Mandarin class at Swansea College

Here is a really useful on-line dictionary. You can use it to translate from english to pinyin or the other way around. You can also type in pinyin and it will convert to characters and show you how the character is formed with strokes. With a bit of patience you can type in a phrase in english, translate it to pinyin and characters and then "cut & paste" into a document. We've u...

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Dictionaries. As an old stager,.I thought some of the newcomers might find my experience useful, No doubt others have different ideas.
The first dictionary I turn to is usually
Oxford beginners Chinese dictionary. This is reasonably comprehensive; although I wish it were a little more so, especially the Chinese to English part. It gives quite a few example sentences using the word t...

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Chinese Characters
While you can get quite a way using pinyin, for example you can survive on this introductory course, eventually you will probably find it frustrating without learning to recognise some Chinese characters. The problem is that many pinyin words, even when restricted to a particular tone, may correspond to a dozen or so different characters: you soon start asking yourself “w...

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So you are giving the brain plenty of exercise by studying Mandarin. Are you execising the body too? As a registered student you can get an annual subscription, for only £10, to the nice little fitness centre at the Tycoch campus of Swansea College. This entitles you to use the centre at off-peak times (Monday to Friday 7.00 to 16.30, Term time only). I go at 7.00, 3 or 4 days a week.
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Dictionaries are very useful if you want to find a particular word and learn how to use it. However, to learn vocabulary effectively it is often better to have material collected together by subject (food, at the airport etc.). Many people find it helps to have some pretty pictures to help identify and remember the words. A few people on the course have got, or have seen,

Heather A...

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Confucius ( 孔夫子 - pinyin Kǒng Fūzǐ)

here is a guy with an illustrious ancestor

http://torchrelay.beijing2008.cn/en/journey/qufu/photos/n214467053.shtml


Alan

Hi,

Chinglish - Hilarious examples of signs lost in translation

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-497544/Chinglish-Hilarious-examples-signs-lost-translation.html

http://pure-essence.net/2007/11/10/chinglish/

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It is quite hard to learn a tonal language when your first language does not use tones. The only way to get used to it is by practicing, i guess. Tongue twister is thought to be useful in that perspective. Check out our website please since i will put a few tongue twister exercises on it tomorrow.http://swanseamandarin.jimdo.com/readings.php