Singapore Expats

Hello,

I've been studying Mandarin for a long time now but still need to improve ... a lot ... So I'm looking for a native Mandarin speaker (更喜欢 from 北京的附近）for language exchange.

I've done some very successful language exchanges before in the UK but not recently, I think my pronunciation is very standard and clear (I don't have a strong accent etc). I'm looking for someone who is serious about language exchange and speaks Mandarin natively. Hopefully you can pronounce your Hs and roll your Rs ...

Thanks
David

sgpdavid wrote:Hello,

I've been studying Mandarin for a long time now but still need to improve ... a lot ... So I'm looking for a native Mandarin speaker (更喜欢 from 北京的附近）for language exchange.

I've done some very successful language exchanges before in the UK but not recently, I think my pronunciation is very standard and clear (I don't have a strong accent etc). I'm looking for someone who is serious about language exchange and speaks Mandarin natively. Hopefully you can pronounce your Hs and roll your Rs ...

Thanks
David

How to contact you? I am a native mandarin speaker

Hello,

You can send me email to k992637 (at) yahoo (dot) com

Are you studying English at the moment? How long do you learn for already? Where in China do you come from?

I guess I should tell you the same about me, I study Chinese once a week (currently I study at Suntec), for the last 3 years - I come from UK, northern part, but my accent is very standard. Some people from where I come from have very strong accent which is hard to understand, but mine is quite easy I think!

David

sgpdavid wrote:Hello,

You can send me email to k992637 (at) yahoo (dot) com

Are you studying English at the moment? How long do you learn for already? Where in China do you come from?

I guess I should tell you the same about me, I study Chinese once a week (currently I study at Suntec), for the last 3 years - I come from UK, northern part, but my accent is very standard. Some people from where I come from have very strong accent which is hard to understand, but mine is quite easy I think!

David

but.... Im not from China. i m malaysian of chinese ancestry. received primary & secondary school eduction in standard ,proper and complete chinese language. speak mandarin at home . a lot of friends from china cant distinguish my nationality ^^ so.. if u still interested ...

yeah i m learning english at the moment...

Hmmm how to say this ...

To me, native Mandarin means you grew up in a Mandarin speaking environment speaking only Mandarin with your parents and friends etc. Not just for so many years in school, but your whole life. If you really are a native speaker, then there is no need to mention your education or what your friends think, because you are just a native speaker!

Also, I prefer to learn with a mainland Chinese person because they have different pronunciation and different vocabulary, and when I go to China, I want people to understand me very well! It's very frustrating to ask for Pineapple juice in Singapore because many locals (eg Straits Chinese) have different names for certain things ...

sgpdavid wrote:Hmmm how to say this ...

To me, native Mandarin means you grew up in a Mandarin speaking environment speaking only Mandarin with your parents and friends etc. Not just for so many years in school, but your whole life. If you really are a native speaker, then there is no need to mention your education or what your friends think, because you are just a native speaker!

Also, I prefer to learn with a mainland Chinese person because they have different pronunciation and different vocabulary, and when I go to China, I want people to understand me very well! It's very frustrating to ask for Pineapple juice in Singapore because many locals (eg Straits Chinese) have different names for certain things ...

////

another_novice wrote:

sgpdavid wrote:Hmmm how to say this ...

To me, native Mandarin means you grew up in a Mandarin speaking environment speaking only Mandarin with your parents and friends etc. Not just for so many years in school, but your whole life. If you really are a native speaker, then there is no need to mention your education or what your friends think, because you are just a native speaker!

Also, I prefer to learn with a mainland Chinese person because they have different pronunciation and different vocabulary, and when I go to China, I want people to understand me very well! It's very frustrating to ask for Pineapple juice in Singapore because many locals (eg Straits Chinese) have different names for certain things ...

yah ok ^^

yupe for whole life. i mention that because a lot of people dont really understand the real condition in malaysia tats why i m just telling. Malaysia has the best and most complete chinese education system in the world after China & Taiwan because chinese in malaysia was part of the ppl who claimed independence from the britain so chinese language is protected in the constitution. malaysian chinese language is ways better than singaporean.

