An Introduction to Learning Chinese

By Kip Owens

The Chinese language has over 40,000 characters, but only 10,000 are commonly used. To fully understand the language (at least in reading and writing), you need to learn Chinese Characters. Chinese is considered one of the most beautiful, but complex languages in the world. There are over 1 billion people that live in China, not including overseas Chinese Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and parts of Malaysia -- Which makes Chinese the most spoken language in the world. With the growing economic prosperity of these areas, more and more schools are offering Chinese language programs.

Chinese is a very diversified language, with twelve different dialects of spoken Chinese The national dialect of China is Mandarin, or "pu tong hua" which translates into "the people's language." I would recommend learning it to many people, with over 50% of China's population able to speak Mandarin. The language is based on ideaograms, or based strongly on symbols and characters. Loosely it is based on combinations of 214 elementary pictographs called " Chinese radicals."

The Chinese language is one of the oldest languages in the world. In fact, the earliest traces of written Chinese go as far back as the early Zhou Dynasty, or over 3,000 years ago. While the Chinese culture itself has seen constant changes over its long life, the grammar, vocabulary, and writing system have mostly remained preserved.

The grammar and sentence structure of Chinese is very different from English. For example, in English, someone may say "I will run," "I am running," "I have ran," but in Chinese someone can say, "Wo zuo"(which means "I run") with time as an adverb such as today, tomorrow, in a little while, etc. Chinese sentences take up less space than the English translation. This is because sentences only need to consist of several characters.

Mandarin is the most widely spoken of the Chinese language and can be a bit difficult to learn, but there are many sites online that can help get you started.

A great source of articles for learning beginner Chinese is the Chinese crunch blog. There are 10 mistakes that all beginner Chinese students make that slow them down and are very frustrating. Read on to learn how to recognize and avoid the 10 common mistakes people make learning Mandarin Chinese.

10 Beginner Mistakes to Avoid While Learning Chinese

By Kip Owens

When you try something new, you are bound to make mistakes. What I have found is that many people make the same predictable mistakes over and over again. By reading through this list, you will be better prepared to both recognize and overcome these mistakes when they eventually happen to you.

Knowing isn't the same thing as doing.

Think back when you were learning how to ride a bike. Did you learn by reading a bunch of books and articles on how to ride a bike? Did you learn by watching videos or see other people do it? Of course not. The fastest way to learn is by getting on a bike, and finding a bunch of different ways to fall before you figure out how to stay on.

The same is true for learning a foreign language. You might be able to learn some things from reading books, and watching videos. But the best way by far is getting out there, practicing and applying that knowledge. Don't expect to be perfect on the first try, but do try and get engaged.

Get Chinese friends to practice with you, look for online Chinese radio stations, rent Chinese movies.

Believing the advertisements.

The commercials for programs that claim you can "Learn Chinese in 15 days" are outright lies. Many eager students fall into these traps, wasting both time and money. Learning a new language takes hard work and dedication. Placing your expectations so high is just setting yourself up for failure.

Chinese is absolutely one of the hardest languages to learn, but the benefits you reap will last you a lifetime. Keep yourself focused on the end goal, and make daily progress to get you there. Don't fool yourself; it's going to be hard, but you will eventually get there.

Tones? WTF are these tone things?

Chinese is a tonal language, with 4 different tones. The tones are easily the most challenging part about Chinese for English speakers. There are 4 tones, and if you pronounce a character with the wrong tone, it could completely change the meaning of what you're trying to say.

The tone problem is why I believe beginners should avoid learning from books. There is no way you can learn how to pronounce words correctly without being able to listen first hand what the words sound like. The best benefit about having an in person tutor or software or learning online is that you can hear and learn the correct pronunciation.

