# Any (Mandarin) chinese-speaking dopers looking for a pen-pal? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 11, 2005, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-mandarin-chinese-speaking-dopers-looking-for-a-pen-pal/294033 "2005-03-11T15:41:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Earthworm\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f07891/32.png) [@Earthworm\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthworm_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2005, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-mandarin-chinese-speaking-dopers-looking-for-a-pen-pal/294033/1 "2005-03-11T15:41:49Z")
I’m doing my best to learn chinese, both spoken and written. I’m taking a class for the spoken stuff, but I’m not getting much practice reading, just because everything is so structured, and is always accompanied by both english & pinyin. I don’t really feel like I’m getting much practice just reading & recognizing the characters themselves. What I’d really (really) like would be to find some one who speaks / reads mandarin who would write to me, and read my responses, and kick me when I get something wrong 🙂 Of course, as it is now I know just about nothing…for an idea of my current written vocabulary see chapters 1 - 7 [here](http://ktmatu.com/chinese/practical-chinese-reader/pcr1-lesson-vocabulary-frame.html). Very little. Anyone interested (or have better suggestions)? Thanks a lot, ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2005, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-mandarin-chinese-speaking-dopers-looking-for-a-pen-pal/294033/2 "2005-03-11T20:10:05Z")
Yeah! I’ll take one too. I just need the motivation to do some practice outside of class. But I probably won’t write much, since even a short composition is a hell of a lot of work for me in Chinese. Any native Chinese-speakers? ---
**Author:** ![Earthworm\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f07891/32.png) [@Earthworm\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthworm_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2005, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-mandarin-chinese-speaking-dopers-looking-for-a-pen-pal/294033/3 "2005-03-11T21:32:32Z")
I see from [**NoCoolUserName** s GQ thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=306066) that he and **dakravel** are also semi-but-not-really mandarin speakers. I wonder just how many we have here, anyway? ---
**Author:** ![Medea\_s\_Child](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Medea\_s\_Child](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Medea_s_Child)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2005, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-mandarin-chinese-speaking-dopers-looking-for-a-pen-pal/294033/4 "2005-03-12T00:24:56Z")
I’m an absolute baby Mandarin student, but **ShirtNinja13** is actually pretty good. Not native, but decent. ---
**Author:** ![Shirt\_Ninja\_13](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e19b73/32.png) [@Shirt\_Ninja\_13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirt_Ninja_13)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2005, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-mandarin-chinese-speaking-dopers-looking-for-a-pen-pal/294033/5 "2005-03-16T03:20:59Z")
> [@Medea's Child](#): > > I’m an absolute baby Mandarin student, but **ShirtNinja13** is actually pretty good. Not native, but decent. You flatter me, love 🙂 That said, I’d love to correspond with you, if you want to start something up. That, and I’m currently living in China, so I might be able to point a native speaker or two in your direction. Drop me an email, if you like. _bamf_ ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2005, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-mandarin-chinese-speaking-dopers-looking-for-a-pen-pal/294033/6 "2005-03-16T04:36:41Z")
You might also consider pinyin chat at [www.zhongwen.com](http://www.zhongwen.com). You can have some very basic conversations there–plus they have a handy dictionary built into the site; there is usually at least one native speaker there that will chat with you and correct you if you so desire. If you’re interested in chat using characters (and you’re computer supports it), there are dozens of sites for that as well.