Dawn Lim . Net

Yes! The holidays are over. It’s time for school!

Yes! For me too!

 

Learning to read and write Chinese has ALWAYS been one of the things I want to achieve. As far as I can remember, I’ve been looking at ways to learn this very unique and important language for the past five years or so. One of the many recommended ones are to sing Chinese songs and learn from there. Another of course is the obvious to go for classes. However, I found the first to be not so systematic and would probably take a much longer time than proper classes. I have checked out a few language centres but the nearest is not that near and a little too costly (as much as I believe knowledge can never cost too much). And I found cheaper tutors but I  couldn’t be assured of the quality.

 

SO, after much thought, I decided to turn to Google and see what I can get. To my surprise, there are so many sites providing FREE Chinese lessons. And after spending a day researching the sites, I finally decided the best site to learn to read would be www.readmandarin.com. Why? That’s because, aside from giving you the meanings, pin yin (the different tones for Chinese reading), and sounding the word for you, it has this system of showing you the simplest and most common words and slowly help you progress with their computerized AND customized learning.

 

As much as it can teach me how to read, I always believe one can learn better if one learns to write too. So, there I go again to search for a site that teaches me how to write. And tada! I found this site with the basic rules of writing Chinese, www.zhongwen.com. Awesome! And so my quest to conquer  a new language began!

 

After purchasing some necessities, I started to write when I wasn’t sure, got my bro to see if I’m writing the strokes right, and he came up with this book he used to refer to when he was in primary one:

This is a really good book as it teaches which strokes come first exactly because as much as the site teaches you the basic rules, some words do vary. Here’s an example of how it teaches one to write:

 

As you can see from the picture above, words are in pink and the strokes in black according to which comes first and next till it’s completed.

 

With this book, you really have a professional way of learning. Where the site provides you with the word and the sound, this book shows you how it is written! Just awesome! Combine them all and you get a professional self learning course =)

 

My first page:

One page of the words I learned:

If I learn ten words a day, in six months, I would have mastered 1000 Chinese characters. I have decided to complete my 1000 words in three months. Why three months, because the centre promises I can master the basics of Chinese and self learn after three months for over RM 800 A week. That would mean…one month I’d need to learn 333 words…one week would be 84 words…one day 12. If I just want to study for five days then, one day I’d need to learn 17 words. Possible? I say YES!

 

And how much did it cost me to start?

Yes YeS YES! Just RM 7.60! Two exercise books, a mechanical pencil, lead refill, and an eraser! The most would cost me up to RM 20 with the exercise books that I need to get as I learn more words. Of course time cost too, but for a new language? It isn’t an issue It’s priceless.

 

Spelling test that I got my brother to give me:

Three mistakes for my first test? Not bad huh?

 

The things you need for this course besides the few necessities are your dedication, will to learn, and most important of all, disciplined. AND there you go! A Professional self-learning Chinese course right in front of you! Founded my me! haha! :p

 

Oh of course, it helps to have a brother like mine. If you don’t someone who knows Chinese. But if you still don’t have ANYBODY you know who knows Chinese, it IS still possible

 

For those of you who want to learn the same way I did or any other way, I wish you all the best! =)

 

Empty pages?

 

 

 

 

 

A shadow over empty pages?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Neither?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wanna know what I see?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I see pages waiting eagerly to be filled with words!