All right. New intro. This time, I decided on a bilingual intro. Since it was too long, I put it in two screenshots, one with the English version and the other with the Mandarin version. Nice to meet you all on
#langtwt
! But feel free to interact on
#booktwt
and
#studytwt
too!
Hey,
#booktwt
! I have many people dm'ing me about how to download files from my go-to site, so I have written a tutorial on Google Docs for it. I'm also trying my best to reply to the many dms I get. Feel free to retweet and share this link.
@startingfromnix
This is true even if your corporate job is in a creative role. I was briefly a copywriter for a tech company. I realised that reading for leisure and reading out of necessity were different. I also couldn't express my style fully. I needed to stick to company standards and style.
Hey,
#booktwt
! I have many people dm'ing me about how to download files from my go-to site, so I have written a tutorial on Google Docs for it. I'm also trying my best to reply to the many dms I get. Feel free to retweet and share this link.
I saw Mandarin Chinese beginners are led to start with radicals first. I don't recommend it. Here's how I think Mandarin Chinese beginners should start and progress. Start with pronunciation (tones, vowels, consonants, and diphthongs). Tone mastery is fundamental. (1/5)
@prplexi
Academic course changes and mid-career switches are actually quite common. No one has it all figured out. It's normal for to choose a path and later decide that the path was not for you or you want to try another path. You'll be fine. Don't be afraid of making mistakes.
@dalsobug
Hangul is actually quite easy, at least for the basic alphabets. You can take a few hours or a few days. But the sound change rules will take practice.
#langtwt
,
#booktwt
,
#studytwt
intro
Hi! I'm Francis
-1998
-Indonesian
-Fluent: EN, 中文, ID, 福建话
-Interested: KR, FA, HE, EL
-Fav genres: mystery, sci-fi, thriller
Happy to answer qns about langs I know or help with practice. Twitter/IG DMs open (same username).
Tell you a secret. Mandarin is not very hard but it takes a lot of time to build the senses of what makes sense in Mandarin and to think in Mandarin. And this process cannot be shortcut. But I hope that motivates you in case you were discouraged or thinking of giving up.
#langtwt
Hi! Intro redo!
I'm Francis, 24 (1998), He/Him. I'm Indonesian, of the Indonesian-Chinese ethnic minority. Happy to connect on
#langtwt
and
#booktwt
.
Hobbies: Language learning, reading, writing, anime, video games, football, Jpop, Kpop, Persian music, WWE, DC, Marvel.
(1/2)
Hi! I'm Francis (23M). New to hashtags like
#anitwt
#booktwt
#langtwt
Languages I know: 🇬🇧🇨🇳🇮🇩🇯🇵 and 福建话.
Learning: 🇰🇷
Future: 🇩🇪🇮🇷🇬🇷🇮🇱
My top 3 anime now:
-Kill la Kill
-Kaiji
-Attack on Titan
Book genres I like:
-Crime fic
-Mystery
-Sci-fi
Looking for friends :))
The "shi" poem in Chinese is what I call this. But the poem's real title is the "Lion-Eating Poet in the Stone Den". It's known for being made up entirely of characters that read "shi", with different tones and meanings of course.
#langtwt
I think it's normal to be good at a language, yet totally lack the vocabulary in certain areas. For example, can speak Chinese well but can't say Maths terms in Chinese. Doesn't mean you're bad at the language. Just means there is a gap. Be kinder to yourself and others.
#langtwt
The Korean alphabet, Hangul, is being used by villagers in the southeastern Indonesian city of Baubau to preserve their own indigenous dialect, Cia-Cia.
Language learning "honeymoon phase" is a thing. If you embark on the journey with no strong reasons to anchor you when the phase wears off and the realisation that you must put in the hard, raw, slow, uphill work sets in, then you won't go through with the journey.
#langtwt
@acystudies
And even if you don't get many connections, you will surely get a lot of character growth and some skillsets, be it hard skills, technical skills, or soft skills.
#langtwt
It's great to see your efforts, growth, and progress, especially some of you who I have seen come far or from zero in your particular language(s). Don't be discouraged when it looks or feels like there is no progress. You are making progress. Not all progress is visible.
Hi! I'm Francis (23M). Not new to
#anitwt
#booktwt
#langtwt
Languages: 🇬🇧🇨🇳🇮🇩🇯🇵 + 福建话
Learning: 🇰🇷🇮🇷🇳🇱
Future: 🇩🇪🇬🇷🇮🇱
Top 3 anime: Kill la Kill, Kaiji, AoT
I like crime, mystery, sci-fi books
I play games casually and seriously
I like J-Pop, K-Pop
Looking for friends :)
Some 商务中文 (Business Chinese) today. Some words are familiar but for the most part, it's another world to me. Btw if you have Instagram, chinesewithwanda's content is very useful for learning Mandarin, including for business, medical, etc.
