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Mark Rowswell (Dashan)

  Tags: Polyglot | Mandarin
 Language Learning Forum : Polyglots Post Reply
21 messages over 3 pages: 1 2 3  Next >>
krtek
Groupie
United States
Joined 7113 days ago

46 posts - 50 votes
Speaks: Mandarin*
Studies: English, Italian, Cantonese

 
 Message 1 of 21
30 January 2006 at 4:18pm | IP Logged 
Does anyone know of Mark Rowswell?
http://dashan.com/
I was just wondering how well he's known outside China.

Another link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dashan
Quote:
Westerners who speak Chinese are almost invariably compared with Dashan, who is seen as having set an impossibly high standard to attain....Regardless of the negative feelings held by some, others feel Dashan is a pioneer who has overcome traditional stereotypes that suggested the Chinese language and culture were simply too complex for foreigners to master or understand. Dashan has helped to create a whole new image for foreigners in China.


Edited by krtek on 30 January 2006 at 7:52pm

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patuco
Diglot
Moderator
Gibraltar
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3795 posts - 4268 votes 
Speaks: Spanish, English*
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 Message 2 of 21
30 January 2006 at 4:53pm | IP Logged 
Never heard of him...until I checked the link you provided! He seems like quite an accomplished individual.
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owshawng
Senior Member
United States
Joined 6889 days ago

202 posts - 217 votes 
Speaks: English*

 
 Message 3 of 21
30 January 2006 at 6:13pm | IP Logged 
I've only heard of him through his Communicate in Chinese series. I have the first level. His mandarin pronounciation is great. He sounds better then a lot of native speakers. I think a lot of westerners in China don't like his acting skills. Not sure why. I've only seen parts of his chinese educational series and I am very impressed with it. Next time I go to Chinatown I'm going to try to get a movie or tv series he's done.
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lady_skywalker
Triglot
Senior Member
Netherlands
aspiringpolyglotblog
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909 posts - 942 votes 
Speaks: Spanish, English*, Mandarin
Studies: Japanese, French, Dutch, Italian

 
 Message 4 of 21
30 January 2006 at 9:53pm | IP Logged 
I heard of him quite a few times in my Chinese classes but have never actually seen the man in action.
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maxb
Diglot
Senior Member
Sweden
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7 sounds
Speaks: Swedish*, English
Studies: Mandarin

 
 Message 5 of 21
31 January 2006 at 4:13am | IP Logged 
His is a huge star in China and was the first westerner to ever perform the chinese comedy form Xiangsheng (usually translated as "cross talk"). His level of chinese is undoubtedly very high.
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delectric
Diglot
Senior Member
China
Joined 7184 days ago

608 posts - 733 votes 
Speaks: English*, Mandarin
Studies: German

 
 Message 6 of 21
31 January 2006 at 8:57am | IP Logged 
His Chinese is excellent. However, he doesn't seem to be too well liked by many expats. I've never understood why. Perhaps people are jealous of his excellent Chinese!

Or, perhaps it's because on Chinese TV he's into comedy, while when he speaks English he doesn't come across as a very funny guy.

Also, a few people have commented to me that he looks like a geek/nerd! However, this trait seems quite welcome in Chinese culture.
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delectric
Diglot
Senior Member
China
Joined 7184 days ago

608 posts - 733 votes 
Speaks: English*, Mandarin
Studies: German

 
 Message 7 of 21
31 January 2006 at 9:32am | IP Logged 
Just read this artical from the Los Angeles Times http://dashan.com/en/reviews/latimes.htm which is quite interesting.

"Yet not everyone sees BigMountain as benign. His mastery of Mandarin is the bane of other Westerners trying to decipher a difficult foreign tongue. Dashan often plays the scapegoat for their frustrations.

"His is probably the best Chinese ever spoken by a foreigner," said John Pasden, who writes a Shanghai-based Web log. "But it's aggravating to anyone seriously studying Chinese. You'll meet somebody and they'll say in a patronizing tone of voice, 'Oh, you speak Chinese. Ha! Ha! But have you heard Dashan?'

"It's like you're a high school sophomore who's decided to take up weight training and people say, 'Oh really? Arnold Schwarzenegger lifts weights too, you know.' "

Critics have labeled Dashan a sellout for his perceived close ties to the Chinese government.

Rowswell scoffs at such assertions, saying the government has never suggested he take political stances on issues such as the status of Taiwan or Tibet or on East-West relations. And he wouldn't do it, even if asked."


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delectric
Diglot
Senior Member
China
Joined 7184 days ago

608 posts - 733 votes 
Speaks: English*, Mandarin
Studies: German

 
 Message 8 of 21
31 January 2006 at 9:58am | IP Logged 
Oh this thread is quiet an interesting discussion of why some don't like Da Shan

http://www.sinosplice.com/life/archives/2003/02/18/dashan


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