Asian Languages | Learn Basic Chinese
If you want to take your Chinese (or any Asian language) further through structured lessons check in with our forum to get feedback from others who have already given it a go. Go to our Far East Travel Forum for all the answers.
If you’re heading on a trip round the Far East it’s unlikely that you’ll speak any of the native languages before you leave. There are literally hundreds of different languages in the region, and several countries have many different languages or regional dialects. Fortunately for the English native, the second language of choice in many places is English. So in major cities and the main tourist centres you will be able to get by with English.
If you like a challenge and want to try to learn an Asian language, Mandarin would be the natural choice. There are about a billion native speakers, making it the most spoken language in the world. However, it should be noted that Chinese is officially one of the hardest languages in the world to learn, mostly because the written form has so many variations that take years to master.
Obviously you can take your Chinese as far as you desire, but these recommended books and audio products will get you off the ground as quickly as possible.
If you like a challenge and want to try to learn an Asian language, Mandarin would be the natural choice. There are about a billion native speakers, making it the most spoken language in the world. However, it should be noted that Chinese is officially one of the hardest languages in the world to learn, mostly because the written form has so many variations that take years to master.
Obviously you can take your Chinese as far as you desire, but these recommended books and audio products will get you off the ground as quickly as possible.
1. 'Speaking Colloquial Chinese'
Best For: Learning the basics as quickly as possible. Speaking and listening so you can understand and say basic phrases.
Reading and writing Chinese is even harder than leanring to speak and understand. This audio course concentrates on getting you off the ground so you can learn to speak some basic phrases and understand some responses. Exchanging a few friendly words with the locals will certainly be very rewarding for a traveller to China.
Note: The accompanying book is sold separately. If you only want to buy one product, the audio CD is certainly preferable, however both the book and CD would be ideal.
Best For: Learning the basics as quickly as possible. Speaking and listening so you can understand and say basic phrases.
Reading and writing Chinese is even harder than leanring to speak and understand. This audio course concentrates on getting you off the ground so you can learn to speak some basic phrases and understand some responses. Exchanging a few friendly words with the locals will certainly be very rewarding for a traveller to China.
Note: The accompanying book is sold separately. If you only want to buy one product, the audio CD is certainly preferable, however both the book and CD would be ideal.
2. Lonely Planet China
Best For: Basic guide to symbols.
Whilst this won't have you leafing through the Guang Ming Daily News, it certainly provides some very useful information on some common Chinese symbols. It's simple to follow and will certainly reduce the need for too much sign language and animal noises. As it's also a very good China guide book, this is a must buy for those heading to China.
Best For: Basic guide to symbols.
Whilst this won't have you leafing through the Guang Ming Daily News, it certainly provides some very useful information on some common Chinese symbols. It's simple to follow and will certainly reduce the need for too much sign language and animal noises. As it's also a very good China guide book, this is a must buy for those heading to China.
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