Posts tagged beginner

A) Introduction

• 端午节就快到了，今年的端午节是六月六日星期一。每年的这个时候，各式各样诱人的粽子广告每每让人不被吸引也难，今天我们就来聊聊美味的粽子话题吧！
• 端午節就快到了，今年的端午節是六月六日星期一。每年的這個時候，各色各樣誘人的粽子廣告每每讓人不被吸引也難，今天我們就來聊聊美味的粽子話題吧！
• Duānwǔjié jiù kāndào le, jīnnián de Duānwǔjié shì liù yuè liù rì xīngqīyī. měi nián de zhègè shíhòu, gèshìgèyàng yòurén de zòngzi guǎnggào měi měi ràng rén bú bèi xīyǐn yě nán. jīntiān wǒmen jiù lái liáo liáo měi wèi de zòngzi huàtí ba!
• The Dragon boast festival (or Duanwu Festival) is coming soon, this year, it will be on Monday, 6th June. Around this time every year, there are all sort of tantalising ” Zongzi”adverts which makes it impossible for anyone not to get tempted by. So today, let’s talk about this delicious topic of Zongzi!

B) 生词表 | 生詞表 Vocabulary 

1. 端午节 | 端午節 Duānwǔjié = Dragon boat festival
2. 粽子 | 粽子 zòngzi =  a big dumpling made of glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves
3. 话题 | 話題 huàtí = topic
4. 包粽子 | 包粽子 bāo zòngzi = the making/wrapping of Zongzi
5. 内馅 | 內餡 nèi xiàn = the stuffing inside
6. 甜粽 | 甜粽  tián  zòng = sweet flavoured Zongzi
7. 咸粽 | 鹹粽 xián  zòng = savory flavoured Zongzi

C) 对话练习 | 對話練習 Dialogue

(Simplified, Traditional, PinYin & English)

小明 (xiǎo míng)

• Susan，你知道端午节就快到了吗？
• Susan，你知道端午節就快到了嗎？
• Susan，nǐ zhīdào Duānwǔjié jiù kuài dào le ma?
• Susan, do you know the Dragon boat festival is coming soon?

Susan

• 当然喽，我今年已经收到超过10颗的粽子了！
• 當然嘍，我今年已經收到超過10顆的粽子了！
• dāngrán lóu, wǒ jīnnián yǐjīng shōudào chāoguò 10 kē de zòngzi le!
• Of course, I have already received over 10 zongzi!

小明

• 真的吗？所以你不用担心今年吃不到粽子了。
• 真的嗎？所以你不用擔心今年吃不到粽子了。
• zhēnde ma? suǒyǐ nǐ búyòng dānxīn jīnnián chī búdào zòngzi le.
• Really? So you don’t need to worry about not eating any zongzi this year.

Susan

• 是啊，不过，我最开心的是今年收到的粽子跟往年收到的不太一样，是中国的北方粽。
• 是啊，不過，我最開心的是今年收到的粽子跟往年收到的不太一樣，是中國的北方粽。
• shì a, búguò, wǒ zuì kāixīn de shì jīnnián shōudào de zòngzi gēn wǎng nián shōudào de bú tài yīyàng, shì Zhōngguó de běifāng zòng.
• Indeed. But, I am most happy about receiving the different kind of zongzi this year compare to previous years, they are the type of zongzi from northern China. 

小明

• 有什么不同吗？
• 有什麼不同嗎？
• yǒu shénme bùtóng ma?
• Do they have any differences?

Susan

• 听我的中国朋友说，中国的粽子分为北方粽和南方粽。除了包粽子的叶子不一样之外，内馅也有不同。
• 聽我的中國朋友說，中國的粽子分為北方粽和南方粽。除了包粽子的葉子不一樣之外，內餡也有不同。                According to tīng wǒde Zhōngguó péngyou shuō, Zhōngguó de zòngzi fēn wéi běifāng zòng hé nánfāng zòng. chúle bāo zòngzi de yèzi bù yīyàng zhī wài, nèi xiàn yě yǒu bùtóng.
• my Chinese friends, Chinese zongzi are divided to the northern zongzi, and the southern zongzi. Other than the fact that they are wrapped using different leaves, the stuffing inside are different too.

小明

• 哦，我想起来了，北方粽看起来比较细长，南方粽则是属于三角形的。
• 哦，我想起來了，北方粽看起來比較細長，南方粽則是屬於三角形的。
• ó, wǒ xiǎngqǐ lái le, běifāng zòng kànqǐlái bǐjiào xì cháng, nánfāng zòng zé shì shǔyú sānjiǎo xíng de.
• Oh, I remembered now, the northen type looks more narrow and long, whereas the southen type are more of a triangular shape.

Susan

• 还有啊，北方粽大多以甜味为主，而南方粽就有甜有咸了。
• 還有啊，北方粽大多以甜味為主，而南方粽就有甜有鹹了。
• háiyǒu ā , běifāng zòng dàduō yǐ tiánwèi wéizhǔ, ér nánfāng zòng jiù yǒu tián yǒu xián le.
• In addition, zonzi from the north are mainly with sweet flavour, but the southern zongzi have sweet flavour and savoury flavour.

小明

• 我记得你是个偏爱甜食的人，难怪你那么高兴今年收到北方粽。
• 我記得你是個偏愛甜食的人，難怪你那麼高興今年收到北方粽。
• wǒ jìde nǐ shì gè piān’ài tiánshí  de rén, nánguài nǐ nàme gāoxìng jīnnián shōudào běifāng zòng.
• I remember you are the kind of person who prefers sweet food, no wonder you are so happy about receiving the northern zongzi.

Susan

• 被你猜中了，我等不及要好好来品尝一下美味的甜粽了!
• 被你猜對了，我等不及要好好來品嚐一下美味的甜粽了！
• bèi nǐ cāi zhōng le, wǒ děng bù jí yàohǎo hǎo lái pǐncháng yīxià měi wèi de tián zòng le!
• You got that right, I cannot wait to taste those delicious sweet zongzi!

D) 其他相關的資料連結 Links to other related information

If you are interested to learn how zongzi are being made (or even learn to do them yourself), try to follow the steps from one of the videos below :)

1. Making a xian zong (salty or savory zongzi)
2. Making a sweet zong (red bean paste zongzi)
3. A  short video showcasing a wide variety of zongzi (yummy!)

