Chinese Mandarin
Home>>Language Index>Chinese MandarinAudio Lessons Software Translation Dictionaries Exercise Books Flashcards Video & Media Learn Online Immersion Culture Corner You'll find all the resources you need to learn Chinese Mandarin right here. Recommendations which on audio lessons are best, which software to use, the best dictionaries and exercise books, and much more... However if there is something you would like to know but can't seem to find it through us, please let us know - we will be happy to do some research and do our best to dig it up, and improve the site for you. The comment box is at the bottom of this page. Language SynopsisMandarin is spoken by 850 million native speakers, outnumbering any language in the world. Standard Mandarin, based on the Bejing dialect, is the standardised form of spoken Chinese, and is the official language of China and Taiwan and one of four official languages in Singapore. With large pockets of native speakers dotted all over the world, learning Mandarin will always be extremely useful, whether it be for business, travel or pleasure. There are many more details and background information about the language within this free online encyclopedia and this excellent online source of information.
Chinese Mandarin Audio LessonsAudio lessons are a great resource when you learn a language. One of the biggest challenges in speaking Mandarin is learning to pronounce the sounds of the language correctly. Using the right audio lessons will help you to develop an accurate pronunciation and thereby improve your conversational skills. The thing is though, with so many options available, which are the best Chinese Mandarin audio lessons? One of the best ways to quickly become conversational in Mandarin. They offer three comprehensive courses which will speedily teach you needed vocabulary, sentence structure and accurate pronunciation. Pimsleur lessons use innovative teaching methods based on years of research by the renound Dr Pimsleur. The lesson structure ensures that you retain the words/phrases learnt and that you learn to immitate the sounds of the language well. Each lesson is 30 minutes long and thoroughly enjoyable and practical for everyday situations. Pimsleur audio lessons are particularly good for teaching Mandarin as they help the student to accurately use the four different tones and also learn to decipher them when others speak. As Chinese is a tonal language, this is essential, both for understanding others and for being understood.
Internet freebiesChinesePod.com Why Choose ChinesePod: Culture: The Mandarin language and culture are so intrinsic to eachother that you can't learn one without the other. ChinesePod lessons always consider the culture behind new language being considered to help you get a feel for when and why it is used. A good example is the lesson which teaches you how to request no MSG in your food, and why this can be a challenge. Every-Day Language: ChinesePod lessons teach how the real people speak. Each time a new phrase is introduced several translations of the same phrase are given in English. This helps you get a real feel for what a phrase really means and when to use it. This can be a plus over Pimsleur which tends to focus more on formal speach. Your pocket: All the podcast lessons are free on the internet, to anyone, no membership required. However sign up for the 1 week free trial of the Praxis upgrade package and you will have access to many other excellent learning resources. You may also receive the audio lessons on a cd for free, to save time on downloading. Online Community: The free online study group facility provides a way to practice your new language and get tips or questions answered from other learners. Other learners post comments, questions and responses by each lesson. You too can get involved. Click below to try the deluxe ChinesePod package free for 1 week.
The BBC provide a free 10 lesson introduction to the language. This site provides 31 free audio courses. This is a simple but effective site that provides a free tone drill. Chinese Mandarin Language SoftwareUsing good language learning software will help you develop all four aspects of learning a language: speaking, listening, reading and writing. If you choose the right product it will also be a great aid in learning the characters - one of the other big challenges in learning Chinese. Below we recommend some of the best language learning software currently available.
Rosetta Stone Mandarin Level 1
Rosetta Stone Mandarin Level 2
Rosetta Stone Mandarin Level 1 & 2 Set
Rosetta Stones language courses work on the premise that we learn a language best if we do so in the same way as we learnt our own tongue as children - by interacting with the world around us. Therefore each of the 210 lessons will get the student to deduce the right word from a series of images. These words are then built upon by introducing verbs, adverbs and prepositions which he also has to decipher. The Rosetta course covers all four aspects of learning a language - speaking, listening, reading and writing and is thus a truly comprehensive all-in one choice for Mandarin students. They offer two courses in Chinese Mandarin, which can be bought separately, or as a set (see links above). The complete course offers 550 hours worth of tuition using 8000 real life images and phrases. A MUST HAVE for anybody seriously wanting to learn Chinese Mandarin.
