Comments on: The Informant http://laowaichinese.net/the-informant.htm Tips and Strategies for Learning to Speak Mandarin Chinese Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:29:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Rachel http://laowaichinese.net/the-informant.htm/comment-page-1#comment-10059 Rachel Wed, 06 Apr 2011 17:57:33 +0000 http://laowaichinese.net/?p=50#comment-10059 The best kind of informant is the educated friend who wants to hang out with you just because he/she wants to be your friend. My two best friends from Taiwan were like that (both English teachers but both who preferred to speak with me in Chinese - sheer gold I know!). Now they both live in the U.S. and we still only speak with each other in Mandarin since that was the habit from 20 years ago (although their English is surely better than my Mandarin by now). Living in China or Taiwan, you can find these people, it just takes some time. It's much harder in the U.S. Anyone Chinese you meet here likely came to do university or graduate studies. Their English is almost definitely going to be better than your Chinese and why are you speaking in Chinese anyway, we are in the U.S.? The way I make sure to get informants here is like Albert's suggestion that something should be exchanged. I don't like language exchanges, because one language always wins. I find people two ways. 1)I just pay for a tutor. You don't need an experienced tutor, just someone to be "Chinese" as described in this post. I do things like read Hanhan's blog an highlight my questions for discussion. Ask questions about vocabulary or Chengyu I bumped into that I am not sure about usage. The second way is absolutely brilliant and involves scores of native speakers giving hours of free practice time of their own volition. It's called Meetup.com. I started a Mandarin group that meets every couple of weeks. To my surprise about 90% are native speakers. I make the ground rules clear NO ENGLISH - and people really stick to that. What do they get in exchange? An instant social group. There is a set of core members I've become closer with and also have parties at my home where only Mandarin is spoken. If you don't live in a Mandarin speaking country, I recommend finding a Meetup group or creating your own. The best kind of informant is the educated friend who wants to hang out with you just because he/she wants to be your friend. My two best friends from Taiwan were like that (both English teachers but both who preferred to speak with me in Chinese – sheer gold I know!). Now they both live in the U.S. and we still only speak with each other in Mandarin since that was the habit from 20 years ago (although their English is surely better than my Mandarin by now). Living in China or Taiwan, you can find these people, it just takes some time. It’s much harder in the U.S. Anyone Chinese you meet here likely came to do university or graduate studies. Their English is almost definitely going to be better than your Chinese and why are you speaking in Chinese anyway, we are in the U.S.? The way I make sure to get informants here is like Albert’s suggestion that something should be exchanged. I don’t like language exchanges, because one language always wins. I find people two ways. 1)I just pay for a tutor. You don’t need an experienced tutor, just someone to be “Chinese” as described in this post. I do things like read Hanhan’s blog an highlight my questions for discussion. Ask questions about vocabulary or Chengyu I bumped into that I am not sure about usage. The second way is absolutely brilliant and involves scores of native speakers giving hours of free practice time of their own volition. It’s called Meetup.com. I started a Mandarin group that meets every couple of weeks. To my surprise about 90% are native speakers. I make the ground rules clear NO ENGLISH – and people really stick to that. What do they get in exchange? An instant social group. There is a set of core members I’ve become closer with and also have parties at my home where only Mandarin is spoken. If you don’t live in a Mandarin speaking country, I recommend finding a Meetup group or creating your own.

]]> By: Operation Speak Chinese: Day 3 « My Self Help Project http://laowaichinese.net/the-informant.htm/comment-page-1#comment-9417 Operation Speak Chinese: Day 3 « My Self Help Project Tue, 20 Apr 2010 13:06:30 +0000 http://laowaichinese.net/?p=50#comment-9417 [...] 20, 2010 · Filed under Daily Report 14 words today! I had a meeting with my informant today and asked her many questions. From her I got quite a lot of words and phrases. I need to [...] [...] 20, 2010 · Filed under Daily Report 14 words today! I had a meeting with my informant today and asked her many questions. From her I got quite a lot of words and phrases. I need to [...]

]]> By: Operation Speak Chinese: Day 1 « My Self Help Project http://laowaichinese.net/the-informant.htm/comment-page-1#comment-9414 Operation Speak Chinese: Day 1 « My Self Help Project Sun, 18 Apr 2010 13:57:49 +0000 http://laowaichinese.net/?p=50#comment-9414 [...] words lined up ready to be learned tomorrow and many questions ready for my next meeting with myinformant. So I feel pretty [...] [...] words lined up ready to be learned tomorrow and many questions ready for my next meeting with myinformant. So I feel pretty [...]

]]> By: KF http://laowaichinese.net/the-informant.htm/comment-page-1#comment-4353 KF Thu, 03 Jul 2008 12:18:01 +0000 http://laowaichinese.net/?p=50#comment-4353 thanks, useful for hiring a tutor thanks, useful for hiring a tutor

]]> By: Alain Lioret http://laowaichinese.net/the-informant.htm/comment-page-1#comment-3988 Alain Lioret Sun, 09 Mar 2008 03:52:04 +0000 http://laowaichinese.net/?p=50#comment-3988 Thank you for explaining the concept of the informant so plainly. As someone who learned English as a secnd language, I have often sought informants, or have been sought out as an informant by other wanting to learn/practice French. My level is somewhere between chat buddy and guide, and I always felt very inadequate when others expected me to answer linguist level type questions. Having read your blog, I now realise that it is OK to be a chat buddy / guide, and that not everyone will be a linguist. Thank you for explaining the concept of the informant so plainly.

As someone who learned English as a secnd language, I have often sought informants, or have been sought out as an informant by other wanting to learn/practice French.

My level is somewhere between chat buddy and guide, and I always felt very inadequate when others expected me to answer linguist level type questions.

Having read your blog, I now realise that it is OK to be a chat buddy / guide, and that not everyone will be a linguist.

]]>