Mandarin Student on Pimsleur
Here is an interesting post by Chris on his "Mandarin Student" blog. I have been curious about Pimsleur for a while now because it seems to be very popular among the Chinese language students online. You can actually buy the first eight lessons in the iTunes audiobooks section for AU$18. You can also listen to a short 30 second piece of a lesson.
Chris has managed to get a loan of the Pimsleur course and gives his opinion of it.
Chris has managed to get a loan of the Pimsleur course and gives his opinion of it.
posted by John at 8:43 PM
7 Comments:
Hi John,
Looks like the Americans can get Pimsleur for free.
Check out
this post at pandagator
Hi Chris,
I should have thought of this earlier. I just checked the online library database for Western Australia, and it is also available here!
Good for you!
Not sure about the United Kingdom yet, it looks to be a bit more awkard the only thing I seem to be able to do at the moment online is extend the books I have borrowed and my local library is tiny.
I've just turned half the house up side down looking for my library card. I did find it though.
Pimsleur LESSON ONE (from Taryn's Transcripts)
This is unit one of Pimsleur’s Mandarin Chinese One. Listen to this conversation.
A: 对不起，请问，你会说英文吗？
B: 不会。我不会说英文。
A: 我会说一点儿普通话。
B: 你是美国人吗？
A: 是。我是美国人。
In the next few minutes, you will learn not only to understand this conversation, but to take part in it yourself. Imagine an American man meeting a Chinese woman. He wants to begin a conversation so he says, Excuse me.
对不起
The Chinese speaker is going to repeat this word part by part starting from the end. You are to repeat each part after him. Try to make your pronunciation sound exactly like his. Be sure to repeat aloud.
起起不不起不起对对不起对不起
How do you say, Excuse me in Mandarin?
对不起
Now he wants to ask her if she can speak English. Here’s the name of the English language in Mandarin. Listen and repeat.
英文文文英英
英文
How do you say English?
英文
Now say, Excuse me.
对不起
You should repeat the correct response after the speaker. Try to make your pronunciation sound like his.
对不起
Say again, English.
英文
3:00 Now he wants to ask, Can you speak English? First, the word, can. Listen and repeat.
会会
Say, can.
会
Pimsleur (lesson 1 - part 2)
Here’s the word, speak. Listen and repeat.
说说会说
Say, can speak.
会说
Here’s how to say, You can speak. Listen and repeat.
你会说。你你你会说。
What part of that means, you?
你你
Say again, You can speak.
你会说。你会说。
Do you remember how to say, English?
英文
Say, can speak.
会说会说
You’ve probably noticed that some words are pronounced with a rising or falling tone and that some are pronounced in a higher pitch than others. In Chinese, the tone is an important part of the pronunciation of the word and different tones indicate different meanings. You should imitate the speakers and try to make your pronunciation sound like theirs, paying careful attention to the intonation. Say, You can speak.
你会说。
Try to say, You can speak English.
你会说英文。你会说英文。
The tone in, can speak, first falls, then returns to a high-level. Say it again.
会说
Now here’s how to say, can’t speak. Listen and repeat. 6:00
不会说不不会不会说
The tones in that rose, fell, and rose again. Say, can’t speak.
不会说不
The 不 pronounced with a rising tone is what makes that negative. Say together, can speak, can’t speak.
会说，不会说会说，不会说
Here’s how to ask, Can you speak? Just listen.
你会说吗？你会说吗？
Listen and repeat.
你会说吗？
吗吗你会说吗？
The 吗 with the high-level tone is used to ask a yes—no question in Mandarin. Ask me if I can speak.
你会说吗？
Now say, You can’t speak.
你不会说。不会不会说
Ask again, Can you speak?
你会说吗？
Say, Excuse me.
对不起
You say that to get someone’s attention. Now listen and repeat, Please let me ask…
请问问问请请问请问
9:00 Did your tones match the speaker’s? Notice especially the falling tone at the end. Say, Please let me ask…
请问请问
This is how you ask for information. Now say, Excuse me, please let me ask…
对不起，请问对不起，请问
Ask, Can you speak?
你会说吗？你会说吗？
Lesson 1 - part 3
Now say, English.
英文英文
Try to ask, Can you speak English?
你会说英文吗？
Here’s how to answer this question, No. Listen and repeat.
不会。不会。
That’s pronounced with first a rising tone then a falling tone. Say again, No, or literally, can not.
不会。
And now say, You can’t speak.
你不会说。
Your voice should fall, rise or remain at the same level just as the speaker’s does. Ask, Can you speak English?
你会说英文吗？
Answer, No.
不会。不会。
He says, I can speak. Listen and repeat the word for I.
我我我
Try to say, I can speak.
我会说。
I can speak English.
我会说英文。我会说英文。
Say, You can speak. 12:00
你会说。
Say again, I can speak.
我会说。
Say, Excuse me, please let me ask…
Pimsleur Mandarin Level I Lesson One
5
对不起，请问
Ask, Can you speak?
你会说吗？
Ask, Can you speak English?
你会说英文吗？
Answer, No.
不会。不会。
Now say, I can’t speak.
我不会说。
Ask, Can you speak?
你会说吗？
Ask her if she can speak English.
你会说英文吗？
In Mainland China, the Mandarin language is referred to as, The Common Language.
普通话
Listen and repeat.
普通话话话通通话普普通话普通话
Did you hear the falling-rising and falling tones in that? Say it again.
普通话
Say, Common Language, meaning, Mandarin Chinese.
普通话普通话
Say, I can speak.
我会说。我会说。
Try to say, I can speak Mandarin, as you would say it in Mainland China. 15:00
我会说普通话。普通话我会说我会说普通话。
Tell me again that you can speak Mandarin.
我会说普通话。
Now try to say, I can’t speak Mandarin.
我不会说普通话。我不会说。
Say, You can speak Mandarin.
你会说普通话。
Say, Excuse me, please let me ask…
对不起，请问对不起，请问
Try to ask me if I can speak Mandarin.
你会说普通话吗？你会说普通话吗？
Here’s how to say, a little or some. Listen and repeat.
一点儿点儿点儿一一点儿一点儿
That begins with a falling tone. Say, some or a little.
一点儿
Say, I can speak a little.
我会说一点儿。
Pimsleur Mandarin Level I Lesson One
7
一点儿
Say, I can speak Mandarin.
我会说普通话。
A little.
一点儿
Say, Excuse me.
18:00 对不起对不起
Ask, Can you speak English?
你会说英文吗？
Try to say, I can speak a little English.
我会说一点儿英文。一点儿英文。
And now say, Mandarin, or literally, The Common Language.
普通话普通话
Ask, Can you speak Mandarin?
你会说普通话吗？你会说普通话吗？
Post a Comment
<< Home