[Mandarin Archive] Best way to learn mando? [Archive]

Mashi Maro

09-27-2003, 01:39 AM

I'm just curious, as a Jay admirer, I would like to learn manderin. I think it's a beautiful language to sing in, I'm more canto than manderin. I'm wondering, what can I do to learn mando fast? Any suggestions? I'm trying to learn slowly through translations in lyrics but it's very slow, I need a pronounciation guide as well. I missed out on the courses, but oh well :(

Thanks.. any suggestions would be appreciated.

Phyxius

09-27-2003, 01:47 AM

watch mando drama and copy watever the actor/actress says.... that's how i learnt cantonese, watching canto drama....lol
you can also go to tw and go out to the streets listening to ppl talk, then u'll get the hang of it....

Viv

09-27-2003, 01:54 AM

it depends wut language u know now...like if u know canto then it might be easy but if u konw another language thats totally different then it'll be pretty hard.

For the "Easiers", i think you could just try to watch tv shows and stuff
For the "Harder people", you could try taking classes...or talk to ur friends in mandarin or something...

Hope it works :)

JianDan[Ai]

09-27-2003, 02:13 AM

like they said, it does depend on ur background in chinese...classes MAy or MAY not help...it just depends on the person (although from what i know and my own...it usually just is a start...u cant learn everything from a class)

if u ever go back to tw, or china, that is definetly the best way 2 learn, or if u live in an area with chinese television, watch that, (actually that is one of the best ways to learn in my opinion)

another way, and probably more obviously, is make friends who speak chinese on a regular basis, this is probably one of the better ways because u get to interact in the learning process...

im sure its pretty straight forward, the same with learning any other language, althought if ur only use to western languages it may be harder, as the pronounciation of words is very very different, also be aware that there are MANY dialects of chinese, and so if u are not familiar with mandarin yet, make sure u know what u are listening to, becuase u could be listening to a different dialect

take ur time and good luck, itz a long process but im sure its worth it :wink2:

polaris^^

09-27-2003, 07:29 AM

watch/sing-a-long to kareoke with mando songs and watch lots of mando series lol

hehe but it'll be better if you know how to read chinese, if not, i guess you might end up knowing to read/write chinese as well as being able to speak it

Chun Li

09-27-2003, 10:30 AM

panda_shine

09-27-2003, 06:12 PM

take mandarin lessons?
i think it'll be very useful in the future and thats the most proper way since u can learn to pronounce words more accurately ^^
i started taking mandarin lessons last week because of jay haha~~

xian186

09-27-2003, 06:35 PM

Btw, I jus know that actually chinese language is the hardest language to learnt, isthat true? btw, u can try CD roms. I had seem some in book store!

-dream-

09-27-2003, 06:37 PM

hah..i think that one of the most enjoyable and easy way to learn it is simply by watching mandarin drama series or other shows, it may not seem like an efficent idea now, but i've learnt all my mandarin that way. Before i could hardly understand more than two words of mandarin, and now i can understand almost all the daily discussions, except for harder words. Speaking is another thing, but really, if you can understand it, you can speak it, it's just a matter of how good you speak it, and that comes from practice.

Miss_gun

09-27-2003, 06:41 PM

Mashi Maro
I suggest you immgrate and stay in Taiwan!!
So, ...you can learn perfect mando there..
:wink2:

catseyes

09-27-2003, 08:19 PM

Actually, there is no fast way in learning a language, it's up to you to put in the effort to speed up the process~

So i assume you have a bit of knowledge on Mandarin to start with? Like everyone said, watching dramas may help~ Then you can start picking up new words slowly from the show. After which, learn to speak and apply in daily life as you learn those new words, then it will be easily remembered~

If you have any reading materials, then try and read it too (this might be difficult since that might not be possible in Canada for you~) Then try and practise to write if possible~ Again, if possible, I suggest you try and get your hands on a chinese dictionary~

In a summary, you must 多看,多讀 (both means read often),多聽 (listen often),多寫 (write often),多講 (speak often).

en_en

09-27-2003, 10:27 PM

the cd roms dont work too well ive tried it and i already know mando, i was just using it to get better at it...

i think the best way is to stay in the country for a while, and then youll get the hang of the language really quickly, but if thats not a possible option, watch mando shows, hang around with people that speak mandrian.

