languages is almost similar. The language had also been influential in the Philippines where a major percentage of the population is of Chinese ancestry mainly because of the major trade with China.

Chinese in general consists of varying regional dialects. These dialects include Mandarin, Cantonese, Xiang, Hakka, Gan, and Min. There are also other dialects which are not classified by linguists. Thus, the People's Republic of China uses Mandarin as the standard language. This also holds true with Taiwan. Chinese was originally spoken by the Han people. Mandarin is also known as Hanyu in Chinese.

To learn Chinese online, one must understand and master the Chinese pronunciation. It is critical and a lot of time should be devoted in studying it. Chinese characters are Romanized which means that it can be written with Latin alphabets. Hanyu Pinyin or simply Pinyin is what they call this process of Romanization. Sound clips are offered online containing many combinations of Mandarin pinyin. One must also practice conversing in Chinese. Practice makes perfect. There are basically for tones in Chinese. These tones must be spoken with precise pronunciation because if it is pronounced wrong, another word might be formed and confusion will occur. That is why it is important to put effort in studying these pronunciations.

Common Chinese phrases are introduced so that the student can practice talking using everyday Chinese conversations. Reading Chinese articles is another good way to learn Chinese online. It enhances the student's perception and analysis of Chinese words.

In trying to learn Chinese online, one must also study the art of Chinese writing. The language has its own unique writing system. Little Chinese children are trained to perfect the style of writing since it is also considered as a form of art. Chinese words are often made up of different ideas. These ideas have corresponding syllables which can then be added to other ideas to form another word. Words are formed by linking these ideas. The speaker and the receiver analyze these combinations to understand the whole idea. For example, the Chinese word for computer consists of the words, "electric" and "brain."

Grammar is also critical if you want to learn Chinese online. The basic units of the language are the morpheme, which is a syllable that contains an idea, the word, the compound, and the sentence. Online subjects offer knowledge of the grammar and many drills and exercises which will improve your Chinese. With these many useful information which can be taken from the internet, one who wants to learn Chinese online will find it easier than usual.

By the way, do you want to learn more about the Chinese language?

If so, download my free report on "8 Common Myths of Learning Chinese" here: http://thechineselearner.com

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How Learning Chinese Can Give You a Competitive Advantage

How is it valuable to learn Chinese? The answer may surprise you: Chinese is the world's biggest language. That's right, larger than English when using statistics regarding how many speakers use it as a native language! Answer number two: in the ever rotating globe, many economists today are predicting the lessening economic place of the United States of America in the world economy, and the rising economic place of China. That is only one tiny reason why Chinese is the most valuable language for workers in the global marketplace. Job offers in consulting, legal institutions, medical, chemistry, and many other industries even within Western societies are starting to demand skill in Standard Chinese as a compliment to English ability. To stay the best in the modern workforce, it is important to learn a second language other than English, and many would say there is no language more important than Chinese.

With that said, scores of people who live outside of China are reluctant to vacation to Communist China, abuses of human rights, attitudes against foreigners, foreigners arrested as spies for common tourist actions, in addition to other excuses. Perhaps rightly so. That said, what is the most practical solution for this problem? At which country can you find a Chinese speaking culture and people, accepting of foreign citizens, with high living standards, and democratic rule of law where you can study Mandarin easily? The right answer is to visit Taiwan, which is called the Republic of China (R.O.C.). The "republic" on the mainland is known as the People's Republic of China.

Inside of the R.O.C. island of Taiwan, there is a Western friendly government, a lively environment, a people friendly to Westerners, and among the lowest crime rates in the world, with rates far lower than mainland China. The citizens of Taiwan are hard working and the business market is rapidly expanding. The modern situation has created a tremendous need for Western graudates such as lawyers, managers, and other skilled employees to arrive on the scene to help in the consistent growth of their economy. Taking programs in Mandarin Chinese should help workers give potential applicants a huge leg up on their monolingual applicants. Also, a high percent of Mandarin-speaking employers, or those with Mandarin speaking customers are scouting for Chinese learners who have lived at a Chinese-speaking country like the island called "Taiwan", especially with workers who are often required to enlist in corporate trips overseas.

The author works for a Taiwanese language learning tour company, which helps foreigners to Learn Chinese in Taiwan. You can find out more at their website here: Study in Taiwan.

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Learning Mandarin - Western Awareness of China

Learning Mandarin is becoming more and more popular with every passing year. It is hard to imagine it today but western interest in China and Mandarin is a very new development. In 2010 the Chinese government estimated that 100 million foreigners were actively pursuing proficiency, 20 years ago that figure would have been a lot closer to 0. The reason for the sharp increase in interest is of course the matching growth in the relative importance of China's economy, its diplomatic stature and western awareness of China.

If you think of what China actually is, it is a very strange notion that we westerners were not more aware of China a long time ago. China is the fourth largest country by area, and by far the largest by population. The total head count of all Chinese people comes to above 1.2 billion, that's more than 1200 million, or 12.000% bigger than my home country Sweden. The value is just too big to make sense of. If all Chinese people were to line up around the equator and hold hands, the line would stretch something like 28 times around the world. When growing up I used to love to read the CIA World Fact Book. It gave really cool facts in a language that I could understand even as a kid. Like Sweden is roughly the size of California. Denmark is the size of The State of New York. If CIA would try to put China's population in terms of a relative grouping in The United States, they would find it difficult. Chinas population is roughly equal to the combined population of Canada, The United States, All of The European Union, Norway, Switzerland and Russia. That is, in other words, 2 whole continents, plus all of northern Asia. There are a lot of Chinese people. If you think about it like that, China is not really a country; it is not even enough to call it a very large country. China is actually a very large continent in its own right. If there were a sea between China and the rest of Asia the Chinese Continent would be the worlds second most populous. There really are a lot of people in China.

The reason that this very large and very old (at least 4000 years, some books put it at 5000) country managed to escape, largely, under the radar of popular western awareness during the last century was of course that China did not want anything to do with the west and the west did not want anything to do with China. Wars tend to bring that out in civilizations. The American sponsored national army that was defeated by the communists in the Chinese civil war in the thirties and forties of the last century was not a good start for western - Chinese communist relations. The war in Korea where American and Chinese troops actually fought was not exactly optimal either. The fact that General MacArthur was really keen on using nuclear weapons on 30 cities on Mainland China was also not the best way to build permanent relations of chumminess between NATO and the new communist party republic. Perhaps the source of most angry feelings, however, was the fact that American effort to interfere with what is arguably actually a very Chinese issue (Taiwan) has never actually seized, even after the nationalist defeat. The nationalists were never in line to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Nor were they likely to ever secure a price for human rights activities. The main policy of the national movement seems to have been to reinstate feudalism by actively promoting corruption and using guns to kill lots of people that did not like the idea and had no guns. Thinking about it like that always makes me think that China was never really at fault when it comes to the frozen state of Sino Western relations. Since the Opium Wars the west has not been a very positive force in The Middle Kingdom. Luckily, that seems to have changed, and today we are much more welcome.

Rui Ming works for a Chinese language school in China that is a great option for those that want to learn Mandarin. See the program overview page for more information about learning Mandarin.

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