Which is easier?

[nathanuk88]

Is it easier to learn to speak chinese first then learn how to write or is it easier to learn to speak and write at the same time?!

[benotnobody]

In my experience, learning a little spoken vocabulary first then learning speaking and writing simultaneously is effective. This way, you will rely less on pinyin (or whichever romanisation system you may be using) when learning new words.

However, I wouldn't dive headfirst into the characters until you can say some words; you'll probably get frustrated.

[Alveranter]

well.. learning to write and then to speak isn't commended is it??

[benotnobody]

Oh, i wouldn't be so sure. My father knew a Korean guy who worked as a Chinese translator, but spoke not one word of Chinese. I suppose that's one of the advantages of having a script that is almost completely unrelated to the spoken language.

[gfross]

In my experience, it's definitely been easier to learn to speak Mandarin than to write it. (I'm studying on my own -- no teacher.)

Listening to the Pimsleur CDs and then repeating (or creating) words, phrases, and sentences is extremely easy.

I'm also using the Beginning Chinese materials of John De Francis. I listen to the audio tapes while reading the pinyin text in _Beginning Chinese_. Then when I know the words, phrases, and sentences in a lesson pretty well, I listen to the audio tape again but this time I follow along in the _Character Text for Beginning Chinese_, which presents the same lesson, but in characters. Finally, I turn to the _Beginning Chinese Reader_, which presents the characters in new combinations, first listening to the audio tapes that accompany the BCR text and then trying to read the material without any audio help. I then turn back to the _Character Text_ and try to read it without any audio help. In this way, I proceed lesson by lesson.

I'm not really concentrating on writing the characters now since my primary goal is to learn to read Chinese and since I can write it easily by typing pinyin in Word 2002 or elsewhere using the Microsoft Chinese language pack (PRC IME) for English Windows XP and my U.S. English keyboard. The pinyin automatically changes into hanzi (characters) as I type.

Eventually I'll probably use software that draws the characters for me stroke by stroke and then allows me to use my mouse or Wacom tablet and pen to copy the strokes, drawing them myself in a Word or some other document.

So this is the order in which I have been learning Chinese:

1. Listening

2. Speaking (text I have already heard)

3. Reading (text I have already heard and spoken)

4. Writing (text I have already heard, spoken, and read)

[zh-laoshi]

Learning to speak and listen first is the best way to go. After you are comfortable with speaking the language, then go on to reading.

Whenever you see Chinese writing and you see some characters you recognize, do not translate it into your head and then say it in Chinese. Train your mind to see a character and immediately say it in Chinese. It may take time, patience and some frustration, but the rewards are excellent.

[Quest]

I think speaking and writing complement each other. You should learn both at the same time.

[Adam]

I also think learning both at the same time is the best method. Personally i found pinyin harder than characters, because i was constantly pronouncing the pinyin in an english way. I found that remembering the character meant i wouldnt refer back to the english pronounciation. Learning characters is easy enough..

[madizi]

BTW, gfross, John DeFrancis is out-of-date. Find something more modern.

[Yew]

I'm at least learning to write first. But I think it's best to learn speaking and writing at the same time?