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Confucius
A
statue in Suzhou, China. The analects of Confucius are
written in classical Chinese. Even modern Chinese have
a hard time understanding the writings. Many interpretations
have been written in English, with basically the same
meaning, but the wording is different, sometimes changing
the tone of the translation. |
Unlocking
the secrets of
the Chinese language
The Chinese
are famous for their intricate Chinese writing. Nowadays,
more and more people are fascinated with them and are putting
them in their homes as decorations, learning them for feng
shui purposes, even tattooing them on their bodies. Although
we are starting to see the characters for love, peace and
luck everywhere these days, Chinese is actually more complicated
than that. But with a little work, you too can decipher
the code that is Chinese and learn to enjoy the language
and even impress your friends!
Where
do I start?
I always say, at the beginning. What do you want to learn?
How to speak, read, write, or all of the above? If you want
to learn how to write a few characters, that is easy to
do. If you want to learn a few key phrases, that is also
easy to do. But, if you want to learn how carry on a conversation
with a Chinese person and use it for occupational purposes,
then you have a lot work to do.
How
hard will it be?
Well, that just depends on how far you are willing to go
in your Chinese education. The less you want to learn, the
easier it will be. The less time you want to learn it, the
simpler it should be. If you want to go far in your Chinese
education, be prepared to work - long and hard. When I was
in college, my Chinese homework would get done above everything
else. Granted, yes I did slack off some days, but I paid
for it, namely, losing face in class the next day in front
of my teachers. And I had three majors, a freelance business
and a job. If I went to concerts on a school night, I would
do my homework right up until the opening act. If I had
a crisis, my therapy? Stress out while doing my homework.
I worked and I still have to work hard to maintain what
I have. My freshman year, there were over 100 people studying
with me. By the time I reached my senior year, there were
8.
It doesn't
have to be hard. I worked hard because I was a college student
majoring in the language. If you just wish to learn a little
it will be much easier. Pace yourself. Do a little everyday
or every other day. Eventually, you will have reached your
goals of owning a little knowledge of the Chinese language.
You may be surprised how much easier it gets the more you
learn. But you won't know unless you try!
I have
built this section to let you in on the little secrets,
tricks and methods of learning Chinese. Once you learn the
basics, you will find that it is not difficult to be able
to start recognizing characters, speaking simple phrases
and learning words.
Join
my brand new e-mail forum, which sends out job information
for China, news, cultural events and information. Feel free
to add your own information, including questions, comments
and experiences. Click here.
