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Neil Learns Mandarin | ||
Tags: Mandarin | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Language Learning Log |  | |
| neil-flynn Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 5959 days ago 116 posts - 117 votes  Speaks: English* Studies: SpanishB2, Mandarin | Message 1 of 54 18 August 2008 at 4:48pm | IP Logged |
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For a while, ive been wanting to start learning Mandarin. Last autumn, i took some informal lessons with a native, but that ended when the teacher had studying commitments. Between then and this summer, i bought a few books, but i never had the time to start because of my university studies. This summer, i knew that i would have 3 months of spare time to begin learning, so i began properly in June.
I bought Michel Thomas Mandarin, and i have just finished the advanced course. I am amazed how much i have learned by studying the course for an hour a day. What makes it better is that i can understand some of the Chinese being spoken in the Olympics coverage, and i watched an episode of Law & Order last week with dialogue in Chinese which i understood parts of. Now i am wanting to learn some script. I have bought a textbook called Chinese In Steps 1 which teaches basic Chinese with the script at the same time. I want to take this route because i will learn the script one day, and because i can't seem to find news websites in pinyin, i wouldn't be able to practice Mandarin like i can with Spanish. As for when i finish the textbook, i will see how i found the course. If i liked it, i will buy Chinese In Steps 2. If i don't like it, i will look into Pimsleur and Assimil. But ill keep you all updated. I have a goal for learning Mandarin. I have 2 years until i start full time employment, so by that time, i want to be able to have conversations with natives about many general topics and to understand a very basic news story in Chinese script. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| neil-flynn Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 5959 days ago 116 posts - 117 votes Speaks: English* Studies: SpanishB2, Mandarin | Message 2 of 54 18 August 2008 at 4:52pm | IP Logged |
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Goal:
Complete lesson 1 of Chinese In Steps 1 by Friday. This means learning the 20 words in pinyin and Chinese script. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| neil-flynn Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 5959 days ago 116 posts - 117 votes Speaks: English* Studies: SpanishB2, Mandarin | Message 3 of 54 19 August 2008 at 5:34pm | IP Logged |
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Goal Completed:
Ive just finished Lesson 1. It only took me a day to complete as well, so now i will set myself tighter deeadlines. As there are only 10 lessons in this book, i should be able to finish it by next, and then ill buy the second book. Although i knew the basic words in pinyin from Michel Thomas, the numbers 0-99 were new to me. From this lesson, ive learned some basic words in 0-99 in both pinyin and script Edited by neil-flynn on 19 August 2008 at 5:41pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| neil-flynn Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 5959 days ago 116 posts - 117 votes Speaks: English* Studies: SpanishB2, Mandarin | Message 4 of 54 19 August 2008 at 5:47pm | IP Logged |
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Goal:
Complete Lesson 2 of Chinese In Steps 1 by Wednesday. Also, review the lesson 1 script. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| neil-flynn Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 5959 days ago 116 posts - 117 votes Speaks: English* Studies: SpanishB2, Mandarin | Message 5 of 54 20 August 2008 at 7:42pm | IP Logged |
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Goal Completed:
Ive just finished Lesson 2 of Chinese In Steps 1. Im starting to see words that ive not encountered before, so im learning more than in lesson 1. Im finding the speaking and listening easy. I can distinguish the tones, and can understand sentences (albeit it basic sentences) at close to normal speed. With lesson 1, i learned the script purely through memorisation. But now that i have learned 40 hanzi, i realise that this is unfeasible. I reviewed lesson 1 and could remember 75% of the hanzi. In lesson 2, i have put a story to each hanzi, ranging from the logical: 英 is ying (brave) as i can see an upside down Y and the top part is like the high tone; to the completely illogical: 王 is wang (king) because it looks like a hat stand, which a king would have. I know, i know, but it works! I think that tomorrow, i will invent stories for the lesson 1 hanzi. Im impressed with my progress of 20 words and hanzi a day. In a months time, i should know 500 words and hanzi which is better progress than i first anticipated. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| neil-flynn Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 5959 days ago 116 posts - 117 votes Speaks: English* Studies: SpanishB2, Mandarin | Message 6 of 54 20 August 2008 at 7:44pm | IP Logged |
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Goal:
Complete Lesson 3 of Chinese In Steps 1 by Thursday. Also invent stories for the hanzi of the previous lessons. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| neil-flynn Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 5959 days ago 116 posts - 117 votes Speaks: English* Studies: SpanishB2, Mandarin | Message 7 of 54 20 August 2008 at 7:47pm | IP Logged |
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Im going into town tomorrow, so ill go into borders and see what chinese in steps 2 is like. im pretty sure that ill get it after i finish chinese in steps 2. Ive also seen a big book of chinese script, but i think that i will buy it after i finish the chinese in steps books and feel more conifident with the language.
Ive just joined chinesepod (free trial) and i can't download the podcasts. They download half way and then a message appears saying that their is a problem with the source. Has anyone else encountered that problem? I want to start using those to build my vocab. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| neil-flynn Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 5959 days ago 116 posts - 117 votes Speaks: English* Studies: SpanishB2, Mandarin | Message 8 of 54 23 August 2008 at 8:27am | IP Logged |
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Goal Completed:
I had a busy day on Thursday, so i had to finish lesson 3 on friday. I have now learned 60 hanzi, but im struggling to remember them all. So i think that i will spend sunday reviewing lessons 1-4 1 person has voted this message useful |
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