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/

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.

Would you like to learn more about the Chinese language? Maybe you are travelling to China or would just like to learn how to speak Chinese fast? You can learn Chinese online by following our highly recommended resources at http://www.checkoutchinese.com/

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 With Language Software

For those who have an interest in studying Chinese, using a language software may offer several benefits. Especially that learning this language may give you several challenges. Hence, it is vital to find an approach that is appealing, fun and interactive. This is where you need the learning software.

With it, you can make use of interactive activities as well as word games that can aid you to retain what you have learned. This can also promote to keep you motivated which can make your learning process easy and fast. Through it, you can interact with a Chinese speaking individual and is also an excellent tool for beginners. Therefore, know some advantages and what to look for in a language software.

Points to Consider

The first thing that you need to consider in looking for the appropriate software is the price. It is best to find a program that is worth for what you bargained for. Some may be cheap but do not give you a superior quality lesson and may not work for you at all. Make sure to obtain one that provides quality learning for the right price.

The next point you ought to consider is the format. Software programs with a combination of interactive games, traditional audio lessons and a practice test can be deemed as the soundest choice. Have these following factors in your choice of software program so that you can have fun while learning.

The last but not the least is to know the company's reputation. You may need to search about it and read product reviews to ensure that you are getting the right lesson. This is an essential aspect since the quality of the program that you will choose can have a significant impact on your success of learning Chinese.

Know the Advantages

Some individuals may fear learning a new language because they may find it difficult and frustrating. However, with this software, you can engage in fun learning exercises and exciting activities. This can change your view of learning new words and grammar as uninteresting to hours of fun while learning.

Also, this language software is designed to meet the learner's needs. It is prepared to handle difficulties that you may encounter while learning such as grammar problems or in conversation. You can also be assured that what you can learn is quite useful in everyday conversation.

It is up to you if you prefer to have the traditional method in learning or try this new approach. You may want to try language software program to see if it is efficient and if it can suit your needs. A variety of software is available for you. All you need is to search and find one that meets you preference.

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/.

The Basic Facts Of The Chinese Language

Chinese is quite an interesting language to master with its diversity and straightforward way of delivering its meaning. It is spoken by mostly millions of people worldwide. So, what do you really know about this fascinating language?

If you desire to study Chinese, you need to know some basic facts about it. And in this article, the basic facts of the Chinese language will be discussed. Hence, know more about it because this can aid to promote your learning this language more successfully.

The First Fact

Chinese is considered as an isolating language. What does this mean? It means that it breaks down the words into simpler and smaller ones unlike in English which contains several prefixes as well as suffixes. Additionally, its grammar and structure is more straightforward when compared to English.

Also, many individuals believe that it is a monosyllabic language. This may have something to do on how it is written and every Chinese character conforms to a single sound. But Chinese is actually disyllabic since it groups two sounds to form a word.

The Second Fact

Another basic fact is that it is a tonal language. While in speaking English, through the tone of your voice you can determine if it is a question, command or statement. Whereas in Chinese, the way you pronounce the word gives it its meaning. For this reason, it is really vital to know the four tones of this language.

You may think that this makes it difficult to learn Chinese. However, it can come more naturally once you get to master it. Thus, it is advisable to practice speaking it often especially with a Chinese individual so that if you mispronounce a word you can be corrected. You can also watch movies and listen to audio in Chinese to grasp how native speakers properly pronounce the word.

Bridging the Gap

Chinese is consists of several dialects. And the most common one is Mandarin since most Chinese people use it. So, it is the best way to bridge the gap among the diverse community of the Chinese people.

For you to learn this language effectively, it is pretty essential to start with the basics first. With it, you can gain more understanding on what you are studying. And it will open your mind to discover new things along the process. Continue your search to learn Chinese and you may just find out that it is an easy language to master.

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" for free here: http://www.bestlearningchinese.com/article