10/4/18 Email to a student who is unsure of how they will ever learn to speak Chinese if I don't allow them to read the Chinese characters when learning pronunciation -- IMPORTANT!!!

	Thu, Oct 4, 2018 at 8:10 AM
You don't have to rely on your ears if you simply record all of your classes from your desk, like I suggested in my introductory remarks last Monday. I mentioned that every year, I suggest that my students record each class from their desks and then listen back once or twice during the following week to help memorize THE SOUNDS of what was covered in class before the next lesson. I also mentioned that only 1 or 2 students ever do this -- and invariably, they are the best students in class that year. In spite of this, you are telling me that you are not an auditory person and that you will "try" to remember what the pinyin sounds like. Here's an idea: Why not record your classes, with me presenting the proper pinyin pronunciation and tones over and over again for every bit of material that we will cover this year, and why not then study those recordings each week between classes, as many times as it takes for you to get the sounds and tones correct as you learn this new language? It is amazing to me how I get up there in front of the class every year and I give everyone all of the information they need to succeed with their studies, but few people actually listen to me. Even fewer follow my advice, and then maybe 15% of the class comes away each spring speaking words and phrases that sound even remotely like actual Mandarin Chinese. I assure you that I have a system in place that will maximize your learning and your ability to succeed with your pronunciation of Mandarin, if you simply pay attention and follow my advice. See you in class, Brendan