Chinese Language Tools That You Can Utilize

Learning the Chinese language requires your time and effort. Several individuals may find it pretty hard to understand. For this reason, it is necessary to discover ways that can facilitate easier learning.

There are tools that you can take advantage of to make your learning process enjoyable. The journey of learning the language can be easy and fast if you are enjoying the process. The fun that you get from your chosen method is a good motivating factor in learning Chinese.

Knowing the Language Tools

A Chinese electronic dictionary is the first tool that you can make use of in learning Chinese. It is quite convenient since you can utilize it to translate Chinese words that you come across with while studying. It is advisable to choose one that you can write characters with to search for meanings.

Do you believe that your MP3 player is just good for containing some of your favorite songs? Well, you might want to think again. You can also use this gadget to help you master the language by downloading some listening exercises into your player. It provides you an excellent means to be able to learn the language in your spare time.

Also, you can use DVDs and watch Chinese movies. This is a fun way of comprehending the language. A good way to promote your learning is to view the film first with the aid of English subtitles. Gradually watch it without subtitles so that you can evaluate yourself if you can understand the movie. By doing so, you can be able to learn new words to improve your vocabulary and identify the correct pronunciation.

Another tool that is available is the flash card. You have an option to buy a set of flashcards or you can also make your own. You can utilize this to review Chinese words in your free time to encourage retention of what you have learned.

It Is a Fascinating Language

For most learners, they find Chinese as a fascinating language to master after discovering the method that can work for them. It is useful with your everyday life whether in work or travel since it is spoken by billions of people. The plus side of studying Chinese is to come to understand the rich culture of China.

There are many resources that you can use to help you master the language. You can select from these effective options by considering your preferences. This way you can find that learning Chinese can be a pleasant endeavor.

Eithan Dickerman learned Chinese in Tel Aviv University where he was able to hone his skills in Mandarin Chinese. He specializes in techniques on how to learn Chinese and has been writing a lot of articles in the field. You can download his e-book guide "Learning Chinese from Scratch" for free here: http://bestlearningchinese.com/FreeGift/

Learning Chinese Trends and Developments

A quick question! Which language has more new learners than any other? When you think about it, it is no surprise that more and more people are learning Chinese these days.

Historically, there was not much incentive for learning Chinese. China was a very closed country. There was hardly any tourism! And most businesses, including those who imported and exported, were tightly controlled by the government.

It was next to impossible to get a visa to visit the country, unless you were doing business with the government. And there was really no infrastructure for those tourists who actually made the trip.

Most businesses focused instead on Hong Kong, where English is spoken, and relied on agents to help them transact any business in China. Accordingly, there was no need to go about learning Chinese in the first place.

The free market is governed by supply and demand. Because there was not much demand for learning Chinese, there were not many options available for those who wanted to do so. The only real option was a private tutor. And those can be expensive!

Oh, how things have changed in a few decades. Not there is an exploding middle class in China. Travel to China is now a realistic option. And in terms of market size and demand, it is the fastest growing consumer market in the world. Suddenly learning Chinese is very relevant indeed!

And because the demand is now there, the language education companies have been working to fill the gap! There is now the same choice in terms of Chinese language learning as for all other major languages.

There are a number of factors which you need to consider. Because internal communication and travel in China was limited between the various regions until the last 50 years, there are many dialects. Even more so because of the huge geographic footprint of this immense country!

This means that there are a number of choices with respect to dialect. That is too big an area to cover here, but suffice it to say that for most people learning Chinese, Mandarin is the dialect which will make the most sense.

Mandarin is fast becoming the de facto official Chinese language. Unless there is a very specific need for one of the other dialects you are best served by choosing to learn Mandarin.

Chinese is quite a complex language, and the fact that the alphabet is entirely different to the English alphabet makes it even more challenging. The best approach is to focus on learning Chinese conversation skills first, and be concerned with the written form later.

You will find some great online alternatives, which feature immersion modules to place you right in the middle of real conversations. More so than with many other languages this really is the fastest approach for learning Chinese!

The author has written extensively on linguistics and language learning. Discover how you can Learn Mandarin with relative ease and his recommendation for the Best Way To Learn Chinese!

Five Strategies To Learn Chinese

Chinese is known to be a tough language to master. This is because it is different from other languages. For this reason, some people have fears over not successfully learning it. However, if an individual can overcome this fear, he or she can be able to obtain the benefits out of learning Chinese.