These are the first 3 of 10 mistakes that all beginner Chinese students make that slow them down and are very frustrating. Read on to learn how to recognize and avoid the 10 common makes people make learning Mandarin Chinese. A great source of articles for learning beginner chinese is the chinese crunch blog. One other pain in the butt beginners face is trying to read through and pick a good program or course. Read on for a thorough review of different chinese language programs.

Learn to Speak Japanese Now

By Preston Lore

With Japan becoming more and more of a cultural power, there has never been a better time to learn to speak Japanese. You'll be able to understand anime films like Howl's Moving Castle, and you'll be able to read Japanese comics. The language, while at first seeming difficult, is actually rather structured and simple.

When first approaching the language, and any other language for that matter, you must first accept that to be fluent it's going to take at least 12 months. Still, you can start basic conversations with as little as one weeks learning. Make sure that you are 100% focused on achieving your goals, and be as confident in yourself as possible.

At first you're probably best to learn the Japanese alphabet, including both Hiragana and Katakana. Once you've learned the basic sounds of these simple alphabets, you can move on to Kanji, Japanese grammar, sentence structure, and then on to some of the most useful phrases. if you've already started learning Japanese, don't worry, it gets easier as the weeks go by!

Consider enrolling in some kind of course or night school. Even though you might want to learn the language by yourself, you might end up teaching yourself the wrong way to speak, which is a hard habit to break. It's important to get regular tutoring from someone who already knows the language reasonably well. Once you learn the basics, it's possible to go out on your own and teach yourself.

If you don't want to spend too much money on private tutoring or a night school, you might want to try using computer software. There have been many recent advances in language learning technology that makes computer software highly effective and inexpensive. Just make sure you choose quality software, and work hard to push yourself forward in the language.

If you're deadly serious about being able to learn to speak Japanese, check out this Learn Japanese Fast site, which has some great software reviews and further advice. Preston Lore is an energetic and original writer with a passion for music, fitness, lifestyle, politics, geography, history, entrepreneurship, and business. He updates his product review site regularly at http://www.productreviewcorner.com

Italian is a Very Beautiful Language to Learn (L'italiano e Una Lingua Molto Bella Da Imparare)

By Benedict Yossarian

You can smell the sumptuous pizza, the delightful pasta, or the aroma of coffee when you talk about the Italian language.

Imagine Italy and you can see the panorama of hills, quaint homes, turquoise sea, and the beautiful people. Close your eyes and imagine hearing how passionate the Italian language is.

Italian will blend into your way of living as you can use it when you travel, work, and expand your horizons.

Your curiosity with the Italian language can be aroused. Try to learn some of the phrases below and try to feel if Italian is the language you will fall in love with:

Un momento!

Sounds a bit Spanish and it also means the same in English. This phrase means "one moment please". Politely interrupt by pointing your index finger up to let everyone know that you want to bring up a point. It may also mean "may I speak please?" but you have to know more Italian to do so.

Ho Fame

Doesn't it sound like famished? It is a plea for your host to feed you. Place you hands flat on your tummy and Italians will know what your gesture means. Imagine how you will ask for pizza, pasta, and coffee.

Ehi tu, vieni qui

This will mean "come here". Use the phrase in the US and it is okay. In Italy, this phrase connotes a sexual invitation. So you have to use this Italian phrase with caution. Better learn "prego, potete aiutarli" to ask someone to come over.

Silenzio

Press your index finger against your lips and you know the meaning of this. Silence.

Idea!

This is an emphatic expression that you have something in your mind. Something witty. Something brilliant. Something of significance.

Perfetto

Perfect! The word is used to compliment someone for his or her excellence. If you want to do it the Italian way, utter the words while displaying your thumb pressed against the tip of your index finger to make a circle.

Learning More than the Phrases

The phrases above will come useful when you travel. You will need a lot more though to carry a decent Italian conversation.

The methods of learning the language will only be limited with your imagination. There are a lot of available options to learn Italian. You can discover the language by attending a class and interact with people sharing the same passion. You can learn it on your own by using all the available means through people connection and technology.