Sheila from ChineseTeachers.com

When teaching Mandarin in Beijing I found it always crucial to enhance my students’ motivation for learning Mandarin. Even though the adult students normally chose to learn Mandarin without pressures from other people they may still have the problem of lacking intrinsic motivation. Their motivation to learn Mandarin might be extrinsic motivation, rather than intrinsic motivation. For instance, they may want to learn Mandarin because they need to use it in their business or work, so they are not attracted by the language per se. However, external rewards are not enough to maintain students’ motivation for learning Mandarin, since it is such a long journey that normally demands years of continuous learning and practice. Thus, it is important for Mandarin teachers and students to know some strategies of enhancing intrinsic motivation. The following paragraphs will be devoted to discuss four steps in this aspect and they are dependent on Dornyei’s (2001) research of ‘framework for motivational strategies’. 

(a) Creating the basic motivational conditions

This involves setting the scene for the effective use of motivational strategies’ (Dornyei, 2001). The most essential conditions are as follows: appropriate teacher behaviours and a good relationship (e.g. mutual trust relationship) with the students; a pleasant and supportive atmosphere.

Teachers need to show their own enthusiasm in Mandarin and their job as a Mandarin teacher to students. It is almost impossible for students to be motivated by a teacher who is not motivated in learning, using and teaching Mandarin. In addition, it is always great for teachers and students to have a mutual trust relationship. A safe and supportive atmosphere is of importance in satisfying students’ needs for safety and belongingness, which are essential according to the hierarchy of needs theory. 

(b) Generating student motivation

This includes the following approaches: enhancing the learners’ language-related values and attitudes; increasing the learners’ ‘goal-orientedness’; making the curriculum relevant for the learners; creating realistic learner beliefs (Dornyei, 2001).

Since all the contents that students are learning are designed by others rather than the learners it is understandable that many, if not most, learners are not intrinsically motivated to learn L2 (second language) (Brophy, 1998; Dornyei, 2001). This implies that teachers need to play an active role in generating students’ motivation. In order for an individual to perform a particular behaviour he or she needs to see the value in that behaviour. In doing so teachers are recommended ‘to arouse the students’ curiosity and attention, and to create an attractive image for the course’ (Eccles & Wigfield, 1995). When learners are in a higher level of language skills authentic materials should be considered as well, so that the integrativeness dimension of value could be identified by L2 learners (Eccles & Wigfield, 1995). In terms of increasing the learners’ goal-orientedness, teachers are advised to initiate a discussion with learners so as to set explicit group goals (Dornyei, 2001). It might be beneficial for the learners to have ‘a sense of direction’. When it comes to ‘making the curriculum relevant for the learners’, Dornyei (2001) suggests teachers find out learners’ goals and the topics they want to learn, and build these into the curriculum as much as possible. He points out that ‘students are not motivated to learn unless they regard the material they are taught as worth learning’ (Dornyei, 2001).

(c) Maintaining and protecting motivation

Five approaches are recommended: setting ‘proximal subgoals’; improving the quality of the learning experience; increasing the learner’s self-confidence; creating learner autonomy; promoting self-motivating learner strategies (Dornyei, 2001).

Under the hierarchy of these strategies there are some detailed methods that are of significance in guiding practice. Among them two issues are specially highlighted by Dornyei (2001): increasing the intrinsic enjoyment of participating in learning tasks; and enhancing the learners’ social image. It is important for teachers to know that ‘intrinsic enjoyment’ is not simply equal to ‘interesting activities’. According to previous research many steps could be taken. For instance, Mandarin teachers could try to make tasks different and challenging so as to satisfy the learners’ need for novel elements in tasks. Some teachers argue that it is not proper to make tasks challenging, because they are too worried about disappointing students. However, what really matters is to what extent the tasks should be challenging. As long as tasks are not too challenging or too easy, students would not be disappointed and their motivation would not be undermined. In addition, the social dimension should be considered as a key element in motivating L2 learners. Maintaining face is very crucial not only for school children but also for adult learners. It is suggested that every learner should have opportunities to play a key role in different ways. For example, some tasks could be designed for students to show their specific strengths and expertise. This can be effective because it is helpful in enhancing L2 learners’ self-worth, which is an essential psychological need for human beings. 

According to my own experience, a proper extent of autonomy for adult learners is really essential for the enhancement of intrinsic motivation. Students need to be self-determined in their own learning and sometimes teachers need to change their roles and be a ‘tour guide’ in their students’ journey of exploring the beauty of Mandarin. Teachers just have to find out some useful resources for students and it is the students’ own responsibility to utilise them after class. No teacher could possibly learn the language on behalf of students. When students feel that they have more control on their learning they could become more intrinsically motivated.

(d) Encouraging positive self-evaluation

According to research findings, three approaches are of importance here: promoting attributions to effort rather than to ability; providing motivational feedback; increasing learner satisfaction and offering proper rewards in proper times (Dornyei, 2001).

The strategy of promoting attribution to effort rather than ability was put into use in teaching practice by Spaulding (1992) and Covington and Teel (1996). The strategy has been proved to be successful by these researchers and L2 teachers. Covington and Teel (1996) have differentiated two terms—’ability game’ and ‘equity game’. ‘Ability game’ in the education context has a negative impact on students’ self-evaluation and self-worth, because it makes students perceive learning as an approach to demonstrate their inborn abilities (Covington & Teel, 1996). Very few learners could keep winning all the ‘games’ all the time. That means the ‘ability game’ model makes the majority of learners feel bad about their abilities. Whereas the ‘equity game’ makes learners feel they are successful because it creates opportunities for all students to have their own way of approaching progress. This kind of ‘game’ encourages students to focus on their own efforts to their own goals of success rather than competing against each other (Spaulding, 1992). 

With regard to ‘motivational feedback’, teachers are encouraged to give learners ‘informational feedback which comments on progress and competence’ instead of ‘controlling feedback which judges performance against external standards’ (Brophy & Good, 1986). It is noteworthy that teachers should be cautious about some feedback that looks positive, such as: communicating pity instead of anger after failure; the offering of praise after success in easy tasks; unsolicited offers of help (particularly ‘gratuitous help’ such as supplying answers outright) (Dornyei, 2001).

When it comes to ‘learner satisfaction and the question of rewards and grades’, the issue is of controversy. The research on extrinsic and intrinsic motivation indicated that extrinsic rewards often undermine intrinsic motivation and therefore should be avoided. However, according to recent research extrinsic motivation could also be effective as long as it is being ‘sufficiently internalised’ (Deci & Ryan, 2000; Dornyei, 2001). This has been discussed in detail in Chapter 2. It is not the question of whether to use extrinsic rewards or not but the question of contents of the rewards and the way they are given to students. Brophy (1998) asserted that effective rewards should have these characteristics: high salience, that is, they are very attractive and are presented in a highly conspicuous manner; non-contingency, that is, the rewards are given for participating in the activity rather than being contingent on achieving specific goals; unnatural/unusual, that is, the rewards are not natural outcomes of the behaviours but are artificial control devices.

