First Chinese Class

Chinese Idol?

I started taking Mandarin classes last night at the Graduate School (formally the USDA Graduate school).

So far, I think it was a great idea. It was useful to just hear actually people speaking the language. We went over the basics the first class but it put a lot of what I already read/learned together. The class is made up of similar people too... professionals looking to gain a new skill. I have high hopes.

If I haven't already said it, learning Mandarin Chinese will not be easy. I knew that. I swear I did. I think half of the reason I write this blog is to keep myself focused. Luckily, Chinese is very literal. This makes the grammar somewhat easy. The hardest part for me in Spanish class was conjugating verbs for whatever reason. The hard part with Chinese will pronouncing sounds and memorizing characters/vocab. I am surprisingly decent at pronouncing Chinese (strangely better than when I learned Spanish). As for the characters, thankfully, that is what practice and flash cards are for.

I did have a chance to talk to a fellow student about all of this. They had been trying Rosetta Stone and other self-study methods too. We both had similar experiences. With non-western languages, its seems like these tools can really only go so far. Having a teacher listen to you and correct you in real time is extremely valuable. I am still new but my suggestion is to use everything you can. Take a class, buy software, get cds, etc. Not one source is perfect. Though, it should be obvious, you need to practice. This is coming from a notorious procrastinator. Without practice, you will move slower than a snail at language learning.

For those that have asked me if Rosetta Stone works: Use it as a supplement. Don't expect to get proficient with just that or a book. You need the interaction to stat putting the pieces together. That doesn't mean it isn't useful. You can use it to pick up sounds, vocab, and structure but you will eventually need someone to put those pieces together.