Print Page | Close Window

Dear God - the tonals, the tonals! (Chinese)

Printed From: FSI Language Courses
Category: Learning Languages
Forum Name: General Discussion
Forum Discription: Discussion about studying languages using the FSI courses. If you would like to see a specific language forum not listed below, just let us know.
URL: http://fsi-language-courses.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=384
Printed Date: 16 January 2009 at 3:20am


Topic: Dear God - the tonals, the tonals! (Chinese)
Posted By: Poetry
Subject: Dear God - the tonals, the tonals! (Chinese)
Date Posted: 29 April 2007 at 1:00am
Well.  I knew that this was going to be tough.  Picking up another language, after you've passed that magical point somewhere in your late 20's where your brain stops absorbing new concepts and burning them into circuit paths so readily, is just asking for trouble. 
 
However, I want my daughter to learn Chinese, so I need to have at least some knowledge too.  I'm learning a new language at 42.  And not only do I have serious Teflon brain issues where the only way that I learn anything language-related is to repeat it over and over and over again until it burns into long-term memory, but I'm also trying to learn a tonal language.  I'm not truly tone deaf, but I am hyperlexic, so sometimes I'll hear a word and...won't hear it.  Back up, repeat, still can't hear it.  Take a deep breath, focus very intently and cut ALL background noise, repeat the sound, and hear it sort of.  Repeat, ad nauseum. 
 
The FSI tapes on tonals and pronunciation are saving my sanity here.  I'm watching the Big Muzzy tapes (BBC kids' language programs) with my daughter and I swear that Thank you, and 10, are the same word.  I've heard at least 3 different pronunciations of the word for the number 2 in the past few weeks, one Muzzy, one the Chinese pre-school, and another from a coworker.  (I think it might sound like "ar" but we'll see when I get to that tape on the FSI course)  In fact, the entire Chinese language may very well just be composed of the syllables "wa" "shur" and "ne" in different patterns and floating up and down in tone.   ;-)  
 
My daughter gets it easily.  I can see that I'm going to have trouble saying "My, you've really created a lovely dinner here." and having it come out as "My, I'd really like to give your grandmother a massage."
 
I can do this.  Really.  I'm a thinking human being.  I have time.  (well, no I don't, but there is that morning/evening commute.  I like my dance music on the freeway, but maybe it is swapped out for language tapes.  Maybe I should look for Chinese dance music, but chances are it would come from Taiwan.  According to the (Taiwan) Chinese Drama "Devil Beside You" they don't have any music other than headbanger heavy metal in Taiwan.)
 
Too bad it isn't Japanese.  I'm actually picking up chunks of dialogue in Japanese now without taking any language lessons simply by virtue of the fact that I have a serious Asian drama habit and most of my favorites are the Japanese dramas.  Like "Trick" and "Gokusen" and "Kimi wa Petto."
 
--Poetry
  (who is doomed to make faux pas in every language that she meets.  Hide your grandmothers.)



Replies:
Posted By: Poetry
Date Posted: 30 April 2007 at 11:27am
I think my chinese improves when I'm congested after a flu. My voice is higher pitched and nasally right now, yet my tonal pronunciations are definitely getting better. People understand me on the first try.

Those 3 different variations that I was hearing for the same words are --three different variations. That's going to be a problem. I'm not sure which variant is a more standard variant. The Beijing accent is the most sought after. How would I know they are speaking in Beijing accented Chinese?

And I think we'll have to standardize on one. But the Chinese pre-school uses one type of pronunciation (I don't know if this qualifies as a dialect or not) while the Muzzy tapes from BBC uses another.

--Poetry


Posted By: irish
Date Posted: 01 May 2007 at 11:03am
The tones take a little while to get used to but once you've got it you've got it.  The Beijing accent is the standard in Mainland China.  Well, I should say the the standard "putong hua" was modled on the Beijing accent.  You can tell it from other accents, especially the Taiwanese accent, by the "ar" sound that you were talking about ex. the number 2.  In Taiwan and much of south China it is pronounced "er" not "ar".  You will also notice that there is variance in a couple of other sounds such as the zh sound.  An example is the word "zhao3" which can be the verb "to look for", the 3 indicates a low tone as it is described on the FSI course, the "zh " in  Beijing sounds a little like an English "J" in Taiwan and much of southern China they don't use this sound they instead use the "z" sound or "zao3".  I would say that you should definitely pick one accent and go with it.  As for me I chose the Beijing accent and while in Mainland people comment that it sounds very standard.

-------------
"Give up your small ambitions and come with me to win the world."



Print Page | Close Window