My Chinese progress log (Videos)

[Pokarface]

Hello, a while ago I posted a video with my progress after 1-month of immersing in Chinese.

American trying to speak Chinese after 1-month of cultural immersion:

I'd now like to start a thread to keep my progress and receive tips.

Here's my second video =-)

American trying to talk Chinese after 84 days of Chinese immersion:

Here are some notes I took after listening to the second video:

82 days immersing myself in Chinese culture. My vocabulary is growing stronger, but I need to learn more nouns.

I seem to pronounce 树 (shù) and 是(shì) (and maybe even zhù) the same way. Some tones are off. For example when I say:"程序员" (chéngxù yuán), but in real life, Chinese and Taiwanese friends DO understand me.

Rofl, at the sentence: 我们有雨(women3 you3 yìnyu3); wrong grammar!

[lechuan]

xue. Your initial X sounds like an , but should sound should more like [sh] (well, the way you say it is right, with a taiwanese "accent") [see @demonic_duck's comment below, I was wrong on this point and he explains it more accurately]

 

hen, gen. Your vowel sound sounds like [e], but should sound more like [ə]

 

You are still waving your hands around for tones... Same advice as last video.

 

When you pause to think, you often default to the second tone on whatever you're saying. I'm guessing that you'd also do this when you're speaking english, and are superimposing your english stress patterns on your Chinese when you speak (I had the same issue when I tried to make my chinese sound "natural'). Something to watch out for.

 

The parts I find hardest to understand are they parts you feel more comfortable with, and thus say really quickly. I recommend trying to keep the pace even throughout your sentences so that they can all be heard clearly.

 

Nice progress.

[Pokarface]

Thanks for the tips!

It also helps that I always talk with the same people, they correct me and get used to my mistakes, so eventually they start deciphering what I'm trying to say :-D

I might open an account on youku since no one in China can access YouTube easily.

[lykaiowang]

Good video.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K99tf1aJJe0

 

I was just watching it and I thought you are doing a good job at learning the pronunciation. Keep up the good work!

One thing I'd like to correct though, at 0: 26 where you meant to say Taiwanese. You said Tai Guo Ren 泰国人, which actually means Siamese.

 

I did notice the shu vs shi problem as well like you mentioned. But its amazing that you can learn this much in a month.

 

I smiled when you said you don't have a teacher and just read books to learn I'd love to chat with you and maybe even help you learn Chinese better (I'm a native speaking Chinese), let me know what you think or if you would post new videos

 

Lykaio

[Demonic_Duck]

Love your enthusiasm. Your style is very "萌" (cute). Don't take that as a negative thing - I get told the same thing all the time too (except when I'm tired and grumpy).

 

Your tones are actually pretty spot on (I'd say much better than most non-native Chinese speakers at your level), with a few small mistakes. It seems your main weakness in pronunciation is that you often fail to differentiate between some of the aspirated and unaspirated consonants, pronouncing all of them as aspirated (e.g. "wǒ chù cài Chōngguó" instead of "wǒ zhù zài Zhōngguó"). When you come across a pinyin "z", "zh" etc., make sure you aren't letting out a puff of air after the consonant.

 

I also agree with most of what what lechuan said. However, pinyin "x" does not sound like pinyin "sh", and all accents of Mandarin (including Taiwanese Mandarin) differentiate between pinyin "x" and "s". I don't really have a helpful way of explaining the difference in sound between "sh" and "x", except that in my mind "sh" somehow sounds "thick", and "x" sounds "thin". With "sh", the tip of your tongue should be a little bit curled and behind the alveolar ridge (I'd say between numbers 5 and 6 in the diagram from the linked article). With "x", on the other hand, the tip of your tongue should be touching your bottom row of teeth.

 

As for "shu" and "shi", I think you have two problems here. The first is that you're pronouncing pinyin "u" like the "oo" in "moon" - they're not the same. Your pinyin "u" should be pronounced with a very small, very round opening between your lips, almost like a "w" sound in English. The second problem is that you're pronouncing "shi" as if it has an /i/ sound in it. It doesn't. Your mouth should basically stay in the same shape for the final "i" as for the initial "sh", though the tongue retracts the slightest bit (if you don't retract your tongue at all it will still probably sound passible, and certainly much better than pronouncing an /i/ sound).

 

@lykaiowang: these days we normally say "Thai" instead of "Siamese" in English. "Siamese" is limited to specific set expressions, such as "Siamese cats" and "Siamese twins", though the latter is falling out of use recently in favour of the more politically correct "conjoined twins".