#langtwt
Mandarin punctuation
#langtwt
。 full stop
,comma - only for normal speech
?question mark
!exclamation mark
、enumeration comma - only to list items
:colon
《》 pointed brackets - for titles of literary work
In Mandarin,
Speech uses :“”
Internal thoughts use :but no “”
Hi
#langtwt
! We love new friends. But be careful who you follow. Check the profile, even if your moots follow it. Porn occasionally appears on my feed. Then I check the profile. The content gets worse and I see that my moots (even minors) follow it. Be safe. Keep this space safe!
It's interesting how languages like English and Mandarin say "What is your name?" but Indonesian says "Siapa namamu?" (lit: "Who is your name?")
#langtwt
Never thought I'd go from someone who stopped caring about doing my best in school (even up to uni) to enjoying studying at this time of day, I mean night. (10:57 pm now for me)
#langtwt
A barrier to Mandarin is people think characters work like Latin alphabets. See them as characters made of basic strokes. Memorise 1000s of characters? No need. Many characters you know appear in new words. Grammar? Simple but nuanced. Why is the lang hyped as one of the hardest?
I don't think we really forget what we learned before. I like to look at it this way. The knowledge we don't use is buried under layers of dust. Takes time to sweep the dust and retrieve it through revision and practice but it's there. This view has helped me stay more positive.
Thank you moots for helping make my days as of late. Not where I want to be in life, not the path I would have chosen. But talking to you, whether I knew you for some time or only recently, has helped a lot. I can't deny that I have been blessed.
@LinguisticsShi1
Many people who say English is easy don't know the grammar rules or ignores every rule and have undetected spelling mistakes. And with English, they can do the "if it sounds correct, go with it" technique and get away with it, while they don't have that protection in other langs.
Thanks to
@_minds_hearts
, I created a little language blog. For now the content will only be about Mandarin. Yes, the tweets I've been making, but in a more organised way free from Twitter character limits and in a central location. Hope it helps!
#langtwt
Some League of Legends vocab in Mandarin. A bit niche, though.
英雄联盟 = League of Legends
上路 = Top lane
中路 = Mid lane
下路 = Bot lane
辅助 = Support
打野 = Jungle
眼 = ward
大龙 = Baron
双杀 = double kill
三杀 = triple kill
四杀 = quadrakill
五杀 = pentakill
#langtwt
Hi fellow content creators, languages or otherwise, whether hobby or professional, small or large scale, if you're thinking of launching a new website or whatever project, go for it! It's a lot of work but it will help many people and propel your growth! Excited for you!
#langtwt
Some vocab I got from watching Physical 100 season 2 today
#langtwt
기술 - technique
긴장 - nervousness
참가 - participation
참가자 - participant
역시 - as expected, as always
영광 - glory, (formal) honor
경기장 - stadium, sports ground
경기 - game, match
얼음 - ice
눈 - snow
1/2
#langtwt
When writing Chinese characters or Japanese kanji, do you follow stroke order? I usually do. If I don't know the order, I try to guess it (if I'm lazy, I don't). I find following stroke order to be useful. Ex: It boosts memory and makes writing smoother or more "flowy".
My experience with Mandarin made understanding Japanese and Korean so much easier. For Korean specifically, one of the number systems is based on the Chinese system. The concept of counters is similar in all three languages. But unlike Japanese and Korean, Mandarin has no tenses.
I'd like to think that we never really lose our skills, including language learning, even after long periods of not practicing. I think you still got the skill. It's just under layers of dirt or dust and requires retrieval by digging or dusting.
#langtwt
Long story about my Uni journey. May this bring encouragement and hope to whoever needs it.
The 1st year of my CS Degree was fine. But in the 2nd year, I failed a subject and had to retake it. It went downhill from there, mostly because of mental health and unresolved past hurt.
Hi, Mandarin learners! I recommend using pinyin if you're starting. It's normal to learn with pinyin for a few years. No shame. My school textbooks only stopped using pinyin in year 5 of elementary school. In HSK you might stop using pinyin around HSK4 (I may be wrong).