Try to incorporate Italian phases in your everyday life. Compliment people using Italian phrases or try to label your stuff using their Italian translations.

There are also a great volume of music, film, and literature using the Italian language. Immerse yourself into these materials and get a feel of how genuine Italian sounds.

You can listen to CDs when you are driving or watch Italian TV shows. The more Italian you see and hear, the easier it will be for your brain to conform to the language.

The ultimate Italian exposure of course is by visiting Italy. Know the history, the arts, culture, the way of living that is behind the Italian language.

The language machine is a leading company providing private language tuition across the UK such as French and Spanish Tuition.

Science of Learning and Foreign Languages

By Mark E. Piscopo

Learning a foreign language is easier, such as Chinese, when understanding how you learn. The science of learning is based on several theories and include: multiple intelligences, right-brain/left-brain/whole-brain, and brain-based learning. Understanding how you learn new information becomes the keystone to effective study patterns and habits. Many people who attempt to learn a new language give up, primarily because they pick a program that does not fit their learning style. These people unknowingly try to fit their learning style into a program. The following discussion focuses on learning styles, ways of learning, and how to master second language usage.

Multiple Intelligences and Learning Styles

The theory of multiple intelligences, by Howard Gardner (Frames of mind: The theory of multiple intelligences., 1983), provides the foundation for the seven learning styles associated with this theory. They are:

• Verbal - Linguistic: use language and words to understand


• Logical - Mathematical: inductive and deductive reasoning in using numbers abstract patterns to analyze information


• Visual - Spatial: visualize objects/dimensions and create internal images/pictures to understand how something will or might work


• Body - Kinesthetic: control your body's physical motion


• Musical - Rhythmic: recognize tonal patterns


• Interpersonal: person-to-person communications, relate with others


• Intrapersonal: spiritual, self-reflection, and awareness

Everyone has many styles of learning and one is dominate over all other learning styles. Knowledge of your dominate learning style helps identify which program to select for learning a second language. See the first link at the end of this article to spend a few minutes answering questions to determine your dominate learning style.

Left-Brain, Right-Brain, Whole Brain Learning

Most instruction in educational settings is left-brain oriented, which means a focus on logic and reasoning (Logical - Mathematical learning style). This approach does not emphasize understanding, because traditional education emphasizes rote memorization of facts. Right-brain activities focus on creativity, such as feelings and the arts (Sperry, R.).

A foreign language program needs to focus on a whole-brain approach to support dominate and non-dominate learning styles. This whole-brain approach focuses on comprehension, as learners are encouraged to describe a visual image, draw pictures, use reasoning, and act out situations in which the language is used to understand new language context. This is a very good method for learning new language vocabularies through contextual settings. See the second link at the end of this article to spend a few minutes answering questions to determine if you are left-brain or right-brain dominate.

Brain-Based Learning

According to brain-based learning research (McClean, P.), although each brain is unique, everyone can learn a foreign language such as Chinese. Better foreign language programs take advantage of brain-based research and dominate learning styles to using a whole-brain approach with the following techniques:

• Orchestrated - immersion into learning environments


• Relaxed - elimination or reduction of anxiety and still challenging


• Active - internalization of new knowledge by processing information

A program should not be strictly lecture-based and depend on rote memorization of knowledge. The best programs use many different instructional strategies that fully engage you in the learning process. Based on this brain-based research to support internalization of new knowledge, emersion in cultural and personal experiences with a new language is important to relaxed and active learning. With the wide diversity of people in this country, there are many opportunities to use the new language in an appropriate cultural setting that helps you process and internalize the language.

