OK, maybe it's not quite that easy, but it's not as hard as people make it out to be. But why? Why is it that most people feel that Chinese is such a difficult language to learn while languages like German, French and Italian are virtually scoffed at? A meal out and a few hours of instruction and any other language can be mastered by the time you're home in bed. Truth is, any language takes time and Chinese is no different from any other language.
Probably the main reason why people feel Chinese is so hard is because of the characters. We're not talking plain Arabic script here. Chinese characters are quite unusual to say the least...easily rivaling Hebrew for its complexity and uniqueness. But like with any other symbolic language (let's face it, even the letters A-Z are symbols) these symbols can be learned and it doesn't have to take you an eternity to learn them.
Another reason people feel Chinese is so difficult is that, unlike many other languages, there isn't a lot of English derived from Chinese. In languages like German, French and Italian, you'll find many words that are exactly the same in both languages, such as the word menu, which is actually a French word. So because of this, we identify more with these European based languages because they are closer to our own.
The truth is, Chinese is really no different from any other language. You're going to need to put time into it if you want to become proficient at it, just like with anything in your life. Fortunately, I have found a fantastic resource online that I've reviewed below. I believe it is the most comprehensive course on the Internet for learning Chinese.
Okay, learning Chinese may not be as easy as eating chow mien, but with a little bit of work and a great course, it doesn't have to become a monumental challenge.
We'll have you talking Chinese in no time at http://speakchina.blogspot.com/
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