Chinese (Cantonese) I Comprehensive

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About The Chinese Language

With far more than a billion native speakers, Chinese is statistically the most widely-spoken language in the world. There are many regional dialects of Chinese: Mandarin, which is based on what is spoken in Beijing, constitutes the official language of the People's Republic of China, although Cantonese is still prevalent in Hong Kong and some southern provinces. More Chinese immigrants in the United States and other countries speak Cantonese than any other Chinese dialect.

Like Mandarin, Cantonese recognizes the musical pitch of a spoken word as an essential part of its pronunciation. Words in Chinese that are pronounced otherwise the same are distinguished with a falling or rising tone when they are spoken. Mandarin uses four tones, while Cantonese uses six. Recognizing the tonal schemes of either language is a completely new kind of task for the beginning student whose native language is English. The Pimsleur Cantonese cassettes offer a patient introduction to the tonal system of Cantonese, and by following the advice outlined in the Owner's Manual included with the cassettes you should acquire a good command of the tonal system as well as the essential elements of spoken Cantonese with minimal difficulty.

Why The Pimsleur System Works

The late Dr. Paul Pimsleur was much more than a language teacher. He did research on how both children and multi-lingual adults learn languages and discovered key principles that unlocked the mystery of how we learn languages.

The Pimsleur programs provide a method of self-practice with an expert teacher and native speakers in lessons specially designed to work with the way the mind naturally acquires language information. The various components of language -- vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar -- are all learned together without rote memorization and drills. Using a unique method of memory recall developed by renowned linguist, Dr. Paul Pimsleur, the programs teach listeners to combine words and phrases to express themselves the way native speakers do. By listening and responding to thirty minute recorded lessons, students easily and effectively achieve spoken proficiency. » The Pimsleur Method «