Chinese class recommendations

[Marco]

@qinqinbaobaojugaogao

I’ll give NTNU a bit of credit for not teaching things the exact way they’re said in Taiwan. For example, it’s important for a variety of reasons to know (on a basic level) that 是 is technically ㄕˋ(shì) not ㄙˋ(sì) although it is almost always pronounced the latter way in Taiwan in informal situations. Taiwanese students also learn the “proper” pronunciation of things when they’re in school. They also do tend to teach the Taiwanese versions of words (腳踏車 rather than 自行車) for the most part. There are a few exceptions, like teaching students to say 很有意思 which is not common in Taiwan.

I’ve never heard of a US school teaching a UK accent because ‘that’s where the language originates from’

Meanwhile, foreigners go out to the road and are like

Cesuo zai nar? and then locals sayin, uhh we don’t say it that way here.

I came to Taiwan. I want to speak the local lingo.

If you want Beijing, Zher Shr diannao sharng Diar. Go to Beijing.

@qinqinbaobaojugaogao

I think any formal language program mostly works this way, you have to balance what is technically “correct” and what is actually heard day-to-day. This gap can be closed by a lot of speaking and listening practice in addition to class, imo.

What is technically correct? We have US English. Canadian English. UK English. Australian English.

Why can’t Taiwanese Mandarin be correct as well and its own standard?

Taiwanese Mandarin

Indispensible resource for those looking to reduce their accent

@qinqinbaobaojugaogao

What I won’t excuse is teaching things like 下載 as ㄒㄧㄚˋㄗㄞˋ(xiàzài) rather than ㄒㄧㄚˋㄗㄞˇ(xiàzâi), when it is always said the latter way in Taiwan and not saying it this way could lead to confusion. Better teachers will be careful to let you know this when learning, but not every one will.

That’s what they do at NTNU for EVERYTHING. Follow an obsolete version of Blue China’s Beijing Dialect.