Seiichi

09-27-2003, 11:51 PM

if u already speak canto, u can pick up mando pretty easy..just hang out with taiwanese a lot and u will get it.

cici bebe

09-27-2003, 11:59 PM

Yeah I'm Cantonese and I watched Huan Zhu Ge Ge and Meteor Garden like 10 times and listen to Mandarin music a lot and just picked it up. It's not very hard if you have Chinese background.

babyxv

09-28-2003, 12:05 AM

my mom learned taiwanese just by watching taiwanese shows. i'd just watch mandarin shows and read the subtitles and listen to mandarin songs and read the lyrics. eventually, you'll get a lot of words down. and also find some mandarin-speaking friends to help

starlitedr3amer

09-28-2003, 01:03 AM

First, take a few lessons, to get a basic understanding of chinese. Take more lessons, and then start watching dramas, and read the subtitles too. That's how i learned.

swtxvietxphuong

09-28-2003, 03:27 AM

naruto

09-28-2003, 03:49 AM

yeah i agree with wot a lot of ppl say
just watch mando TV shows and u'll pick it up but it might be easy if u alreadu know canto or sumfing
i watched meteor garden and i can understand about 20-30% now
but when i speak it it feels damn weird coz its not my nother tongue
and i'm afraid that my pronunciations are screwed up
and from watching jap anime i can understand a bit of jap now

GaryDAI

09-28-2003, 03:58 AM

If you don't speak a word of manderin. I don't think watching tv will help much. It'll all seem like jiberish to you.

JianDan[Ai]

09-28-2003, 07:50 AM

The easiest and fastest way?

Get a Mandarin speaking girlfriend.

hahaha so true so true...and there are OTHER benefits :wink2:

cystaltears

09-28-2003, 09:44 AM

i learned canto by watching tv..so i think u should watch tv..then listen to radio..then try speaking it with your freinds....sing mandrain songs...

LSS

09-28-2003, 09:54 AM

I also think that watching tv is a good way to learn mandarin..ecspecially when u have the subtitles and the chinese characters.

Learning a language is a slow and long process!!

E-Ping

09-29-2003, 02:25 PM

Listen to mandarin songs...that's how i learn mando (by listening to Jay's songs)-my mando is getting better..yay.. :) and oh another way to learn mando is try to sing karaoke as much as possible.As u follow the lyrics,u'll learn many chinese words.It really works! :happy:

jjfgirl

09-29-2003, 09:14 PM

Chun Li

09-29-2003, 09:31 PM

Ah Mei is very very clear. I like her voice. (Too bad I don't like all her songs).

jessica

09-29-2003, 10:23 PM

hahha..no offense to jay..but i would recommend not trying to emulate the way he speaks because his mandarin is not very accurate or clear :) artists that i think enunciate pretty well are those like ah mei or david tao..

so true!
can't really learn too much though... often pick up a few words here and there... i tried watching a couple of mando movies... sometimes those ppl speak too fast for me to catch anything... the english subtitles help, but not all the time. :oops:

hisashi

09-30-2003, 06:47 AM

hahha..no offense to jay..but i would recommend not trying to emulate the way he speaks because his mandarin is not very accurate or clear :) artists that i think enunciate pretty well are those like ah mei or david tao..

:glug: He even teaches the viewers how to speak Mandarin in Azio TV! :oops: I saw it last night... :D quite funny..and he was amused by himself too! I think the power of Jay can't be avoided even he slurs in his speech.. ^^;

aznboi08

09-30-2003, 08:16 AM

the best way to learn madarin is to listen to a lot of mandarin songs and to read the lyrics and to try to mimic them.... that's the best way to pronouce the words and stuff.

Seiichi

10-01-2003, 05:10 AM

"][quote=Chun Li]

The easiest and fastest way?