In this article we have briefly discussed some approaches to intrinsically motivate learners of Mandarin Chinese. Of course, these approaches are not exhaustive and other teachers and researchers might have their own effective approaches. All suggestions and discussions on this issue are welcome and appreciated!

References

• Brophy, JE (1998) Motivating students to learn, Boston: McGraw-Hill 
• Brophy, JE & Good, TL (1986) Teacher behaviour and student achievement. In Wittrock MC (ed.) Handbook of research on teaching. 3rd edition. Macmillan, New York pp328–75
• Covington, MV & Teel, KM (1996) Overcoming student failure: changing motives and incentives for learning, Washington: American Psychological Association
• Deci, EL & Ryan, RM (2000) Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: Classic definitions and new directions, Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25, pp54–67
• Dornyei, Z (2001) Teaching and researching motivation. Harlow: Longman
• Eccles, J. S., & Wigfield, A. (1995) In the mind of the actor: The structure of adolescents’ achievement task values and expectancy-related beliefs. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 21, 215-225.
• Spaulding, CL (1992) Motivation in the classroom. New York: McGraw-Hill

Zeng Bin from ChineseTeachers.com

A. 生词表 / 生詞表　Vocabulary 

1. 几 /  幾　      jǐ                          what, how many
2. 号 / 號　       hào                     date     
3. 月 /月　        yuè                     month, moon
4. 日 /日　        rì                         date/day
5. 星期 /星期   xīng qī                 week
6. 昨天 / 昨天  zuó tiān               yesterday
7. 今天 /今天　jīn tiān                today
8. 明天 / 明天  míng tiān            tomorrow
9. 白天 / 白天   bái tiān               day time
10. 上午/ 上午  shàng wǔ          morning
11. 下午/ 下午  xià wǔ                afternoon
12. 生日 / 生日 shēng rì             birthday
13. 岁 / 歲　     suì                      age
14. 一月 / 一月    yī yuè              January
15. 二月 / 二月　èr yuè              February
16. 三月 / 三月　sān yuè           March
17. 四月 / 四月　sìyuè               April
18. 星期一 / 星期一    xīng qī yī        Monday
19. 星期二 / 星期二　xīng qī èr        Tuesday
20. 星期三 / 星期三    xīng qī sān     Wednesday
21. 星期四 / 星期四    xīng qī sì         Tursday
22. 星期五 / 星期五    xīng qī wǔ       Friday
23. 星期六 / 星期六    xīng qī liù        Saturday
24. 星期日 / 星期日    xīng qī rì          Sunday

-

B. 例句 Sample Sentences

1、

• 今天几号？
• 今天幾號？
• jīntiān jǐ hào?
• What date is today?

-

• 今天五号（八号/十号/十五号/二十一号/三十号）。
• 今天五號（八號/十號/十五號/二十一號/三十號）。
• jīntiān wǔ hào (bā hào /shí hào /shíwǔ hǎo /èrshí yī hào /sānshí hào ).
• Today is the 5th (8th/10th/15th/21st/30th)

2、

• 今天几月几号？
• 今天幾月幾號？
• jīntiān jǐ yuè jǐ hào?
• Which month and date is today?

-

• 今天五月一号（五月十号/六月二十五号/十二月三十一号）
• 今天五月一號（五月十號/六月二十五號/十二月三十一號）
• jīntiān wǔyuè yī hào (wǔyuè shí hào /liù yuè èrshíwǔ hào /shíèr yuè sānshíyī hào)
• Today is the 1st of May (10th of May/25th of June/31st of December)

3、

• 今天星期几？
• 今天星期幾？
• jīntiān xīngqī jǐ?
• Which day is today?

-

• 今天星期四（星期一/星期二/星期六/星期日）。
• 今天星期四（星期一/星期二/星期六/星期日）。
• jīntiān xīngqīsì (xīng qī yī /xīng qī èr /xīng qī liù /xīng qī rì).
• Today is Thurdsay (Monday/Tuesday/Saturday/Sunday)

4、

• 你的生日是几月几号？
• 你的生日是幾月幾號？
• nǐ de shēngrì shì jǐ yuè jǐ hào ?
• Your birthday is which date of which month?

-

• 我的生日是十二月一号。
• 我的生日是十二月一號。
• wǒ de shēngrì shì shíèr yuèyī hào.
• My birthday is the 1st of December

5、

• 晚上你做什么？
• 晚上你做什麼？
• wǎnshang nǐ zuò shénme?
• What do you do in the evening?

-

• 我晚上看电视。
• 我晚上看電視。
• wǒ wǎnshang kàn diànshì.
• I watch TV in the evening

6、

• 明天你做什么？
• 明天你做什麼？
• míngtiān nǐ zuò shénme?
• What do you do tomorrow?

-

• 明天我去爬山。
• 明天我去爬山。
• míngtiān wǒ qù páshān.
• Tomorrow I am going hiking

7、

• 星期天你有时间吗？
• 星期天你有時間嗎？
• xīngqītiān nǐ yǒu shíjiān ma?
• Do you have time on Sunday?

-

• 没有时间。明天我有很多工作，很忙。
• 沒有時間。明天我有很多工作，很忙。
• méiyǒu shíjiān. míngtiān wǒ yǒu hěn duōgōng zuò, hěn máng.
• No time. Tomorrow I have a lot of work, very busy.

-

C. 对话练习 /  Dialogue

-

• 玛丽：今天几号？
• 瑪麗：今天幾號？
• Mary: jǐ tiān jǐ hào?
• Mary: What date is today?

-

• 大卫：今天五月五号。
• 大衛：今天五月五號。
• David: jīntiān wǔyuè wǔ hào.
• David: today is the 5th of May

-

• 玛丽：今天星期几？
• 瑪麗：今天星期幾？
• Mary: jīntiān xīngqī jǐ?
• Mary: Which day of the week is today?

-

• 大卫：今天星期四。
• 大衛：今天星期四。
• David: jīntiān xīngqīsì.
• David: Today is Thusday

-

• 玛丽：晚上你做什么？
• 瑪麗：晚上你做什麼？
• Mary: wǎnshang nǐ zuò shénme?
• Mary: What do you do in the evening?

-

• 大卫：晚上我学中文。你呢？
• 大衛：晚上我學中文。你呢？
• David: wǎnshang wǒ xué zhōngwén. nǐ ne?
• David: In the evening I study Chinese, you?

-

• 玛丽：我看电视。
• 瑪麗：我看電視。
• Mary: wǒ  kàn diànshì.
• Mary: I watch TV.

