Comment by thaumasiotes
2 years ago
> mainly focused on Simplified Chinese as it is spoken in Mainland China
> and Traditional Chinese/the Taiwanese variant is just an afterthought
> only has Chinese to English, but no monolingual definitions which are preferable for advanced learners
I don't quite get it. You can distinguish "Mandarin Chinese as spoken in China" from "Mandarin Chinese as spoken in Taiwan"; for example, the concept "the day after [a contextual event]" is translated 隔天 in the Taiwanese dub of We Don't Talk About Bruno, but it's 第二天 in the mainland dub. This reflects real usage differences, but this is mostly a matter of what phrasing people are likely to use; to the best of my knowledge, what you might consider characteristically Taiwanese usages are mostly still valid on the mainland, and vice versa. I'm not getting lost trying to understand Taiwanese music, or at least not more so than for mainland music. Mainlanders have no problems speaking to locals in Taiwan; Taiwanese have no problems speaking to locals on the mainland.
But that has nothing to do with simplified vs traditional characters, which is a spelling difference, not a language difference. Any electronic dictionary will handle that seamlessly.
(And I'm a little concerned... how do you study Chinese for "a few years" without knowing the difference between a language and a spelling system? In Hong Kong they use traditional characters too, and they use them to write Cantonese!)
And then, of your other points, they all seem to be complaints about the dictionary, not about the software. Get dictionaries that are relevant to you!
> Instead of Hanyu Pinyin, Willow utilizes Zhuyin, the phonetic system used in Taiwan, to aid in accurate pronunciation learning.
Pinyin and zhuyin are exactly equivalent. Every syllable in one system corresponds to a single syllable in the other system. How does one better aid accurate pronunciation learning than the other?
Pinyin is used on the mainland and zhuyin is used in Taiwan; you're certainly better off learning zhuyin if you're planning to live in Taiwan. But on your assumption that you already know both systems, what does one do that the other one doesn't?
Thank you for your thoughtful feedback on my project! Your comments have prompted me to reflect on various aspects of my project, and I appreciate the opportunity to address them.
It's possible that my initial communication may have led to some confusion or misinterpretation of my project goals. I acknowledge that there may have been a lack of clarity in my description. Additionally, I recognize that some of my project goals may require rephrasing to better convey their intent.
Regarding the distinction between Mandarin Chinese as spoken in Taiwan and on the mainland, while I understand that mutual intelligibility is high, I believe there is value in catering to learners who have a specific interest in the Taiwanese variant. This isn't meant to create a division but rather to provide a resource for those who find exploring these distinctions enriching.
Regarding the choice between Pinyin and Zhuyin, I've opted for Zhuyin in my project to align with the phonetic system used in Taiwan. While both systems are valid, some learners may find it more beneficial when immersing themselves in the local language environment.
In light of your feedback, I realize that my project's goals and intentions may not have been as clear as I had hoped. I'm aware that there is room for improvement in my communication skills, and I'm committed to refining my project description to better convey its purpose and objectives.
I want to emphasize that my project is a reflection of my personal language learning journey and preferences. It is designed to cater to my specific needs, and I'm sharing it with the community in case there are others who share similar interests and goals.
I'm genuinely thankful for your input, and I'm open to further suggestions, insights, or clarifications you may have. Constructive discussions like these are invaluable in helping me improve both my project and my communication skills.