Learning Traditional Chinese Characters vs Learning Simplified Characters

One question that often comes up when deciding between two different Chinese classes is whether or not to learn simplified or traditional characters.

In general, mainland China uses simplified characters while Taiwan, Hong Kong, many overseas Chinese and older texts use traditional characters. So part of your decision will be based on where you plan to use your Mandarin knowledge and whether or not you are more interested in historical aspects of China or modern business in the Middle Kingdom.

Another consideration is the beauty and complexity of the written characters themselves. Traditional Chinese characters are by far more complex and beautiful than the simplified versions. If you want to impress people with your impeccable Chinese calligraphy, traditional is the way to go.

Some proponents of traditional characters point out that these versions contain more of the history and culture of China within the characters themselves. Pieces of the characters mean specific things, so learning traditional will give you a better appreciation for where the written language came from. For some, this also makes it easier to memorize the meaning of the character.

On the other hand, the simplified versions often contain a phonetic version, a piece that gives some indication of the sound of the character. For some learners, this makes it easier to remember how to pronounce the simplified form.

In the end, the choice of simplified characters vs traditional characters comes mainly down to what you plan to do with the language. Someone planning to do business in mainland China will find themselves illiterate should they be familiar only with the traditional Chinese characters, while someone interested in studying historical texts or working in Taiwan will be equally disadvantaged if their only exposure is to simplified Chinese characters.

Learning Mandarin with a Chinese Tutor

Learning Mandarin Chinese with a tutor is one way to quickly improve your skills, but you need to know what to expect before you start.

A tutor of Mandarin Chinese can help with pronunciation and listening comprehension in a way that a classroom teacher may not be able to. The dedicated one-on-one time spent with a tutor allows you to ask questions and clarify things that might have flown by during class time. Another advantage of a tutor is the ability to schedule classes whenever and wherever you want.

However, a Chinese tutor will typically cost more than group classes, and may be more difficult to find. You may not be able to progress as well as you like if you’re only speaking to someone for one hour a week in your target language.

Perhaps the best way to utilize a Mandarin Chinese tutor is to hire one in conjunction with regular Mandarin classes. That way you can have the best of both worlds and use the tutor for the things you really need help with instead of the basic vocabulary and grammar that you could learn in a cheaper classroom setting.

How Mandarin Chinese Tones Work

An aspect of Mandarin learning that many students find difficult is the concept of tones. It also happens to be one of the first things you’ll learn in your Mandarin Chinese lessons. It’s all part of what you should expect when you first start studying Mandarin Chinese.

There are four tones in Mandarin. First tone is a steady tone, like a musical note held steady. Second tone is a rising tone, like what is used at the end of a question in English. Third tone drops down and then up again. Fourth tone is a falling tone that drops down at the end.

Tones are important because if you say the wrong one it changes the meaning of the word completely. A good Chinese teacher will make sure your tones are correct and you may have to try it hundreds of times before you consistently get your tones right. It can be frustrating to feel like you are repeating the same word over and over again, but keep in mind that the end result- speaking flawless Mandarin- will be well worth the effort.

What is Chinese Immersion?

One of the terms you may hear when discussing your language lessons is “Chinese Immersion.” Basically, what this means is being completely surrounded, or immersed, in Chinese 24/7. During a Chinese immersion program, everything you do will be done in Chinese and speaking other languages – including English– isn’t allowed.

Chinese immersion programs come in many different forms. Some schools have a Chinese immersion option, in which students who attend that school take some or all of their classes in Mandarin. Summer programs offering language immersion may have a Chinese component or may be exclusively in Chinese. A study-abroad immersion program takes students to China or Taiwan to live, study and play in Chinese for a set time period.

In some immersion programs, the students take a language pledge, making a promise to themselves and their classmates to only speak the target language during the course of the program.

While a Chinese language immersion program may be difficult, complete immersion in any language is widely viewed as one of the most highly effective ways of learning a new language and becoming fluent in a short period of time. If you truly want to become fluent in Mandarin Chinese, at some point you will probably need to fully immerse yourself in the language, either through participation in an immersion program or through spending time living in a place where Chinese is the primary spoken language.

Review of World Learner Chinese

World Learner Chinese is an Internet-based language learning program using audio files that you can listen to online or download as mp3 files. along with transcripts of the audio and exercises to practice what you’ve learned.
Each lesson consists of an audio recording that presents a Chinese monologue, dialogue, or vocabulary lesson followed by an explanation of vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation.
Each lesson is around ten minutes, making it easy to study in small bursts between other activities.
The program is based out of Taipei, so language learners in other places, such as Beijing, may notice some differences in accent and phrasing.
One problem I had with the program is that it jumped straight into tones without really explaining what tones actually are and how they work. Granted, this information can easily be found online.
If your style of learning is primarily listen-and-repeat, this might be a good program for you to try in your quest to learn to speak Mandarin.
The newsletter hasn’t been updated since April 2009, so I’m not sure whether any new material has been added since that point, but the basic audio files are enough to keep you busy for a while regardless.
The initial 26 lessons are free, although you’ll have to scroll through them backwards to get to the beginning.
The cost for a subscription is $30 for 3 months, $57 for 6 months, and $105 for 12 months.