Is there a website that provides scripts for Chinese dramas?

[Splendid]

I thought it would be best to learn Chinese in context of real situations, and if I can first watch a drama in subtitles and then go back and watch it again following the Chinese script and then put cursor on words I don't know so I can find out the meaning right away ,then and there, with Pera-pera kun, it would be much more efficient and fun way to learn than textbooks with its boring storylines. (I'm talking about Integrated Chinese)

[renzhe]

Chinese TV transcripts are very difficult to find, and I don't know many shows that have them available.

You can look at our Grand First Episode Project, there are 5 shows with transcripts in there. Out of these, 家有儿女 is relatively easy to follow and there are transcripts for the first 10 episodes. 奋斗 has transcripts for 5 of the first 10, which were mostly done by volunteers here on this forum.

But it's worth checking the shows we've covered (over 80!) because many of them have extensive vocabulary lists. For example, 奋斗 and iPartment both have pretty much complete vocabulary lists for the entire first season. You don't even need extra software, just read the hard subtitles and look up the words from the list. There are also grammar explanations and translations of difficult passages, but not for all episodes. Since you're learning, you'll want to do some work of your own too ;)

I really recommend looking at the shows we've covered, and posting in the relevant thread if you have questions. That's what the project is for.

[BeijingDaniel2011]

Yeah, that looks really cool. Very good study idea- i think I would enjoy tv a lot more if I was studying at the same time!

@renzhe: Do you guys have scripts for 'journey to the west'. The really famous version. Really want to watch it and it'd be good to learn at the same time.

[renzhe]

We don't really have any transcripts as a project (other than a short transcribing spurt with 奋斗). Most of the transcripts were found through luck or google.

Your best bet is to type a couple of sentences from the series into google (verbatim) and see if you're lucky. That's how I found 家有儿女.

[LucyxLucy]

I'm not sure about transcripts, but I know there's lots of Taiwanese dramas with English subtitles on youtube, and they usually come with Chinese subs as well (in 繁体字). But I think you're absolutely right in saying that this is a better way to learn Chinese than reading from a text book, you can learn SO MUCH without even realizing it, language and culture (my personal experience from watching Korean dramas).

I guess an alternative could also be watching some cartoons or children's shows in Chinese, that's how I learned English and it worked wonders for me.

[BeijingDaniel2011]

I agree- its a great way to learn about culture but also a great way to study so many different topics. Most tv shows have lots of different story lines about different things- business, relationships, family, politics, history etc.

Can anyone recommend a good tv show to get started with?

[roddy]

Did you even look at Renzhe's links. The very first one includes a list of recommendations.