-

Dan from ChineseTeachers.com

[一聲]＋[一聲]／[一声]＋[一声]／[yī shēng]＋[yī shēng]／1st tone with 1st tone

1. 今天／jīn tiān／today

2. 開心／开心／kāixīn／happy

3. 聽說／听说／tīng shuō／to hear of

4. 開車／开车／kāi chē／to drive

5. 書桌／书桌／shū zhuō／a reading desk

6. 交通／jiāotōng／traffic

7. 飛機／飞机／fēijī／airplane

8. 司機／司机／sījī/driver

9. 公司／gōngsī／company, corporation

10. 西瓜／xī guā／water melon

[一聲]＋[二聲]／[一声]＋[二声]／[yī shēng]＋[èr shēng]／1st tone with 2nd tone

1. 非常／fēicháng／very

2. 星期／xīngqí／week

3. 英文／yīng wén／English

4. 中國／中国／Zhōngguó／China

5. 吃糖／chī táng／to eat candy

6. 當然／当然／dāngrán／of course

7. 開門／开门／kāi mén／to open the door

8. 出來／出来／chū lái／to come out

9. 出門／出门／chūmén／to go out

10. 休息／xiūxí／to rest

[一聲]＋[三聲]／[一声]＋[三声]／[yī shēng]＋[sān shēng]／1st tone with 3rd tone

1. 多少／duō shǎo／how much

2. 喝水／hē shuǐ／to drink water

3. 書法／书法／shūfǎ／calligraphy

4. 出口／chū kǒu／exit

5. 風景／风景／fēng jǐng／scenery

6. 開始／开始／kāi shǐ／to start

7. 清楚／qīngchǔ／clear

8. 恭喜／gōngxǐ／congratulation

9. 機場／机场／jī chǎng／airport

10. 招手／zhāo shǒu／to wave (hand)

[一聲]＋[四聲]／[一声]＋[四声]／[yī shēng]＋[sì shēng]／1st tone with 4th tone

1. 吃飯／吃饭／chī fàn／to have a meal

2. 天氣／天气／tiān qì／weather

3. 知道／zhīdào／to know

4. 因為／因为／yīn wèi／because

5. 書店／书店／shū diàn／book store

6. 方便／fāngbiàn／convenient

7. 生病／shēngbìng／to be sick

8. 週末／周末／zhōu mò／weekend

9. 乾淨／乾净／gān jìng／clean

10. 高興／高兴／gāo xìng／happy

[二聲]＋[一聲]／[二声]＋[一声]／[èr shēng ]＋[yī shēng ]／2nd tone with 1st tone

1. 學生／学生／xuéshēng／student

2. 台灣／台湾／Táiwān／Taiwan

3. 國家／国家／guójiā／country

4. 年輕／年轻／nián qīng／young

5. 旁邊／旁边／páng biān／aside

6. 門窗／门窗／mén chuāng／door and window

7. 昨天／zuó tiān／yesterday

8. 停車／停车／tíng chē／to park

9. 時間／时间／shí jiān／time

10. 離開／离开／líkāi／to leave

[二聲]＋[二聲]／[二声]＋[二声]／[èr shēng]＋[èr shēng]／2nd tone with 2nd tone

1. 沒錢／没钱／méi qián／to have no money

2. 德國／德国／Déguó／Germany

3. 同學／同学／tóng xué／classmate

4. 回來／回来／huí lái／to come back

5. 明年／míng nián／next year

6. 平常／píng cháng／normally

7. 原來／原来／yuán lái／actually

8. 銀行／银行／yínháng／bank

9. 紅茶／红茶／hóng chá／black tea

10. 麻煩／麻烦／má fán／trouble

[二聲]＋[三聲]／[二声]＋[三声]／[èr shēng]＋[sān shēng]／2nd tone with 3rd tone

1. 沒有／méi yǒu／to have not

2. 啤酒／píjiǔ／beer

3. 朋友／péngyǒu／friend

4. 游泳／yóuyǒng／to swim

5. 糖果／tángguǒ／candy

6. 還好／还好／hái hǎo／so-so

7. 滑雪／huáxuě／to ski

8. 甜點／甜点／tián diǎn／dessert

9. 而且／érqiě／and

10. 騎馬／骑马／qímǎ／to ride a horse

[二聲]＋[四聲]／[二声]＋[四声]／[èr shēng ]＋[sì shēng ]／2nd tone with 4th tone

1. 不錯／不错／bú cuò／not bad

2. 容易／róngyì／easy

3. 難看／难看／nán kàn／bad looking

4. 還是／还是／hái shì／or

5. 樓上／楼上／lóu shàng／up stair

6. 前面／qián miàn／in front

7. 城市／chéngshì／city

8. 然後／然后／rán hòu／and then

9. 不用／bú yòng／to need not

10. 顏色／颜色／yánsè／color

Coming up more tone exercises with vocabularies starting with third and forth tones.

Daphnée from ChineseTeachers.com

A. 生詞表 Vocabulary (traditional/simplified/pinyin/English)

1. 聊天   liáo tiān - to chat
2. 雞茶飯 / 鸡茶饭    jī chá fàn - chicken rice with tea flavor  
3. 龍井 / 龙井     longjing - It is a kind of green tea 
4. 習慣 / 习惯 xí guàn - a habit
5. 珍珠   zhēn zhū -  a pearl
6. 飲料 / 饮料  yǐn liào - a beverage
7. 瘋迷 / 疯迷  fēng mí - crazy about something
8. 嚼勁 / 嚼劲   jué jìn - chewy
9. 粉糰 / 粉团 fěn tuán - dough
10. 取經 / 取经 qǔ jīng - to learn from someone else

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B. 對話練習 Dialogue

A:

• 你喝杯茶吧?
• 你喝杯茶吧?
• nǐ hē bēi chá ba
• Do you want to drink a cup of tea?

B:

• 好啊!我們今天喝什麼茶? 
• 好啊!我们今天喝什么茶?
• hǎo a wǒ men jīn tiān hē shén me chá
• Good! What kind of tea are we going to have today?

A:

• 我有青茶，綠茶和香片。
• 我有青茶，绿茶和香片
• wǒ yǒu qīng chá lǜ chá hàn xiāng piàn
• I have Oolong, Green tea and Jasmine tea

B:

• 青茶跟綠茶有什麼不一樣?
• 青茶跟绿茶有什么不一样?
• qīng chá gēn lǜ chá yǒu shén me bù yí yàng
• What is the difference between Oolong and Green tea

A:

• 青山的青與綠色的綠雖然都是綠色的意思，但是青茶是指烏龍茶，茶水色澤較深，綠茶茶色比較淡。香片是花茶的一種，它有茉莉花的香味。
• 青山的青与绿色的绿虽然都是绿色的意思，但是青茶是指乌龙茶，茶水色泽较深，绿茶茶色比较淡。香片是花茶的一种，它有茉莉花的香味。
• qīng shān de qīng yǔ lǜ sè de lǜ suī rán dōu shì lǜ sè de yì sī dàn shì qīng chá shì zhǐ wū lóng chá     chá shuǐ sè zé jiào shēn lǜ chá chá sè bǐ jiào dàn      xiāng piàn shì huā chá de yì zhǒng tā yǒu mò lì huā de xiāng wèi
• Although a green hill and a color of green are the same color, qīng chá is Oolong tea. The tea of Oolong is dark brown, and the water of green tea is ginger ale color. Jasmine tea is flowery scented tea. 

