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You want to study Chinese on your own?
Check out some suggestions at the bottom of this page.
You want to start studying Chinese on your own?
For a variety of reasons
many schools are unable to offer Chinese classes. Since Mandarin is tonal and
uses a different writing system, it takes more time to learn than other commonly
offered languages. Here are some suggestions on how to begin learning Chinese
on your own so that you will be more successful once you have an opportunity to
study Chinese in a more rigorous setting. I am just starting to learn Chinese
so by all means my advice is very limited. Nevertheless here are some
suggestions and observations that I find useful.
1.
Mandarin. Standard
Mandarin is the official language in China that everyone must learn at school.
In The People's Republic of China it is referred to as Pǔtōnghuà
(Common Language). In other areas it is known as Gúoyǔ (National
Language), or Huáyǔ (Chinese Language). Cantonese is another form
of Chinese spoken in the Canton region and in Hong Kong. Pinyin is a
writing system using Romanized letters to represent the sound system of
standard Mandarin. It is used as a tool to both teach and learn Mandarin. To
function in the country one must also learn Chinese characters. Regardless of
the dialect spoken, the same Chinese characters are used in writing. Traditional
Characters contain more stokes than simplified characters. It is
important to learn to read the traditional characters since they are commonly
used in literature intended for Chinese speakers outside of Mainland China,
Malaysia and Singapore. Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan use primarily the
traditional characters.
2.
Pimsleur. Many sites sell
audio CDs that introduce languages with the "Pimsleur" method. An abridged
version of "level 1" costs less than $20 and provides 4 hours of
lessons. Once you feel comfortable saying the expressions, try learning to
write them in pinyin! These are the type of CDs you can listen to in your car.
3.
Conservation Textbook & CDs. Community Education offers a class in conversational Mandarin. The
textbook comes with two audio CDs. The text is Beginner's Chinese by Yong
Ho. These are not the type of CDs you can listen to in your car.
4.
Integrated Chinese Textbook and ancillaries. This textbook and it's components are used at EMU, U of M,
and Wayne State. The audio CDs and Character Workbook are very useful. These
are not the type of CDs you can listen to in your car.
5. Tutor. Study on your own and find a tutor to work
with you once a week or once every two weeks.
6.
Character Reference Book. Reading
& Writing Chinese: Simplified Character Edition by William McNaughton. This
is a practical reference for foreign students. There is a glossary in pinyin
and in English.
7. Internet. Besides the sites listed
above. There is an overwhelming number of sites on the internet to support your
learning. Find a few that work for you and study on a regular basis.
8.
Dictionaries:
a.
Concise English-Chinese / Chinese-English Dictionary (Paperback) by Martin H. Manser and published by Oxford University
Press
b.
Xinhua Dictionary with English Translations (Paperback) by Yao Naiqiang published by The Commercial
Press International Co
9.
Michigan Virtual School. Six semesters of high school Chinese classes available. http://www.mivhs.org/
10. Chengo
Chinese. Chengo
Chinese is a free multi-media Chinese learning system available on the
internet. http://www.elanguage.cn/
11. Do it
yourself Chinese. Try
this site for self-paced lessons. http://confucius.msu.edu/
12.
American Chinese School of Great Detroit. Classes are held on Saturdays in Derby Middle School in
Birmingham. Classes are offered during two sessions: 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
& 12:30-2:30. New classes start in the fall but we often have people visit
the class to see if it is the right fit for them. http://www.acsgd.org/home/home.asp
13. The Usborne Internet-linked First
Thousand Words in Chinese. The vocabulary in this book is illustrated and
grouped by theme with simplified characters and pinyin. The book lists an
internet site that provides links for hearing the pronunciation and glossary in
the back gives English translations.
