Hello, I am new and have a beginners question

[Magnum]

What is a good introduction to Mandarin tones and basic words? Are the tones difficult to learn? Are the tones the hardest part of learning Mandarin?

How long does it take to learn Mandarin? I am interested in learning a basic level of understanding, knowing enough to order dinner at a resturant, to make plans to meet people, to tell others where I am going, to ask for directions.

Is Mandarin the most practical Asian language to learn? Or is there another Asian language that is more useful to know?

[wix]

Exactly which Asian language you learn depends on which region you will be in. Obviously Mandarin has the largest number of speakers, but if you want to live in Korea you are better off learning Korean.

Tones are difficult if you haven't learnt a tonal language before. It takes time to understand them. If you are living in a place where people speak Mandarin you will obviously learn it a lot faster than if you are studying in the US or Australia. Learning some basic functional language would take a few months if you make an effort. It would probably take a year before you could manage a decent conversation though. Don't expect instant results but stick at it.

[trevelyan]

Most estimates place Chinese as 3-4 times as difficult to acquire for native English speakers as romance languages like French. So you can expect to have the same fluency in the Chinese language after about 3 years of study as you would have in French after studying it a year.

Immersion makes a big difference. Conversational fluency will probably take about three years if you do it on the mainland.

So realistically... unless you're going to be in an area where you can speak and hear mandarin daily, studying Chinese is not practical. Korean and Japanese are both easier languages to learn. I'd recommend Korean as it has a phonetic written system -- what you see is what you say, what you hear is what you write. Makes for a must faster learning curve.

[Magnum]

Hi, I have spent the past couple days reading all the posts, and they are interesting.

I know 2 languages fluently, and a third to an advanced level (French).

I am also not rich. I was born poor. This has implications, if I went to China, I could not afford a years pay for tuition and housing.

Here is my idea, tell me if it is flawed. If I started studying mandarin in the USA, 2 hours a day, after one year, could I fly to china and stay there for one year? After my rent right now, my food, my basic expenses, I can save $250 a month for my trip. Is it possible to live in china and study with that little ($3000)?

I love different cultures. I love people. I like sitting in a cafe, somewhere thousands of miles outside the USA, and taking a deep breath as i realize that there is more to life.

I would appreciate any advice. I am not very smart, I work hard and it takes time for me to learn. A simple 2 week program would not do me very much good.

[luo820101]

Your schemed lifestyle is quite attactive to me. As an American, you can have a dream to move to China one day and enjoy oriental culture. However, I am a Chinese and it is hard for me to have a dream to move to American to improve my English. In China, we start our English learning from elementary school. Most of Chinese youngers spend more than ten years learning English and still can not say and write fluent English due to the non-English environment. So, do come to China if you really want to learn such a mysterious language.

By the way, the living conditions and price level differs in different cities in China. But I think US$3000 is quite enough for you to have a comfortable life in China for 6 months (in big cities) or even one year (in small cities) if your do not anticipate a very luxurious life. Besides, if you are willing to get a job in China, such as to be an English teacher, you will have additional income sources as well as more opportunities to immerge into the local society.

As in my signature, I am in Shanghai, which is the most modern city of China. If there are any information you need about Shanghai or China, please feel free to contact me at luo820101@163.com.

[tigerx9]

As Wix mentions, deciding on learning a certain Asian language, as with any languages, depends on your personal goals on what you're gonna do with it. Mandarin can be a useful language if you intend to learn more about the Chinese culture or interact with Chinese or others in the Chinese language. If you're interested in a Chinese language, then Mandarin would be the way to go, as it's now being widely accepted as the main Chinese dialect.

[johnmck]

Once you get a decent level of vobacluary you should try getting a Chinese penpal. There are websites designed for putting people in contact (you help him learn English and he helps you learn chinese). see http://www.polyglot-learn-language.com/ I have an ADSL (broadband) connection so it costs me nothing to telephone my penpal in Qingdao using VOIP software such as MSN messenger or Skype.

Skype is the best free software for the quality of sound but you can communicate with chinese characters with MSN messenger. If you want to type chinese characters then can use the Word Macro at http://www.mandarintools.com/wordinput.html and cut and paste the characters into MSN messenger.

John

[zenwizard]

Hi. I am also learning Mandarin. I spend about 20 minutes on average per day learning. I mostly use some Pimsleur Mandarin CDs I got from the library (I highly recomend them). There are 3 levels, of about 30 lessons each. After 8 months, I am almost done with the 1st level. Unfortunately, I do not know anyone who speaks Chinese. The only interaction with Chinese speakers are from my CDs and some movies I have that are Chinese with English subtitles. So, it is very hard for me. But I am very determined. I know I have come a long way, but I also know I have barely cracked the surface of the language. I'd like to think I could at least converse with a 3 year old without too many problems.

I am hoping to go to china around the time of the 2008 olympics. But, if I don't get their then, I will get there someday.

[tigerx9]

i've seen the pimsleur language cd's around. what would be the advantages and disadvantages with the pimsleur cd's? what did you like, and dislike about them? in other words, is there anything about them that you think can be better?

[ophion]

My wife purchased the introductory Pimsleur set for Mandarin. Neither of us found it to be useful until we had a good grounding in Pinyin, the tones, and basic vocabulary and grammar (acquired through a few months of classes in Taipei). Neither of us is an auditory learner, however.