B:

• 我們喝點兒綠茶吧!
• 我们喝点儿绿茶吧!
• wǒ men hē diǎn ēr lǜ chá ba
• How about we drink some green tea!

A:

• 你知道茶葉也可以入菜?
• 你知道茶叶也可以入菜?
• nǐ zhī dào chá yè yě kě yǐ rù cài
• Do you know that Chinese dishes can also have tea flavor

B:

• 是嗎?
• 是吗?
• shì ma?
• Really?

A:

• 今天午餐我們吃雞茶飯和龍井蝦仁外加一顆茶葉蛋，如何?
• 今天午餐我们吃鸡茶饭和龙井虾仁外加一颗茶叶蛋，如何?
• jīn tiān wǔ cān wǒ men chī jī chá fàn hàn lóng jǐng xiā rén wài jiā yì kē chá yè dàn    rú hé
• Let’s have chicken rice with tea leaves, longjing shrimp and adding a boiled egg with tea leaves for lunch. How about that?

B:

• 太好了!
• 太好了!
• tài hǎo le
• It is fantastic

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C. 閱讀文章 Reading Exercise

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喝茶不只是中國人的習慣，很多外國人也喜歡喝茶，如英國人或印度人。紅茶裡加入牛奶就是奶茶，這是大家都知道的飲料。可是當台灣人在奶茶裡加入珍珠，它叫做珍珠奶茶。這種飲料瘋迷世界好多年，像紐約等有中國人的地方都可以喝得到。珍珠是一種非常有嚼勁的小粉糰，它是地瓜粉加上小水滴揉合成的小顆粒，經過水煮就成為十分有嚼勁的粉圓。粉圓就是真珠。最近我看報紙上說，在紐約工作的英國銀行家，因為回倫敦沒法喝到這種飲料，特別到台灣取經八個禮拜，在倫敦開了第一家台灣珍珠奶茶店。

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喝茶不只是中国人的习惯，很多外国人也喜欢喝茶，如英国人或印度人。红茶里加入牛奶就是奶茶，这是大家都知道的饮料。可是当台湾人在奶茶里加入珍珠，它叫做珍珠奶茶。这种饮料疯迷世界好多年，像纽约等有中国人的地方都可以喝得到。珍珠是一种非常有嚼劲的小粉团，它是地瓜粉加上小水滴揉合成的小颗粒，经过水煮就成为十分有嚼劲的粉圆。粉圆就是珍珠。最近我看报纸上说，在纽约工作的英国银行家，因为回伦敦没法喝到这种饮料，特别到台湾取经八个礼拜，在伦敦开了第一家台湾珍珠奶茶店。。

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hē chá bùzǐ shì zhōngguórén de xíguàn, hěnduō wàiguórén yě xǐhuān hē chá, rú yīngguórén huò yìndùrén. hóngchá lǐ jiārù niúnǎi jiùshì nǎi chá, zhè shì dàjiā dōu zhīdào de yǐnliào. kěshì dāng Táiwān rén zài nǎi chá lǐ jiārù zhēnzhū, tā jiàozuò zhēn zhū nǎi chá. zhè zhǒng yǐnliào fēng mí shìjiè hǎoduō nián, xiàng Niǔyuē děng yǒu zhōngguórén de dìfāng dōu kěyǐ hē dédào. zhēn zhū shì yī zhǒng fēicháng yǒu jiáo jìn de xiǎo fěn tuán, tā shì dì guā fěn jiāshàng xiǎo shuìdī róu héchéng de xiǎo kēlì, jīngguò shuǐ zhǔ jiù chéngwéi shífēn yǒu jiáo jìng de fěn yuán. fěn yuán jiùshì zhēn zhū. zuìjìn wǒ kàn bàozhǐ shàng shuō, zài Niǔyuē gōngzuò de Yīngguó yínhángjiā, yīnwei huí lúndūn méi fǎ hēdào zhè zhǒng yǐnliào, tèbié dào Táiwān qǔjīng bā gè lǐbài, zài lúndūn kāi le dìyī jiā Táiwān zhēnzhū nǎi chá diàn

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It is not only a habit of Chinese people but also a habit of foreigner like to drink tea for instance the British or Indian. A black tea mixed with milk is called milk tea. Everybody knows black tea is a beverage, but Taiwan people created black tea with pearl. This is known as bubble tea in Taiwan and the soft drink has been addicted in the world for several years. Where the china town is, bubble tea can be bought. The small dough like pearl is very chewy. It is mixed by the powder of sweet potato and small eye drops. Small pearl balls are boiled with water and also are called pearl tapioca.

Recently, I read an article about a banker, who had worked in New York, was back to London because couldn’t find bubble tea. So, he had visited Taiwan for eight weeks in order to learn how to make a bubble tea. After he had been back to London, he opened a first Taiwan bubble tea’s shop in London. 

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Iris from ChineseTeachers.com

生詞表 Vocabulary

1. 春天  chūntiān - spring
2. 四季 sìjì - four seasons
3. 白白靄雪 / 白白霭雪 báibái ǎi xuě - full of white snow
4. 告別 gàobié - goodbye
5. 迎接 yíngjiē - welcome
6. 春暖花開 / 春暖花开 chūn nuǎn huākāi - spring bloom
7. 生意盎然 shēngyì àngrán - full of life
8. 時節 / 时节 shíjié - the season
9. 清早 qīngzǎo - morning
10. 小鳥兒 / 小鸟儿 xiǎo niǎoér - a little bird
11. 唤醒 / 唤醒  huànxǐng - wake up
12. 大地 dàdì - the earth
13. 上班上學 / 上班上学shàngbān shàngxué - go to work and go to school
14. 忙碌mánglù - busy 
15. 計畫 / 计画 jìhuà - a plan

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例句練習

例句1 / Sentence 1

• 春天來了! 春天是什麼?
• 春天来了! 春天是什么?
• chūn tiān lái le chūn tiān shì shén me
• Spring is coming! What is spring?

-

例句2 / Sentence 2

• 春天是四季裡的第一個季節。
• 春天是四季里的第一个季节。
• chūn tiān shì sì jì lǐ de dì yí ge jì jié
• Spring is the first season of four.

