Pinyin and Anki question

[Powers of Ten]

I'll preface this by just saying that I'm a beginner who is currently using Pimsleur. I've been thinking about what I'm going to do when I finish the program and I'm interesting in using Anki.

My question is, after learning all of the proper Pinyin sounds, should I expect that I can use that knowledge to learn vocabulary with Anki and have reasonably good pronunciation of words, or will I sound off without listening to actual recordings?

In other words, should I be hunting for an audio recording of every word I learn, or is an understanding of Pinyin enough?

[Olle Linge]

Basically, once you know how to pronounce all syllables in Mandarin (there aren't that many), you'll be fine as far as pronunciation of individual words goes (intonation and so on is of course another matter). In other words, if you learnt how "yang" is pronounced once, all other words pronounced "yang" have the exact same pronunciation (provided they have the same tones, of course).

However, I'd like to point out two things. First, if you're a beginner, receiving feedback on your pronunciation is essential. There is a place on this website where you can record yourself and upload for feedback. Do NOT think you can learn to pronounce Mandarin simply by looking at the Pinyin. Second, if you're using synthesised voices in Anki (or any other program), you should know that the pronunciation is imperfect. It serves as a reminder of how things are pronounced, but I have yet to hear software that can combine syllables into words or sentences without sounding very awkward. So, use audio, but don't rely on synthesised voices only.

[xuechenze]

Any language is used to speak and talk, if you only follow software, it's not enough. Most Chinese people use QQ,maybe you can apply for an account and find Chinese language partners to help you improve by conversation.

[abcdefg]

How would you set up your Anki deck? Not sure what you have in mind. Though it is a versatile study tool, I've always used Anki flahscards mainly as a means for remember the meaning of words and characters (written Hanzi.) If your only exposure to Chinese thus far has been the Pimsleur audio course, you are probably not interested in using Anki that way.

My question is, after learning all of the proper Pinyin sounds, should I expect that I can use that knowledge to learn vocabulary with Anki and have reasonably good pronunciation of words, or will I sound off without listening to actual recordings?

Your pronunciation will definitely deteriorate and you will sound "off" unless you find more sources of speech to imitate, preferably with live feedback. I'd suggest finding a conversation partner or a teacher to use what you have learned via Pimsleur and to build on it.

I'm sure you will get a lot more suggestions later today or tomorrow.

[navaburo]

Powers of Ten,

Great to hear you are starting out with Pimsleur. I've used it myself and think its a great way to start.

After finishing Pimsleur I'd recommend you pick up a good textbook -- preferably pinyin-only. You will get lots of new vocabulary from the textbook, and you shouldn't need to use Anki to remember it -- just follow along with the text. There's a few good texts available online for free if you don't want to shell out cash.

I've found that Anki is particularly well-suited for learning writing individual characters (in conjunction with RTH/RSH). I've also tried Anki with pinyin/hanzi for word learning, but I've found that learning words in isolation is (a) hard and (b) not nearly as productive as learning in context.

Cheers! And let us know how it goes!

-Chris

[Powers of Ten]

Thanks for all of the replies. I probably should have mentioned that I have a very good language partner; my wife is a native Mandarin speaker. I've been getting a lot of feedback from her, but we both have busy work schedules and thus I've been trying to fit in learning whenever I can, such as during my commute (Pimsleur).

I have Anki installed on my work computer but haven't had a lot of time to play with it. I thought the SRS concept sounded very brilliant as a time saver, but I'm not certain how/when to fit it into my learning.

I think what I'll do next is get a book with Pinyin and just run every new word I learn by my wife.

[abcdefg]

I think what I'll do next is get a book with Pinyin and just run every new word I learn by my wife.

Unless she is a very tolerant and understanding lady, you will drive her nuts.