Hi guys,
I need some advice about language, after three month in Taiwan I came back home and as I promised myself I want to learn mandarin.
During my stay I’ve learned very basic words like “thank you”, “I’m sorry” etc I know this is nothing but I really enjoyed it.
I’ve tried to listen as much as possible, so I can work on tones.
Anyway right now I want to spend more time with language, learn grammar and proper pronunciation, I bought old Practical Audio-Visual Chinese part 1
where should I start ?? do you know other helpful materials I can use ??
[quote=“spock”]Hi guys,
I need some advice about language, after three month in Taiwan I came back home and as I promised myself I want to learn Mandarin.
During my stay I’ve learned very basic words like “thank you”, “I’m sorry” etc I know this is nothing but I really enjoyed it.
I’ve tried to listen as much as possible, so I can work on tones.
Anyway right now I want to spend more time with language, learn grammar and proper pronunciation, I bought old Practical Audio-Visual Chinese part 1
where should I start ?? do you know other helpful materials I can use ??
I will be greatful for some help[/quote]
It is also logical to find something you are interested in Chinese, so you can get more exposure than just the lessons. What works for me is songs, well, I didn’t have to learn Mandarin, but I did have to learn English. So finding songs that I liked, and try to figure out what every word in the song means and how the grammar works and be able to sing along is pretty fun for me. Also maybe finding some TV shows you enjoy in Mandarin, though that might be a little more difficult.
The “Living Language Chinese” book/CD set has good reviews, and that series is generally quite good for language learning, with useful vocab and dialogues. (I haven’t reviewed the content, though, so I can’t give you my own evaluation!) Be aware that almost all Mandarin resources available outside Taiwan are geared toward mainland-style speech and writing (simplified characters, rather strong northern accents, and mainland vocab/usage).
Work through the lessons in the materials you have. Also, get your hands on a good learner’s dictionary. And as you build the ability to make simple sentences, try seeking out Mandarin speakers to try out your new language skills with. Don’t be shy. (But if they’re clearly busy or not interested in speaking, find someone else!) It doesn’t hurt to watch some movies (particularly ones set in modern times - Eat Drink Man Woman, for example) to exercise your listening skills and get a better feel for the rhythm of the language. And read!
I personally don’t like songs as a way to learn languages because songs too often have vocab, structures and even pronunciations (not to mention intonations and rhythms) that aren’t typical of spoken language.