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例句3 / Sentence 3

• 也是人們要跟白白靄雪告別的時候，
• 也是人们要跟白白霭雪告别的时候，
• yě shì rén men yào gēn bái bái ǎi xuě gào bié de shí hòu
• It is also the time that people are going to say goodbye to the snowing and freezing cold weather.

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例句4 / Sentence 4

• 同時迎接春暖花開生意盎然的時節。
• 同时迎接春暖花开生意盎然的时节。
• tóng shí yíng jiē chūn nuǎn huā kāi shēng yì àng rán de shí jié
• Besides, we are welcoming spring season that is full of life. 

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例句5 / Sentence 5

• 大清早的小鳥兒已經喚醒了大地，
• 大清早的小鸟儿已经唤醒了大地
• dà qīng zǎo de xiǎo niǎo ér yǐ jīng huàn xǐng le dà dì
• The birds are singing in the early morning for greeting the earth,

 -

例句6 / Sentence 6

• 上班上學的人們已經起床
• 上班上学的人们已经起床
• shàng bān shàng xué de rén men yǐ jīng qǐ chuáng
• people, who are ready for work or school, are waking up 

-

例句7 / Sentence 7

• 準備一天忙碌的工作。
• 准备一天忙碌的工作。
• zhǔn bèi yì tiān máng lù de gōng zuò
• for preparing a busy working day.

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例句8 / Sentence 8

• 這就是”一日之計在於晨，一年之計在於春”。
• 这就是”一日之计在于晨，一年之计在于春”。 
• zhè jiù shì yí rì zhī jì zài yú chén yì nián zhī jì zài yú chūn
• This is the meaning of the concept that “ a day begins in the morning and a year begins in the spring.” 

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例句9 / Sentence 9

• 今天你計畫做什麼?
• 今天你计画做什么?
• jīn tiān nǐ jì huà zuò shén me
• What is your plan for today?

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Iris from ChineseTeachers.com

Editor’s note: Mo Li Hua (茉莉花; pinyin: Mòlìhuā), which means ‘Jasmine Flowers’, is a popular Chinese folk song. It was created during the Qianlong Emperor period of the Qing Dynasty. There are several versions of the song, each with slightly different lyrics and a slightly different melody, but all are about praising the beauty of the jasmine flower. (more information at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mo_Li_Hua)

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This is a traditional chinese song. And it is very beautiful. 

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• 好 一 朵 茉 莉 花
• 好 一 朵 茉 莉 花
• hǎo yī duǒ mò lì huā
• oh how beautiful the jasmine flower

-

• 好 一 朵 茉 莉 花
• 好 一 朵 茉 莉 花
• hǎo yī duǒ mò lì huā
• oh how beautiful the jasmine flower

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• 满 园 花 草
• 滿 園 花 草
• mǎn yuán huā cǎo
• All the flowers and plants in the garden

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• 香 也 香 不 过 它
• 香 也 香 不 過 它
• xiāng yě xiāng bú guò tā
• Cannot be more fragrant than it (the jasmine flower)

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• 我 有 心 采 一 朵 戴
• 我 有 心 採 一 朵 戴
• wǒ yǒuxīn cǎi yī duǒ dài
• I want to pick one out to wear

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• 又 怕 看 花 的 人 儿 要 将 我 骂
• 又 怕 看 花 的 人 兒 要 將 我 罵
• yòu pà kàn huā de rén ér yào jiāng wǒ mà
• But I fear the gardener will give me a scolding

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• 好 一 朵 茉 莉 花
• 好 一 朵 茉 莉 花
• hǎo yī duǒ mò lì huā
• oh how beautiful the jasmine flower

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• 好 一 朵 茉 莉 花
• 好 一 朵 茉 莉 花
• hǎo yī duǒ mò lì huā
• oh how beautiful the jasmine flower

-

• 茉 莉 花 开
• 茉 莉 花 開
• mò lì huā kāi
• When the jasmine flower is in full bloom

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• 雪 也 白 不 过 它
• 雪 也 白 不 過 它
• xuě yě bái bú guò tā
• Even the snow cannot be more white than it

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• 我 有 心 采 一 朵 戴
• 我 有 心 採 一 朵 戴
• wǒ yǒu xīn cǎi yī duǒ dài
• I want to pick one out to wear

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• 又 怕 旁 人 笑 话
• 又 怕 旁 人 笑 話
• yòu pà páng rén xiào huà
• But I fear others will laugh at me

-

Carol from ChineseTeachers.com

Study Tips for Learning Chinese

Even if you have a great teacher, much of your learning potential depends on you and your dedication to learning Chinese efficiently and successfully. There’s only so much that can be taught in the classroom during relatively short time periods. This means that it’s up to you to keep your study habits consistent and effective outside of the classroom, which will enable you to internalize material from class with increased speed and accuracy. To learn how you can facilitate better learning for yourself, try reading through the following tips on studying Chinese.

Understand Your Advantages

If your background is in English, romance, or other Western languages, you’re probably concerned about learning Chinese because of the many differences between it and your native tongue. But despite these differences, there are some aspects of Chinese that might come easily to students who speak romance languages. For example, Chinese grammar is fairly basic: subject + verb + object. What makes this even better for students who are used to romance language verbs is that there are no conjugations in Chinese. There are also no gendered or plural nouns, so the main factors that can make Spanish or French so frustrating to learn are absent from the Chinese language. Sure, there will be other difficult things to focus on, but you won’t have to worry about many of the problems you’re used to encountering with language study.

Understand Your Challenges

In addition to its difficult written characters, Chinese is a tonal language, so simply changing the shape of your vowels in a syllable can generate several different words and meanings. If your first language is a Western or romantic tongue, you’ll probably have difficulty with the idea that tones can change meaning. To help prevent this potential problem, make sure that you’re well grounded in the four tones and can reproduce them with accuracy and versatility. If this seems overwhelming, don’t give up yet – the rising and falling tones of English correspond roughly to the second and fourth tones of Mandarin Chinese, so that leaves you only two unfamiliar tones to contend with. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you can just ignore the second and fourth tones in your studies, but it should give you a boost in confidence to help you through your practice.

Know Your Learning Style

As you’re probably aware, there are three main types of learning styles: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. You can take a short online quiz to find out which type of learner you are, then use these tips to help you study in the way that’s best for you.

·       Visual: Textbooks, flashcards, notes, lists, diagrams, colored highlighters to identify language functions, and videos in Mandarin can help you learn efficiently. Writing characters repetitively until you remember them correctly is a great way for you to drill written Chinese.

·       Auditory: Listening to MP3 files, CDs, recordings of classroom lectures, Mandarin radio, and Mandarin video will be helpful for you. You can also do yourself a favor by reading your notes aloud, recording them, and then listening to them as a review activity.

