learn Mandarin

what is all this extra schnick-schnack getting in my way? i can’t imagine i’m ever going to want to write step-by-step directions on How to achieve goals. the audacity, blahblah.

anyway, the lovely YM is leaving soon—her post-doc year is up, so she’s off to pastures new. meaning that we’re losing our teacher. i can’t say we’ve done a great deal in the past few months, but it was fun while it lasted, and i actually understood a man speaking Mandarin on the news (he was counting houses that had been demolished in his village prior to the Olympics). i’d like to give this another go at some point, with an equally fun teacher/group, but i’m done for the moment.

ok now atleast i can have a short conversation with someone about where i am from, my age, my name, what im doing in shanghai, thats pretty basic,

now im looking for another teacher because my teacher has relocated.
hopefully i can read a short newspaper article by next year

I have always wanted to learn Mandarin… why? Because of the difference of MAndarin and English… ahaha I used to get impressed with anyone who was able to speak both English and Mandarin! Now, I can speak Mandarin, getting better everyday! I might not be as fluent as I would want but I can still get my point across! That’s all that matters!

I started a new job in June and I’ve been able to practice a lot with my co-workers. I think it’s really helping a lot.

I ended up dropping the class I was taking. Too much audio-lingual method. Also, I didn’t really have time for a six-hour per week class. I think I learn better on my own, and I wasn’t left with enough time to study outside of class. I get more out of a one or two hour per week class, just enough time to ask questions and get mistakes corrected, and still have time to study outside of class.

I’m thinking about checking out Chinesepod.com again. I had used it before, but I fell into the gap between their Beginner and Intermediate levels. Maybe they’ve addressed that issue by now, and even if not, I think I may be able to handle the intermediate level as it was before anyway, now.

I was listening to one yesterday and it was so interesting to hear a more standard accent. I’m so used to the Taiwanese accent. I kind of like hearing those retroflex sounds, that I don’t hear very much in Taiwan.

Chinese was my best subject last semester – go figure! So I’m continuing on with it this term, and I think that after I graduate at the end of the year I’ll see if I can continue taking chinese lessons somewhere.

I’m thinking of enrolling in an undergrad course that teaches mandarin.

My dad is already planning a family trip to China after I graduate so maybe a course would be good.
I hate walking around with a tour guide when I don’t know what the hell he’s saying.

to do another language goal when I’ve done very little with my Spanish goal. I do not hope to become fluent in Mandarin, or really even totally conversant.

I do, however, want to be able to have simple conversations. Both Cantonese and Mandarin are only going to become more important in the future. I think it’s a mark of respect to at least make a small effort, even if I can’t speak it well.

i have taken Mandarin 101 though 201 and have a basic understanding of Mandarin. i would really like to get fluent though.

A series of new online resources have become available – the biggest new sites seem to be http://www.zhongwenred.com and its partner site http://www.zhongwengreen.com

Unfortunately, neither site has audio yet, but the team behind the site assured me they would be adding audio in a few months (>.<)

Shows a lot of promise – especially because it’s free!

The classes are now on hold until the autumn, as I have my MSc finals and dissertation, not to mention a full-time job, to deal with. But come September I start again, and can’t wait!