Susan Lee asked:


Many people faced with the task of how to learn mandarin fly into a absolute panic. The symbols look so strange to none Chinese speakers, and the words sound nothing like the languages we may be accustomed to. But there are shortcuts to learning Chinese that will have even the most rookie student speaking this unique language in no time.

You can overcome the first issue – those strange-looking but beautiful symbols by separating speaking Chinese from the act of reading it. Admittedly Mandarin doesn’t use the Roman alphabet, or technically, any alphabet at all. Those symbols are called characters, and there are a lot of them. But fortunately, many English speakers learn to speak beginner Chinese without learning Chinese symbols, because Mandarin can be written in a Western alphabet called Pinyin. This greatly helps people like you not speaking Chinese with how to learn the Chinese language faster!

The second stumbling block – the sound of Mandarin words themselves can be explained by realizing that Mandarin is very dependent on pitch and tone. For example, the sound “ma” said in a high-pitched tone could mean “mother” in a different tone, it could mean “horse.” Thus, it’s very important that learners concerned with how to learn Chinese approach this mysterious language in a way that allows them to hear the words and phrases pronounced. Rocket Mandarin is a excellent language learning program for this reason; it will help you learn the Mandarin language in the quickest and most effective way and you could learn to speak basic Mandarin within 8-weeks.

When deciding how to learn Chinese, you must know which type of Chinese you need to study. There are quite a few variations of Chinese; whether these are dialects of a single language, or related but separate languages like Thai and Korean, for instance, is difficult to say. Two of the most commonly used variants of Chinese are Mandarin (the standard language of both the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan), and Cantonese (more commonly spoken in Hong Kong). But each language variant is totally unique from the others, and a Cantonese speaker cannot be understood by a someone who speaks only Mandarin.  

In addition to practicing with a good audio-based program such as Rocket Chinese, it helps a lot to befriend a native speaker to chat with. This is true when learning any new language, but it’s a very important factor in how to learn Chinese. Have you ever heard someone say an unfamiliar name on the phone, and failed to understand what they were trying to say to you? This is because you can’t see the movements of their mouth as they say the words. With so many Chinese words dependent upon tone and the slightest variation of pronunciation, it helps so much to have a native Chinese speaker to watch as well as hear.

You say you don’t know any native Chinese speakers? I’ll bet you do! Is there a Chinese restaurant nearby? If its proprietors speak the variant of Chinese you want to study, make them your new best friends, because they’ll definitely will help you on how to learn Chinese! Is there a Chinese community in your area? In all likelihood, there will be Chinese people there. Look on the Internet for forums and meet-ups featuring Chinese language and culture. And as a last plan, you can learn a great deal from viewing Chinese movies.

Practice at least 30 minutes a day! You’ll never sound like a native Chinese speaker, but before you know it, you’ll be able to speak conversational Chinese with ease. And your friends will never know that only a few weeks ago, you had no idea how to converse Chinese!  Finally pay a visit to www.ecpod.com and you can make a lot of Chinese friends to test your Mandarin.

 

Shun Minh asked:


The Chinese language is a complicated communication system that has numerous written characters as well as a number of different dialects. If you are interested in learning how to speak Mandarin, you will first need to understand the basics of this Chinese dialect.

Mandarin was originally defines as a group of dialects that was spoken by the people of Beijing as well as the area of northern China. The term is now used to describe the standard Chinese language, in which case it is the type that is spoken by the largest amount of Chinese people. This language is spoken in the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of China (Taiwan), and is one of four official languages that are spoken in Singapore. This factor means that your knowledge of this language will allow for easier communication with the greatest number of Chinese-speaking countries, making your decision to learn to speak Mandarin a good one.

The mandarin language utilizes the Pinyin alphabet, which is Latin based and uses four different tones. There are many Web sites that allow you to hear these tones as you learn to speak Mandarin. The following are a few basic phrases that you can learn to help you to become acquainted with the Mandarin pronunciation.

1. Ni Hao – Pronounced like “Nee How.” Translates into “You Good” and

can be used as a greeting.

2. Xie Xie – Pronounced like “Shi-e Shi-e” or “Zhi-Zhi.” It means “Thank

you” in Mandarin.