Get a Mandarin speaking girlfriend.

hey..i am looking for a mandarin speaking girlfriend....any one? any one? *wink*

kanetix

10-01-2003, 05:27 AM

I'm just being curious but who speaks mandarin and who speaks canto in this forum?

I speak mandarin and im from canada...not many mando ppl around here

swtxvietxphuong wrote:
is it easy for a vietnamese to learn canto/mando? cuz i asked my cousins in Vietnam to send me some of the books and tapes to learn chinese...i have some chinese friends and i just sit there, have no clue wat they r talking about i listen 2 c-pop alot (and i love it) but i can only pick up a few words ahhh feel so stupid

If you speak only Viet than you'll probably need to take some lessons or something, its pretty impossible to learn a comlete foreign language just by listening to tapes (in my opinion)

kanetix

10-01-2003, 05:29 AM

is it easy for a vietnamese to learn canto/mando? cuz i asked my cousins in Vietnam to send me some of the books and tapes to learn chinese...i have some chinese friends and i just sit there, have no clue wat they r talking about :wink2: i listen 2 c-pop alot (and i love it) but i can only pick up a few words :oops: ahhh feel so stupid :cry:

If you speak only Viet than you'll probably need to take some lessons or something, its pretty impossible to learn a comlete foreign language just by listening to tapes (in my opinion)

wackycashew

10-01-2003, 06:24 AM

hey kanetix, welcome to the jay-chou.net family here! :) but one of the rules is no DOUBLE POSTING. that means making two posts consecutively. all you need to do is click on the "edit" button located at the top right-hand corner to add comments to your previous post. okee dokee? enjoy your time here. :wink2:

and regarding your question, i speak both canto and mando and i'm from canada as well. :happy:

cherily

10-02-2003, 06:45 AM

maybe u should get a friend who knows chinese so that he can teach u..yup hmm acherly..its not that hard learning it..thought jap was even harder.. :)

secret_admirer

10-02-2003, 10:28 AM

I can't talk Mandarin at all. But now I'm studying it. And my progress is quit good. I'm not taking a lesson cause i have no time. I think the best way to learn mandarin is by watching mandarin Movie. That have the mandarin letter on it. I often watch mandarin movie. And i can understand a little now. And i like to write the song lyrics in mandarin letter and the pinyin also. Maybe that's why i know a lot of mandarin letter now. It's quit good you can try it.

kanetix

10-02-2003, 10:43 PM

wackycashew

10-03-2003, 12:29 AM

Okay sorry for doing that but do I have to delete the message as well?
you can't delete your message after people have responded following your post. just keep the no double posting rule in mind for the future. :wink2:

learning a language involves exposure and practice. i think it's good to start at the basics. learn the sounds that you need to produce words in mandarin, i.e., the pinyin chart. watching TV, listening to music or chinese radio, etc. can also be helpful. the best would be to have friends who speak mandarin and you don't mind testing things out on them. good luck! :happy:

Seltsi

10-03-2003, 12:48 AM

best way to learn any language is always with a teacher! lol thats how I'm learning mandy now~ ^^

~*Love Jay*~

10-03-2003, 06:47 AM

I speak canto and am taking lessons at Saturday skool program to learning mando.

Ways to learn mando/canto are:

* try talking to someone that u know, speaks mando or canto and get them to teach u
* enrol or apply to a program that teaches the chinese languages, this is one of the best ways because there is a teacher that u can ask if u don't understand. this is the most effective way i reckon
* buy computer programs that teach chinese, they might help the ppls who want to learn the basics
*or else tape cassettes that can teach u how to say them
*there are also videos that teach u to recognize words and teaches you to speak

cinsin

10-03-2003, 10:47 AM

i think the best way to do it is to learn the basics first by doing some classes, that way you'll be able to learn the pinyin or zhuyin pronounciations.

i would only recommend watching tv to help practise your listening abilities.

