Learning the local lingo
Posted in: Forums > Living in Chengdu • 6 posts • Newest
- Mandible
August 1, 2012
18 posts -
So I'm learning mandarin through pimsleur at the moment. This is my first introduction to any form of Chinese language, but I'm wondering, is this a waste of time? Will I have to go through the process of 'unlearning' this info when I arrive in Chengdu? I mean, just how different is sichuanese to mandarin? Also, how do *you* learn sichuanese? Is there a uh, pimsleur or rosetta stone or whatever form of language-learning software available for characters in my situation??
Thanks y'all.
- Mandible
- ELMNAF
August 1, 2012
4 posts -
Sichuanese is different from mandarin in tone.
- ELMNAF
- jane_v
August 1, 2012
39 posts -
I'd say stick with it; any knowledge you have of Chinese of any sort will help when you arrive. Pretty much everyone here can understand Mandarin and most people with basic education can speak it as well (although they might prefer to speak dialect). There aren't very many formal resources for learning Sichuanese, especially for people who aren't native Mandarin speakers, but you'll probably pick up some phrases anyway just by living here. And if you speak Mandarin it'll just be a matter of adjusting your listening to be able to understand the dialect.
I knew a guy who did the entire Pimsleur Mandarin before he arrived and although he wasn't fluent or anything by then, I was really impressed by his pronunciation and general grasp of the language. I think it really helps with listening and pronunciation because of all the repetition but it is a bit lacking in vocabulary (but once you have basics down it's easy enough to pick up new vocabulary on your own).
- jane_v
- Mandible
August 1, 2012
18 posts -
Hey thanks Jane. Very much appreciated. I'm glad to hear almost everyone will understand mandarin and that it won't be a waste to learn it. I'm actually really digging the Pimsleur because it's teaching me precisely what I want, which is just *how to speak and how to listen.* Reading and strict memorization of characters is not high on my list of priorities right now.
- Mandible
- toritori
August 9, 2012
3 posts -
Hi, Sichuanese is mostly understandable when listening if you know Mandarin. After a couple weeks of listening you will start to get it. However, it would be hard to speak it. The tones are different. But people understand Mandarin. You can ask them to speak Mandarin to you. They don't usually use it themselves, so some are a little rusty! But they can do it. I studied Mandarin and at first was lost in Chengdu then suddenly I started to "hear" the words!
- toritori
- JT8900
August 15, 2012
8 posts -
Learn characters. It helps immensely when you're learning new vocabulary. Personally, I can't get a new word to stick, especially if it's meaning is at all abstract, unless I know which characters are used. Even if I don't remember how to write the character, it's important to know your 是 from your 视 from your 事 from your 式. All four of those are pronounced the same way and have completely different meanings. Knowing which one is the component in a word will help you figure out the word's meaning, why it means what it means, and help you remember it much better than just trying to memorize the syllables.
- JT8900
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