fiddler

Yup, they are. It's just that they mean different things. For instance Water in Korean (물) is used in different things such as drink can or hair coloring.

Cuthbert

From what I heard about RS, it teaches you shit you won't need. And re: Pimsleur, that's spot on and is why I couldn't really get into it. I'm probably going to finish it though, imo just bombard yourself with as many ways of learning as possible.

Try Michel Thomas, there is a Mandarin course but I can't comment on it, my mate has used it and he says it is excellent. Did the Spanish and it was top notch, you get an understanding for how the language actually works as opposed to phrases being repeated for 30 minutes like on Pimsleur. Can construct sentences pretty quickly and understand written Spanish and that. Each unit has about 10 lessons in it, there are 13 units (8 + 5 advanced) and each file is about 6/7 minutes long. Can just stick it on your phone on the train or whatever and the job's a good 'un tbh.

I have the Dutch course as well because it's meant to be one of the easiest languages for a native English speaker to learn and I enjoyed the Spanish course so I'm gonna try that.

If you want other suggestions:

• Sign up to Twitter and follow accounts that teach that language
• Use Memrise on the internet, fun way of learning words & gives you mnemonics for remembering shit. Especially handy for Chinese characters
• Get Duolingo
• Try to get some children's books in that language

Be warned the bloke student on the Michel Thomas course is a thick twat and annoying as fuck.

John Wilkes Booth

i'm pretty sure that children's books in china are just sewing machine user manuals

thanks for the suggestions though. i'll see if i can't find that michel thomas thing for free online.. i have never heard of it tbh. is it an audio program? that's the main thing i like about pimsleur.. i can have it on while i work or do other ****. of course it requires me to say the phrases out loud, so i end up walking around the truck at work going ching chong chang chong to myself

Cuthbert

Yeah it's an audio program. Having used both I think MT is much better.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rsMIbxQK4U

The whole thing is on Youtube?

This is the one you want - Total Mandarin Chinese (Learn Mandarin Chinese with the Michel Thomas Method): Amazon.co.uk: Harold Goodman: 9781444138030: Books

grindy

I'm bilingual (Russian and German) and I know some French and Spanish, but I've forgotten most of those two by now.
I've learned English at school, but really got to know it watching cartoons, and later through books and movies.

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A smell of petroleum prevails throughout.

John Wilkes Booth

^that's sort of what i'm hoping to do with chinese.... been watching crouching tiger hidden dragon and **** like that. i recognize some of the basic phrases and words that pimsleur introduced.. but yea i need a lot more work

i tried 2 torrents of the michel thomas program for mandarin but none of them have finished downloading successfully... one seems completely dead, and the other installed a bit then stopped, then installed a bit more and stopped.. currently stopped at like 49%. not really looking to spend money on this **** but if it was like 10-20 bucks then maybe.

grindy

Not sure whether it's possible to really learn such a completely alien language by oneself. Possibly the very basics, but for anything besides that you might need a teacher, tons of effort and some linguistic talent.
Especially it being a tonal language might make it really hard.
I guess knowing the phonemes of five languages I'm a little better equipped than most people, but whenever a chinese friend of mine tries to teach me the pronunciation of some word, I feel completely lost. I can't even pronounce his name 100% right, but luckily we call him "The Chinese Guy" anyway.

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A smell of petroleum prevails throughout.

John Wilkes Booth

yea i know, that's basically the only reason i want to learn it

cause its like everyone and their mother speaks spanish

don't know anyone(personally) who isn't chinese that speaks mandarin

RoxyRollah

Cause you couldn't go for a romance language something close to your native tounge.
Diving into the deep end no floaties, admirable,but you'll give up.

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John Wilkes Booth

alright, we'll see

i'll use that post as motivation to continue

then in a year or two when i speak decent chinese i'll bump this thread and shame you