You need to know some strategies that can aid you to master the language effectively. There are many resources that you can utilize to find the appropriate method that can best work for you. Your next step is to discover useful strategies to aid this method and learn Chinese successfully.

The Five Strategies

To facilitate learning the language effectively, you need to schedule a time to study. This may mean that you need to set time for at least twenty minutes every day. Consistency is essential to be able to retain what you learned. It is also helpful to do it at the same time daily and have this as a routine.

If you want to learn with the use of an online software program, take advantage of the games and other activities. This can provide enjoyment while studying. For the classroom setting, you can also take up outside opportunity though it may take some additional time. That is why; you need to keep in mind that learning a new language takes time and effort.

Next is to observe how native speakers form their mouths as they pronounce the words. You can do this by surrounding yourself with Chinese individuals and immersing yourself in their culture. By watching how they form their mouths and use their tongues, these have a significant impact on how the correct sound is produced. Moreover, you need to take note of the aspects of Chinese communication.

It is also best to find ways to master the language on your own. You may look for Chinese movies and watch it first with subtitles. Watch the film again without the subtitles to evaluate yourself if you can fully understand what you are viewing. This way you can be aware on how the words are correctly pronounced and facilitate comprehension better.

Then the most vital part of all is to practice. Take every opportunity that you have to practice what you learned for easy retention. You can also exercise your speaking skills by practicing often.

The Bottom Line

Follow these ways and find out that learning Chinese can't be that complicated. There are also other ways that you can utilize to be successful in your endeavor. Continue to enrich your Chinese vocabulary and enhance your speaking skills by giving your time and effort to learn the language.

Eithan Dickerman learned Chinese in Tel Aviv University where he was able to hone his skills in Mandarin Chinese. He specializes in techniques on how to learn Chinese and has been writing a lot of articles in the field. You can download his e-book guide "Learning Chinese from Scratch" for free here: http://bestlearningchinese.com/FreeGift/

Chinese Language and Esperanto - The May Fourth Movement

The generation of the May Fourth Movement aimed at a form of writing, which fulfilled the following conditions. It should be:

A) the same all over China,

B) a phonetic representation of

C) the vernacular language as spoken by the people

D) making the meaning of any word clear

E) and which was easy to learn.

The most discussed options were the following: One, an alphabet specific for each Chinese language; two, one alphabet with and one Chinese language becoming the standard for all of China; three, keeping the traditional characters; four simplifying the characters and finally five giving up Chinese and switching over to Esperanto.

Their dilemma has logical, political and linguistic features: Logically A can only be fulfilled when either B or C are not fulfilled. Linguistically, when B is fulfilled D cannot be fulfilled and if D is fulfilled, which is only possible through a logographic representation, then E is not fulfilled. There is no good solution possible and one has to make a choice among lesser evils.

Looking at the options this way, none seems any better than the other. If faced with a dilemma, one should look more closely at the particular circumstances. What is the one essential feature of a writing system and what are dispensable ones? A writing system has to make the meaning of a sentence clear, that is its purpose, the one essential feature, all others are dispensable.

Using this way of looking at it, the reasonable thing would have been to give up Chinese and adopt Esperanto. However, switching to Esperanto is not an option, as it would evolve changing the mother language of a whole nation. Option 1 was dropped too, as it would question the unity of China - no Chinese government what to put this unity at any risk. After these were dropped, number 4 - the simplification of Characters - looks as if it would be the smallest evil and therefore the best option.

Now what are the options of the newly formed Communist government? They could take 2, 3 or 4. Another option is to take two systems, both aiding each other in their shortcomings. Since option 3 and 4 exclude each other you can either take 2 and 3, or 2 and 4.

China opted for the complementary use of two systems. This policy was named by Mao Dun "walking on two legs? linguistically this is a case of digraphia. More specifically China, in the course of the next decades, adopted an alphabet based on Latin letters known as Pinyin. Its pronunciation was based on the Beijing dialect (option 2) as well as a simplification of the Chinese characters (option 4). As the graphic shows this was not a bad choice as both systems perfectly complemented each other in every point.

