Basic Mandarin for English Speakers

 

Keep in mind there are two different kinds of Chinese writing systems- Traditional characters (Taiwan, HK, Macau) and Simplified (Mainland China, Malaysia, Singapore).  However, if you travel to Japan or S. Korea, the old temples will have traditional characters. To decide which kind of Mandarin to learn read this article. Learners often use pinyin, which is the phonetic sound using the Latin alphabet.

Mandarin is a tonal language. You will have to learn the 5 tones when you are learning Mandarin. The tones are flat, rising, dip, falling, and neutral. They are represented in pinyin, resembling accent lines, but in fact they are showing the tones.

I. Chinese Vocab Study Sets

• Core 100 words
• 108 Basic Words
• Vocab by Topic
• Vocab list for Computers and the Internet
• Cambridge International Level 3 Vocab list (Free pdf)
• 30 Useful Travel Phrases

II. YouTube Channels

• Easy Mandarin
• Everyday Chinese
• Chinese For Us

III. Podcasts

• Maayot: Learn Mandarin with Stories
• Learn Taiwanese Mandarin
• Talk Taiwanese with Abby (Intermediate/adv.)
• Chillchat 
• Learn Mandarin- Meinyks Chinese
• Chinese Sayings

IV. Basic Conversations: Getting Started

 

V. Apps

• Preply – Best for 1-on-1 lessons
• Rocket Chinese – Best for audio lessons
• LingoDeer – Best for pronunciation
• Mondly – Best for tech heads
• Duolingo – Best free app
• Hello Chinese – Best for diverse activities
• Pleco – Best dictionary app
• Drops – Best for vocabulary

El Verano

 

I. Actividades de Verano

• ¿Tienes planes para las vacaciones de verano?
• ¿Qué planes tienes para disfrutar del verano este año?
•  Estoy ilusionada con el verano y quiero aprovecharlo al máximo. (Tengo muchas ganas de que llegue el verano...)
• Hay muchas actividades divertidas que podemos hacer al aire libre.
• ¿Qué tal si vamos de campamento?
• un viaje de fin de semana
• pasar un día en la playa (Relájate en la playa)
• senderismo y exploración de la naturaleza
• nevera portatil
• nadar en el mar y tomar el sol
• deportes acuáticos
• organizar una barbacoa
• hacer caminatas por las montañas
• disfruta del aire fresco y hermosos paisajes
• llevar bloqueador solar
• Mantente hidratada/-o en todo momento

 

Slang:

• un rato a huevonear (chillin' for a while)
• es padre (it's cool)

Cámping

• ¡Me encanta acampar!
• Podemos sentarnos alrededor del fuego, comer y contar (cuenta) historias
• bolsas de dormir.
• repelente de insectos
• ¡Tendremos un gran viaje de campamento!
• La vela de citronela ayuda a mantener alejados a los mosquitos.

II. Deportes de verano

III. Verano en Barcelona

Verano en España

Spanish for Beginners/ Adv Beginners

 

Resources for learning Spanish as an English speaker

I. Vocabulary Sets

• Days of the Week and Months, Numbers 1-100, and Expressing Time
• Places at School, Classroom Objects,  Classroom Commands, and People at School
• Seasons
• Body Parts
• Family, Family Part 2
• Describe Yourself
• Feelings (Ser) Part 1 
• Tener
• Transportation
• Meals and Utensils, Fruit and Veg, and Food
• Definite Articles and Nouns
• Subject Pronouns, Ser, Adjectives
• Countries and  Regular -AR Verbs
• Indefinite Articles + More Vocab
• Regular -ER Verbs, Regular -IR Verbs
• IR (to go)
• More Basic Vocab

 

II. Video (YouTube)

• Hola Spanish
• Aprender Español Online
• Easy Spanish
• Like Spanish

III.  Podcasts

• Chill Spanish Listening Practice
• Mexican Fluency Podcast
• Podcast Diario Para Aprender Esp
• Intermediate Spanish
• Intermediate Spanish Stories
• Duolingo Spanish
• Coffee Break Spanish
• News in Slow Spanish

IV. Apps

• LingoPie
• Duolingo
• Babbel

V. Temas

• El Verano (summer)
• Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)

Future Continuous Tense

 The future progressive tense is used for an ongoing action that will occur in the future.

