Trying to learn Chinese can be a difficult task at the best of times. The fact is that it is just one of those languages which is particularly challenging for us Westerners. Chinese has two primary dialects Mandarin and Cantonese, which correspond with Northern and Southern regions. Urban and Rural areas and also generations can vary further in dialect, but for the sake of our sanity and not to intimidate anyone who wants to learn Chinese, let's just say there are only two dialects! In my experience there is generally a gap in typical language between grandparents and grandchildren. And this is not just a small discrepancy, we are talking words which are not even found in the dictionary of the language you are learning, but are commonly known amongst the locals. Dialects aside there are many other issues which contribute to the complexities of learning the Chinese language. First of all consider the alphabet of the Chinese language. You will begin your lessons in Chinese looking at and perfecting the styles of the letters in the Chinese alphabet. Yes that's right, you don't get just get a simple A - B - C, the Chinese have a whole host of new symbols for you to learn, each more complex and insane than the last. If this is too much for you then some classes are designed to let you use the English alphabet and learn Chinese by spelling phonetically, but http://www.learn2bchinese.com advises that his can be problematic. It may seem like a good corner to cut and you will obviously be able to speak more fluently in less time, but you will also be unable to tell the difference between a male and female rest room! The Chinese are also very particular about the composition the approximately 3000 characters that are commonly used in modern Chinese society. A great deal of time is spent by Chinese children ensuring that their characters are written with meticulous precision. A certain pride in ones country and customs is found in the Chinese way which you just won't see in the English language. Much of this is due to fact that some characters are in fact pictorial symbols of their meaning. These nuances that one finds when exploring other cultures can be fascinating and tend to make learning Chinese a very rewarding experience. Once you've perfected the art of the Chinese alphabet, its time to start considering the sounds of the language. As a former exchange student, I don't believe that it is impossible to eliminate an accent as I have come across a number of people from a range of different cultures who have mastered the art of their chosen language, without even a glimmer of an accent. Listen carefully when learning Chinese so that you are able to pick up on the sounds that the native Chinese person makes and also where they place the emphasis on their words, as this is the key in perfecting your accent. This way you will have a better chance of being successful in your attempt to learn Chinese. |
