[Phantom4073]

I am actually in the US, I wanted to help my kids learn as much mandarin chinese as possibe. I know a tutor would be ideal but don't have time for one now. I guess if the software can at least
show them some vocabulary and phonics would be great. Does anybody have any experience with the software, any advise or other tools or methodologies would be appreciated.

[geo-seb]

Originally Posted by Phantom4073

I am actually in the US, I wanted to help my kids learn as much mandarin chinese as possibe. I know a tutor would be ideal but don't have time for one now. I guess if the software can at least
show them some vocabulary and phonics would be great. Does anybody have any experience with the software, any advise or other tools or methodologies would be appreciated.

I highly recommend Pimsleur's Chinese, an audio-only course. I have heard mixed opinions about the Chinese version of Rosetta Stone. Some say, it does not work well, because it was originally designed for indo-european languages which have a very different grammar and structure. I tried it for about 20 minutes myself and decided that it did not work for me, but everyone learns languages differently. Anyway, there are other similar software products like "Tell Me More - Chinese" by Auralog that are more affordable.

[geo-seb]

Oh, and I forgot to mention ChinesePod. Their podcasts and material are very good (in an educational and entertaining sense). The audio is free, but transcripts, online study tools etc. require a paid subscription.

[MrMoo]

Isn't there a site sponsored by the Chinese government for learning Mandarin? I remember it was pretty good albeit only Mandarin.

[grammargirl]

Doesn't Rosetta Stone offer a free demo CD? It'd be very limited, obviously, but at least you'd get a feel for the program before you drop hundreds of dollars on it.

[theprisoner]

I used the RS software for learning Hindi and it is a waste of time unless you have a native speaker with you. The idea is there but the photos are so ambiguous! Does the photo imply the two girls are being chased by the boy behind them? Or are the girls playing with the boy? These are some of the questions I asked myself when looking at some of the images and I was clueless. Don't bother. Get the Teach Yourself series, the Hindi one was brilliant, and so is the Cantonese.