 For example, John will be baking a cake.

Many times, future continuous sentences and questions have the same meaning as other future tense sentences and questions.

• I will be working from 8 to 4 tomorrow.
• I will work from 8 to 4 tomorrow.
• I am going to work from 8 to 4 tomorrow.
• I am working from 8 to 4 tomorrow.

All four sentences above are the same.

Online Exercises:

https://www.really-learn-english.com/future-progressive-exercises.html

https://www.myenglishpages.com/english/grammar-exercise-future-progressive.php

https://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verb-tenses_future-continuous-quiz.php

Dialogues:

Question Word + will + subject + be + present participle...?

• What will you be doing today at 6 pm?
• Where will you be going on your road trip?
• When will you be leaving?
• Who will you be entertaining at your home tonight?
• Why will they be working late tomorrow?
• How will you be getting there?

We can also make questions using "What + noun" or "Which + noun".

• What time will you be getting off work today?
• What food will you be bringing to the picnic?
• Which countries will she be visiting on her gap year?
• Which jacket will you be wearing today?

Who + will be + present participle...?
What + will be + present participle...?
How many + noun + will be + present participle...?

• Who will be coming?
• What will be happening there tomorrow morning?
• How many children will be coming?

English Conversation 1

A) Who will be joining us for this meeting?
B) Besides us, I think Marta, Sasha, and Jan will be attending.
A) So, what will we be discussing?
B) We only need to discuss the new project.
A) Okay, so we can probably finish in an hour.
B) Maybe, but Jim usually talks a lot. So, it may take longer than that.

English Conversation 2

A) Do you want to play video games this weekend?
B) I can't. I've got plans.
A) What will you be doing?
B) I'll be going on a hike with my sister.
A) I didn't know you liked hiking.
B) I don't, but I like my sister, so I'm going.

What will you be _______________?
Where will you be _______________?
When will you be _______________?
Who will you be _______________?
Who will be _______________?
If you have time, what will you be _______________ this weekend?
Why will he be _______________?
How many _______________ will you be _______________?
How many _______________ will be _______________?

Gov't unveils stricter measures against school bullying measures 정부, 학교 폭력 근절 종합대책 발표

 KEY WORDS

■ school bullying 학교 폭력
■ retain 보존하다
■ mandatory 의무적인, 필수적인
■ expert 전문가
■ pass 의결하다, 통과시키다
■ controversial 논란이 많은
■ enforced 엄격한, 엄정한
■ take A into account: A를 감안하다, 고려하다

■ rolling admission 수시 전형[모집]

Schools will retain records of violence for extended period after offenders graduate

학교 폭력 가해자들이 졸업한 후에도 학폭 기록 장기 보존

By Lee Hae-rin

Students with records of committing school bullying will face penalties in the university admissions process, while victims' consent will become mandatory in order to clear records of perpetrators' crimes, the government announced, Wednesday.
학교 폭력을 가한 전력이 있는 학생들은 대입 과정에서 불이익을 받게 되며, 가해자들의 학폭 기록을 삭제하려면 반드시 피해 학생의 동의를 받아야 한다고 정부가 수요일 발표했다.

Victims will also be better protected and receive more support when recovering with the help of school violence prevention and support centers, which will consist of school police officers, legal experts and psychological counselors.
또한 학교전담경찰관, 법률 전문가, 심리 상담가로 구성되는 학교 폭력 예방 및 지원 센터의 도움으로 피해 학생들은 회복을 위해 보다 나은 보호와 지원을 받게 된다.

The government held a meeting with the school violence prevention committee, which is presided over by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Wednesday, and passed a set of comprehensive plans to tackle bullying.
정부는 수요일 한덕수 국무총리 주재로 학교폭력대책위원회를 열고 학교폭력 근절 종합대책을 의결했다.

