Complex v Simplified

[7jason7]

I would appreciate everyone's comments on whether it is worth it to go to Taiwan to learn traditional (comlex) characters?

What is the future of traditional characters?

For US residents, is learning simplified characters helpful since it seems that most Chinese language newspapers in the US are in traditional characters?

[kentsuarez]

YES it is definitely worth coming here to Taiwan to learn traditional characters, and also to enjoy the advantages of living in this country. I fell in love with Taiwan and have stayed 9-1/2 years, far longer than the 6-18 months I'd expected.

If you're thinking that you might want to learn both kinds of characters, then I do strongly recommend that you learn the traditional characters first. You can also learn how to read and write the traditional ones, while making a mental note of the simplified ones as you go along.

It is also very nice to be living in a safe, friendly democracy.

[ax]

seconded!

simplified forms is a childplay... if you're tough go for traditional

beside traditional character is easier to remember because it has all its logic intact, while simplified has more or lesss lost all this logic.

ax

[nerveandmuscle]

If you want to use your chinese in the united states, I would say learn traditional. At my midwestern university the professor taught traditional because the papers and menus we'll see are going to be in traditional. I had some issues with that when i studied in China. I discovered that I didnt know a lot of characters that I did know. Some universities in the US do first year traditional and then switch to simplified.

[Jizzosh]

Depends on where you're taking your skills... Making money in China? Simplified... Working in the States or just for fun and maybe bragging rights? Traditional. Also, if you ever think you'll learn Japanese... definitely Trad.

Personal opinion? Traditional all the way. It's super easy to go from Trad. - Simp. in many ways, but not to go in reverse. It's possible, but much more difficult for most folk. Also, everyone can read Trad, but not vice-versa.

On a complete tangent, you may also want to think about what dialect you want to have. While it's possible to come out with a more mainland standard accent in Taiwan, it's probably more likely to speak like the locals, and minninese may not be the way you want your Chinese to sound.... It turns 中文 from zhong1wen2 into zong1wen2, and 是 from shi4 into si4. Basically, in spoken taiwanese mandarin, there is no zh, ch, or sh sound, and the r kinda sounds like a french j (jacques)... at least from my memory of living there 4 years ago.