Hi there, i was hoping that someone can help me out with a query.
I am currently learning Japanese, speaking, reading and writing and i really enjoy it. However, i originally wanted to learn chinese. once i found out that there are different chinese languages AND dialects to these, i was put off the idea, hence the learning of Japanese!!
however, i want to learn Cantonese as it was my first and i would love to speak the languages of BOTH Japan and China.
if someone out there can tell me how difficult it is to learn to speak Cantonese, learning it through CD/tapes i would be most grateful. Also, how long it usually takes to learn it at a basic conversational level would also be helpful to know.
So if anyone can answer these questions for me, i would be most grateful.
Thankyou!!!
(or as the Japanese say, 'arrigato!')
learning cantonese-easy or hard?
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arnistkdokid
Re: learning cantonese-easy or hard?
I myself have very little experience with Cantonese, but I do have some experience with Mandarin. Anyway, here's what I've learned from trying to learn Cantonese so far...
First of all, there aren't as many resources for learning Cantonese as there are for Mandarin. But if you look hard enough, you'll be able to find some good material.
Since you're learning Japanese,speaking, writing, Etc., then learning a Chinese language will probably be easier for you.
(However, I believe you wrote that you wanted to learn the language of CHINA as well as Japan. The official dialect spoken in China is Mandarin. I'm not going to try to persuade you to learn any particular dialect, but if you want to learn the dialect most spoken in China, then you may want to consider Mandarin.)
arnistkdokid@aol.com
First of all, there aren't as many resources for learning Cantonese as there are for Mandarin. But if you look hard enough, you'll be able to find some good material.
Since you're learning Japanese,speaking, writing, Etc., then learning a Chinese language will probably be easier for you.
(However, I believe you wrote that you wanted to learn the language of CHINA as well as Japan. The official dialect spoken in China is Mandarin. I'm not going to try to persuade you to learn any particular dialect, but if you want to learn the dialect most spoken in China, then you may want to consider Mandarin.)
arnistkdokid@aol.com
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Eugene Morrow
Both easy and hard
Alex,
I am learning Cantonese from tapes (see an item on the forum called "Learning Cantonese" by Arnistkdokid with my reply).
I find Cantonese is both easy and hard.
Hard things:
1. Learning ANY language is hard if you want to speak it fluently. My estimate is 400 hours to complete the tape courses, and another 100 hours to practice with real people. Learning any language takes work like this. If you live in that country and learn 12 hours a day you learn quickly. If you only do one hour a day then it will take nearly two years.
2. The pronunciation is difficult. Cantonese has tones, which means one syllable can have different meanings depending on whether you say it high, middle or low and whether it is rising or falling in tone. Japanese does not have this (and English does not have it either), so it takes a bit of getting used to.
3. I am only learning how to speak. The writing is another problem. Chinese has to be the most difficult to write in the world.
Easy things:
1. The verbs have no tenses. In english I "am" here today, I "will be" here tomorrow, I "was" here yesterday. In cantonese you can say it with the verb the same in each case (the only change is the word for today, yesterday and tomorrow).
2. There are no plurals. One spoon, many spoon. Much easier to describe things.
As Arnistkdokid says, Mandarin is the main language in China (perhaps 700 million speakers). Cantonese might have only 50 million. I prefer Cantonese because I know so many speakers (I live in Sydney, Australia).
Good luck,
Eugene Morrow
I am learning Cantonese from tapes (see an item on the forum called "Learning Cantonese" by Arnistkdokid with my reply).
I find Cantonese is both easy and hard.
Hard things:
1. Learning ANY language is hard if you want to speak it fluently. My estimate is 400 hours to complete the tape courses, and another 100 hours to practice with real people. Learning any language takes work like this. If you live in that country and learn 12 hours a day you learn quickly. If you only do one hour a day then it will take nearly two years.
2. The pronunciation is difficult. Cantonese has tones, which means one syllable can have different meanings depending on whether you say it high, middle or low and whether it is rising or falling in tone. Japanese does not have this (and English does not have it either), so it takes a bit of getting used to.
3. I am only learning how to speak. The writing is another problem. Chinese has to be the most difficult to write in the world.
Easy things:
1. The verbs have no tenses. In english I "am" here today, I "will be" here tomorrow, I "was" here yesterday. In cantonese you can say it with the verb the same in each case (the only change is the word for today, yesterday and tomorrow).
2. There are no plurals. One spoon, many spoon. Much easier to describe things.
As Arnistkdokid says, Mandarin is the main language in China (perhaps 700 million speakers). Cantonese might have only 50 million. I prefer Cantonese because I know so many speakers (I live in Sydney, Australia).
Good luck,
Eugene Morrow
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Julian
Re: Both easy and hard
>I prefer Cantonese because I know so many >speakers (I live in Sydney, Australia).