#langtwt
Hi
#langtwt
! Wanted to share a realisation and caution. Language learning has real challenges. Each of us may find some parts challenging and excel at other parts. But beware of letting other learners' fears affect your experience/perception of it. (1/3)
Hi! For those looking for a job, whether it's been a short or long time, well done putting in the effort and making it this far! All the best! I know it's tough and discouraging. DMs open if you'd like encouragement, support, advice (where I can) or CV feedback. Don't give up!
First time having a job interview in Mandarin Chinese today. Even though Mandarin is my second language, I wasn't too sure as I'd never had an interview in Chinese before. Feels like a win.
#langtwt
#worktwt
Hi
#langtwt
! In colloquial speech, does your language use the word for "where" to deny or negate a statement? For example, in Mandarin, we might use 哪里有 to say 没有 or 哪里哪里 to deflect a compliment given to us. And in Indonesian, we might use "mana ada" to say "tidak ada".
The idea of working towards higher language proficiency can feel overwhelming. But sometimes without us knowing, we have encountered words, expressions or concepts that are grouped in the higher levels. When that happens, I found that the overwhelming feeling dissipates.
#langtwt
When you go to a foreign country, do you "think" in your currency? As in, you mentally calculate an estimated conversion between the foreign currency and your currency to determine if a product or service is expensive?
Hey
#langtwt
and maybe
#booktwt
. Just wanted to share this resource. It's a website called World Stories and they have various children's stories available in a wide selection of languages. Hope this helps!
#langtwt
Can you be good at Mandarin without learning to write characters?
Yes. It's common. In my parents' generation, learning Mandarin was illegal in Indonesia. So, many of them could speak but not read or write Mandarin. But learning to write characters has benefits.
(1/4)
It's easy to transliterate one's name into Chinese. But I dislike it. I think it removes so much meaning. I think finding a suitable name is more meaningful. Due to the nuances and layers in Chinese, it's best to ask a native or someone highly proficient in Chinese.
#langtwt
1/2
I noticed many
#langtwt
learners are fine with individual Chinese words but have trouble when the words form sentences or texts. This way, it becomes an exercise. Hope it helps! Need more of this? Feel free to ask about unfamiliar hanzi, word meanings, and sentence breakdowns.
Answering a friend's question about 家 being used as a measure word, I made a list of Mandarin measure words (this isn't all). I decided to share, as I know it can give Mandarin learners trouble (I do too). No need to memorise all but some are common. Hope this helps!
#langtwt
Fellow content creators, whether you create content professionally or as a hobby or personal project, go and create that content. You never know who and how your content can add value to. It's amazing when it does and it's an amazing feeling when you see it happen.
I’m thinking of seriously starting language learning again, but I didn’t know how to approach reentering it and had feelings of discouragement and fear of disappointment. I came across this article right when I needed it. Thank you so much!
@lindiebee
I think many
#langtwt
Mandarin learners have good understanding of vocab and grammar but just need more experience with the feel of Chinese word order and what makes sense in Chinese. What I've seen is sentences based on what makes sense in English but sounds strange in Mandarin.
#langtwt
if you're considering learning Mandarin:
1.) A common mistake is to look at characters like they are Latin alphabets and think they work the same way. See them as they are, made of basic strokes and having a sound and a tone. Some can be read more than one way.
(1/4)
Everyone talks about motivation. But I think vision and discipline are what anchor and sustain you over a longer time and the hard times. Motivation comes and goes. With clear vision, your goals and your system to achieve the goals become more defined.
Is there an expression like "once upon a time" in your language or TL? Or not necessarily like it, but commonly used as a storytelling starter?
#langtwt
I think that when you learn a word in a foreign language, more than learning what it means, you need to also learn how it is used and the nuances, if any. Sometimes the word is translated into a certain word in a language but is used differently in the original language.
#langtwt
Deleting social networking apps on my phone and logging out of the websites on my laptop to make time for other hobbies and areas of my life. I'll be contactable via
Discord: Trailblazer
#2230
Telegram: The_Pyroneer
Let me know who you are if you message me on Discord/Telegram.
I wasn't particularly interested in Tagalog (still not yet) but I can't help but pick up words due to my exposure to it from the days I was mega active on Facebook (I have many Filipino friends there). I can't speak it tho. Interesting how stuff like that happens.
#langtwt
你姓什么?(What's your [Chinese] surname?)
I find it interesting how people describe their surname hanzi. Ex: My surname is 林 Lín. How do I describe which Lin it is? I say 双木林 (pair of 木 "Lin").
Another example: Mr. 张 zhāng says 弓长张 (bow, long "Zhang").