Once it was decided that the People's Republic of China would keep its characters, the writing reform got on its way. Between the 1950s and the 1980s several language reforms were implemented. This was achieved by several means. The main tool was to reduce the number of strokes. The result was a reduction around 16% in the numbers of strokes. Many of those new simplified characters were already in use as informal abbreviations such as? for the traditional character?. More radical simplifications or impromptu inventions were strongly opposed by the Chinese people themselves and in the last decades no greater change could be implemented due to the support of a conservative view on the written language by the Chinese people themselves.

The great success of China's alphabetisation also shows the wrongly underestimated capacity of children to learn any writing system. It also is worth thinking about how the cultural system of China, including the great Confucian emphasis on learning, developed together with this unique challenge of language. Today, the complex Chinese script, irreducible to an independent phonetic representation, should not be viewed as a problem that has to be solved. Instead, I want to suggest that beyond its important influence on the art of calligraphy and possibly painted art in general, the Chinese writing system constitutes a cultural capital.

The May Fourth Generation considered Chinese characters as pre-modern even archaic and wished to substitute it by a modern alphabet. I would like to suggest quite an opposite view. In their resistance to forms of reduction Chinese characters are quite post-modern. Their meaning is intimately connected to their tantalising complexity. Only in the last decades post-modern thinkers in the West have come to this realization too. Meaning is irreducibly complex as is life itself.

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Chinese Language Tools That You Can Utilize

Learning the Chinese language requires your time and effort. Several individuals may find it pretty hard to understand. For this reason, it is necessary to discover ways that can facilitate easier learning.

There are tools that you can take advantage of to make your learning process enjoyable. The journey of learning the language can be easy and fast if you are enjoying the process. The fun that you get from your chosen method is a good motivating factor in learning Chinese.

Knowing the Language Tools

A Chinese electronic dictionary is the first tool that you can make use of in learning Chinese. It is quite convenient since you can utilize it to translate Chinese words that you come across with while studying. It is advisable to choose one that you can write characters with to search for meanings.

Do you believe that your MP3 player is just good for containing some of your favorite songs? Well, you might want to think again. You can also use this gadget to help you master the language by downloading some listening exercises into your player. It provides you an excellent means to be able to learn the language in your spare time.

Also, you can use DVDs and watch Chinese movies. This is a fun way of comprehending the language. A good way to promote your learning is to view the film first with the aid of English subtitles. Gradually watch it without subtitles so that you can evaluate yourself if you can understand the movie. By doing so, you can be able to learn new words to improve your vocabulary and identify the correct pronunciation.

Another tool that is available is the flash card. You have an option to buy a set of flashcards or you can also make your own. You can utilize this to review Chinese words in your free time to encourage retention of what you have learned.

It Is a Fascinating Language

For most learners, they find Chinese as a fascinating language to master after discovering the method that can work for them. It is useful with your everyday life whether in work or travel since it is spoken by billions of people. The plus side of studying Chinese is to come to understand the rich culture of China.

There are many resources that you can use to help you master the language. You can select from these effective options by considering your preferences. This way you can find that learning Chinese can be a pleasant endeavor.

Eithan Dickerman learned Chinese in Tel Aviv University where he was able to hone his skills in Mandarin Chinese. He specializes in techniques on how to learn Chinese and has been writing a lot of articles in the field. You can download his e-book guide "Learning Chinese from Scratch" for free here: http://bestlearningchinese.com/FreeGift/

How Learning Chinese Can Help You Get Ahead In Business

With the rising costs of labor and property, manufacturing has been moving eastward and is now firmly established in China. Whilst the west is experiencing economic crisis, China is experiencing an economic boom and is growing rapidly. More and more Western companies are opening offices in China having realised the potential of a market of that enormity. Plus many companies have now moved their manufacturing operations over to China to benefit from the lower labor costs and much more relaxed environmental and health and safety laws.

Western companies are increasingly finding that they are having to deal with Chinese offices or Chinese companies. Whilst many Chinese businessmen do speak English to a degree, many do not and many consider a Westerner trying to speak Chinese to be a compliment to them. You will often find you are treated much better if you at least attempt to converse in their language. If you are thinking about visiting China for business or pleasure then you definitely need to have some knowledge of Chinese as you will find in many places English speakers are scarce.

Chinese does have a reputation as being one of the more difficult languages to learn. With Chinese characters bearing no resemblence to the Western alphabets, it can be somewhat confusing and difficult for someone to learn. The language also has a unique cadence and sound which again, can be tricky for a Westerner to pick up.

