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PaperclipPerfector  4mo ago (text post)   3155 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for December 8, 2023

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

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How would you start learning Chinese? Has anyone here done it? I'll probably take a class, but I'd also like some digital tools for self-guided learning.

I downloaded Duolingo and, hoo-boy, has that app gone downhill. It's essentially impossible to use without paying for premium version now. Even when they're not shoving ads down your throat, the animations and interstitials are over-the-top annoying.

https://old.reddit.com/r/ChineseLanguage/
Probably start there. I don't know Chinese and have never made an earnest attempt at learning it. Depending on how distracted you are on your computer (or mobile) over several hours, get an intro to Chinese physical book from your local library and start using that. If there are several, look online and see if one has free premade flashcards for mobile use. Perhaps also make physical flashcards, because https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leitner_system is a good way to get results via spaced repetition. Since it will be a slow buildup to learning all the characters, https://www.fluentu.com/blog/chinese/pinyin-subtitles/ may be a good idea for watching Chinese language entertainment.

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