The measures come as prosecutor-turned-lawyer Chung Sun-sin, who was named the new chief of the National Office of Investigation stepped down a day after his appointment on Feb. 24. Chung was attacked by controversial reports that stated that his son, currently attending Seoul National University, bullied his peers in high school in 2017.
이 대책은 지난 2월 24일 검사 출신의 정순신 변호사가 국가수사본부장에 임명됐다가 하루 만에 낙마한 파장에 따른 것이다. 정 변호사는 지난 2017년 현재 서울대에 재학 중인 아들이 고등학교 동창들을 괴롭혔다는 보도 논란으로 공격을 받았다.

The Netflix hit series "The Glory" also raised public consensus on enforced punishment of school violence perpetrators.
넷플릭스의 히트작 "더 글로리" 또한 학폭 가해자들에 대한 엄정 처벌을 두고 대중적 합의를 불러 일으켰다.

According to the new measures, schools will retain the records of school bullies for an extended period of four years after offenders graduate, allowing universities to take bullying records into account during the admissions process, starting next year.
이 같은 새로운 대책에 따르면 학교에서는 가해자들이 졸업한 후 4년 동안 학폭 기록을 보존하며 대학들은 내년부터 입학 과정에서 학폭 기록을 검토할 수 있도록 허용한다는 계획이다.

Since February, the education ministry has required all schools to retain bullying records for two years after perpetrators graduate in order to enhance safety in classrooms. In the past, the bullying records of students could be removed after graduation.
교육부는 2월부터 교실에서의 안전을 강화하기 위해 모든 학교에서 가해자들이 졸업한 후에도 2년 동안 학폭 조치 기록을 보존할 것을 의무화했다. 과거에는 학생들의 학폭 기록이 졸업 후 삭제될 수 있었다.

Previously, universities only took school bullying records into account for rolling admissions, which assess students based on records and grades. However, it's weighting on the test-based regular admission system was criticized for being insignificant.
앞서 대학들은 학교 성적, 그리고 성적에 근거하여 학생들을 평가하는 수시모집에서 학폭 기록만을 고려했었다. 하지만 수능 시험 기반의 정시제에 대한 비중은 미미하다는 비판을 받았다.

번역 안성진 sjahn@koreatimes.co.kr

4월 13일자 National면 기사


Post-Reading Questions:

1. Is school bullying common 흔한 in Korea?

2. Have you ever seen bullying or been involved in bullying?

3. Why do people bully?

4. Do you think school bullying is a problem in the US? 

5. Do you think Korean Universities not accepting students who were bullies in the past, is fair 공정한 or unfair? Why?

Ability and Obligation

Present: Can = Be Able to Can't = Isn't/Aren't able to

Ex: She can speak English well./ She is able to speak English well.

Ex: My sister is able to play soccer well./ She can play soccer well.

Past: Could/Couldn't = Was/Wasn't able to

Ex: He could drive at night very well./ He couldn't drive very well at night.

Online Exercises:

https://www.ecenglish.com/learnenglish/lessons/can-could-be-able

https://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/modal-verbs-of-ability-exercise-1.html

https://www.engblocks.com/grammar/exercises/modal-verbs/can-could-be-able-to-exercise-2/

https://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verbs-modals-can-could-able-quiz.php

Dialogues:

4 Conversations on Ability (Can)

My abilities

Was able to

Modal verbs conversation questions

1) Is there anything you can’t do and would like to learn?

2) What are the three things you can do best?

3) What activities couldn’t you do because of the pandemic?

4) Name three things you could do when you were younger but can’t do anymore.

5) Is there anything you can do better than your parents?

Abnormally early cherry blossoms move up spring flower festivals 이상기후로 벚꽃 이른 개화, 봄꽃 축제 앞당겨

 KEY WORDS

■ bloom 꽃을 피우다, 꽃이 피다
■ scramble 재빨리 움직이다
■ meteorological 기상의
■ kick off (토론·회의·행사 등을) 시작하다
■ springtime picnicker 상춘객
■ take place 개최되다
■ duration 지속 기간

■ abnormal 비정상적인 

The unexpectedly early blooming of spring flowers in Korea this year has left local governments scrambling to host their flower festivals earlier than usual to prevent the long-awaited mask-free spring events from ending up flower-free.