Internet freebies: Transparent Languages provide a free vocabulary builder to help get you started. This site provides a free character editor and a free Pinyin editor. Very useful for producing written material or sending e-mails in Mandarin. English-Mandarin DictionariesThe Oxford Dictionary Contains 88,000 words and phrases, the latest vocabulary. Simplified, traditional and Pinyin translations are given for each entry. The CD eliminates the multi-stage look up process in the print dictionary, and contains character recognition and audio pronunciation for 22,000 words.
Internet freebies: Translate from English into Simplified ir Traditional script using the following online free dictionary: This is also an excellent free online dictionary. The same site provide a Chengyu dictionary with more than 30,000 proverbial idioms listed. Chinese Mandarin Exercise and Phrase BooksHugo in Three Months (includes Cassette Courses) Startup Business Mandarin: An Introductory Course for Business Professionals
Internet freebies: This site provides an introduction to Mandarin grammar. This site provides a few free writing lessons. The following website provides free educational information regarding the teachings of the Bible, with a page in Simplified script and the same information on a page in English. There is also a page in Traditional script. A comparison of the texts can help contribute to your language acquisition. Chinese Mandarin FlashcardsChinese Character Flashcards 888
Internet freebies: For free flashcards written in Pin Yin (romanized Chinese) please fill in the form below... Chinese Mandarin Video & Media
Internet freebies: This site provides free videos showing the stroke order for different characters. Learning Live OnlineChinese Voice provides a very professional service whereby you can participate in live online lessons with a teacher based in Beijing. Instead of having to drive to a school/college, you have the lessons in the comfort of your own home.
Mandarin ImmersionSurrounding yourself with Chinese words and sounds and music will be the very best way to learn, trust us. We recommend the courses provided at Aston Language Centre located in Wuhu City, Anhui Province, China. The School was founded in 2001 with the aim of providing affordable language classes to local and foreign students. They also provide teaching positions for those that would like to teach English while in China! And although Aston prefers to have teachers with TEFL certification, on-the-job training is also provided, so a TEFL certificate is not essential. However, for those interested in obtaining a TEFL/TESOL diploma, LLL recommends The Canadian Institute of English, with One-Week TESOL Methodology training courses worldwide, throughout the year, for: North America $590 CAD/$585 US, Mexico $485 US, Japan $990 CAD/$830 US (95,000 Yen), Great Britain $650 US, Thailand $650 US, Eastern Europe $425 US, South Korea $780 US. (Prices vary by location due to local currency index and costs) Aston's Mandarin Courses cover: Beginners Level, Business Mandarin, Elementary Level, HSK Training, Intermediate Level, Chinese Culture Lectures... from a structered and scheduled class scenario to one-on-one tutorials that can begin anytime. Prices range from 60 RMB ($8.50 US, 5,50 Euros, 4 GBP) to 5400 RMB (390 GBP, 490 Euros, $770 US) depending on the type and length of course.
Internet freebies: Immerse yourself right away by... ~Listening to the radio abit each day and tune in your ears! ~Keeping up with the news each day!
~If you are quite an advanced student, using www.Google.cn instead of Google in English will give you practice in using the language and Chinese characters. ~Listen to Chinese music and follow the lyrics... for example try this song by Alan Luo called Expert Love. Watch out for the lyrics in pin yin...
Mandarin Culture CornerExpressions and phrases: This site provides useful vocabulary. The same site provides a tool for finding out your Mandarin name.
Cultural Quirks:
National Dishes and recipes: This online encyclopedia provides a wealth of information on the national cuisine.
Traditional Music: This site provides free traditional music. Help Others Live & Learn MandarinAre you learning Mandarin? If you are, we'd love to hear about any suggestions you may have about learning the language. Which resources have you found useful? Which haven't proven that great? Please e-mail us your findings using the form below. Your shared language learning experiences will save other language learners' time, energy, and money. In fact, that is the the mission of Live & Learn Languages!
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is one of the best English-Mandarin dictionaries available. It comes with the Talking Dictionary and Instant Translator on CD.
is one of the best exercise books for quickly learning the language. It comes with accompanying audio material.
is the first in a projected series of three books for those needing to learn business Mandarin.
is a lovely book with 888 different character flashcards. The book teaches stroke order and discusses radicals, two things which some other flashcard books don't do.
