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A List of Cantonese Resources: Self-Learn Cantonese
List of Self-Learning Cantonese Resources
Angie Lin | March 25, 2022
In our last blog post, we have discussed how to learn Cantonese by yourself, at your own pace and in your own time. We have also listed a few resources that are suitable for self-studying Cantonese. However, different resources cater to different levels of Cantonese learners and different learners have different learning habits. In this blog post, you can find a full list of the resources we recommend for different levels ranging from beginners to advanced learners. Of course, we also have easy-to-follow resources here at Inspirlang from books to podcasts that you may take advantage of.
Beginner Level Resources
Pros: This book’s greatest strength lies in that it is very accessible and comprehensive. Another aspect to highlight is the amazing paper quality that can create a better reading experience..
Cons: It would be a little more interesting if the book has a better layout and more pictures.
Pros: This is one of my top recommendations as a Cantonese teacher. It contains practice questions and templates while keeping content below an overwhelming level.
Cons: It is not that easy to find. If you are learning Cantonese in New York, then you might be able to find it at Eastern Bookstore. However, if you don’t live in New York, you can get it online through the Eastern Bookstore website.
NOTE: Do not buy it on Amazon as it shows up for $100-$900. Absolutely absurd!
This is a book I want to recommend to learners who know how to speak Mandarin. It includes a Mandarin translation and it is very credible. Many universities use this book as their textbook for elementary Cantonese courses.
Pro: This is an Inspirlang’s book written by Jade Wu. This is not a book that she would recommend to every student. It is most recommended to those who have never had any contact with Cantonese. It is for those who want to self-learn Cantonese but do not know where to start. This book shows that learning Cantonese is not as hard as it seems, and learning Cantonese can be very fun. Not everyone has the time and money to take lessons or hire a tutor. Learn to Speak Cantonese 1 is perfect for a quick experience to see whether you want to commit to learning the language.
Con: If you are someone who knows basic Cantonese, this book might be a bit too simple for you.
5.Illustrated Hong Kong Cantonese
Pros: This is an amazing series that I want to recommend. It is full of beautiful illustrations and useful Cantonese vocabulary that are particularly relevant in Hong Kong. The book contains Mandarin, Tagalog, Bahasa, and English translations.
Cons: It is published by a publication in Hong Kong. It is only available as an ebook in the US unless you purchase a used copy.
Intermediate Level Resources
I would recommend learners at the intermediate level to start reading story books. Wedding Bell tells the author’s love story with her husband. It is romantically filled with hilarious and cultural elements. Aside from the amazing story-telling, there are grammar explanations and sample practices.
Brittany’s channel contains Cantonese-speaking videos filmed in the U.S. and Canada. You can find anything from tutorials to vlogs here. You can see how people use Cantonese from day-to-day activities, learn authentic slangs, and practice pronunciations. Brittany also has a Patreon Page setup if you are a member. This allows you to get a full Jyutping transcript and a Chinese/English translation for every video.
3.Hambaanglaang Cantonese Graded Readers
I believe this Youtube channel deserves more acknowledgement and awareness. The adorable short story-telling videos contain jyutping and the specified tones. It is perfect for pronunciation practice. Their stories are also published in prints now. Use coupon code.
This is an Inspirlang podcast that we are very proud of. It is short, concise, yet contains everything you need to learn the material by heart. Every episode is around 2 minutes with vocabulary, grammar explanation, and Chinese-to-English translation. Every episode is a conversation between two friends so you can actually get a feel for how the vocabulary would be used in real life.
This is the second book in the Learn to Speak Cantonese series by Jade Wu. The book combines learning Cantonese with environmental sustainability. The story surrounds the adventure of a polar bear, who experienced the effect of global warming first hand. He decided to move to Hong Kong to promote environmental sustainability while facing a language barrier. His best friend Stormy, who is a Cantonese speaking dog, teaches him Cantonese along the way. The story tells how they solve problems regarding living arrangements, food, and other necessities by using Cantonese.
Advanced Level Resources
1.Cantonese Conversations by Olly Richard
This podcast is structured similarly to Boba Break Cantonese. The only difference is that Cantonese Conversations speak at a faster pace and have more content. In our opinion, the best part about Cantonese Conversations is the different guests that would come in on every episode. They usually bring interesting stories or topics from Hong Kong.
2.Little Prince (Cantonese Version)
We believe this is a great recommendation for story lovers out there. You can get it on either Google Play Books or Kindle. The downside is there is no Jyutping. So it is only recommended to those who are advanced enough to read traditional Chinese characters. For those of you who are confident in your Chinese reading skills, feel free to try reading this book as a reading comprehension quiz.
3.Cantonese: A Comprehensive Grammar
This book can be considered the Cantonese learning encyclopedia. You can find any Cantonese grammar explanation in it. However, this is absolutely not a resource for beginners unless you have a teacher. The complexity of the book can be too overwhelming to anyone whose Cantonese level is below advanced.
Miscellaneous
1.Language Reactor Chrome Extension
This extension is free to download to chrome. With this extension, you will be able to see English subtitles (along with Chinese subtitles) in foreign youtube videos you are watching. It is great for learning vocabulary while watching content you like.
2.Chatting Resources: This is a short list of some resources where you can chat with people who speak different languages.
- HelloTalk (Free)
- iTalki (Paid)
- MeetUp (Varies)
Extra Apps
- Drops Language App
A language learning app that is good for on the go learning. It provides a great learning experience through its five minute lessons and gamified practice sessions.
- Duolingo
Many of you probably have heard of this language learning app. They are currently opening the Cantonese learning option, which is extremely great news.
NOTE: Drops have a free trial period but the app is not entirely free. (Especially if you want to use all of its resources)
If you have the financial ability, it is recommended that you invest a little bit of money to get a better quality of learning experience. You will learn at a more steady pace without losing track or getting overwhelmed. You will go through a more comfortable learning curve.
These are all the resources we would like to recommend. We also have a YouTube video that lists our recommended resources if you want to check it out. We will link it down below. Thank you for reading. We will see you in the next blog.
You might need a cute tote bag for all those resources. Check out out cute panda tote bags with two adorable designs to choose from!
