Languages

[Queequeg]

In Cantonese:

Mandarin: there is more than one way to say "Mandarin" in Cantonese.  The most common way is "Po Tung Wah" - literally, "ordinary language".  Another, less common expression is "Gwok Yu", which means the "national language". 

I always thought Hua (what Caliga said) meant something like "correct" and indicated Mandarin-speaking Han Chinese? What does Hua mean, then?

Mandarin is so far from English that I don't think I'd ever have a real shot at learning it now.  No exposure to tonal languages before age 11=no chance of fluency in Mandarin, no real chance of getting even passable Cantonese.  At least Turkish is Latin Alphabet, tone-free and has some basic grammatical similarities with the Indo-European languages and a more European style. 

[DisturbedPervert]

No exposure to tonal languages before age 11=no chance of fluency in Mandarin

The Prime Minister of Australia seems to have done it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tixwTItEp9A&feature=related

[Monoriu]

I always thought Hua (what Caliga said) meant something like "correct" and indicated Mandarin-speaking Han Chinese? What does Hua mean, then?

Mandarin is so far from English that I don't think I'd ever have a real shot at learning it now.  No exposure to tonal languages before age 11=no chance of fluency in Mandarin, no real chance of getting even passable Cantonese.  At least Turkish is Latin Alphabet, tone-free and has some basic grammatical similarities with the Indo-European languages and a more European style.

There are many, many Chinese words that are pronounced as "Hua".  So it all depends on exactly which Chinese word you mean, and the context.  One meaning of "Hua" is "grand".  The official name of Mainland China is "Chung Hua Ren Min Gong He Guo".  Chung means central, middle.  Think "Middle Kingdom".  Hua is grand, sorta like the "Great" in Great Britain.  Chung Hua combined means China.  Ren Min is People.  Gong He Guo is Republic.  People's Republic of China. 

Hua Yu means Chinese.

[Monoriu]

No exposure to tonal languages before age 11=no chance of fluency in Mandarin

The Prime Minister of Australia seems to have done it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tixwTItEp9A&feature=related

Yeah, his Mandarin is better than mine. 

[Josquius]

What kind of accent does Rudd have? Beijinger?

[Monoriu]

What kind of accent does Rudd have? Beijinger?

No, he doesn't sound like a Beijinger.  His Mandarin is very, very good.  If I listen to that without seeing his face, I will guess it is a Chinese speaking. 

[Admiral Yi]

Did he serve in the Korean War?

[Josquius]

What kind of accent does Rudd have? Beijinger?

No, he doesn't sound like a Beijinger.  His Mandarin is very, very good.  If I listen to that without seeing his face, I will guess it is a Chinese speaking. 

If he sounds Chinese though then surely he'd sound like he's from at least some area (even if very roughly)?
Or maybe I'm thinking in too much of a English variation mindset there (though I had heard Chinese has this a lot too).

[Monoriu]

If he sounds Chinese though then surely he'd sound like he's from at least some area (even if very roughly)?
Or maybe I'm thinking in too much of a English variation mindset there (though I had heard Chinese has this a lot too).

He sounds like the news anchors of the Chinese state-run TV news programmes.  Only these guys speak Mandarin that is so perfect 

[Camerus]

Not trying to pull a Don'tSayBanana, but the "correct" spelling in pinyin (i.e. modern, standardized Romanization) for Mandarin is "pu tong hua" or "pǔ ​tōng ​huà​" with the tones marked.

My Chinese is still extremely shitty.  However, I find I do have to use it a lot here in Nanjing, since most people (especially store and restaurant staff) usually literally don't speak a word of English, other than "hello" and "bye bye".

[Admiral Yi]

My Chinese is still extremely shitty.  However, I find I do have to use it a lot here in Nanjing, since most people (especially store and restaurant staff) usually literally don't speak a word of English, other than "hello" and "bye bye".

In the buildup to the 88 Olympics the Korean government embarked on a massive year-long training program and managed to teach most school children how to say "welcome to Korea."

[HisMajestyBOB]

My Chinese is still extremely shitty.  However, I find I do have to use it a lot here in Nanjing, since most people (especially store and restaurant staff) usually literally don't speak a word of English, other than "hello" and "bye bye".

In the buildup to the 88 Olympics the Korean government embarked on a massive year-long training program and managed to teach most school children how to say "welcome to Korea."

And 20 years later, most can now manage "Hello", "What's your name?" "How are you?", and "Fine, thank you. And you?"

[Razgovory]

My Chinese is still extremely shitty.  However, I find I do have to use it a lot here in Nanjing, since most people (especially store and restaurant staff) usually literally don't speak a word of English, other than "hello" and "bye bye".

In the buildup to the 88 Olympics the Korean government embarked on a massive year-long training program and managed to teach most school children how to say "welcome to Korea."

Is that how you became fluent in English?

[Monoriu]

Not trying to pull a Don'tSayBanana, but the "correct" spelling in pinyin (i.e. modern, standardized Romanization) for Mandarin is "pu tong hua" or "pǔ ​tōng ​huà​" with the tones marked.

My Chinese is still extremely shitty.  However, I find I do have to use it a lot here in Nanjing, since most people (especially store and restaurant staff) usually literally don't speak a word of English, other than "hello" and "bye bye".

I suck at pinyin 

[Camerus]

Apropos to what I was saying in the Brit-in-Quebec thread, it just goes to show the yawning gulf between learning a language in elementary or secondary school, and actually being able to use it in real life.