Learning The Chinese Language Online For FREE

September 16, 2008

Traditional Martial Arts begs a Traditional Language.

Below, you will find a resource to some excellent Chinese Language Courses that are FREE!

Learn Chinese for your martial art - for free Some Simple Facts Regarding the Chinese Language.
For many years now, the world has been insisting that everyone should speak English. But across the world, countries have provided their young with initiatives to learn other languages also. Yet in recent months, Americans have now come to realize that there is now a need for people to able to speak languages that are more specialized. Certainly the fact is that one language which many schools are now considering including within their curriculum’s, not just in the USA, but around the world is Chinese.

Presently, 1.3 billion people speak Chinese around the world, and of this, 885 million speak Mandarin (the official language of China), which also happens to be the most dominant dialect. Currently in the USA, only 24,000 students (Grades 7 through to 12) are actually studying this language, but their numbers are steadily growing.

However, the biggest problem that many educators in the US are facing when it comes to expanding their Chinese programs, is finding people who are actually qualified to teach it. There are only a few Universities in the USA which offer programs to allow people to train and gain their teacher’s certification in teaching the Chinese language. One University (George Mason) included a program which would allow people to gain their teacher’s certificate for teaching Mandarin, and a total of 2 people enrolled on the course. This is where exchange courses come in useful, and are very critical to helping ensure that this language, along with Arabic, can be taught in US schools.

However for those that are interested in learning the Chinese language, you will find it can be quite difficult. So you need to be prepared to spend a good deal of your spare time, as you will find it will take some time to learn. However here below, we hope to provide you with some useful information that will help you to learn Chinese.

Today, the most standard form of Chinese that is spoken is known as Standard Mandarin, which is based on a dialect spoken in Beijing. It is also the official language now used by the people of China, as well as those in Taiwan, and one of 4 official languages spoken by those people from Singapore.

Also, you will find that this language has now become one of the six official languages used by the United Nations. Another standard language that is spoken by Hong Kong and Macau, which are also part of China, is Standard Cantonese.

Most of the dialects now spoken by the Chinese people will often consist of words spoken by their ancestors, back when China was made up of various different ethnic groups.

It was only after these groups had come together under the Chinese empire, did they start to unite the languages that they spoke.

However, as the Chinese use a standard formal written language, no matter what dialect they speak, often people will regard these dialects as being equal. But in fact, they are like any other country, their own individuals; they just use a standardized form of writing.

It was during the latter part of the 19th Century that Beijing Mandarin became the more standard form of Chinese language to be use. But it was at this time many Chinese did speak variations of Mandarin, though they were very limited.

However, things changed when the education system in China was based on Standard Mandarin, and was to be used as the language for carrying out instructions. Today, nearly every person in mainland China speaks Mandarin.

The challenging part about the Chinese language is being able to comprehend the different spoken dialects. It is important to note that the various different dialects of spoken Chinese use tones. The sound system of the official Mandarin language is relatively simple to master compared with other languages since there are approximately only 400 basic syllables. Chinese is a tonal language, most Chinese syllables are pronounced with one of four tones. The same basic syllable pronounced with different tones can have completely different meanings. Some areas of China (in the North) will only use as many as 3 tones, while in Southern China, they can use between 6 or 10 tones as they speak.

Today, more and more people are looking to learn Mandarin in the Western hemisphere of the world. Up until about 10 years ago, it was proving to be extremely difficult to find someone who could teach others this language.

Back in 1991 there were only 2,000 people taking China’s official Chinese language proficiency test, and this figure had risen to 117,660 by 2005. In fact, the Ministry of Education in China believe that there are over 30 million people around the world who are learning Mandarin.

Chinese writing should be easier to learn since there is only one common written format - Chinese characters, which are used to transfer messages between different dialect speakers.

The following resources will introduce the major features of Chinese, Chinese language groups, dialects and more, provide you with solid understanding of different aspects of Chinese language.

Don’t waste your time and money on high priced courses… Instead, save yourself tons of time and money by learning Chinese the quick and easy way!

The Quick and Easy Beginners Guides to Learning Chinese

1. Free Beginner’s ‘Introduction to Mandarin’ Tutorial.
Ready to Learn Chinese, but not sure where to start? Then you’re in luck! Our free “Introduction to Mandarin Chinese” tutorial is going to give you a broad foundational grasp of the principles behind Mandarin Chinese, just as it’s been doing for tens of thousands of other visitors since 1998. You will also find free down loadable flash card programs for your PC or lap top or palm held.

After you have finished the Introduction to Mandarin Chinese Tutorial—with introductory units on Chinese pronunciation, characters and grammar—you’ll probably be looking for some other resources on the Web to continue your Chinese language studies.

For the independent language student, HERE are some of the best free sites we’ve found for helping you learn Chinese fast, as well as some other resources of interest to Chinese as a second language learners.

2. Standard Chinese: A Modular Approach
This course is designed to give a practical command of spoken Standard Chinese. Nine situational modules form the core of the course. Each core module consists of tapes, a student textbook, and a workbook. In addition to the core modules, there is a resource module and eight optional modules.

Altogether, these modules give total beginners a considerable amount of information for practical situations that you actually encounter in your average day while traveling, studying or working in China or Taiwan.

Here is the outline of the course. The outline shows some modules that were never developed: there is no text for Module 9, there is no optional module for Institutions and Organizations, and there is no Module 10.

FSI is an acronym for the Foreign Service Institute, “the (US) Federal Government’s primary training institution for officers and support personnel of the U.S. foreign affairs community”.
Over the years, the FSI has researched, designed and taught language courses to Foreign Service staff and diplomats. These courses are now available and licensed to the Public Domain.

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