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 Language Learning Forum : Specific Languages |  | |
| JayR9 Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 4516 days ago 155 posts - 162 votes  Speaks: English* | Message 1 of 12 13 January 2012 at 3:30am | IP Logged |
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Hello,
First I want to appologise If this is being posted In the wrong place. I am new here and tried to look for something similar so If there is, I am sorry. What I would like to know Is, what are the best programs, books, learning devices and websites to learn Mandarin? Is there any programs for windows that I can get? I appreciate every bit of help and thank you in advance. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Kevin Hsu Triglot Groupie Canada Joined 4554 days ago 60 posts - 94 votes Speaks: English, Mandarin*, Korean Studies: German | Message 2 of 12 13 January 2012 at 5:14am | IP Logged |
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Hello there!
I don't have any personal experience with any Mandarin programs so I can't really help you here. However, I had good experiences with the Routledge grammar books for Korean, so I'd assume that it would also be good for Mandarin. (http://www.amazon.ca/Basic- Chinese-Workbook-Yip-Po-Ching/dp/0415472156/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UT F8&qid=1326427774&sr=8-1) The book is strictly for grammar though, so you must have something else to accompany your studies along with it. Feel free to PM me if you need help with Mandarin! Edited by Kevin Hsu on 13 January 2012 at 5:18am 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Snowflake Senior Member United States Joined 5775 days ago 1032 posts - 1233 votes Studies: Mandarin | Message 3 of 12 13 January 2012 at 5:15am | IP Logged |
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The answers will depend, in part, on your preferences. Everyone has their favorites. Materials that are mentioned include, in no particular order, FSI (free), DLI (free), Pimsleur, Assimil, Michel Thomas, Colloquial Chinese and New Practical Chinese Reader. There are many more as well. The podcasts mentioned include iMandarinPod, ChineseClass101, ChineseLearnOnline, PopUpChinese and ChinesePod, also in no particular order. The podcasts can be freely sampled before purchasing a subscription. Websites to check out include Nciku and YellowBridge.
Good luck! Edited by Snowflake on 13 January 2012 at 5:16am 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| JayR9 Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 4516 days ago 155 posts - 162 votes Speaks: English* | Message 4 of 12 13 January 2012 at 4:34pm | IP Logged |
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Thank you both for your suggestions and help.
I will check them out and see which I prefer. Is It worth me using more than one or should I just concentrate on the one main program? Thanks again 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Snowflake Senior Member United States Joined 5775 days ago 1032 posts - 1233 votes Studies: Mandarin | Message 5 of 12 13 January 2012 at 4:52pm | IP Logged |
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Well there's no one program that can bring you to proficiency. Do you have specific goals? How do you generally learn things? That might give people a better idea of what to recommend.
By the way, do you have an iPod? There are a number of iPod apps, including language learning games, which are mentioned from time to time. Edited by Snowflake on 13 January 2012 at 5:05pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| JayR9 Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 4516 days ago 155 posts - 162 votes Speaks: English* | Message 6 of 12 13 January 2012 at 6:34pm | IP Logged |
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I want to work hard at this so want to use the best tools as I can to Improve and learn all round. Speaking, Reading, Writing and listening.
I understand that some programs are only good for visual, where as some are only good for grammer. So what I am trying to do is find out what people think are the better programs for each Visual Vocab Grammer Writing I Understand everyone is different and learns some things better than others but If I can find the best programs for each then I can try them and see whether Im better with visual learning or Audio. (if that makes sense). Also no sorry I don't have an ipod at the moment. Thank you though. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| SueK Groupie United States Joined 4567 days ago 77 posts - 133 votes Studies: Mandarin | Message 7 of 12 13 January 2012 at 10:59pm | IP Logged |
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It's easy to get hung up on finding the right learning program and lose time in the process. Pick a freebie now, and start. I suggest FSI. It's free, it starts with Tones and Pinyin, both of which are critical. At the same time, register for Memrise and start learning characters - or get a book and start studying.
Create a set schedule, depending on how much time you have available, and work at that first everyday. When you've met your daily study quota, you can work on finding the ideal program for you to work with longer term. Folks here have lots of favorites, you'll need to try a variety of demos and such to figure which is going to best engage you. Read this site, lots of education on learning styles, how to learn language and tips and techniques to be had here. This method suggests you start one place, then switch if you find something better. This is because I think time is precious and you should start not only today, but right this very minute. Time is precious. When you're a little more educated about how you want to learn, and develop a stategy, do NOT jump around. Stick to it. If you visit a bunch of different sites, you're more surfing than learning. You don't get depth or needed repetition if you don't stay on one path. Because you want to converse, read and write, your path may have more than one component, but don't use chineseclass101 today, chinesepod tomorrow and popupchinese the next day and think you'll get somewhere. Build a structured path - I use'A' for learning conversation, I use 'B' for writing, I use 'C' for this other thing. Set a schedule with your set path and stick to it firmly. Only change it if you find something doesn't work for you and you want to make a permanent change. I'm new to learning a language and offer this as learning from my own mistakes. I took too long trying to understand all the options, I've wasted time and in the end bought a program that doesn't engage me well. I'm learning, but should be miles ahead of where I am. I'm circling back to learn pinyin and do tone drills and will need to review what I've already learned in light of that after. I suppose that's all part of learning how to learn a language, but maybe my mistakes can help you. Best of luck on your journey! 2 persons have voted this message useful | |
| JayR9 Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 4516 days ago 155 posts - 162 votes Speaks: English* | Message 8 of 12 13 January 2012 at 11:15pm | IP Logged |
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SueK Thank you for your message and help. You are 100% correct In saying I should start now. I have been doing little bits here and there trying to see what programs are good and I have been getting some applications that I have read about on here such as Anki and as you said FSI.
Now I don't really know how to use it properly and I suppose Its all part of my learning programme. I think I just wanted and tried to get the better programs first so then I didn't waste too much time with the wrong program. Some programs focus on audio with no visual and some are visual with no audio, and some with no vocab. So Would you choose one as your main and then choose something else to help along side it so Im learning from both audio and visual? Thanks again and all the best to you. 1 person has voted this message useful |
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