Many so-called "chinese-educated" Malaysians fail when communicating with colleagues from mainland China and when technical or scientific terms are involved.

So unless you can correctly articulate without consulting the dictionary the Mandarin terms for "debug", "DNA", "microarray", "GNU", or "acute myeloid leukemia", I will not accept that your Mandarin is native level.

signed,
a banana who actually recognizes (a few hundreds of) hanzi

- just in case, I am not Singaporean. I couldn't care less about the endless flamewars fought between "chinese-educated" people on both sides of the straits. The term "chinese-educated" often reads "close-minded" or "Confucius' fanboys" to me.

hehe I'm not worried about the correct translation of acute myeloid leukemia particularly ... I'm more worried about potato, pineapple, fridge ... etc etc. There are many words which are different in Singapore vs mainland. For that and so many other reasons, I'm only interested in doing language exchange with a native speaker. There is a very fundamental difference between "fluent" and "native", I did put "native" in my message title for a reason

hey there
I'm a native speaker and have lived in beijing for 2 years so i believe i hit your standard.
actually my english's good as well.
so we can be friends if you want to.
i've taught mandarin classes before as well.


contact me at [email protected]

cheers.

sgpdavid wrote:Hello,

I've been studying Mandarin for a long time now but still need to improve ... a lot ... So I'm looking for a native Mandarin speaker (更喜欢 from 北京的附近）for language exchange.

I've done some very successful language exchanges before in the UK but not recently, I think my pronunciation is very standard and clear (I don't have a strong accent etc). I'm looking for someone who is serious about language exchange and speaks Mandarin natively. Hopefully you can pronounce your Hs and roll your Rs ...

Thanks
David

hi David

I m a native speaker. i come from shanghai china. currently study in singapore. And i m willing to learn british eng cuz i m so love the accent. and im also willing to teach u Chinese. ive emailed u.. 期待你的回复！

sgpdavid wrote:Hello,

I've been studying Mandarin for a long time now but still need to improve ... a lot ... So I'm looking for a native Mandarin speaker (更喜欢 from 北京的附近）for language exchange.

I've done some very successful language exchanges before in the UK but not recently, I think my pronunciation is very standard and clear (I don't have a strong accent etc). I'm looking for someone who is serious about language exchange and speaks Mandarin natively. Hopefully you can pronounce your Hs and roll your Rs ...

Thanks
David

Hi David

I am a native Mandarin speaker, 24 years old. I am from Nanjing , the capital of Jiangsu province. My pronunciation is standard since my mother is an expositor in our local museum. I came to Singapore when I was 20 so I know the different vocabulary in China eg. there are many words of pineapple in china,黄梨，凤梨，菠罗。

I have learnt English for many years, but I still found my oral is not good. I want to learn and practise with the native English speaker so that they can correct my mistake and teach me the standard pronunciation.

so I wish I could exchange lauguage with you.
You can contact me at [email protected]

Hi guys
Im interested to learn mandarine,
we all can be friends and hang out for coffee
can chat with me at MSN or email me
[email protected]

Hi all, why don't we organise a gathering to meet up with each other. Fri night, Sat or Sun should be fine for all right?

mauvecloud wrote:

another_novice wrote:

sgpdavid wrote:Hmmm how to say this ...

To me, native Mandarin means you grew up in a Mandarin speaking environment speaking only Mandarin with your parents and friends etc. Not just for so many years in school, but your whole life. If you really are a native speaker, then there is no need to mention your education or what your friends think, because you are just a native speaker!

Also, I prefer to learn with a mainland Chinese person because they have different pronunciation and different vocabulary, and when I go to China, I want people to understand me very well! It's very frustrating to ask for Pineapple juice in Singapore because many locals (eg Straits Chinese) have different names for certain things ...

yah ok ^^

yupe for whole life. i mention that because a lot of people dont really understand the real condition in malaysia tats why i m just telling. Malaysia has the best and most complete chinese education system in the world after China & Taiwan because chinese in malaysia was part of the ppl who claimed independence from the britain so chinese language is protected in the constitution. malaysian chinese language is ways better than singaporean.

