• Congratulations to the Class of 2024 on your results!
    Let us know how you went here
    Got a question about your uni preferences? Ask us here

Is it really hard to learn Chinese ? (1 Viewer)

01

New Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2007
Messages
17
Location
The Ghetto
Gender
Male
HSC
2008
Their is people that say Chinese is a hard language to learn is that true ? And if anybody can help me on how to get started on "how to learn Chinese" Should i get a tutorial CD or a text book (or both).

Thank you :)
 
Last edited:

jemsta

I sit here alone
Joined
Apr 6, 2005
Messages
5,711
Location
O.P
Gender
Male
HSC
2005
if youre not from an asian background, chances are youll find learning chinese difficult. I think its probably one of the most difficult languages to learn. If you really want to learn, with writing, reading or speaking then get both the CD and textbook. Listening to chinese music and watching chinese tv series can help as well.
 

dooopy

Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2008
Messages
80
Gender
Male
HSC
2008
alot of parents say that TV ruins ur life, but CHINESE DRAMA, Even Taiwanese Drama helps. Once u understand heir speech and comfortable wih their pace, then ur prey good for listening/responding section,
 

uhawww

Flakes
Joined
Sep 2, 2006
Messages
1,380
Location
Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2006
Don't stick to just learning from dramas. You'll have great listening skills, but you won't be able to speak a word.


I speak (or rather, don't speak) from experience.
 

jemsta

I sit here alone
Joined
Apr 6, 2005
Messages
5,711
Location
O.P
Gender
Male
HSC
2005
yeah and if you got friends that can speak canto or mando, use it.
 

blueskies

New Member
Joined
May 11, 2008
Messages
9
Gender
Female
HSC
2008
I don't know why but i find that ABCs learn Mandarin so much better than people that were actually born in HK. Take Linda Chung for example, haha her Mandarin is pretty much near perfect despite bad pronunciation here and there but its still good!

I want someone to speak Mandarin with so i can practise for speaking in August :( I'm so nervous...
 

itadakimus

procrastinator
Joined
Mar 15, 2007
Messages
98
Location
NSW
Gender
Female
HSC
2009
Personally I think it's hard for someone who has know Chinese background at all to learn Chinese. Some of the grammar and concepts may be hard to understand. Also, some sounds may be really difficult to pronounce.

If you already have some Chinese background though, it's a lot easier.
But really, it may vary from person to person. If you can get into a continuers course, go for it!
 

leisl1990

Member
Joined
Feb 13, 2007
Messages
108
Gender
Male
HSC
2008
i am a chinese native speaker.
i'd say that chinese is easier than english.
i think the only thing hard for u is probably tone, if u speak a non-tonal language, (english, all european languages)
 

Affinity

Active Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2003
Messages
2,062
Location
Oslo
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
2003
It's difficult if you try to compare everything with english and try to translate everything
 
Joined
Dec 22, 2006
Messages
67
Location
here
Gender
Male
HSC
N/A
回复: Re: Is it really hard to learn Chinese ?

well...... translation is much harder... but learning it should be easier......

mate, just try it...
 

SomeoneCool

Banned
Joined
Apr 29, 2008
Messages
224
Gender
Male
HSC
2008
jemsta said:
if youre not from an asian background, chances are youll find learning chinese difficult. I think its probably one of the most difficult languages to learn. If you really want to learn, with writing, reading or speaking then get both the CD and textbook. Listening to chinese music and watching chinese tv series can help as well.
I say arabic is harder, what with all the punctuation marks and complicated sentence structure.
 

xiao1985

Active Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2003
Messages
5,704
Gender
Male
HSC
N/A
I would actually recommend you attend a class. A colleague of mine is learning chinese beginners from USyd community class. It's much more systematic that way.

Dramas help, but unless you know what's going on, you don't really learn the language. I've been watching Japanese anime for years, and I could only speak a handful of short phrases.

PS: /wave at Affinity. OMG you slacker! You still come to BoS! Get back to your thesis!
 

Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2008
Messages
79
Location
some place
Gender
Female
HSC
2009
jsut watch lots and lots of dramas and lsiten to music. that improves ur listening and maybe speaking if u sing to it. other than that, buy books with pin-yin in them-that helps alot in pronounication
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 1)

Top