12-06-2003, 10:44 AM

yes yes! everyone says to watch mando-dramas.. you're entertained and learning (unsubconsciously).. cooooool! XD

sauerkraut

12-07-2003, 04:09 AM

i speak mandarin, and it's the other way round with me, cos i'm trying to learn cantonese. i've been watching tons of canto movies recently, and my impression is that i'm starting to improve (very slowly though :dry: ). i'd like to take some cantonese classes soon.

can anyone recommend some good summer schools / universities with cantonese language classes (preferably in hk)? i'd appreciate some advice. :wink2: sorry for being a little off-topic.

btw, a little piece of advice if you want to learn mandarin: don't watch korean / japanese / cantonese or whatever dramas & movies that are mandarin-dubbed. they're usually awful, and there are few ppl who'd actually talk like that in real life. it's simply unrealistic.

jessica

12-12-2003, 10:21 PM

:lolabove:
so true!
when i watch mandarin dubbed movies, those ppl always sound so enthusiastic.

i've tried learning from book on tapes and it doesn't help... it doesn't pause so i can repeat what they say!... it goes kind of fast and the pinyins look different from the ones i'm used to... it must be another kind of pinyin... i'm trying to look for better ones.

bla

03-03-2004, 02:05 AM

the best way to learn is to listen to mandarin music. play the songs a few times or until u think u can sing along although u dont know wat it means. then u can look up the pronunciation and meaning. also, by watching any movies or stuff like that. or u can also go to chinese school.

Dong Feng Puo

03-04-2004, 04:35 AM

agreeing with some of the previous replies- living in the area where the language you wish to learn is the main language is definitely the best way to go... no matter what language it is. i took 4 years of spanish in high school. i can write/read just fine but my listening comprehension sucks and my speaking sucks even more because i didnt learn spanish in a spanish speaking area. so if you wanna learn mandarin, go somewhere where ppl speak it all the time!

lene

03-05-2004, 06:34 PM

agreeing with some of the previous replies- living in the area where the language you wish to learn is the main language is definitely the best way to go... no matter what language it is. if you wanna learn mandarin, go somewhere where ppl speak it all the time!

I agree!
I started from scratch. Back when I couldn't understand a single character, I was already so into the language that I watched whatever show I could... from mtvs to dramas and serials. I also listened to Chinese music and bought Chinese magazines and books. Eventually I transfered to a Chinese high school so the lessons in school helped a lot.
I also took up conversational classes on the side, but I continued watching Chinese programs and listening to Chinese music.
Now, it seems that my perseverance paid off because I can finally speak mandarin. And I can now understand Chinese movies, programs and read newspapers, magazines and books (I can now devour all the stuff I've accummulated the past few years). Just a couple of weeks back, I finished reading my second Chinese novel :happy: I'm also now a Mandarin instructor.

However, I feel that learning Mandarin is a never-ending process. I plan to pack my bags for Shanghai next year to study Mandarin first and then eventually work and settle there. I will finally be able to immerse myself in the Chinese language and culture. This is actually a trend here in the Phils. among overseas Chinese. The kids are usually sent to Beijing/Shanghai to take Mandarin courses for 6 mos to a year. You'll be very surprised; after the duration of their studies, even those without any background can now speak good Mandarin!

There are two impt things in learning mandarin, or any language for that matter: the DESIRE and PRACTICE.

Your desire to learn the language will be your motivation to learn it; fuel this desire. When learning the language becomes too difficult, your desire will also be the one to push you to go on.
While watching Chinese programs, try to say the lines/spiels out loud.
Be patient and persevere. Your efforts will surely pay off one day.
Believe me, I've been there. If I can do it, anybody can too.

Good luck! :happy:

DragonPrince

03-01-2006, 04:43 AM

My friends, those who are not Chinese, learn Chinese through listening and watching Chinese dramas which has English Subtitles. They tried to speak to Chinese to us, and we were surprised! They speak so well!