#langtwt
Thank you
#langtwt
moots for your DMs here (or on Instagram or Discord) asking for help with Mandarin! I haven't been creating content or doing a lot of language learning due to full-time work but your questions keep me sharp.
Discovered
#langtwt
recently but I absolutely love it! I'm currently undisciplined but it's a joy to learn from and to help fellow learners. Teaching others helps you see the strength of your understanding and any gaps. I feel safe and supported. You all are great! Thank you! :))
I wrote my first Indonesian email today. It was a short email addressed to the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore. Not much but it definitely helped boost my confidence a little. Indonesian is my third language but I don't have much confidence in it, especially in writing.
#langtwt
You may know that 光 guāng means "light". But here are more uses of 光.
#langtwt
光 - "all gone" or "used up".
Ex:
我的牙膏已经用光了。
My toothpaste has been used up.
光 - only*
Ex:
别光吃肉。你也要吃菜。
Don't only eat meat. You must also eat vegetables.
*See tweet below
I may not be disciplined but I am competitive. Tbh just did this to keep me really safe in the zone for promotion to a higher league in Duolingo, but still learned a lot.
#langtwt
#Duolingo
@SantPolyglot
Writing by hand for Mandarin. I was surprised to see a bunch of people saying "We type now so we don't need to learn how to write". I don't think I would have developed the different Mandarin skills if I didn't learn to write it by hand.
I did a HSK self-test. I grew up with Mandarin, English, and Indonesian. I studied Mandarin for 12 years in school. So I was scared of the result. I was relieved to be put at HSK5, but thoughts of comparing myself to HSK6 speakers came to mind. "Native speaker pressure" is real.
shock your followers with facts!
-I first developed hyperthyroidism at age 3 and went into a coma and nearly died from it
-I was rank 1 in my country for the character I played on a MOBA game once
-I placed ~top 1024 or so on the SEA highest-ranked leaderboard for a TCG game once
shock your followers w facts!
- I used to be a school cheerleader
- I have taken part in some recitation contests
- last year I got to the 2nd stage of an english olympiad, in the 1st stage I had the most points in my whole school 🤭💅
(1/2) 🧵
Just a note! Lim is my surname, not my given name. My given name is Francis. Likewise, my Chinese surname is 林 (Lín) and my Chinese given name is 家诚 (Jiāchéng). I'm not offended when I'm addressed as "Lim". But just wanted to make this clear.
I remember being ashamed of the Chinese name my grandparents picked for me because a Chinese tutor said it was too easy to write. I didn't get why it was a bad thing but it stung. If you have a name in another language, don't be ashamed of it no matter what others say.
#langtwt
Hi! If you are looking for notebooks/paper for Chinese writing practice, there are different types. For practicing characters, use the ones with squares packed together. For writing essays, use the ones with rows of squares with spacing between lines. I hope this helps!
#langtwt
Just thought of a Mandarin sentence that could trip people up in terms of pronunciation.
教师在教室里教书。
jiàoshī zài jiàoshì lǐ jiāoshū.
The teacher is teaching in the classroom.
#langtwt
Hey
#booktwt
! I don't use z**b, but I know it helped college students. I didn't even know about the site in college, so I never used it. I mainly used Google Scholar. I've heard of , ERIC, and Sci-Hub. Hope this helps, if you need alternatives for college!
Learning Japanese while knowing Mandarin feels weird sometimes (in a good way). A kanji can be listed as N2 or N1 (2nd and 1st highest) but is introduced early in Mandarin. Ex: 包 is HSK3 in 中文 but N1 in 日本语. This removes a lot of fear related to N3 to N1 for me.
#langtwt
Hi
#studytwt
! I'm not in Uni now (grad in Oct 2021) but if you need help or feedback with research papers, reports, or essays, I'll be happy to help. Of course, I won't do the entire paper for you and I don't charge money.
I'm also here if you just need someone to talk/rant to.
Hi! If you're in
#studytwt
and you're interested in or learning languages, you can try join
#langtwt
!
Not only will you find a community of fellow learners of various ages, you may even find friends with common interests (some of us are also in
#booktwt
,
#studytwt
, and others).
Yeah, first time I've seen something like this. Tones only, no pinyin. Very useful especially for when you remember the sound of a character but maybe not the tone (such as a different tone if it was part of a specific word or in a certain usage).
Mandarin is so aesthetic, so pretty, perfect for taking pics (btw if anyone got DuChinese premium this is very interesting story for HSK2/3, Butterflies Lovers)
#langtwt