Learning Mandarin in Shanghai
ancalagon
April 21, 2009, 06:14 PM posted in General DiscussionQuick, but perhaps not-so-easy, question:
To what extent is one able to learn and practice Mandarin in day-to-day life while living in Shanghai? Are all the locals incessantly speaking Shanghainese, or is there a mix of Mandarin and the local dialect being spoken by many?
matt_c
May 31, 2009, 04:44 PMHi Matt, Yes the locals mostly speak Shanghainese to each other, but there are probably just as many out-of-towners here as there are locals, so you'll hear plenty of Putonghua everywhere you go. People understand what you say, and speak Putonghua back to you - but with a funny accent. This may be hard at first but it will train you for the reality of China - that most places you go no one really speaks 'broadcast' standard Chinese. You will be able to adapt much easier to strange pronunciation of Putonghua after spending time here. Still - I say spend some time in second/third tier cities of the 'hinterland' at some point to get a taste of more 'authentic' Chinese living.