Google Community - View Single Post - Chinese food

bohanka · 04-23-2006, 02:18 PM

Hi Mondine,

I'm in southern China in the Province of Fujian. Most people here speak Mandarin but there's also a local dialect called Min. The language around here is a mix between the two but mainly Mandarin.

I'm learning Mandarin andmy vocabulary is somewhat limited but I know enough to be able to bargain in the markets. The Chinese use a series of hand gestures for smaller numbers and I always carry a small calculator on which they or I can punch in the larger and more difficult numbers. I've found that it's always advisable to get a price before agreeing to any service. Hardly anyone here speaks English and the markets are a great place to learn Mandarin. The method is called "total immersion" and, believe me, when you go to the markets around here, you are totally immersed in the language. It's a great way to learn quickly.

I've read that the method was used in England during World War two. Would be agents, who were to be dropped behind enemy lines, had to learn either German for French fast. They were sent to a camp were the only language allowed to be spoken was either German or French. If they didn't ask for something in that language, they didn't get it - this included toilets, beds, food and water. Needless to say, they learned the language very quickly.

04-23-2006, 02:18 PM	#3 (permalink)
bohanka Junior Googler Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Zhongzhou, China Posts: 28 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	To answer your question... Hi Mondine, I'm in southern China in the Province of Fujian. Most people here speak Mandarin but there's also a local dialect called Min. The language around here is a mix between the two but mainly Mandarin. I'm learning Mandarin andmy vocabulary is somewhat limited but I know enough to be able to bargain in the markets. The Chinese use a series of hand gestures for smaller numbers and I always carry a small calculator on which they or I can punch in the larger and more difficult numbers. I've found that it's always advisable to get a price before agreeing to any service. Hardly anyone here speaks English and the markets are a great place to learn Mandarin. The method is called "total immersion" and, believe me, when you go to the markets around here, you are totally immersed in the language. It's a great way to learn quickly. I've read that the method was used in England during World War two. Would be agents, who were to be dropped behind enemy lines, had to learn either German for French fast. They were sent to a camp were the only language allowed to be spoken was either German or French. If they didn't ask for something in that language, they didn't get it - this included toilets, beds, food and water. Needless to say, they learned the language very quickly.