Study Aids: Homework
	How to get started learning Mandarin
	By Austin Ramzy

Posted Monday, June 19, 2006; 20:00 HKT
To study Mandarin, you could try a textbook like Practical Chinese, written by U.S. Army Lieut. Harry S. Aldrich. It offers helpful lessons on tones, grammar, and what to say when "Meeting Bandits"—that's the title of a chapter for students living in China when the book was published in 1934. Sadly for those seeking to learn Mandarin in 30 days, there have been few teaching breakthroughs since Aldrich wrote his book. But at least study aids are more plentiful, and multimedia technologies can reduce the drudgery of memorizing vocabulary and patterns. Some useful tools:

BOOKS Chinese the Easy Way simplifies things by teaching through pinyin, a romanized form of Chinese, rather than formal characters. It's helpful for people who want to just speak and listen, but less useful when you need to find the sign that says "toilet." Schaum's Outline of Chinese Grammar and Schaum's Outline of Chinese Vocabulary are study guides often recommended as complements for regular classwork.

AUDIO Shanghai-based ChinesePod makes free Mandarin podcasts available through the Internet (chinesepod.com). Dialogue topics include first dates, downloading music online, and expressing anger when someone is smoking in a nonsmoking area.

SOFTWARE Rosetta Stone Chinese is a set of CD-ROMs that instruct through the interactive use of pictures and audio.

CLASSES If you're studying on your own, group classes or one-on-one tutoring sessions can accelerate learning, and they are available in most cities. Look for a teacher who emphasizes real-world communication, and encourages you to talk, not just to listen. Class time should be devoted to skills you can't easily develop on your own, like correct pronunciation.

If you can afford the time and tuition costs, an immersion course or study abroad are time-tested training methods. Middlebury College's summer language program in Vermont offers one of the most well-known immersion courses. Beijing Language and Culture University, China's top school for foreigners, offers a range of options, from a four-week crash course to a four-year degree in Mandarin.

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