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Posts: 97

Governor

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Q: Is getting a Chinese language partner a good idea?

12 years 43 weeks ago in  Teaching & Learning - China

 
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Posts: 176

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Dangran!

It probably won't bring you the rigor of a normal classroom, but havinbg a language partner, especially someoen your age, will give you the opportunity to learn the good stuff in kouyu. The slang, which expressions are outdated, etc...

Plus, you're likely to make a friend. Ultimately, as far as learning goes, it all depends on how motivated you really are...

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12 years 43 weeks ago
 
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Governor

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If you're living in or planning on spending a lot of time in China, a language partner can be a great thing. There are hundreds, ney, thousands of Chinese in your neighborhood looking to learn English, you may just have to know where to look. University campuses are always a sure bet and posting something online can usually generate a lot of interest. The danger of getting a language exchange partner if you don't speak any Chinese at all is that typically your partner will speak at least a bit of English (since most Chinese children study English starting in primary or middle school). This can be a problem because your hour of English-hour of Chinese can quickly turn into an hour and 45 minutes of English and 15 minutes of Chinese. If you're just starting out, it's a good idea to also enroll in some classes, even just once per week, so you can be sure to get a solid foundation. Learning bad habbits can be a more serious deterent further down the road and may leave you wishing you had just forked up the cash to begin with. That being said, language partners can help you do things your Chinese teacher may not be willing to do, like accompany you to the bank or shopping mall. These can be great learning experiences while helping you get done some day-to-day necesseties. When you first meet your language partner, you may want to propose a trial run, to make sure the relationship is mutually beneficial. Many people speak the language flawlessly, but can't teach it. If your partner is one such person, he or she may easily confuse or frustrate you before you've had the chance to live here long enough to get really frustrated.

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12 years 42 weeks ago
 
Posts: 335

Shifu

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No no no no NO!

DO NOT get a language partner.

Why not instead, meet a Chinese person in a park, bar, tea shop, internet bar or even on the bus. Find one who doesn't speak a word of English (or whatever your mother tongue is). Then you will be forced to communicate in Chinese and you'll see a DRASTIC improvement in your Chinese level after just a few short weeks. Keep a pocket dictionary handy, and you can look up whatever you don't understand.

This is much more effective, and enjoyable, than the forced decorum of having a language partner.

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12 years 42 weeks ago
 
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Ha Ha

Most, but not all, language partner arrangements are cover for sex partner, or at least they eventually develop into that.

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12 years 38 weeks ago
 
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