One option to learn Chinese is to find a native speaker to teach you. In many university or college towns you will find Chinese students who will often trade language lessons with you - you teach them English and they teach you Chinese in return. This does work very well but sometimes it can be difficult to find someone to teach you Chinese, particularly if you are in a more remote or less cosmopolitan area.

Perhaps one of the best options is to learn Chinese through a program such as Rocket Chinese. There are many similar programs such as the Rosetta Stone series or Pimsleur, but these are very expensive and require a lot of effort on your part. The beauty of the Rocket Chinese system is that it is all online, meaning you can access it anywhere. On top of this, you get audio clips of native speakers speaking the language and can practise to ensure you get the sounds right.

This is a huge benefit as it will help to ensure you can speak the language correctly and sound more like a native speaker. The other huge advantage of this program is that it is broken down into easily manageable chunks that you can download to your iPod or other MP3 player, allowing you to listen to it on the move. This means you aren't overloaded with information or trying to bite off more than you can chew.

On top of this you also get access to a special area where Rocket Chinese staff, native Chinese speakers and other students hang out so you can ask questions and talk to people who speak the language. This is a brilliant way to further your understanding and really help make sure you get it.

Rocket Chinese has been designed to be an easy way to learn Chinese that guides you step by step through the process and ensures you understand what you are learning. It's a great way for anyone who wants to get ahead in business or even just wants to visit China to learn Chinese and start speaking it. With the continued rise of China as a nation, you can guarantee that the Chinese language will quickly become more important in the global economy and knowing it will help you take advantage of opportunities others will miss out on.

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Can I Really Learn Chinese Online?

Learning a foreign language can be part of your education, it could be a hooby or you could need to learn a new language for your job - perhaps your company has started dealing with a foreign country or been taken over by an overseas company. Whilst many people study a language such as French, German or Spanish, few, as of yet, study Chinese because it is considered to be one of the hardest languages to learn. That said, you can learn Chinese online through conveniently delivered training.

To learn a foreign language to a decent degree does require some effort and commitment on your part. Chinese is an interesting language to learn, with a lot of people speaking it across the world. As China grows into a global economic power, more and more people are looking to learn Chinese online to help them get ahead in their career, to enjoy travelling more, to help them get a job or to help them with internal business negotiations.

The Chinese language is based on a fairly logical and simple structure of characters and language, using different tones for different meanings to a word - a very different concept for many Westerners trying to learn Chinese. Learning to speak Chinese will give you a view of the Chinese culture and their way of life - and remember that China has one of the older cultures in the world. You can learn to speak Chinese in classes at schools or colleges or take private classes with a native speaker, it's up to you. However, for many of us who are just too busy, there is the chance to take some online courses to learn Chinese online.

There are a number of websites dedicated to helping people to learn to speak Chinese and the quality of them does vary. Most of these sites will give you some good basics of the Chinese language and a few, such as Rocket Chinese, will teach you about their culture and heritage as well, which gives an in-depth background to the language. Many of the online Chinese courses are audio and video courses taught by native speakers who can really help you get to grips with the Chinese language.

These online courses will introduce you to the Chinese alphabet, which you will soon see is very different from the Western language alphabets. It will teach you how to pronounce the letters and learning what is known as the Chinese Pinyin, which is the phonetic alphabet used when pronouncing the Chinese characters. Through this you will learn the different tones and start to understand how the Chinese language sounds.

An online course is going to help you speak, read and understand Chinese, which is your goal. You will become more and more fluent and by listening to the audio programs on your mp3 player, able to immerse yourself in the language and really start to pick it up. Online courses such as Rocket Chinese will start by teaching you the basics of the language and then gradually increase your vocabulary and skill, helping you to become more fluent and confident. With regular checks and tests along the way you can monitor your progress and see how much your Chinese language skills are improving. Plus this particular program gives you access to native speakers and other students which can further enhance your learning experience.

It is possible for you to learn Chinese online and it can be a very enjoyable experience. It's a great way for you to learn to speak this rapidly growing language and learn as quickly, or as slowly, as you are comfortable with.

Want to learn Chinese in 5 minutes? Read our in-depth review of the Rocket Chinese method which makes learning Chinese online as easy as pie!