·       Kinesthetic: Find a partner and drill with flashcards, use interactive software or online games, play role-playing games with a partner, engage in dialogue, and study with others consistently. These study methods will allow you to get the interactive practice you need to complement your learning style.

Participate in Immersion and Interaction

No matter what type of learner you are, it’s important to keep the Chinese language in your mind all day – especially outside of the classroom. To give yourself reminders to practice Chinese and to keep it prominent in your environment, try some of the following ideas.

·        Actively watch TV or movies in Chinese. If you need subtitles, use them until you can understand what’s being said without looking at them. Leaving the radio on a Chinese station or playing Chinese songs on your MP3 player can also help you keep the language in your ears and mind.

·        Make labels for everything in your house or apartment. Include traditional and simplified characters, pinyin as a pronunciation guide, and tones to help you practice every aspect of the vocabulary words you’re learning.

·        Teach what you learn, and you’ll be able to remember and implement it more efficiently. Try finding a friend who’s interested in learning Chinese or even someone who will just listen to you for a while. The main concern is that you’re able to communicate what you’ve learned in class in simple, practical steps. If you can do this, you’ll be surprised at how well you’ll be able to think on your feet when you speak Chinese.

Bio: Maria Rainier is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at First in Education, researching various online degree programs and blogging about student life. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.

A) 比较级的句子/比較級的句子/bǐjiào jí de jùzǐ

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• 我比你高
• 我比你高
• wǒ bǐ nǐ gāo
• I am taller than you.

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• 你的房子比我的大 
• 你的房子比我的大
• nǐde fángzi bǐ wǒde dà
• Your house is bigger than mine.

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• 这间公司比那间公司有名
• 這間公司比那間公司有名
• zhè jiān gōngsī bǐ nà jiān gōngsī yǒumíng 
• This company is more famous than that company.

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• 我们产品的价钱比别人的要低
• 我們產品的價錢比別人的要低 
• wǒmen chǎnpǐn dejiàqian bǐ biérén de yào dī
• The price of our products is lower than other’s.

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• 今年冬天比去年冬天还冷
• 今年冬天比去年冬天還冷
• jīnnián dōngtiān bǐ qùnián dōngtiān hái lěng
• This winter is colder than last.

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B) 最高级的句子/最高級的句子/ zuì gāojí de jùzǐ

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• 他是我们之中年纪最大的人
• 他是我們之中年紀最大的人
• tā shì wǒmen zhī zhōng nián jì zuì dà de rén
• He is the oldest one among us.

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• 这棵树是这里最高大的
• 這棵樹是這裡最高大的
• zhè kē shù shì zhèlǐ zuì gāodà de 
• The tree is the huggest around here.

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• 这家公司是全世界规模最大的
• 這家公司是全世界規模最大的
• zhè jiā gōngsī shì quánshìjiè guīmó zuì dà de 
• The company is the biggest one in the whole world.

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• 我们的价钱是最低的
• 我們的價錢是最低的
• wǒmen de jiàqian shì zuì dī de 
• Our price is the lowest.

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• 你是我们公司里工作最努力的
• 你是我們公司裡工作最努力的 
• nǐ shì wǒmen gōngsī lǐ gōngzuò zuì nǔlì de 
• You are the hardest worker in our company.

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Olive from ChineseTeachers.com

A. 生词表/生詞表/shēngcíbiǎo Vocabulary

• 酸/酸 suān: sour 
• 醋/醋 cù: vinegar 
• 甜/甜 tián: sweet
• 糖/糖 táng: sugar
• 苦/苦 kǔ: bitter
• 苦瓜/苦瓜 kǔguā: balsam pear
• 辣/辣 là: hot
• 辣椒/辣椒 làjiāo: capsicum
• 咸/鹹 xián: salty 
• 盐/鹽 yán: salt
• 煎/煎 jiān: fry with a little oil
• 煎牛排/煎牛排 jiān niúpái: fried steak
• 炒/炒 chǎo: stir-fry 
• 炒饭/炒飯 chǎo fàn: fried rice
• 炸/炸 zhá: fry
• 炸薯条/炸薯條 zhá shǔ tiáo: French fries
• 烤/烤 kǎo: bake grill
• 烤肉/烤肉 kǎoròu: barbecue
• 肉/肉 ròu: meat 
• 猪肉/豬肉 zhūròu: portion
• 牛肉/牛肉 niúròu: beef
• 鸡肉/雞肉 jī ròu: chicken
• 羊肉/羊肉 yángròu: mutton
• 牛排/牛排 niúpái: steak
• 炸鸡/炸雞 zhá jī: fried chicken
• 菜单/菜單 càidān: menu 
• 饮料/飲料 yǐnliào: drink 
• 汤/湯 tāng: soup
• 点菜/點菜 diǎn cài: order dishes 
• 结帐/結帳 jiézhàng: check out 
• 买单/買單 mǎi dān: check out

B. 例句/例句/lìjù Sample Sentences

• 每 个 国家 的 人都 有 他们 自己喜欢吃 的 食物,
• 每 個 國家 的 人都 有 他們 自己喜歡吃 的 食物,
• měi gè guójiā de rén dōu yǒu tāmen zì jǐxǐhuān chī de shíwù,
• People of every country have their own favorite food,

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• 在美国, 大家 喜 欢吃炸 薯 条还有汉 堡,
• 在美國, 大家 喜 歡吃炸 薯 條還有漢 堡,
• zài Měiguó, dà jiā xǐ huān chī zhà shǔ tiáo háiyǒu Hàn bǎo,
• In the USA, everybody likes french fries and hamburgers,

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• 在德国, 大家 喜欢 吃 马 铃薯 和肉,
• 在德國, 大家 喜歡 吃 馬 鈴薯 和肉,
• zài Déguó, dàjiā xǐ huān chī mǎ líng shǔ hé ròu,
• In Germany, everybody likes potatoes and meat,

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• 在意大利,大家 喜 欢 吃 意大利面和 披萨,
• 在意大利,大家 喜 歡 吃 意大利麵和 披薩,
• zài Yìdàlì, dàjiā xǐ huān chī Yìdàlì miàn hé pī sà,
• In Italy, everybody likes Spaghetti and Pizza. 

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• 在中国, 大家喜 欢 吃 米 和 面. 
• 在中國, 大家喜 歡 吃 米 和 麵. 
• zài Zhōng guó,dà jiā xǐ huān chī mǐhé miàn 
• In China, everybody likes rice and noodles. 

