Mandarin/Cantonese study

I have lived in Hong Kong for almost seven years and have decided that it is time to study the language. My first problem has been deciding which language to learn. From talking to people I understand that Mandarin is easier to learn for a foreigner but I will be in Hong Kong for the foreseeable future so I presume that Cantonese will be more useful.

I am not generally very good at picking up languages although I do speak a second language learnt as a kid at school. Numbers and science is more my thing so I am worried that by chosing the more difficult option of Cantonese that I might end up throwing in the towel.


I have found some schools that seem reasonable - New Concept mandarin and Pacific Language Centre. Does anybody have any experience in dealing with either?


I live in the New Territories and have young children so I would ideally not have to travel to a class in town (big problem, I know). New Concept Mandarin is web based which suits me not only from not having to travel a long way for lessons but also because the nature of my job means that I can't commit to a single day for classes ie. Monday mornings, etc.


Does anybody have any suggestions, advice withregards to learning through the internet, or experience with schools in HKG?(Travelling is not entirely out of the question just not preferable).

I suppose tutors are on option - any recommendations?


I am really keen to do this but at the moment I fear that with all the questions it might be put on the backshelf again and then who knows if I'll ever get it done.


Thanks for any advice.

P.S. I have done a search and read the previous threads - looking for some more updated information.

Chinese U have classes in both, at TST. Hear really professional and class-based so you learn from others (they get lots of long termers). Tutors could be expensive and discouraging as learning from others are a big part of the learning process (so they say). Web-based, I think, likely a waste of time/money/effort, unless you are really motivated (7 years of waiting suggests otherwise, sorry). Ditto for Mandarin - where would you practice and why? And few people regularly speak Mandarin in HK, though more can beheard these days (apparently locals like to gas-bag in Mandarin), then again they can immediately mangle Mandarin without any formal study, whereas English speakers need to start at the beginning, so where's the fun in that?!


And Canto useful for the next 7 years. At a minimum you will learn a few phrases.


Go to the CLC center immediately as courses start next week (says the site), maybe get late acceptance.


http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/clc/new/en/

Cx - like the musicians... just play it by the "ear". the more you listen the more you will differentiate all the sounds you hear.


learn cantonese first. yes its tough because its a dialect and not a language. Mandarin is a language and therefore has structure, grammar and the whole shebang that comes in with the language. It also sounds more cultured and sweeter than in-your-face cantonese.


learn from your colleagues, neighbours, the shopkeepers, the taxi guy and so on. every day learn 10 words and 5 sentences. 6 months later i tell you, you will be swearing in cantonese that will make the locals "blush".


on your cable t.v. watch the movies. you can easily pick up what they are saying from the situations they are in.


Good luck .

I felt from Hong Kong market, people like to see mixed every thing. So your decision is rihgt. Have you considered to exhcange language, since it would cost nothing and you could pick up real live words.

YMCA TST, night classes, very good price. I paid 900 HKD for 10 weeks, 3 hours, Tue and Thurs classes in the evening. I started from beginner Mandarin and worked my way up to advance, and now I am about 40% fluent

hey CX, try this school at Admiralty (just opposite Pacific Place 3) called EDC. www.hkedc.com. They do 1 to 1 language coaching for Putonghua and Cantonese, so I think you can explore with them on-site or off-site. Their style of teaching is very "Michelle Thomas". Check it out.


If you have been here for almost 7 years and are still not picking up enough of cantonese, you are not watching enough cantonese shows on TV or you are not mixing with enough locals! : )


I learned cantonese from young through watching the cantonese tv series (i.e. watching TV). However, I dont' speak it enough as we don't speak cantonese at home. But I was able to understand it very well. However, when I got here 4 years ago, quite immediately my spoken cantonese proficiently went up to NATIVE! Haha...

Took one year (three courses) of Cantonese at the TST YMCA. Great prices and the teacher, Andrew, was a lot of fun.