Mastery Learning of Chinese

Another key to selecting a foreign language program is allowing you all the time you need to learn and master the language. Mastery of learning moves beyond rote memorization of vocabulary to a level that the new language becomes second nature. After reading the different theories of learning you can see that everyone uses different strategies and techniques to learn, even if they do not understand why. Another aspect with knowledge of your learning style is that you do not learn at the same pace as everyone else. The Chinese program we offer supports learning at your own pace and giving you time to master the language. Mastery is attributed to how we learn and the ways we use a new language (Glasser, W.). The following demonstrates level of mastery when Chinese is:

• 70% - Discussed with Others


• 80% - Experienced Personally


• 95% - Taught to Someone Else

Examples of Mastery Learning

An example of 95% mastery is to teach someone else the meaning of yi gong which means all together in Chinese. This is accomplished by having the person take scattered items and place them together while saying the Chinese word. This helps you to internalize and learn as you observe using a whole-brain approach in an orchestrated/active environment. This example uses dominate learning styles that are Logical-Mathematical or Visual-Spatial.

A second example of 95% mastery is to teach someone else the meaning of yi gong by having them follow your actions. This is accomplished by having someone else emulate your motions as you both gather scattered items and bring them together. Again this uses the whole-brain approach in an orchestrated/active environment. This example uses dominate learning styles that are Verbal - Linguistic, Body - Kinesthetic, or Interpersonal.

A third example of 95% mastery is writing a short song that uses yi gong in a pattern or change the words in a musical lyric to include yi gong. Keep the meaning of yi gong in context at all times in the song or lyric. After completing one of these actives, think about how this fits within any of your other actions or situations. This example uses dominate learning styles that are Verbal - Linguistic, Musical - Rhythmic, or Intrapersonal.

Science of Learning and Our Program My Chinese Lessons provides all the tools that fit within any learning style to help you master Chinese. Visit our online library of Chinese Lessons, Chinese Games, and Teaching Methodology to learn more how we can help you learn Chinese. Do not forget to complete the online questionnaire and quiz below to quickly discover the ways you learn. Mark Piscopo has developed a website dedicated to help people learn Chinese in an easier fashion. His free Chinese lessons are based on the science of learning along with his personal learning experience. You can visit his website at http://www.mychineselessons.com

Buy Rocket Chinese - The Last Review You'll Need to Read

By Kip Owens

If you are looking to buy Rocket Chinese you should be confident in your purchase. Is this the best Chinese course out there? That was my biggest concern when looking into this product. I knew that I was going to put in a lot of time and energy in the future, and I wanted to make sure that all my efforts would be put to the best use. I wanted to know that I was "working smarter, not harder." So will this course be able to give the best results compared to the others? I researched quite a bit before I was going to order Rocket Chinese, and here's what I discovered.

The Course - Like many language educational programs, Rocket Chinese will teach you basic conversational vocabulary and grammar to get you speaking Chinese quickly. What I found was that there were other really useful modules and features that really separates this course from a large majority of its competitors.

Rocket Chinese has interactive software games, (such as MegaAudio and MegaVocab) that are easy to absorb. I really like being able to practice conversations with fluent speakers. This helps me learn vocabulary in practical everyday situations. This is really good training for the real world. The course also uses modern Chinese that people use today. You're taught what you need to know to have a conversation with someone in Chinese. For these reasons, this program is an extremely applicable style of teaching that you can do on your own.

The Verdict - If you are looking into Rocket Chinese, I would definitely recommend it. It's an interactive course that doesn't make learning Chinese feel like work. Most of all, after trying and reviewing many different products, it is the most affordable and gives you the best bang for the buck. I ended up buying Rocket Chinese, and I ended up speaking fluent Chinese right around the 6 month mark.

Oh! I should also mention that they have a 6 day free course. I wish more programs allowed you to try before you buy. Rocket Chinese is available for instant download and backed up with a 60 day money back guarantee and you can download the entire course instantly.

To learn more about the Rocket Chinese course and how to buy it and get more detailed descriptions of each of the components in the course then check my Learn Chinese review website.