3. Bu Ke Qi – Pronounced like “Boo Ker Chi” with the “r” in “Ker” being

pronounced with a British accent. It means “You’re Welcome.”

4. Tai Hao Le – Pronounced like “Thai Hao Lah.” It means “Wonderful.”

5. Na Li Na Li – Pronounced “Nah Lee Nah Lee.” This phrase is the proper

Chinese response when someone compliments you or your spouse.

You should not use the term “Xie Xie” as this is not the way the

Chinese respond to compliments.

6. Wo Jiao – Pronounced “Wah Jee Ow.” It means “My Name is…” and

you should fill in your name.

7. Wu de ming je shi – Pronounced “Wuu Duh Meeng Jee Shi”. It also

means “My name is…”

8. Da Jia Hao – Pronounced as “Dah Jee Ah How.” Loosely translated, it

means “Hello, everyone,” Good day, everyone,” or “wish everyone

well.” This is a good opening if you are planning on making a speech

to a Mandarin-speaking audience.

9. Zao Shang – Pronounced like “Zow Shahng.” It means “Good Morning.”

10. Xia Shang – Pronounced like “Shee ah Shahng.” It means “Good Afternoon.”

11. Wan Shang – Pronounced like “Wahn Shahng.” It means “Good Evening.”

12. Zai Jian – Pronounced like “Zigh Jee In.” It means “Goodbye.”

13. Wo Hui Yi Dianr Zhong Wen – Pronounced like “Waw Hway Ee Dee In A Zah Hoong Wun” It Means: “I speak a little Chinese.”

These are just a few basic conversational phrases that you can use when you learn to speak Mandarin. There are a few helpful tips that you may want to keep in mind when using these phrases. You should always repeat them as this is the way the Chinese conduct themselves during a conversation. You should smile as this is part of the Chinese etiquette system and avoid shrugging, as this has no meaning in the Chinese culture.

When you want to learn to speak Mandarin, you must also be sure to have the proper tone in your speech as well as maintaining Chinese etiquette, so that you can be clearly understood while giving no offense.

laqu6444a asked:


If you are planning to visit any foreign country, one important thing you should have, along with a passport, air tickets, and an international credit/debit card, is a functional knowledge of English. No other language is as widespread as English. In terms of the number of speakers, the Chinese Mandarin is the most popular language in the world. However, it is rarely spoken or written outside the People’s Republic of China. On the other hand, the number of English speakers has steadily been increasing all over the world. In the UK, the USA, Canada, Australia, and a host of Commonwealth countries, English is the first-choice language.

 

English is also widely used and well understood in many other countries including India, South Africa, Singapore, Hong Kong, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and many former British colonies. Even in the countries where it does not have great *********** such as the Middle East, Latin America, and Eastern Europe, you can get things done if you have a working knowledge of English. It was reported recently that even the Chinese government had incorporated English education in the curriculum to pluck the benefits of outsourcing. All these indicate the necessity to learn the language.

 

Reasons For The Global Dominance Of English

 

English is the official language of correspondence in most countries by default when it comes to communication among other countries. French, Arabic, and Spanish are also used for this purpose, but none comes close to English. In addition, English is usually the official language for international business conferences, meetings and symposiums of the scientific and academic communities, film and art festivals, trade shows, and international summits. Moreover, English is by far the most popular language over the internet and other forms of electronic communication.

 

There are two reasons for its omnipresence on our planet and three, if you could add the widespread popularity of the internet as well. The first is the colonization agenda of the British empire in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. During the course of the three centuries, the British Empire had expanded to large swathes of land all over the world. It was often remarked that the sun never set in the British Empire. In the process, the British rulers and missionaries established educational institutions in their colonies and laid a foundation for English teaching.

 

When the power and reach of the British Empire diminished, in came the USA as a global superpower. The dominance of the USA, not just the political dominance, but the cultural dominance as well, catalyzed the spread of the English language. Pop music, Hollywood movies, and pulp fiction became available in almost every country. In all these cultural aspects, English was, and still is, the default medium of communication.

 

The recent phenomena such as the spread of the internet and the growth of the outsourcing industry also provided momentum to the rise in popularity of English.

 

Therefore, if you plan to visit another country, you must have a basic knowledge of English. Even if you do not, it is always beneficial to learn to speak, read, and write English.