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• 中国人 通 常喜欢吃 热的 食物,无论 是 早 餐 中餐 还是 晚餐. 
• 中國人 通 常喜歡吃 熱的 食物,無論 是 早 餐 中餐 還是 晚餐. 
• zhōng guórén tōngcháng xǐ huān chī rè de shíwù, wúlùn shì zǎocān zhōngcān háishi wǎncān. 
• Chinese people usually like hot food at breakfast, lunch and dinner.

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• 很多外 国 人 早餐 晚餐喜欢 吃 冷餐. 
• 很多外 國 人 早餐 晚餐喜歡 吃 冷餐. 
• hěnduō wàiguórén zǎocān wǎncān xǐhuān chī lěngcān.
• Many foreigners like cold dishes for breakfasts and dinners.

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• 中 国 人喜欢 吃松 软 的 面包,大 多数外国人 喜欢 硬 的 法式 面 包,
• 中 國 人喜歡 吃鬆 軟 的 麵包,大 多數外國人 喜歡 硬 的 法式 面 包,
• zhōngguórén xǐhuān chīsōngruǎn dàduōshù wàiguórén xǐhuān yìng de fǎ shì de miànbāo,
• Chinese like soft bread while foreigners like hard-chewing french bread.

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• 中 国 人 喜欢饭 后 喝汤, 大 多 数 外 国 人 喜 欢 饭 前喝 汤.
• 中 國 人 喜歡飯 後 喝湯, 大 多 數 外 國 人 喜 歡 飯 前喝 湯.
• miànbāo. zhōngguórén xǐhuān fàn hòu hē tāng, dàduōshù wàiguórén xǐhuān fàn qián hē tāng
• Chinese like to drink soup after the main course while foreigners mostly like to drink soup before the main course. 

C. 对话练习/對話練習/duìhuàliànxí

• 服务员:您 好, 欢 迎光临! 请坐.
• 服務員:您 好, 歡 迎光臨! 請坐.
• fúwùyuán: nín hǎo,huān yíngguānglín! qǐngzuò
• Waiter: good morning. welcome to our restaurant.

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• 顾客: 你 好!
• 顧客: 你 好!
• gùkè: nín hǎo
• Guest: good morning.

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• 服务员: 请问 您 喝 点什么?
• 服務員: 請問 您 喝 點什麼?
• fúwùyuán: qǐngwèn nínhēdiǎn shénme
• Waiter: what would you like to drink?

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• 顾客:我要 一杯 可乐.
• 顧客:我要 一杯 可樂.
• gùkè: fúwùyuán: wǒ yào yī bēi kělè 
• Guest: I would like a glass of cola.

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• 服务员: 好的.这是 菜单,请 您 看一下.
• 服務員: 好的.這是 菜單,請 您 看一下.
• fúwùyuán: hǎo de. zhè shì càidān, qǐng nínkàn yīxià
• Waiter: ok. Here is the menu. Please take a look.

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• 顾客:好的.
• 顧客:好的.
• gùkè: hǎo de
• Guest: ok.

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• 服务员: 您 吃 点 什么?
• 服務員: 您 吃 點 什麼?
• fúwùyuán: nín chī diǎn shénme
• Waiter: what would you like to eat?

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• 顾客: 我 要份 炒面.
• 顧客: 我 要份 炒麵.
• gùkè: wǒ yào fèn chǎo miàn
• Guest: One (set of) fried noodle.

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• 服务员:好的, 马 上 就好.
• 服務員:好的, 馬 上 就好.
• fúwùyuán: hǎode,mǎ shàng jiù hǎo
• Waiter: ok. right away.

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• 顾客:服务员,请结帐.
• 顧客:服務員,請結帳.
• gùkè: fúwùyuán, qǐng jiézhàng
• Guest: waiter! Bill. please!

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• 服务员:好的,共消费 20元.
• 服務員:好的,共消費 20元.
• fúwùyuán: hǎo de, gòng xiāofèi 20 yuán
• Waiter: Ok, the total consumption is 20 yuan.

D. 语法/語法/yǔfǎ Grammar: 量词/量詞/liàngcí: measure words

• 一杯: 一杯 可乐(啤酒,咖啡…)
• 一杯: 一杯 可樂(啤酒,咖啡…)
• yī bēi: yī bēi kě lé (pí jiǔ, kāfēi)
• a cup/a glass of Cola, bier, coffee

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• 一盘: 一盘 菜(饺子)
• 一盤: 一盤 菜(餃子)
• yī pán: yī pán cài (jiǎozǐ)
• a plate of vegetables, dumpling

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• 一碗: 一碗饭 ( 面,汤)
• 一碗: 一碗飯 ( 麵,湯)
• yī wǎn: yī wǎn fàn( miàn, tāng)
• a bowl of rice, noodle, soup

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• 一个: 一个 馒 头
• 一個: 一個 饅 頭
• yī gè: yī gè mán tou
• one steamed (Chinese) bun

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• 一 张: 一张 饼
• 一 張: 一張 餅
• yī zhāng: yī zhāng bǐng
• one piece of cake/pie

-

Susan from ChineseTeachers.com

When I was living in Beijing, I used to take private lessons with a teacher. Thanks to her help, I quickly got by in Chinese, but after a while, my teacher alone was not enough to progress, because I was not getting the best out of classes.

In this article I’ll explain how you can use immersion and homework to improve the efficiency of your lessons.

A lesson with a qualified teacher is the best value you can add to your language learning. Don’t waste that precious time with low value questions! E.g. after a few weeks, I kept asking my teacher for vocabulary. I could have searched all that in a dictionary, and use all that time to get some chengyu explained (idiomatic proverbs). My advice is: don’t ask you teacher for anything you can get by any other means, just ask him about complex points that need a live explanation. If what you need is a dictionary, no need to hire a teacher!

You don’t learn Chinese to speak with your teacher. You learn it because you need to speak Chinese with other people.

Talking to other people will teach you more than your classes. And seriously, that’s the fun part of learning a language. Ideally, your teacher should just help you with problems you noticed during the week, talking with other people. If you want to learn for real, immerse yourself. A friend of mine began dating his Chinese girlfriend one year ago, and hanging out with her Chinese friends, and now they live together. He has been exposed to the chinese language 24/7 for one year. Now he’s fluent. End of story. I’m not telling you to get a girlfriend, or to do all chinese all the time, but to experience Chinese under real conditions. A little chit chat every morning with your Chinese colleagues is enough to get started.

Especially in Chinese, there are some steps in the language learning where no teacher can help you. What you learn in a class is one thing, what you remember is another. In Chinese, memorizing the characters, their meaning and their pronunciation is even more important than in other languages. Review characters at home. Do your homework. Write characters lines or used a spaced repetition software to memorize them. Play memory games with your friends. If you don’t do the memorization homework by yourself, no one will do it for you, and it’s going to slow your learning.

William develops B-Speak, a tool to help students to memorize chinese characters.