Learning Mandarin

[pakua]

(Yeah, I know Mandarin's not an MA!)

By pure coincidence, the High School which hires the gym out to the outfit where I and my kids study Tai Chi and Kobujutsu, also hires out a classroom to a Chinese woman who teaches Mandarin.

There's a big Chinese community in the area, and I think her Mandarin classes are primarily for kids to keep the old mother tounge going. But she does give classes for adults....

.... so I'm thinking of enrolling.

Has anyone here learned Mandarin other than as mother-tongue and what was the exprience like?

Jim

 

[JPR]

I tried to learn some, because my inlaws speak Mandarin, but I found it very difficult. Mandarin is a tonal and I am not. That was a big problem. There are four tones; high to low, low to high, high to low to high, straight. Any base sound (like ma) could mean four different things depending upon the tone. It isn't impossible, but it is difficult (at least for me).

All that said, I think it would be a wonderful language to learn.

JPR

 

[pakua]

I must say from hearing orientals speaking what I assume is Mandarin in some of the local shops, I certanly sounds totally different to the type of languages I know (of).

But she said I could come to a class for a look-see so I think I'll do that one Saturday. I can't join now, because they're way into the book but she said she'll probably have a new batch in early '05.