> Learning Chinese > Reading and Writing
Learning hanzi -- the eternal dilemma of simple or traditional
Home New Posts
Login: Pass: Log in or register for standard view and full access.
Page 2 of 3 < 1 2 3 >
lilongyue -
AJBryant - If it won't pull things too far off topic, I'd like to hear your comparison of learning
Chinese after have learned Japanese. You already know at least several hundred Chinese characters,
right? One of my best friends here in China is Japanese. He's also a classmate, and I know he
struggles with Chinese.
I've always found Japan really fascinating. I haven't been to Japan yet, and would like to learn
the language some day.
Pleco Software Learn Chinese with our Dictionaries for Palm and Pocket PC.
Learn Chinese in China Learn to speak Chinese 1MonthChinese.com -Mandarin School in China.
Chinese Textbooks Wide range, cheap, varied languages. Also Chinese cartoons, toys, gifts.
Study Chinese in Beijing Affordable Mandarin language courses at BLCU with ChinaUnipath.com.
HNHSoft Dictionary Learn Chinese on Smartphone and PDA with real person's voice.
XueXueXue IQChinese Get beyond the plateau.Take your Mandarin to a new level.
Chinese in Lijiang Short term Chinese study in a beautiful town with a focus on daily life.
MandarinTube Chinese Access to current everyday Chinese language and culture, 24/7.
Learn Chinese Homestay Chinese course, cultural activities & volunteer events in China.
Learn Chinese Online 1-on-1 instant tutoring, diverse courses, native teachers. FREE trial now!
Nihao Chinese Progam Free one-on-one Chinese lesson. Win 5-years of free lessons now!
About Ads (and how to hide them) -- Your message here
AJBryant -
I've found that -- since my focus has generally been in reading -- that when I read (past tense --
I am REALLY rusty) Chinese, I was reading it in a kind of pidgin Chinese/Japanese/English
(depending on in what context I was more familiar with the character). Of course, this wasn't out
loud. This was how I was "hearing" it in my mind.
It played holy hell with trying to read out loud in a classroom situation, but when I was doing a
translation on a test or an assignment, it really posed no problem.
The thing is, I can *say* many things in Chinese that I can no longer read or write -- likewise, I
can "read" many things that I can understand but have no idea how to READ or say out loud.
I feel severely crippled, linguistically speaking. But that is, in fact, simply based on the fact
that when I first started studying Chinese I was so hobbled by my inability to "decide" or focus
on a writing style that I never really adapted to one or the other.
Tony
lilongyue -
Are you able to go to a Chinese speaking country? That would probably be the best solution to your
problem.
AJBryant -
Not for anything beyond a vacation -- and that would be pushing it right now. (Ah, budgets...)
JimmySeal -
In my personal opinion, I think PRC's sweeping reforms of hanzi were an arrogant and probably
manipulative move.
As a result, I feel that in order to be able to utilize all of the available learning resources
while living outside of a Chinese-speaking country, I have to be comfortable with both writing
systems, so I am learning both. But, I am placing a higher focus on the traditional characters: My
flashcards for individual characters usually have the traditional, simplified and Japanese
versions (with one or two omitted if they are the same), and my word flashcards use only
traditional characters.
That's how I'm going about it.
plexus -
I studied simplified for a year in my home country, and am now in Taiwan where I'm learning the
traditional forms. This wasn't too hard.
The most annoying thing I find is that through simplification some characters have been merged.
This left me in doubt in the beginning which of the two forms I had to use in what context. e.g
里or 裡.
My point of view is to just focus on what my school/textbook/place of residence is using. If I'll
ever reside in the PRC for a while I'll just practice my simplified again for a few days/weeks and
I'll be fine.
lilongyue -
I forgot to mention that for traditional dictionaries the Far East Book Co. makes excellent books.
Also have simplified versions. Taiwan based company, but has US distribution. You can google it
and find the website of the U.S. distributer.
Emily2008 -
what a nice question it is ! I'm a junior majoring in teaching chinese as second language.The
question surprised me,because I believed that all foriegn friends choose the simple.my suggestion
is that you should memorize strokes and radicals first.you see,the traditional characters is the
basic of the simple,and why my govermoent made such a policy?easlier to learn and to
communicate.when I learned my second language,english,I must to memorize 26 initials and was told
"you" but not "thee".
adrianlondon -
Quote:
I believed that all foriegn friends choose the simple
Many people are learning simplified now, because China has become trendy. Lots of people I met in
Beijing were learning Mandarin because they thought it would be useful for business. Not many were
like me, just learning it for fun and because they fancied spending half a year or more in Beijing.
People working in Taiwan can usually get by with English. People who have been there a while know
traditional characters, but learning is slow due to the fact that until recently the schools
wouldn't use pinyin.
People working in HK just use English.
People working in Singapore just use English, and translate into Singlish if necessary ;)
Oh, and before someone else tells you, the phrase "foreign friends" tends to make us foreigners
roll our eyes. We're just foreigners. Same as the people generally living their lives in Beijing
that I saw were "Chinese". They're not Chinese friends, until I've met them and we've become
friends.
Quote:
my suggestion is that you should memorize strokes and radicals first
There's a debate about whether learning the radicals in isolation first is of any benefit. I don't
believe it is, but other differ. Certainly the Chinese themselves don't learn that way.
What do you mean about learning the strokes? Do you mean how to write each stroke? That's more for
calligrapy, isn't it?
Quote:
was told "you" but not "thee".
That's more like comparing modern and classical Chinese, I think. Or saying that 我的书 is
correct but not 我之书.
shibole -
Quote:
There's a debate about whether learning the radicals in isolation first is of any benefit. I don't
believe it is, but other differ. Certainly the Chinese themselves don't learn that way.
I've been trying to learn radicals as I encounter them in new characters. I've been less concerned
with pronunciation and more concerned with "oh, that's a radical" and the stroke order. Not sure
if this is the "right" thing to do but that's what I've been doing.
All times are GMT +8. The time now is 06:51 PM.
Learn Chinese online, Learning Materials, Mandarin audio lessons, Chinese writing lessons, Chinese vocabulary lists, About chinese characters, News in Chinese, Go to China, Travel to China, Study in China, Teach in China, Dictionaries, Learn Chinese Painting, Your name in Chinese, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese songs, Chinese proverbs, Chinese poetry, Chinese tattoo, Beijing 2008 Olympics, Mandarin Phrasebook, Chinese editor, Pinyin editor, China Travel, Travel to Beijing, Travel to Tibet
