01 year 03 week into study
Purrfecdizzo
December 12, 2008, 06:39 AM posted in General DiscussionHello everyone,
Once again, I am posting this a few days early on account of having to work over the weekend. This week was another slow one, being that I am consumed with final exam week at my college. I have flashcards for about 280 terms now, acquisition on about 250 or so, and proficiency on about 75. Study has been slow and steady. I have been working at it every day except for those days where it is not possible to do so.
I haven't started my pinyin studies yet, and I plan to do so in the upcoming weeks. I don't feel as enthusiastic about my chinese studies as I did when I first started. It is hard work, and it is slow going, but like someone said to me last week, the words will 'snowball' and soon I will find that I have a range of vocabulary.
I am really weak in the spoken side of my learning. Since the email from last week, I have completed three lessons. I really struggle with pronounciation. Also it seems that I have difficulty retaining the spoken words. For example, I will listen to a podcast, repeat a vocabulary word ten times, play it again, and not remember the word I was just pronouncing. This is quite frustrating. Anyhow, I am still trudging despite these discouraging events.
Feel free to leave thoughts or other feedback
texinchina
December 12, 2008, 04:47 PMThe first part is really hard...think about all the wai4 guo2 ren2 that come to China without knowing anything. I was that guy two years ago and now I can keep up with about 60% of the intermediate lessons. The hardest part seems to be the first part. Once you get the sounds/pinyin down it gets a little easier.
My current study calls for a lesson or two from Chinese pod a day (sometimes with an added qing wen just good measure). Usually anywhere from 2-4 times a week I will meet with a friend and do a Chinese/English exchange and usually learn alot of characters from these experiences. I use QQ 5 days out of the week, and speak as much as possible everyday.
I can't wait for the moment when the listening test says I can listen to an Upper-intermediate lesson but I know thats going to take alot of time still. From teaching English in China I know that the ones who practice their language more are most likely the ones who are the best students. Good luck
Purrfecdizzo
November 27, 2009, 06:13 PM"For vocab acquisition I recommend depth over breadth. In other words, focus on learning a few words really well. Write them slowly, stroke by stroke, reciting as you write, until they are burned into your mind. I've said it before: when you start seeing characters in the cracks in the sidewalk, that's when you know you're getting truly immersed!" pearltowerpete
Looking back over my studies, I wish I had followed this suggestion. I have studied hundreds of words, and find that I cannot remember hardly any. I think that If I had taken this suggestion, I might be doing much better with Chinese than I am now.
henning
November 28, 2009, 09:10 AMamesbjurygeorge,
I am still convinced that in the long run breadth over depth is the better approach - it proides a larger traction area and gives a better feel for the language. But it only works with staying power.
I myself forget everything I hear ("learn") myself. But I have experienced that after 100 reappearances of the same item it suddenly sticks.
Just keep going. And 千万 don't think about the time you invested.
waiguoren
November 28, 2009, 12:07 PMI think its a really good idea to share your learning experiences - there's no doubt that Chinese is a tough language to learn.
I agree with henning. I also agree with his comments he posted on the 'Welcome to ChinesePod' News and Features section (24th November 2008) saying that with dedication and study, you should be able to converse fairly fluently in 6-12 years.
A friend recently told me that learning a language is a bit like rowing across the ocean - it may seem like a futile effort, but you might be making progress as well - without even realising it.
I rely pretty much exclusively on ChinesePod for my studies and regard myself as an Intermediate learner, but after recently enlisting the services of a tutor, I found that my listening was way, way， ahead of my speaking and writing. I also find it frustrating when I am not understood in very familiar situations. For example, last night I went to a restaurant and tried to order 地三鲜盖饭 and the waiter had absolutely no idea what I was on about so I had to point at it on the menu.
Also, it's true that your learning needs change over time. When I first started learning chinese, I just wanted to learn how to speak, but now I am placing more and more emphasis on writing, and I think a good place to start would be the 214 radicals - as I am now discovering.
Anyway, sorry for the long post. Chin up, and as the Chinese like to say 加油！
xiaohu
November 28, 2009, 04:37 PMThe Chinese believe in the concept of extensive reading first, intensive reading later.
This is what I like to call the "planting seeds concept". First you need to plant seeds on every square inch of the field, which takes time and effort but will come to fruition later by cultivation. Cultivation will be done later through consistent study and intensive reading. So, in essence I agree with Henning, at first go for breadth over depth. You never know which seeds are going to sprout and when. The best way when you're new is to cover a lot of ground. As Henning said, sometimes you need to come across something 100 times for it to finally stick, but when it does, it will be burned into your mind forever.
The best method to start off with is to read a lot of texts in Pinyin with Characters present. Pick your favorite C-pod lessons and read them OUT LOUD quite a few times. Don't worry if your pronunciation isn't perfect to start, it will get better over time. Take some time to try and figure out the meaning of the dialogues without using a cheat sheet. After guessing the meaning and breaking down as much of the sentence as you can, THEN you can go look up the answers. If you got it wrong, try to figure out for yourself why you got it wrong and how to fix it.
Again, when you're new, the most important thing is exposure, exposure leads to ability!
Remember what Pete told you, 不能指望一口吃成胖子. You can't expect to get fat after one bite.
pearltowerpete
December 12, 2008, 06:52 AMHi amesburygeorge
Thanks for sharing your experiences. There's a reason everyone says Chinese is hard!
For vocab acquisition I recommend depth over breadth. In other words, focus on learning a few words really well. Write them slowly, stroke by stroke, reciting as you write, until they are burned into your mind. I've said it before: when you start seeing characters in the cracks in the sidewalk, that's when you know you're getting truly immersed!
Finally, you definitely will see a snowball effect, but you will also have long plateaus (plateaux?). As the Chinese say, don't try to 一口吃个胖子 yīkǒuchīgepàngzi -- become a fatty by eating a single mouthful. These things take time!
P.S. in traditional agrarian China, being chubby was a sign of success and good health!