Many so-called "chinese-educated" Malaysians fail when communicating with colleagues from mainland China and when technical or scientific terms are involved.

So unless you can correctly articulate without consulting the dictionary the Mandarin terms for "debug", "DNA", "microarray", "GNU", or "acute myeloid leukemia", I will not accept that your Mandarin is native level.

signed,
a banana who actually recognizes (a few hundreds of) hanzi

- just in case, I am not Singaporean. I couldn't care less about the endless flamewars fought between "chinese-educated" people on both sides of the straits. The term "chinese-educated" often reads "close-
minded" or "Confucius' fanboys" to me.

HI wondering where are you from!!! cos it was amazing argument.
and totally agree with you!!!

i'm sorry about the chiness malaysia.. abit embrassing for what he said..
well i'm chiness indonesia.. my mother tongue is Mandarin and hokkien...
but i still wish someone to teach me how to write and read..

cos in my time we r not allow to studying mandarin in school/tuition.
another word mean ILLEGAL

and i only hv secret tuition when i was kids..
so wish i can polish my english n mandarin well..

anyone can teach me..
and i speak indonesia fluently

mauvecloud wrote:

another_novice wrote:

sgpdavid wrote:Hmmm how to say this ...

To me, native Mandarin means you grew up in a Mandarin speaking environment speaking only Mandarin with your parents and friends etc. Not just for so many years in school, but your whole life. If you really are a native speaker, then there is no need to mention your education or what your friends think, because you are just a native speaker!

Also, I prefer to learn with a mainland Chinese person because they have different pronunciation and different vocabulary, and when I go to China, I want people to understand me very well! It's very frustrating to ask for Pineapple juice in Singapore because many locals (eg Straits Chinese) have different names for certain things ...

yah ok ^^

yupe for whole life. i mention that because a lot of people dont really understand the real condition in malaysia tats why i m just telling. Malaysia has the best and most complete chinese education system in the world after China & Taiwan because chinese in malaysia was part of the ppl who claimed independence from the britain so chinese language is protected in the constitution. malaysian chinese language is ways better than singaporean.

Many so-called "chinese-educated" Malaysians fail when communicating with colleagues from mainland China and when technical or scientific terms are involved.

So unless you can correctly articulate without consulting the dictionary the Mandarin terms for "debug", "DNA", "microarray", "GNU", or "acute myeloid leukemia", I will not accept that your Mandarin is native level.

signed,
a banana who actually recognizes (a few hundreds of) hanzi

- just in case, I am not Singaporean. I couldn't care less about the endless flamewars fought between "chinese-educated" people on both sides of the straits. The term "chinese-educated" often reads "close-minded" or "Confucius' fanboys" to me.

i can hit your said terms in mandarin for common technical knowledge, including terms like "lupus erythematosus" without consulting dictionary. there are a lot of people in malaysia who can speak chinese but their level is limited esp in technical terms, and i m not here to prove that malaysian chinese level is high or low but I m confident that my chinese language and classical chinese language level is comparable to chinese in taiwan and mainland china. Pls do not have a preset mindset when your cynical "Chinese educated often reads close-minded or confucius fanboys" remark is not fair to all people, you could have met some people who is not totally conversant in mandarin from malaysia, but there are alot of people who speak/read/write mandarin perfectly whom u do not know

as for your technical terms, it is not completely related to one's language proficiency, if you talk about professional/technical terms that are rarely used. and i believe the TS is not here to learn terms like turbulent non-Newtonian flow or allograph/xenograph transplant in Chinese.

For TS's information, i believe the title should be "native beijing"(in fact he has stated in the thread) because there are also some different terms used in different places around china. the chinese terms used in SEA r more or less influenced by guangdong and fujian, as their ancestors who migrated to SEA during the Qing dynasty and ROC era can't even speak in beijing mandarin because putonghua was not the official language of mainland at the time, sorry for moving away from TS's topic