Learn Chinese through Jay, Jacky and Eason

[she2007]

With the Chinese market ever growing and Japanese investments continue to pour into China, the demand to learn Chinese is growing. While it is common for learners of Japanese to learn the language through anime, JDrama and JPops, a Japanese company has decided that the reverse can be said to be true by offering Chinese language through Chinese pop songs.

Recently, a Japanese publisher used popular Chinese songs to create a monthly language textbook, titled "Remember Chinese Through Singing" (通過唱歌記住中國話). Selected songs will be used for teaching every month. In one of the issue, songs byJay Chou's 發如雪, Jacky Cheung's 我真的受傷了, and Eason Chan's K歌之王 were used.

The only problem is that permission were not seek for the songs that were used. This resulted in issue of copyright infringement by the publisher. The record companies involved are said to be studying the legal aspect of the matter.

One thing that really zap into my mind is the question - Why JAY CHOU? Of all the popular Mandarin singing artiste, with his constant slurring of words, Jay Chou probably has the most imperfect pronounciation of Chinese. And to even use that as a teaching aid seemed somewhat odd.

Seriously speaking, would you actually recommend foreigners to learn Chinese by listening to Jay Chou songs?

[CloudS]

I have heard him sing and act and in his singing I understand what you mean, but if you ever watch his move his mandarin is very decent .

[peckle]

Lol - I was going to say why Jay Chou too.... but I think they used him because he's popular.

If it was up to me I wouldn't recommend Jay, for the obvious reason for slurring in his songs. Mainly someone else like Leehom or S.H.E...I dunno.

[edmcel]

I honestly don't think that learning Chinese can be done though song, especially when Jay Chou is involved. He doesn't enunciate properly and he's not exactly a role model for education. I think that learning would be better achieved by watching Chinese dramas with subtitles to pick up the language, just like some pick up a little bit of Japanese when watching subbed anime or dramas.

[roseredphoenix]

I would definitely suggest someone else. I love Jay Chou, but he can't enunciate. I would suggest Lee Hom, too. Stephanie Sun is pretty well known, too. I see the idea of learning through songs, but can you really learn the correct pronunciation through songs? I mean, singing is different from speaking.