How difficult is Chinese?

[Khatores]

I'm not sure if anyone around here speaks Chinese well or not...but how difficult is it to learn, generally speaking? As in an average first-year class, being able to read, write and speak some. I know there's a lot of symbols and so on to learn, but I'm not sure how complicated the grammar really is.

[khiflo]

I'm not sure if anyone around here speaks Chinese well or not...but how difficult is it to learn, generally speaking? As in an average first-year class, being able to read, write and speak some. I know there's a lot of symbols and so on to learn, but I'm not sure how complicated the grammar really is.

I think that the difficulty to learn chinese depends mostly on your mothertongue. For exemple, it's much easier for vietnamese students than for western students (*). But as you already begun to learn vietnamese, you'll discover how much it helps you in learning chinese.

Then, personnaly, I think that chinese grammar is not more difficult than vietnamese grammar. Some people even says too fast that vietnamese doesn't have grammar, or at least a very easy grammar. Vietnamese learners often realize that it's not true. Between chinese and vietnamese, maybe could we say that syntaxic structure of vietnamese seems to be more "flexible" when chinese one seems to be more logical and strict. So maybe vietnamese is easier to use but more difficult to describe (I don't know, just supposition). Moreover, vietnamese phonologic system is obviously more extended and complex than chinese one, so more "difficult" also.

But it also depend on wich "chinese" you talk about. For exemple, cantonese phonologic system also seems to be very complex, maybe more than vietnamese one...

(*) anyway, we also have to admit that vietnamese students often learn much harder than us...

[Khatores]

Then, personnaly, I think that chinese grammar is not more difficult than vietnamese grammar. Some people even says too fast that vietnamese doesn't have grammar, or at least a very easy grammar. Vietnamese learners often realize that it's not true. Between chinese and vietnamese, maybe could we say that syntaxic structure of vietnamese seems to be more "flexible" when chinese one seems to be more logical and strict. So maybe vietnamese is easier to use but more difficult to describe (I don't know, just supposition). Moreover, vietnamese phonologic system is obviously more extended and complex than chinese one, so more "difficult" also.

But it also depend on wich "chinese" you talk about. For exemple, cantonese phonologic system also seems to be very complex, maybe more than vietnamese one...
Hmm...well, this would be Mandarin, not Cantonese. They have it at my school and I am considering taking it, but not sure how difficult it would be, and if I should maybe wait until it doesn't count for a grade.

[khiflo]

If you are not affraid at learning 20 to 50 new ideograms a week, then go! :) It's not that hard after you get used, and up too me, learning vietnamese and chinese in the same time is very interesting.

[Khatores]

If you are not affraid at learning 20 to 50 new ideograms a week, then go! :) It's not that hard after you get used, and up too me, learning vietnamese and chinese in the same time is very interesting.
Maybe I should go ahead and take the second Spanish class and that will be my foreign language credit. Spanish is ok, but it has gotten a little boring after taking so much.

I think I'll study Chinese on my own at some point. :)

[bschuess]

I'm not sure if anyone around here speaks Chinese well or not...but how difficult is it to learn, generally speaking? As in an average first-year class, being able to read, write and speak some. I know there's a lot of symbols and so on to learn, but I'm not sure how complicated the grammar really is.

Can't be too difficult. 10's of millions of little Chinese kids learn it every year!

Seriously, I'm curious too. I try to learn a few phrases everywhere I travel and China was the one place I fell flat on my face. The tonality is so difficult, let alone the characters. At least Vietnamese gives you a fighting chance being written phonetically. But I find that even if I can write something perfectly in Vietnamese - which is probably not very often - most Viets look at me like I'm from the moon when I try to speak it.

[Khatores]

But I find that even if I can write something perfectly in Vietnamese - which is probably not very often - most Viets look at me like I'm from the moon when I try to speak it.
I've noticed that, too. I'm told that I have fairly good pronunciation, relatively speaking - especially when imitating, I can parrot fairly well. However, if I try to casually slip some Viet into a conversation, people just look blankly and say, "What?" LOL

I'm not sure if it's because of bad pronunciation, or simply because they don't expect it, so they're not listening for it. If you normally speak in either English or Viet, and you're listening for English from someone, you might not be prepared for them to say something in Viet, in addition to their already average-level (at best) pronunciation.

[Joan.Carles]

Maybe I should go ahead and take the second Spanish class and that will be my foreign language credit. Spanish is ok, but it has gotten a little boring after taking so much.

You're right, if you start feeling bored, it's time for a change. And Chinese is very good for this. Only counting the many hours that I've spent just looking through my Chinese dictionaries for new characters. Then I can't remember most of them, but to remember characters and words there are other methods way more efficient than just "reading" dictionaries. Anyways, it's an interesting practice.

The most complicated things of Chinese, for me, are the script, because it takes a long time to learn characters, not only to recognize them, which is the easiest part, but also to be able to write them and remember their meaning and pronounciation.
The other thing is its different word order.
Initially I had much problems trying to produce the tones, and I'm far from a master in this respect, but I got used to it and I like it, I like how Chinese sounds. Besides, for someone that speaks Vietnamese and is used to using tones when speaking, it won't be as hard as for us westerners.

So go ahead with Chinese.

Oh, Khatores, that's my 12th post, 3 more and I'll be able to answer messages. (No tengo ningún problema en ayudarte con el español, al contrario!!)