How To Maintain Chinese Language Fluency

[wampa9000]

Hi All,

This is my first post and I will start out by thanking all of you in advance for reading.

My girlfriend is a Westerner and recent graduate of one of the top liberal arts colleges in the US. She was a double major, Chinese language and politics. She has lived in China for a year, two seperate times. After graduation, she took a national test that scored your language skills (sorry I forgot which one) and she scored the highest level, advanced high.

With the current job market however, she was not able to get a job where she could use her Chinese and is worried about digressing. She is speaking with native speakers and that is helping her keep her skills up.

As Christmas approaches though, I would love to get her something (software, books, etc) that would help her to maintain her fluency level as best as possible without being able to be totally immersed in it. She looked into Rosetta Stone, but the demo, even at the highest level, was not challenging.

So I come to you with no ideas but hoping to learn where I should be looking. I will try to answer any questions you have to the best of my ability. Any suggestions you could give me would be extremely appreciated. Thanks so much

[Daan]

Welcome to CF! Thoughtful of you to put that much work into a gift for your girlfriend. If she's already scored an advanced high on the HSK (the national language proficiency test), she'd probably have to look into material for native speaker consumption to maintain her competence in Mandarin. There are lots of options here, so it would really depend on what she likes to do in her spare time.

You mentioned she also majored in politics, so perhaps a book in Chinese on politics would be interesting to her? I know that might sound boring, but Zhao Ziyang's memoirs caused quite a stir when they were published earlier this year.

Or you could consider getting her some nice DVDs in Chinese (look at our First Episode Project for some ideas on shows). If she likes reading fiction, there's also a Book of the Month forum, and some of those books might appeal to her. You're best placed to judge this, really.

This would work for passive competence, not necessarily for speaking and writing, in which case the only way to maintain your competence would be interaction with native speakers, I think.

Then a final suggestion: how about a lifetime CF subscription? If she doesn't like that, chances are she won't like any of the above. Best part: it's free

[roddy]

How about some kind of magazine / newspaper subscription - for example Caijing is often descriped as China's Economist, and you can get an international subscription.

Tell her to get on here though - we've got a ton of ideas for keeping up fluency, but they're all free so they make lousy gifts . . .

[isela]

Keep talking to her in Chinese, and let her worry about the degrading of your English!

To be frank, I think the best way is just to relax. It appears that she has already got you and other native speakers to interact with closely, and that's good enough. What more can a Chinese-related job bring? Try not to make Chinese a burden on her, as it may make your relationship monotone, I guess.

[Daan]

I'm not sure about the long-term viability of Caijing, given that its editor left recently and is founding a new magazine, though I'm having trouble recalling where I read that last bit of gossip. But the idea in itself is really good: I subscribed to The Economist when I was learning English, and it helped me immensely.

Edited December 8, 2009 at 11:01 AM by Daan
typo

[renzhe]

TBH, given that her level is advanced enough, there is not much you can do in terms of special software and special textbooks, which mostly cater to beginners.

Once you're at that level, your only choices are: reading native material, watching native material and talking to natives. Since you can't buy her a native speaker, your best bet are a book or a DVD set. Many of us turn to TV series and books to make up for the lack of Chinese input, and it does actually help.

Wading through the First Episode Project will give you a list of really cool Chinese TV shows, and you might be able to pick out one that might interest her and which is not actually crap, by reading through the discussions. Then you can order the whole show on DVD.

Alternatively, book a trip to China over the holidays.

[gato]

I'm not sure about the long-term viability of Caijing, given that its editor left recentely and is founding a new magazine, though I'm having trouble recalling where I read that last bit of gossip.

Yup, she has left, and about 200 employees have left with her.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/10/business/global/10mag.html?pagewanted=2&ref=world

Editor Departs China Magazine After High-Profile Tussle

By JONATHAN ANSFIELD

Published: November 9, 2009

http://news.21cn.com/domestic/shiyong/2009/12/01/7143457.shtml

胡舒立创办新杂志 个人持股5%

2009-12-01 05:22:52 大洋网—广州日报

[skylee]

Alternatively, book a trip to China over the holidays.

Or give her a 1-year (very flexible) return air ticket to China.

[Meng Lelan]

wampa 9000, do you study or speak Chinese? Maybe practice on your gf. Book a trip to China for the holidays like renzhe suggested or to go see the Shanghai expo, is what I would do.

[wrbt]

There's a pretty good selection of Chinese stuff on netflix, if you live in a place that has netflix.

I just queued up "Moment in Peking" it's a nine disk series should keep me busy for awhile.

[thekhanon]

How about an online language exchange program? I signed up at http://www.mylanguageexchange.com/Learn/Mandarin.asp and received immediate responses, but I'm sure there are many of these kinds of sites around. The big downside to something like that for your gf would be that she would have to spend some time helping the people she meets on that site with their English. (I'm not affiliated with that website, other than having signed up, and I haven't used it a ton, so I can't say much more about it).

Other than that, I absolutely agree with everyone telling you you should have her sign up here. I rarely post, but I've been a lurker on these forums for a while now and I get almost all of my study/travel ideas from reading these forums (I have their RSS feed in my Google Reader, so I don't even have to go searching through every topic to see the new stuff).

[abcdefg]

I just queued up "Moment in Peking" it's a nine disk series should keep me busy for awhile.

Isn't it in Cantonese?

[wampa9000]

Thank you to all who replied, it has been a better response than I thought I would get.

Unfortunately, I do not speak Chinese so I am no help to her. I will certainly look into the resources that you all have suggested.

In your estimation, is listening, speaking, or reading any more important than the other? In the best case, I understand you should keep up with all three.

Thanks again and let the suggestions keep on comin!!

[roddy]

It probably depends on what she actually likes to do. If she's a movie buff, a few DVD box sets might be great, if she loves to read then a pile of books or magazines.

Another idea might be to get her a new PDA or smartphone, and then set it up with a load of Chinese podcasts, music, ebooks, links, etc.

[renzhe]

In your estimation, is listening, speaking, or reading any more important than the other? In the best case, I understand you should keep up with all three.

They are all very important.

A couple of sinologist friends have told me that you tend to lose spoken ability first, followed by listening. Reading skills tend to stick the longest, partly because you can take more time when reading.

Other than that, like roddy says, I'd go with what she is more interested in.

[Scoobyqueen]

Quote:

Alternatively, book a trip to China over the holidays.

Or give her a 1-year (very flexible) return air ticket to China.

Both very good ideas.

What about buying some skype lessons with a China-based school. Buy say 10 or 20. She can then decide with the teacher which areas she wants to improve. It is possible that oral business Chinese is an area she is interested in as this may help her in her career.

[renzhe]

It's a good idea, but picking a tutor and making these kinds of decisions is a rather personal thing, and she should be involved.

[wrbt]

Isn't it in Cantonese?

The page on netflix says:

Subtitles:

English, Chinese

Language and Sound:

Mandarin: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo

Cantonese: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo

Sheesh I hope that's right, else that won't work for me.

[abcdefg]

Subtitles:

English, Chinese

I guess I read the description wrong. Hope it's good. If so, please let us know.

[isela]

Unfortunately, I do not speak Chinese so I am no help to her. I will certainly look into the resources that you all have suggested.

My apologies. I see many good suggestions and resources provided here. Wish your girlfriend all the best with her Chinese!