Does /adv/ have any tips for learning Chinese? I am trying to become proficient because I plan to meet my gf's family and her mom's english is supposedly pretty poor.
I am working on Rosetta Stone, and have Learning Chinese Characters for the first 800 HSK Level A by Tuttle:
http://www.amazon.com/Tuttle-Learning-Chinese-Characters-Revolutionary/dp/080483816X
It's becoming more familiar little by little, but it still intimidating when looking at the scale of the whole language itself and that can be a distraction from learning, especially trying to learn expiditiously.
>>17006204
be confident is the most important tip
look at this guy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8jy51Aqdrk
He conveyed his ideas successfully even though he doesn't know dick about Chinese. I imagine the situation with your gf's mom is the same.
>>17006204
Do you have time to take a class? Before you get too invested, Rosetta Stone Mandarin has an accent (it's not standard Beijing Mandarin). If you're in a huge hurry and only have a few weeks, there are apps that teach basic phrases. You could also watch some subtitled tv shows. Immersion is the fastest way to become fluent- aka a summer program in China or one that promises immersion where you live.
>>17006243
I am in the military schooling/training atm so no real time to take class but I am motivated. She helps me on skype too. I am watching Empress of China just to get a constant stream of hearing chinese in my system.
shameless self-bump
Learn the damn tones.
"I want to kiss you" and "I want to ask a question" are only separated by a single tone. It's easy to get lazy with them after a while of learning to speak the language.
>>17006453
God damn zipperheads all sound the same to me
>>17006204
Cantonese, or Mandarin?
>>17006463
Can you please go shit up some other board?
>>17006467
Mandarin. They all know cantonese as well i believe
>>17006453
noted thanks
>>17006472
You first gook lover
>>17006481
I never said anything about loving Asians.
You're just cunt with your lips constantly flapping from the hot air you expel from your hole. You contribute next to nothing to ANY thread on /adv/.
Now, please, if you would, get a brain tumor and leave us all in peace.
>>17006514
KILL MAIM BURN
BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD
SKULLS FOR THE SKULL THRONE
One that that won't help for sure is moving to China.
I lived there over the last summer and didn't learn more than a few token words and phrases. Everyone under 30 already speaks English so there's no immersion.
>>17006713
>Everyone under 30 already speaks English so there's no immersion
Wtf? Did you mean Hong Kong? Mainlanders don't speak English (except for educated and rich people/students)
>>17006204
As someone from Hong Kong I picked up an awful lot of Spanish simply by Duolingoing and talking to my Spanish friend. But I find French (and German) more difficult.
>>17006514
Why are you even replying to Pegasus? Everyone on /adv/ knows that he is a troll
>>16616587
>>16616780
>>17006780
I have more to add.
Learn the languages and phrases that are relevant to you. For example, I like travelling so I learn Spanish phrases related to travelling. You become familiar with words you use a lot.
Not sure where you live, but try to find a native speaker.
Better yet, go on Kijiji or something. Offer free conversational English training for free Chinese tutoring.
That might be your best bet. Rosetta, sure it's good, but you won't get the same understanding or the same accents for it.
And figure out. Is in Mandarin or Cantonese. Because "Chinese" isn't a language. They are both in China, but very different
And what someone else said, don't go to China??? I became almost fluent by living there for a year. BUT, it depends where you go. If you need to learn it for survival, you will learn fast. I learnt it quickly. I also lived in Korea in a city where many people spoke English, didn't learn shit. Not really. So it depends on where you go.
So without taking a year away in a foreign land, just find a native speaker.
>>17006947
>Is in Mandarin or Cantonese
He answered this in this thread
If you don't have a whole lot of time then I'd focus on the conversational aspects. Learning the written language to even elementary school level is a monumental task.
>>17006204
I've had good success with the mobile app Chinese skill. Also there's some good tutorials on yt
If there's a Chinatown near you, go check it out. You don't have to speak it but they'll be speaking it all around you and you'll start picking out words and recognizing them in a whole new way.
Ordinarily for language I like to suggest music too, but Chinese music is mostly love ballads and unless you're into that, it's pretty arduous to listen to. Jay Chou is alright but a little pop-like
Lastly, >>>/int/
OP, where in China are you going? I lived in Beijing for five years, and was almost fluent in Mandarin, except political and business-specific terms.
U like uh duh chai knee
http://huliganov.tv/2013/03/03/chinese-from-scratch-a-1260-hour-work-programme-optimising-your-result/
>>17008108
just got off work and am checking this out thanks
>>17006204
Yeah...don't be white.
>>17009632
Going to Malaysia actually.
>>17007926
why?
>>17009648
Because you can get white women.
>>17009682
me and this bitch are really compatible though
>>17009692
I doubt it if you refer to her as "this bitch."
>>17009751
why are you assuming that? did my colloquialism butt-frustrate you so hard you gained some kind of clairvoyance on my relationship?
>>17006780
>Wtf? Did you mean Hong Kong? Mainlanders don't speak English (except for educated and rich people/students)
Yes they do. Not as well as Hong Kongers but they do. I'm no native but I lived on the mainland for two months and had zero problems with my complete lack of Chinese