[Pokarface]

@Lykaio

Hey! thanks for the feedback. I meant to say Taiwan ren, but when I recorded that video I didn't know how to say it, lol.

Where are you from? If you live in China, Did you have a hard time accessing youtube? I use Weixin and QQ. I have many contacts from China, and a few from Taiwan. I speak a little bit of Mandarin at work, with my friends from University, and at Chinese restaurants in my city =-) 

 

How is you English? Maybe we can record a conversation and post it on youtube / youku! (I would probably have to wake up at 6am if you live in China. No problem, I've done it before to chat!)

 

@Demonic_Duck, wow I have never heard an explanation as detailed as this one. It's very detailed, that I don't even know where to start! It is very helpful. I still have to think about doing all this at the same time since I have never learned a language with so many different sounds.

Hopefully, soon it becomes second nature. I'll have to read your advice over and over since I'm still learning what all these terms mean ;-)

[lykaiowang]

My English is alright. I spent 10 years in Toronto and don't think I have any noticeable accent. I am currently still in Toronto. So, I guess theres no need for you to wake up early, depending on where you are. I'will pm you my contacts so we can chat privately

[Pokarface]

Alright, for this update I decided to talk to strangers on HelloTalk.

The conversations went a little bit slow. HelloTalk is a press-to-talk application that includes a translator, and txt message support. It allows you to look for people that speak the language you are learning while they are learning your language =-)

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItHm5MgJ0d8

 

I'll write the subtitles later today. 

I also have an unboxing video, I ordered Assimil Chinese with Ease Vol II. I'll edit and upload that video later.

 

@lykaiowang, next time we can make a video via QQ. I'll be busy the whole week of July 4th. If I catch you beforehand, we can pull-up some crazy language combos! Haha.

[Pokarface]

Say hello to my little friend!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBesY88pvks

 

Unboxing Assimil Chinese with ease, Vol 2.

[Pokarface]

Ok, before I go to sleep. My latest video now has subtitles.
Turn them on on youtube

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItHm5MgJ0d8
 

[Carl Chen]

Why do you say 泰國人(Tàiguó rén) while the subtitle shows 'Taiwanese'?

 

泰國人(Tàiguó rén) means Thai.

 

Taiwanese means 台灣人 (Táiwān rén)

 

Is there any misunderstanding?

[Pokarface]

@Carl Chen. Because I made that video after 1-month of studying Chinese and I had limited vocabulary. I need to learn from my mistakes, but making mistakes should never stop me from using a language. Of course, now I know the difference between taiguo ren and Taiwan ren since I continue learning new things everyday.

In my newest video I said that I am not a university student because I already finished. The way I said it in Chinese sounds very funny, I should have said: "Wǒ xiànzài bùshì dàxuéshēng, yīnwèi wǒ yǐjīng bìyèle."

=-)

[Pokarface]

Hello, I'm still here hanging in there. I haven't made videos talking Chinese, but today I bring you my review of Assimil Vol.2, as well as, me talking about my progress so far (in English).

If I am not able to record footage in my real life conversations in Chinese (just like Moses does, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHymjOc66Ig), I'll make a video addressing the problems I have in pronunciation so far.

 

Video review

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2N1-a4aHb4

 

Chinese progress so far

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F098iFtv0VY

[Pokarface]

I finally have enough content to do a level up video!

 

American Trying to Speak Chinese with Students Part 1 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btLz_6DOTZ8

 

Me after 5.5 months of studying Chinese talking with college students. 

 

American Trying to Speak Chinese with Students Part 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B84gu8xfDkw

 

There are no subtitles yet. I'm still editing a conversation I had with an old friend from China on QQ.

[Pokarface]

I'm done with the subtitles for my first level up video 

 

American trying to speak Chinese with college students. Part 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btLz_6DOTZ8

[Pokarface]

I guess this lays the foundation on what I'm going to concentrate this week: listening and preparing topics for conversation.

[Pokarface]

Just finished the second part with English subtitles

 

American trying to speak Chinese with students part 2. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B84gu8xfDkw

[Pokarface]

My next level up video will consist in asking Chinese/Taiwanese students three questions:

Where you a nerd in high school? 

What's one of your life's goal?

And

Do you play video games?  

 

=-D

[Pokarface]

American trying to Speak Chinese again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0O3wfUuifTA

 

Sorry, I was unable to complete the mission video, so I did a quick improvised speech. I did find out if some people played video games and their goals after college, but the camera is shaky as an earthquake  . I kept forgetting the word, "nerd" in Chinese.

[Flickserve]

Is this 8 months?

 

Hope my post gives you more encouragement.