>Eugene Morrow
I prefer Cantonese because I love Hong Kong movies. I don't know if that's a 'good' reason to learn a language - and I'm not sure how much watching movies contributes to my learning of the language - but it's fun
Did you catch the Hong Kong film festival here in Sydney over the past few days?
I managed to get to:
the mission
running out of time
wu yen
comeuppance
was all great stuff.. I think I'm going to have to get wu yen on dvd to get my ears around the fast talking of Anita Mui
I'm finding learning the language quite hard.. as I'm doing it mainly from books and listening to radio 2CR/2AC and watching the morning Cantonese news on SBS - but I'm not too worried if it takes me a while. I'm addicted to the sound of the language, and am enjoying it, so that's the main thing.
Julz
>Eugene Morrow
I prefer Cantonese because I love Hong Kong movies. I don't know if that's a 'good' reason to learn a language - and I'm not sure how much watching movies contributes to my learning of the language - but it's fun
Did you catch the Hong Kong film festival here in Sydney over the past few days?
I managed to get to:
the mission
running out of time
wu yen
comeuppance
was all great stuff.. I think I'm going to have to get wu yen on dvd to get my ears around the fast talking of Anita Mui
I'm finding learning the language quite hard.. as I'm doing it mainly from books and listening to radio 2CR/2AC and watching the morning Cantonese news on SBS - but I'm not too worried if it takes me a while. I'm addicted to the sound of the language, and am enjoying it, so that's the main thing.
Julz
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Ben
How to learn Cantonese ?
I'd really like to learn Cantonese, only speaking. Please advice me. Thanks.
-
Thomas
Re: learning cantonese-easy or hard?
Like Julian, I also like HK movies and I know a lot people in HK and in Chinatowns of London and San Fransisco ( all speak Cantonese).
And with the years I learned to love this language.
I started with the basic course from PIMSLEUR
( ordered from amazon.com ). It helped me a lot
to get the right pronunciation. No other book or
audiotape helps here as PIMSLEUR does.
Actually many people told me , that my pronunciation is amazing good for a Westerner,
seldom foreigners hit the tones that good.
PIMSLEUR speakers speak VERY slow and repeat the
words again and again.
On all other Cantonese tapes, the speaking is way to fast for beginners !!!
Speak loud when you have to repeat !
But after the basic level, you have to get a good book, to increase your vocabulary ....
I would recommend : Let´s talk Cantonese,
A Cantonese book ( I got these in HK, both have
audiotapes).
For advanced students: Colloquial Cantonese
I hope this helped you a little
bit.
: Hi there, i was hoping that someone can help me out with a query.
: I am currently learning Japanese, speaking, reading and writing and i really enjoy it. However, i originally wanted to learn chinese. once i found out that there are different chinese languages AND dialects to these, i was put off the idea, hence the learning of Japanese!!
: however, i want to learn Cantonese as it was my first and i would love to speak the languages of BOTH Japan and China.
: if someone out there can tell me how difficult it is to learn to speak Cantonese, learning it through CD/tapes i would be most grateful. Also, how long it usually takes to learn it at a basic conversational level would also be helpful to know.
: So if anyone can answer these questions for me, i would be most grateful.
: Thankyou!!!
: (or as the Japanese say, 'arrigato!')
And with the years I learned to love this language.
I started with the basic course from PIMSLEUR
( ordered from amazon.com ). It helped me a lot
to get the right pronunciation. No other book or
audiotape helps here as PIMSLEUR does.
Actually many people told me , that my pronunciation is amazing good for a Westerner,
seldom foreigners hit the tones that good.
PIMSLEUR speakers speak VERY slow and repeat the
words again and again.
On all other Cantonese tapes, the speaking is way to fast for beginners !!!
Speak loud when you have to repeat !
But after the basic level, you have to get a good book, to increase your vocabulary ....
I would recommend : Let´s talk Cantonese,
A Cantonese book ( I got these in HK, both have
audiotapes).
For advanced students: Colloquial Cantonese
I hope this helped you a little
bit.
: Hi there, i was hoping that someone can help me out with a query.
: I am currently learning Japanese, speaking, reading and writing and i really enjoy it. However, i originally wanted to learn chinese. once i found out that there are different chinese languages AND dialects to these, i was put off the idea, hence the learning of Japanese!!
: however, i want to learn Cantonese as it was my first and i would love to speak the languages of BOTH Japan and China.
: if someone out there can tell me how difficult it is to learn to speak Cantonese, learning it through CD/tapes i would be most grateful. Also, how long it usually takes to learn it at a basic conversational level would also be helpful to know.
: So if anyone can answer these questions for me, i would be most grateful.
: Thankyou!!!
: (or as the Japanese say, 'arrigato!')
-
Ta Boo
Re: How to learn Cantonese ?
: I'd really like to learn Cantonese, only speaking. Please advice me. Thanks.