English translation for blog post .


This is the English translation for my blog post.
Note:  I write the Chinese first and then perform a hasty translation to English (seems to work better for learning purposes that way and ensures that
I don't write anything too complicated).

The purpose of the translation is mostly to express my intended meaning. The translation is not supposed to be technically excellent in any way.


When I started learning Chinese, I just listened.

Westerners starting to learn Chinese have several specially big problems. I would say that at that time the biggest problem was just
that I had never heard Chinese before. I didn't even know the difference between Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese. I watch Chinese television and listen
to Chinese radio and hear a lot of English. Chinese children already know the sound of English, even if they cannot yet speak it. I also hear that now days, many
Chinese children start to learn English at the age of four.

Actually I can remember one time that I heard Mandarin, at that time I was a Child. This was an English TV program called "Doctor Who", I have found a sound clip
for you, you can listen here. I heard “你好吗？”，but the second part was in what language？I think he just spoke nonsense. I believe this kind of content wasn't any
use and didn't help me one little bit (what do you think ;)).

I hear and read a lot of discussion about which type of Chinese study system is better, lots of people have their own opinions. It seems that for the most part they
study Chinese characters right from the start. I don't understand, at that time what is the use of studying hanzi, it will just make their studies slower. Japanese people
use character that are very similar to traditional Chinese characters but this does not give them any ability to speak Chinese. If you teach Western people Chinese
then please think a moment, at this point of time does studying hanzi help them? Does studying hanzi suit their level.

Of course now I am studying hanzi(a little) however most all of what I write I can understand by listening, listening will always be the most important. This type of
self-study method is a method to suit me, although maybe some other Western people can use it. If you have any opinions or suggestions then please leave me
a comment.

At the moment I have just started to learn Cantonese. Of course at the start I just listen .........

Sorry I have not yet written the English translation, let me think a little I will write it soon..