Sign Language For Babies - Build a Stronger Bond With Your Baby

By Karann Smith

Babies need two very important things in order to be successful, healthy and happy. They need all the love, attention and cuddling that we can provide, and they need to build a strong bond with their mothers, fathers and care givers. In this article, I want to show you how sign language can help you build a stronger bond with your baby.

In the past, many mothers had the mind-set that it was good to let babies cry. Now, research shows that it's better to respond to your babies cries, it helps to build a trusting relationship. When we meet our babies needs on demand, they feel safe and secure. Research also shows that bonding with our babies is crucial and helps the baby form a first model for intimate relationships developed later on in life. If babies are not given this all important mothering and assurance that we will be there to meet their needs and keep them safe, they may grow up with insecurities, anxious feelings and lacking self confidence.

Sign Language is another way we can meet the needs of our infants. Think of it as another tool we can use. It helps us build stronger bonds by establishing a loving relationship through early communication and it lets us understand what our baby wants before they cans speak. It's pretty easy to meet the needs of our infants by keeping them warm, picking them up when they cry, keeping them dry and feeding them when their hungry. Taking care of these needs can usually keep them happy. It gets harder when our babies are around six months old. Now they know what they want but, what if we don't quite understand what those wants are?

Six month olds still need us to be loving, attentive and to fulfill their every need. Sign Language for babies helps us continue to fulfill those needs. When we teach our baby signs, they can tell us what they want in a way that we can understand. If you're baby is hungry, she will sign milk and you'll know what she wants without all the crying and fussing. It also lowers frustration levels of both baby and parents.

Parents today are busy with work, commuting, errands, juggling kids and daycare. They need to find time to develop a strong bond with their babies. Teaching babies American Sign Language is a great way to establish a loving bond between families and infants, giving babies a great start in social, cognitive and language development.

Testing that took place in the late 1980's showed that babies had needs that would have gone unexpressed because their vocal skills were not developed yet. Babies can let their needs be known with American Sign Language. In addition, an intimate bond was developed between mom and infant as signs were taught and understood. If you start signing with your baby at six months you should see them respond with sign in a few months.

Many Parents bond over time with continued care giving, while most infants are ready to bond from birth. Babies bond through interaction, touch, sight, smell, voice recognition, daily rituals and imitation. Communication is an important part of the bonding process. Communicate your way to a loving relationship. Teaching your baby sign in a fun way, learning a second language that is easy makes you're life easier. You will notice less frustration which will also enhance your relationship. It is easier to have a loving relationship when everyone is happy.

When your little one signs their first word you'll be as thrilled as when they take their first step or when they speak their first word! Best of all, you'll be able to respond and communicating with an eight month old baby. (This is an approximate age, dependent on when you start using sign, and when your baby is developmentally ready to sign.)

About the author - Karann Smith lives in Minnesota and has witnessed the wonderful miracle of watching her granddaughter, Stella grow up in a loving home where her parents use sign. Visit her website at http://www.signwithmebaby.com to learn about the baby sign language program she recommends.

The Fastest Way to Learn Spanish - 3 Easy Steps

By Frank Cruz

Want to know the fastest way to learn Spanish? It's not through textbooks or surrounding yourself with Spanish speakers. The quickest method for learning Spanish is to use a tried and tested memory technique to memorize words fast.

The method I am going to show you was popularized by a man named Harry Lorayne. He is one of those memory experts that can stand in a room full of hundreds of people and memorize all their names by snapping his fingers.

The things that Mr. Lorayne discovered about memory can have you speaking Spanish faster than you ever thought possible.

The technique I am going to show you is referred to by different names, but often as "association" or "linking".

There are three simple steps that you need to follow to remember any Spanish word:

1. Pick the word you want to memorize

2. Choose a word link

3. Think about the word and link for 10 seconds

That's it!

Let's try it out.

1. Pick the word you want to memorize

Let's use the word "arma" as an example. This word means "weapon" and is pronounced "ah - mah".

