I've been trying to learn Cantonese since coming back from Hong Kong in October of 2009. I realized that my understanding was limited when I wanted to communicate with someone and found it extremely difficult. I hate feeling like I'm an idiot. I realized that I needed to give Cantonese time and effort. So I looked around for resources so that I can begin studying Cantonese. I found a meetup group that I hoped would help me find a voice. What I learned from the meetup group is that talking to strangers was a real chore. Initially I found it uncomfortable. I'm not used to talking about myself to strangers. However, I had the disadvantage that I just didn't want to talk about anything. I had to learn to open up. So my problems were larger than the fact that I didn't know Cantonese.
At that time (in 2009) I signed up to attend a Cantonese class offered by the Toronto District School Board. I started class in January of 2010 and by May 31st I had completed the beginner class as well as the intermediate class. Which brings me to my current thoughts.
What is Intermediate level as opposed to Beginner level and Advanced level?
This thought came to me a few weeks ago. Since coming back from Hong Kong I've been thinking about language learning and how I should approach the process. You see, the TDSB course was good but it wasn't great. The TDSB course was a chance to go to a classroom and get into the mindset of speaking Cantonese. At first I had difficulty adjusting. Thinking and working in English, I had to adjust my thinking for class to begin communicating in Cantonese. I adjusted Ok. I was fine. But the demands in the class was to be able to read the material "with acceptable intonation". My tones could use a little work. But I was fine with tones. What I had issue with was that I could not formulate complete correct sentences.
Long story short, I have thought of a lot of strategies on how to tackle language learning. Here are some of those ideas.
1. stories
2. composition
3. transcription
4. verbal performance
In essence the idea was to use storytelling as a mode in which to learn Cantonese. I think it's a good idea. But it begs the question of how. The deeper I delved into this quandary the more I learned about language learning in general. The more I learned the more I had to change my strategy. The more I learned the more I learned about myself and my mode of communicating and my personal preferences towards other people.
Which leads me to my initial question of 'What is intermediate level?'.
I'm defining intermediate level as the ability to communicate about general subjects (I'll call them beginner subjects) beyond a 3 response interaction. I use the analogy of tennis to explain. A beginner tennis player can put the ball over the net. It's not about the ability to do it consistently either. A beginner tennis player can put the ball over the net most times at the start of a rally. Therefore what marks a beginner tennis player is that a beginner cannot respond to the ball being returned to him/her. The rally dies. Usually the rally will die to about 3 hits on both sides (at most). Therefore, I'm defining intermediate level in terms of the ability to respond at least 3 times (and keep it going).
By defining what intermediate level is I can set a goal to reach it. But to achieve that goal I need to understand what is required to encompass that range of language learning. Here I use past material to grasp that range.
Example: Learn Mandarin in 500 words. My Mandarin book that I used in Fu Lao Shi class at Tzu Chi Academy. I don't know the theory behind 500 words (maybe it's 1000 words?) but it doesn't really matter. 500 words is a start. The important part is the content. Now learning 500 words, I feel, is completely arbitrary. I need a more systematic approach to learning (we don't have 10 years like we do when we're a child to learn a language) so those 500 words should be well chosen. I'll use my Mandarin book once again to determine the essence of the Chinese language and apply those same concepts to Cantonese. Words like, 都， 也， 已定， 有， 其實， 但是，不過， 還， 如果， 可以， 能， etc. are used often. Having a catalogue of most useful words would be helpful.
Hence my desire to write a document that incorporates all that I've described into a single document. Of course a lot of the material is already available. My job is to re-fashion it into a learning platform that I can use with my friends in my meetup group as well as have some fun with it.
My ideas are:
1. A document that teaches Cantonese at a beginner level
2. Explanations of concepts (particles, classifiers, pronouns, names, titles, question forms, etc.)
3. Grammar
4. Exercises on grammar (arrange the characters to form a correct sentence)
5. Memory tests (nouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives)
6. Dialogue (scripts)
The important thing about this document is that at the end of the exercises there should be a script. The dialogue script can be dialectic or not (monologue). But it should contain the essence of beginner level Cantonese. By reviewing this script (alone or in a group) will allow you to re-affirm your understanding of beginner material. My hope for the material will be that this script (designed in a manner that can be customized to the person that is delivering it) can be spoken at the start of a meetup group to introduce oneself and/or "perform" it as in a drill to affirm knowledge/skill and understanding. The dialogues, exercises, quizzes and composition work, in the document (book) will build skills and build the script. By the end of the document a learner should have mastered the material and have understanding of his/her script.
So this document will represent what you need to know to consider yourself beyond a beginner. I'm interested in passing a certain stage in my learning. I need a goal. And hence I want to define that goal. This document will represent that goal. So I want the document to break down conversation into types, e.g. About people, about place, about thing, about time. These are too general but you get the point. The goal is to develop conversational skills beyond 3 responses over beginner subjects. So here I will define beginner subjects. More specific subjects becomes a topic for Intermediate level Cantonese. And that is where I want to go.
One added note. I purchased Sidney Lau's Cantonese material from the Hong Kong Government Publication department. Mr. Lau's material was developed for a radio program in teaching Cantonese. I purchased all the material including the elementary, intermediate and advanced level material. Mr. Lau's material will be used to re-inforce my approach and most likely modify the content.