Ling

03-01-2006, 04:45 AM

I would say any chances to listen or speak more Mandarin would best help you learn the language

danieldren

03-03-2006, 03:48 AM

Now, it seems that my perseverance paid off because I can finally speak mandarin. And I can now understand Chinese movies, programs and read newspapers, magazines and books (I can now devour all the stuff I've accummulated the past few years). Just a couple of weeks back, I finished reading my second Chinese novel :happy: I'm also now a Mandarin instructor.
However, I feel that learning Mandarin is a never-ending process. I plan to pack my bags for Shanghai next year to study Mandarin first and then eventually work and settle there. I will finally be able to immerse myself in the Chinese language and culture. This is actually a trend here in the Phils. among overseas Chinese. The kids are usually sent to Beijing/Shanghai to take Mandarin courses for 6 mos to a year. You'll be very surprised; after the duration of their studies, even those without any background can now speak good Mandarin!
:happy:
omigod so inspirational... it actually made me a feel a bit better after just getting back from my 4th class for the day which was japanese in which i did kaiwa (conversation) and didnt go too well at all :( that makes me feel so much better though... and i also agree with everything you said too. I have the desire to learn japanese and when that's ok i really really really want to learn chinese... i just got back from living there with my parents for 3 years and love the country but i couldnt understand a word they spoke and it cost too much for me to learn chinese where i lived (1hour=$70AUD!!!) but now that i am back in aust. i want to learn it and master it well... although i have to do japanese first :tongue: and i agree with singging along to the music.. works really well with japanese... you find that your pronucation goes through the roof (depending on what you listen to :tongue: and what learn words from it as well...anime also helps but chinese dont have a big anime business like jpn does so watch movies... her uh soo good (espiecally when you have eng. subtitles.. watched it 3 times with none at the cinema at my local town :-)

KendoTiger

03-05-2006, 12:41 AM

Best thing to do is take classes every day from an enthusiastic, knowledgable teacher.

Listen to mando songs, watch mando news, write the characters while repeating the word in mando.

And don't get taught by old mando hags *shudders*

sam_ho

03-05-2006, 01:05 AM

I'm taiwanese...and i was borned to speak mandarin...but my mom read me books, put on those baby tapes, and i heard everybody speak in mandarin. so *pop*. There it goes.

tenshi_dew

03-05-2006, 05:09 AM

Go to Chinese school. I didn't know a single word of Mandarin before, but now after a few months, I can make out simple sentences and characters and speak a little bit in Chinese. Watch a lot of Chinese dramas and movies and listen to Chinese music. Also, try and have conversations in mandarin with people. Simply, just immerse yourself in the language.

amdawn

03-05-2006, 06:03 AM

i agree with your methods: schooling and language immersion through exchange - music, conversation, writing and reading. i want to learn mandarin too but my only inlet is thru music - repeating the words in the song - kinda like karaoke - perfect place to learn to read and pronuciate - however singerstyle and not quite colloquial.

Stevenz

05-10-2006, 10:25 AM

I think make some chinese frens, listen to more chinese songs, try to speak in mandarin with ur frens, attend chinese school, watch mandarin drama or movie with subtitles.. etc. i think that could help...

metallicblue

05-10-2006, 08:42 PM

i learn mandarin from jay's songs. i'll read his songs' hanyu pinyin and learn the chinese words from it. eventhough i'm not really good in it.

PHATVW

05-12-2006, 09:50 AM

i ve got a japanese friend who speaks better mandarin than most native chinese speakers, but the catch is that he s been learning it for like 3 years and has a chinese gf (not sure if that helps cos she doesnt speak mandarin!). i ve got massive respect for him for making us look foolish

rascal_512

05-16-2006, 07:48 AM

im surprised that alot of ppl put watching dramas.. for me i find it hard to copy coz they're saying stuff so fast.. i only come out with a few words or phrases that are repeated over and over.. and i watch alot.......of krn drama! -HAHA i kno i kno this thread is abt mando but i reckn itd be the same for me if i watched mando drama.. recently started meteor garden~

huanhuan

05-16-2006, 12:40 PM

hmm..maybe you should try to study in china or taiwan..at least one year..
with live in china or taiwan..ur mandarin should be better..bcos if you stay there you must talk with other people that can speak mandarin better than we are..
if u just got course and there is nobody u cant speak with..ur mandarin are never get better..or maybe so slowly..
Watch taiwanese or mandarin drama,can makes our mandarin good too..but it too slowly i think..:)