Mandarin or North Chinese dialect is the most common variant of Chinese. It is usually taught to foreigners, so we are going to talk about Mandarin. Here’s a small guide to help you make learning easier – thanks to sound techniques, fruitful language strategies and valuable tips.
Step 1: Lay a solid foundation
When learning Chinese, the most important thing is a solid foundation and an understanding of what you need it for. Decide on your goals and plans and then move forward with your goals in mind. We recommend starting by learning Pinyin, a system of converting Chinese characters into the more familiar Romance alphabet. This is essential for learning the correct pronunciation – and gradually you will be able to add the right tones to it and achieve the perfect sound.
At this stage, the Duolingo app will be enough to help you consolidate the basics of pronunciation and start to get to grips with the language system. However, you will need other resources as well, as Duolingo only gives you superficial knowledge.
Step 2: Learn to decipher characters
Chinese characters, especially the number of them, can be so intimidating that some people give up learning the language as soon as they start. However, if you act methodically and systematically, you are unlikely to give up. Start with the most used, simple and common characters, then move on to more complex ones – and then to their combinations. You will be able to memorize them faster if you practice writing regularly – writing hieroglyphs by hand trains your memory and allows you to fix the structure and order of each stroke. Also, don’t ignore innovative methods of learning and memorizing hieroglyphs – online services like Skritter and Chineasy can be great helpers.
Step 3: Increase your vocabulary relentlessly
By building up your vocabulary, you’re taking another significant step towards mastering Chinese. Start with simple and common phrases and build up your vocabulary little by little according to your professional goals and personal plans.
To strengthen and expand your vocabulary, incorporate the words and phrases you learn into your daily life as well. Attach stickers with the corresponding Chinese names to objects in your home, keep a diary of new words, make cards with small lists of words to repeat in your free time. There are many useful resources for enriching your vocabulary – for example, Pleco and Anki.
But remember that fluent communication requires practice, which can only be gained with an experienced and excellent language tutor.
Step 4: Master the language tones and improve pronunciation
Tones specific to Chinese can also cause some difficulties – especially when the wrong tone completely changes the meaning of a word. Learning the four tones of Mandarin or the six tones of Cantonese can be time-consuming – but it’s worth it. What does it take? First and foremost, listen.
Listen to Chinese as often as possible and at the slightest opportunity. Want to relax watching a movie? Choose a movie in Chinese. Mimic the pronunciation and, if possible, ask native speakers to correct you to develop clear and accurate tones and sounds.
Let’s face it, this is one of the most difficult aspects of learning Chinese, which is why pronunciation takes a lot of lessons. However, it will be easier and more effective if you practice it with a native Chinese teacher.
Step 5: Immerse yourself in the language completely
When learning Chinese, don’t forget about the culture, without which you can’t learn the language fully. Watch TV shows and movies in Chinese. Listen to Chinese music. Read Chinese novels, poems and legends. Finally, simply sampling Chinese food will allow you to immerse yourself in the atmosphere and grasp more contextual subtleties.