Learning Chinese or Korean

[Koalagirl]

Does anyone know of any resources I can use to learn Korean and /or Chinese?Koalagirl

[SunWuKong]

i don't know of any that teaches you how to speak those languages. there are lots of online dictionaries that has sound files for their words, but that's hardly enough to teach someone how to speak a language.

[tapestrybabe]

Originally Posted by SunWuKong

i don't know of any that teaches you how to speak those languages. there are lots of online dictionaries that has sound files for their words, but that's hardly enough to teach someone how to speak a language.

yeah, thats right...
my parents ended up giving me a korean/english dictionary... i learned shit from it... best way to learn... associate with those who actually speak the language...

[AngryABCGirl]

I learned Spanish from school, along with watching Univision and speaking it with my Mexican friends.

I think the latter two helped more than the first did.

[sandra]

depending on where you live - you can check out the chinese & korean community centers. they usually give lessons starting at the beginner's level.

[nonamerasian]

My goal is to become fluent in at least one more European language and one East Asian.

Attempting to get a start on my goal, I had a look at what's offered at a Barnes and Noble (or whatever the place is called). Unless, one is looking for aids to learn English, Spanish, French, or ASL, it is worthless.

[AliBabaIncorporated]

http://korean.sogang.ac.kr/ is probably the best free online course for Korean. Personally I think it's better than some books which cost $20 or more, cuz it has sound files for everything, extensive vocab and grammar quizzes, and a glossary of all the vocabulary it teaches. If you think you're serious about learning, it's probably best to make it through some stuff on your own before you go to the extent of hiring a tutor.

As for Chinese? Dunno. I've heard the extended Pimsleur course is quite good as an introduction. But it's expensive (~$200). Though last I checked, you could still download it off KaZaA, the RIAA doesn't care about people pirating audio tapes or CDs to language courses.

[ModernLogic]

Personal Advice: I tried to learn German independently (via books, cassette tapes, etc.) It just didn't work. I think language is one of those things that really require a teacher. Sign up for a course at your university or community college.

[nonamerasian]

Originally Posted by Xiao Rong Ji

I think language is one of those things that really require a teacher.

Not at all. There are at least one or two languages that are pretty easy to get through at least the basics of without a teacher.

Spanish is a fine example of that.

[kimpossible]

Originally Posted by Koalagirl

Does anyone know of any resources I can use to learn Korean and /or Chinese?Koalagirl

Wouldn't it be prudent to concentrate on one at a time? The grammar and writing systems are nothing alike [for the most part]. Plus you have the tonal issues in Mandarin, which what I assume you're interested in when you say Chinese. I would advise against a shotgun method of online learning between two distinct languages, especially in a vacuum, i.e., no interaction with native speakers. You need to be forced to think on your feet. If this was a case of just brushing up I'd say you could get away with a bit of self-study.

Most community colleges offer relatively inexpensive intro language courses. Sometimes you luck out and get a really excellent teacher.

[kboy75]

i'm korean, but i did take a chinese (and dropped out) in college.

korean is a phonetic language with an alphabet so it's a lot easier to learn.

chinese is tonal language and requires much more memorization and accuracy in your vocal tone. it also is harder if you don't have someone or at least an audio tape to help you with pronunciation. so if you're gonna learn chinese, i'd advise audio tape or taking a class.

i couldn't handle all the memorization so i just dropped out. it'd be a great manguage to know though.

[jenjen]

taking a language course is the best way to learn chinese coz it is a really complicated language. not just the tonal speaking but the grammar.. the characters.. the aural aspect of it.. all the different accents.. sorry not trying to be discouraging or anything. just that if you have no prior knowledge of chinese its a lot to take on.

i really want to learn korean too. but first got to master french.

[Napoleon Chynamite]

Originally Posted by jenjen

taking a language course is the best way to learn chinese coz it is a really complicated language. not just the tonal speaking but the grammar.. the characters.. the aural aspect of it.. all the different accents.. sorry not trying to be discouraging or anything. just that if you have no prior knowledge of chinese its a lot to take on.

i really want to learn korean too. but first got to master french.

Really? I think Chinese grammar is the easiest part. And pronunciation seems fairly easy too even with the tones since I grew up kinda listening to it once in a while in my family. The most time consuming portion is obviously learning how to read and write all the characters. My goal is to become fluent in Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Spanish. I took my first Japanese convo class last night....uh.....watashi wa Seattle, WA karakimashita....haha

[Ogumo]

Originally Posted by Gumby

Really? I think Chinese grammar is the easiest part. And pronunciation seems fairly easy too even with the tones since I grew up kinda listening to it once in a while in my family. The most time consuming portion is obviously learning how to read and write all the characters. My goal is to become fluent in Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Spanish. I took my first Japanese convo class last night....uh.....watashi wa Seattle, WA karakimashita....haha

Haha keep it up.

[Ogumo]

Are there any forms of chinese that are similar to japanese?