2. Choose a word link

Here we just make a link between the Spanish word and something else. Something that sounds like the word. "arma" sounds like the English word "armour". So we can make a link between these things by imagining "Attaching weapons to your ARMOUR".

3. Think about the word and link for 10 seconds

Now think about our word link: "Attach weapons to your ARMOUR" for 10 seconds while repeating the word ARMA to yourself.

Now we're all done. I bet you won't forget the Spanish word for weapons now!

To learn 100 Spanish words in the next hour, using the fastest way to learn Spanish, visit http://www.SpeakSpanishFast.org

How to Learn Spanish Fast - The 3 Secret Steps

By Frank Cruz

Learning a new language doesn't have to be difficult. In this article I will discuss how to learn Spanish fast. If you have ever struggled with Spanish, then you need to use this quick and easy method for remembering Spanish words.

The normal method of learning Spanish is to sit down with a text book and practice from beginning to end. This is an admiral method for those of us who have unlimited time. But what about he rest of us?

We can increase the speed we pick up Spanish, simply by thinking outside the box.

Imagine you could learn 500 words to 1,000 Spanish words at the drop of a hat? It is likely that you would increase your confidence, increase your speaking ability and life would become much easier. I am going to show you how, right here, right now.

1. Pick a Word

First, let's consider a Spanish word. Pick a Spanish word that you want to lock into your mind and never forget. The Spanish word for sky is "cielo", pronounced "see - eh - loh". Let's use that in this example.

2. Make a Link

We want to make a simple link between the sound of the word and an object. Cielo sounds like the word yellow. So that's something we can associate the word with.

So, our association could be that "every time you look at the sky, you SEE YELLOW" (Cielo sounds like SEE YELLOW)

3. Lock the Word Into Your Mind

Now that we have a word and association all you need to do is concentrate on the association for 10 seconds. Think about the association from step 2 and repeat the word "cielo" to yourself.

Think about it for only 10 seconds. So for 10 seconds all you should think about it is looking up at the sky and you see yellow.

Now, you should never forget the Spanish word for sky. This is a sure-fire method for learning tons of Spanish words fast.

Find out how to learn 100 Spanish words in the next hour at Find out how to learn 100 Spanish words in the next hour at http://speakspanishfast.org

An Honest Overview of Rocket Japanese

By Julie Landry

Rocket Japanese is mostly meant for people that want to get a fully rounded Japanese language education. You will spend many hours using the program as an educational tool and as a reference guide for all kinds of words and verbs. It is a powerful multimedia package that uses interactive games and software, as well as audio lessons that are proven to be more effective in helping you learn a foreign language quickly and efficiently. Rocket Japanese also consists of 45 grammar lessons which will allow you to perfect your grammar. These lessons consist of a staggering 400 illustrated pages of lessons, over 200 audio tracks, and 788 exercises and activities to help you become fluent with the language.

Rocket Japanese also offers a free six part trial that will introduce you to basic Japanese. I've tried it, and particularly like this program because it has been designed to be effective and easy to follow. It is my personal number one choice, since the course is comprehensively laid out, and uses a diverse range of learning methods that include written lessons, audio lessons and examples, educational games and Japanese pronunciation software. This course makes learning fun and inspires you to become fluent. It will greatly help you learn and speak the language with confidence in around 8 weeks. The author will even explain how you can deal with all the frustration, difficulty and headaches you might get while learning a new language.

The catch of course is that it will take a dedicated effort on your part. But that's the point of Rocket Japanese, it is designed to be enjoyable, so that you will come back everyday and do your part... which only requires 30 minutes a day. The course isn't exactly cheap, but for what you get, it's not particularly expensive. Especially when you consider it is just as effective or better than other popular courses which cost three times as much or more.

Julie Landry is a fluent Japanese speaker that has written a popular Rocket Japanese Review on her site. Learn to Speak Japanese is a site dedicated to helping people learn Japanese. You can learn more about Rocket Japanese there.