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I actually really want to learn Mandarin Chinese, and I was wondering if anyone here knows of a good app for this, ala Duolingo. I'm ok with just Pinyin/pronunc

I actually really want to learn Mandarin Chinese, and I was wondering if anyone here knows of a good app for this, ala Duolingo. I'm ok with just Pinyin/pronunciations.

lnanek2 13y ago
I'm enjoying Memrise
- Wohui 13y ago
  >Memrise Cheers, I'm using that right now. The real teaching power is in apps.
coupdejarnac 13y ago
If you can find the time, I recommend just going for it and studying abroad in China like I did. I took two semesters of intensive Chinese at Beijing Language University, and it was a life changing experience. http://english.blcu.edu.cn/ http://english.blcu.edu.cn/ Though if I were to return for more classes, I might try a different city, perhaps Xian. The air quality in Beijing is nasty.
- cdelsolar 13y ago
  How long were the classes each day, what kind of stuff did you do after hours? If I ever did this I'd love to remain able to work at least part time.
  - coupdejarnac 13y ago
    You can do half days or full days. I did half days - 8am to 12. You will have plenty of homework, but plenty of time to see the sights or do work. I chose to study Chinese with the help of my many female friends. :)
rahimnathwani 13y ago
You _can_ make progress without moving to China, but you need to have much more time and will power than most people can muster with work and other things. I know a guy in the UK who spends about 5-6 hours per week studying Chinese (3-4 hours on Skype with a tutor, plus time studying) and he's made steady progress. However, you've got to put in dedicated time outside your lessons to try composition, practice listening etc. Having said that, below are some resources worth investigating: Audio courses: - Pimsleur Mandarin (3 sets of 30 half-hour lessons. Available on CD.) - ChinesePod.com (short audio lessons based around different topics/tasks. Generous free trial last time I checked.) - http://popupchinese.com/ http://popupchinese.com/ (similar to ChinesePod. Worth trying both.) - Clavis Sinica’s collection of short audio samples: http://clavisinica.com/voices.html http://clavisinica.com/voices.html Pronunciation/Pinyin: You really need to get your pinyin and tone pronunciation down. Just search google for 'learning pinyin' and you will find lots of free resources. There are three things worth trying to master here: - Pronunciation of each of the four tones (actually five, as there is also a neutral tone) - Pronunciation of each of the 21 initials (b, p, m, f etc., most of which are the same as English, but some, like x, z, c, zh are very different) and each of the 35 ‘finals’ (like -ong, -uang, -in etc.) - (later) Some words consist of more than one syllable, and there are some rules for when tones change based on the tone of the following syllable. Dictionary: - Pleco for iphone or Android: the free version is a must-have. There are bundles for additional functionality. The two additional functions I use(d) are the full-screen handwriting input (paid on iphone) and the spaced-repetition flashcard functionality (paid). This app is the reason I bought my first iOS device. - Nciku (online dictionary; search by pinyin or by writing the character) Reading/writing characters (probably work on some basic oral Chinese before doing this): - Skritter.com (subscription-based service best used with a mouse or Wacom tablet; doesn’t work well with a laptop touchpad) - Book: http://www.amazon.com/Reading-Writing-Chinese-Simplified-Character/dp/0804835098/ref=pd_sim_b_12 http://www.amazon.com/Reading-Writing-Chinese-Simplified-Cha...

I actually really want to learn Mandarin Chinese, and I was wondering if anyone here knows of a good app for this, ala Duolingo. I'm ok with just Pinyin/pronunciations.

lnanek2 13y ago

I'm enjoying Memrise

Wohui 13y ago
>Memrise Cheers, I'm using that right now. The real teaching power is in apps.

coupdejarnac 13y ago

If you can find the time, I recommend just going for it and studying abroad in China like I did. I took two semesters of intensive Chinese at Beijing Language University, and it was a life changing experience. http://english.blcu.edu.cn/ http://english.blcu.edu.cn/ Though if I were to return for more classes, I might try a different city, perhaps Xian. The air quality in Beijing is nasty.

cdelsolar 13y ago
How long were the classes each day, what kind of stuff did you do after hours? If I ever did this I'd love to remain able to work at least part time.
- coupdejarnac 13y ago
  You can do half days or full days. I did half days - 8am to 12. You will have plenty of homework, but plenty of time to see the sights or do work. I chose to study Chinese with the help of my many female friends. :)

rahimnathwani 13y ago

You _can_ make progress without moving to China, but you need to have much more time and will power than most people can muster with work and other things. I know a guy in the UK who spends about 5-6 hours per week studying Chinese (3-4 hours on Skype with a tutor, plus time studying) and he's made steady progress. However, you've got to put in dedicated time outside your lessons to try composition, practice listening etc. Having said that, below are some resources worth investigating: Audio courses: - Pimsleur Mandarin (3 sets of 30 half-hour lessons. Available on CD.) - ChinesePod.com (short audio lessons based around different topics/tasks. Generous free trial last time I checked.) - http://popupchinese.com/ http://popupchinese.com/ (similar to ChinesePod. Worth trying both.) - Clavis Sinica’s collection of short audio samples: http://clavisinica.com/voices.html http://clavisinica.com/voices.html Pronunciation/Pinyin: You really need to get your pinyin and tone pronunciation down. Just search google for 'learning pinyin' and you will find lots of free resources. There are three things worth trying to master here: - Pronunciation of each of the four tones (actually five, as there is also a neutral tone) - Pronunciation of each of the 21 initials (b, p, m, f etc., most of which are the same as English, but some, like x, z, c, zh are very different) and each of the 35 ‘finals’ (like -ong, -uang, -in etc.) - (later) Some words consist of more than one syllable, and there are some rules for when tones change based on the tone of the following syllable. Dictionary: - Pleco for iphone or Android: the free version is a must-have. There are bundles for additional functionality. The two additional functions I use(d) are the full-screen handwriting input (paid on iphone) and the spaced-repetition flashcard functionality (paid). This app is the reason I bought my first iOS device. - Nciku (online dictionary; search by pinyin or by writing the character) Reading/writing characters (probably work on some basic oral Chinese before doing this): - Skritter.com (subscription-based service best used with a mouse or Wacom tablet; doesn’t work well with a laptop touchpad) - Book: http://www.amazon.com/Reading-Writing-Chinese-Simplified-Character/dp/0804835098/ref=pd_sim_b_12 http://www.amazon.com/Reading-Writing-Chinese-Simplified-Cha...