Learning Chinese?

Question

It is my dream to someday go to China and/or Taiwan. But right now that is a long way off. (I'm 14)
I really want to learn Mandarin Chinese, written and spoken. I have only just gotten started, and I have found some good resources online and in libraries. What I'm wondering is - is it possible for someone knowing no Chinese, to one-day become fluent in it? Or will I always sound "broken", even if I spend a long time studying it? I have heard that it is the hardest possible language, and that makes me somewhat pessimistic.

Also, what are the best ways to learn? I'm using "How-to" guides, but also listening to music and trying to translate.

Xie Xie for your help!!!

Other - I live in Norway, and don't have any friends that are Chinese, so if you are want to be friends and don't mind helping...I would really appreciate it. =)

Answer 1

I'm a native Chinese speaker from Taiwan. In Chinese we say "天下無難事，只怕有心人 / 天下无难事，只怕有心人 (meaning 'there is nothing difficultin the world, and only people who pays efforts to make it can make it')." As long as you insist on learning to speak fluent Chinese, you can make it! Indeed, there are many good examples of Chinese learners after the age of 20 speaking Chinese it very fluently in Taiwan, and some of them can even sound very much like a native speaker!

If you are listening to music in Chinese, I suggest you start with children's songs. They are usually much easier and more fun to learn than those love songs. Thinking in Chinese and talking to yourself in the Chinese you know also works. As for the Chinese characters, you can try to guess what the radicals of the characters you are currently learning are (but be sure to look it up later) and -- practice, practice, and practice! Practice writing the characters and words by which it is composed as many times as possible, and look for some short articles that fits your level and read it. Some Chinese lessons can also be found on YouTube.

If you have any further questions about Chinese or learning Chinese, feel free to e-mail me and I'll do my best to help you. 加油！

Answer 2

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Answer 3

I am only a year older than you, but I have been learning Chinese since I was young(it's compulsary as a second language). It was very good until I migrated to America for a while...So:

1) Practice really does make perfect. You say you just started learning right? So revise all your work and practice your pronunciation.

2) Chinese shows help if you want to improve your pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar. Remember to listen carefully to what they say instead of relying on the subtitles. =)

3) As what others have said, music isn't a very good guide. The songs do not have the correct 'tone', and sometimes they aren't pronounced clearly. But they may help in building your vocabulary. :)

4) Books are a good guide. Start with simple ones and work your way up. Check the dictionary for words you don't know and record them down for future reference.

5) If you have Chinese friends, listen to their pronunciation. It's the best way(provided they're good at it). ^^

As to your question....I doubt you will ever be able to sound like a real Chinese, but then again, if you pronounce well and speak well, you could be very close. And it won't sound 'broken' if you know your grammar. ^^

You can ask me for help. I'm fluent in English and fairly good in Chinese.

I hope you will keep that determination and interest! Don't be deterred and give up. ^^

Answer 4

I don't have a good answer for you, but I want to congratulate you for trying to learn something so difficult! I'm also trying to learn Chinese and I share your concern. I've been given so much conflicting advice (even by people I know who are native to China) that I'm starting to wonder if I'll ever get the hang of it. At this point I'd be happy just to sound "broken".

Still...on the whole I'm told that it can be done. So keep hanging in there and I wish you the best of luck.

Answer 5

As long as you have an interest in the language, you can surely learn. By the way, don't try music, trying watching movies in Chinese instead. Also it would help if you attend a Chinese school where it's mandatory to learn it.

I'm Chinese and still learning the language at school. and I'm only a year older than you

Answer 6

Don't try the music! Some of the singer didn't actually got the right note. The best way is keep practice. You can always learn chinese by knowing a chinese. Add me for i am a chinese.

Answer 7

Get a book and cassette. If u meet any chinese people always try to practise.It can be done.You start with the basics then after that its called language building.When u learn a new word try to fit it into a sentence,also write it down so u can remember it.Heres a start piaw liang ,that means beautiful.

Answer 8

Well, for one thing, you are already going into it with the wrong attitude. If it is your dream to go to China/Taiwan and learn Mandarin, how did that come about since you aren't looking forward to learning one of their dialects? If you embrace learning it, you will be able to do it. I remember a philosopher once said (but don't ask me who as I can't quite grasp the name), "If it can be imagined, it can be done." Don't sell yourself short.

Answer 9

As your age, I think only 1 year you could speak Chinese fluently. It is very easy. Here I would recommend you a website http://www.exelchinese.com . Maybe it is helpful for you.
The best way to study Chinese is to stduy it with native teachers. It should be very efficient to speak it well in a short term.

Answer 10

i'm chinese (cantonese) american, and i would say, that learning it is very HARD

although i wish u the best of luck; even with a teacher, it takes longer, than to learn italian or german

there are free education programs online and on mainland chinese TV sometimes