올해 봄꽃이 예상보다 빠르게 피면서 오랫동안 기다려 온 마스크 없는 축제가 꽃 없이 끝나는 것을 막기 위해 자치구들은 예년보다 일찍 축제를 개최하기 위해 서두르고 있다.

According to the Korea Metrological Administration (KMA), cherry blossoms in Seoul started blooming on March 25 this year, which is 14 days earlier than average, coming around April 8. It is also the second-earliest blooming date recorded since the KMA started making meteorological observations in 1922.
기상청에 따르면 올해 서울의 벚꽃 개화는 3월 25일에 시작돼 4월 8일경인 예년보다 14일 빨랐다. 1922년 첫 기상 관측을 시작한 이래 두 번째로 빠른 개화일이기도 하다.

Flowers in the southeastern regions of Daegu and North and South Gyeongsang provinces also bloomed about eight days earlier than usual. In the southeastern port city of Pohang, cherry blossoms bloomed on March 16, while Daegu and Andong bloomed on March 21 and 23, respectively.
대구 동남부와 경상남도에서도 예년보다 8일 가량 일찍 꽃이 피었다. 벚꽃은 남동 항구도시 포항에서는 3월 16일에, 대구와 안동에서는 각각 3월 21일과 23일에 만개했다.

Due to the unexpected early blooming of cherry blossoms, regional spring flower festivals in North Gyeongsang Province's Uiseong and Andong, and Gangwon Province's Namdaecheon kicked off last week, which is around a week ahead of their usual annual schedules.
예고 없이 벚꽃이 이른 시기에 피면서 경북 의성 안동과 강원 남대천 지역의 봄꽃 축제가 예년보다 일주일 앞당겨져 지난주 시작됐다.

In Seoul and around the capital area, several flower-viewing venues with cherry blossom trees were already crowded with springtime picnickers before the festivals kicked off over the weekend.
주말에 축제가 시작되기 전부터 서울과 수도권 곳곳에는 벚나무가 있는 봄꽃 명소들이 봄철 나들이객으로 붐볐다.

Over 1.1 million people visited Yeouido's cherry blossom road, Yoonjung-ro, last weekend, according to Seoul's Yeongdeungpo District Office. In response, the district office moved up the traffic control originally planned for the Yeouido Cherry Blossom Festival, set to take place between April 4 and 9.
서울 영등포구청에 따르면 지난 주말 여의도 윤중로 벚꽃길에는 110만명이 넘는 인파가 몰렸다. 이에 구청은 당초 4월 4~9일 여의도 벚꽃축제로 예정됐던 교통통제를 앞당겨 시행했다.

In the city's northeastern Seongdong District, around 220,000 people visited Seoul Forest. In response, Seongdong District rescheduled the region's two cherry blossom festivals ― held in Songjeong village and Geumho Mountain ― to April 1, a little over a week earlier than the original date of April 9.
서울시 동북부 성동구에서는 약 22만명이 서울숲을 찾았다. 이에 성동구는 송정마을과 금호산에서 열리는 벚꽃축제 일정을 당초 일정인 4월 9일보다 일주일 당겨 4월 1일로 조정했다.

The blooming time for flowering trees depends on temperature and duration of sunlight. The average temperature in Seoul during March was 3.9 degrees Celsius higher than last March and the duration of sunlight was 20.5 hours more.
꽃이 피는 나무의 개화 시기는 온도와 일조 시간에 따라 다르다. 3월 서울 평균기온은 지난해 3월보다 3.9도 높았고 일조시간은 20.5시간 늘어났다.

The KMA estimates that the country's spring flower blooming time could be moved forward a further week in advance if greenhouse gas emissions are not cut and abnormally high temperatures continue.
기상청은 온실가스 배출을 줄이지 않고 이상고온이 지속된다면 봄꽃 개화 시기가 일주일 더 앞당겨질 수도 있을 것으로 내다봤다.