Learning Mandarin Chinese can be a difficult task, especially for Westerners. It has often been ranked as one of the hardest languages in the world for English native speakers to learn. However, with these tips you should be on your way to learning fluent Chinese.
Below is a list of ten steps to master Mandarin Chinese. About the author: I am an American English native speaker that has been studying Chinese for almost two decades. I also hold a Bachelor's degree in Chinese and I know what it takes to become fluent in Mandarin as a native English speaker. Let's get this list started! 
1. Make a Language Study Plan The first step to learning a language is making a plan. At the very least, plan to focus on learning the language for at least 30 minutes a day. Make some goals of where you want to be in a week, a month, and a year. Make a plan of how you will get there, what resources you will use, and how you will spend your time. Revisit your study plan often and make adjustments as necessary. 2. Learn Pinyin (拼音) or Zhuyin (注音符號) Before you start memorizing Chinese words, you need to know how to pronounce them first. This is very important, or else you may end up mispronouncing Chinese words for the rest of your life. Take as much time as it takes to master the sounds especially the vowels of Chinese that are different than English. I prefer Pinyin over Zhuyin because that is what I was first taught, but I know others who prefer Zhuyin because it is easier to not mix up the sounds with the Roman Alphabet. In other words, Zhuyin uses its own symbols instead of ABCs to show the sounds of words. Pinyin is used mainly in China while Zhuyin is only used in Taiwan. It may be helpful to buy a Pinyin / Zhunyin learning workbook or make flashcards. You also will want to have a coach or tutor at this stage to make sure your pronunciation is correct, listen to correct pronunciation, and practice repeating what you hear. 3. Practice Speaking Simple Sentences Practice speaking simple phrases in Chinese without tones. Make sure you learn a few simple phrases and words. 4. Learn Tones There are five tones in Chinese. Flat, rising, dip, falling, and neutral. Practice using the five tones with words that you know. This can be very hard for English speakers who have never spoken in tones before. I think a tutor or coach at this stage is also crucial to make sure you are pronouncing tones correctly. You should also listen to correct pronunciation, and practice repeating what you hear. Keep in mind some tone combinations have special rules and do not always sound the same. 5. Start learning Characters Learn the Chinese characters for the words you know. This will help you later on as you learn more and more Characters and start to read. You can start with your own name in Chinese, and you may ask for help from a native speaker to help you choose a Chinese name. Also, practice writing the characters in a square box with the proper stroke order. 6. Memorize, Memorize, Memorize! Start memorizing lots of new vocabulary that you think may be useful in your daily life or that may come up again and again. Memorize the Pinyin or Zhuyin, tone, and Chinese character. There are a number of commonly used word lists that you can search online, or you can search for books or flashcards to buy. 7. Immerse Yourself in a Chinese Environment Come to Taiwan! Immersing yourself in a Chinese-speaking place is one of the fastest ways to master a language. Speak the words you know, and write down the words you don't know so you can memorize them later. It is also important to hear words in context and absorb commonly used words and phrases. 8. Make Friends that Speak Chinese In order to accomplish number 7 above, it is important to make friends who will speak to you in Chinese and not cheat by speaking to you in English. If you ever want to master Chinese, you need to start having conversations with friends in Chinese and don't get caught in an English speaking expat bubble. You will have to start with simple topics, and you can expand more as you learn more vocabulary and are able to understand what you are hearing. You can also practice rehearsing a story: first, write it down in English and then translate it into Chinese. Memorize crucial vocabulary for the story and rehearse it to your Chinese-speaking friends. 9. Start Reading in Chinese Now that you know more characters and can speak in sentences, reading in Chinese will help enforce and build on what you know. Start with simple children's books, and move on to more challenging books later on. You can use your phone or Pleco App to recognize characters you don't know easily so you can memorize them later. Reading Chinese is much easier than writing! 10. Memorize Chinese Idioms Once you have mastered the nine steps above, learning idioms will also help you improve your Chinese. Many idioms are very useful and memorizing them is the best way to recognize them in daily life and learn how to use them. Reading and watching the news in Chinese will also help because this is where many idioms are used widely. You can check out our list of useful Chinese idioms here. Other resources you can consider:
Check out our full blog on the best resources for learning Chinese here. Finding a good Chinese Tutor: To accomplish the steps above, it may be easier to start off by taking classes or getting a Chinese tutor to help you. Here are a few resources you can consider:
They are based in Taichung and can provide the best Taiwan-based Mandarin courses around. Get 10% off with promo code: FOREIGNERS10 https://www.tutorabc.com/
There is no age limit to study a new language. Just keep dedicating yourself, improving your Chinese, and achieving your goals.
-Larry
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Author 作家I am an American expat who has extensive experience living, working, and traveling in Taiwan. In my day, I had to learn many things about Taiwan the hard way. But I have come to learn that Taiwan is one of the best places in the world for Foreigners to live. This blog does not represent the opinions of every foreigner in Taiwan. I am just trying to help others learn more about this beautiful country. Categories
|
- Home
- Travel Guides
-
Taiwan FAQ
- Blog
- Maps
-
About
- About
- Contact
- Twitter (X)
- YouTube
- Current Time and Date in Taiwan
- Privacy
-
More
>
-
Global Expat Travel Blog
>
- Hakka Kitchen
- Bank Comparison
- Snow Hakka
- Mid-Autumn Festival
- Ghost Month
- Taiwan Vs. Thailand
- Morakot
- Gaemi
- Mango Guide
- Sand Fest
- TD 19
- Krathon
- Typhoon Kong-Rey
- Shen'ao Railbike
- Museum of World Religions
- Nanjichang Night Market
- Popsmile Tourist Factory
- Taiwan Science Center
- Taiwan Better Than Thailand
- Hualien Besides Taroko
- Taiwan Car Rental Guide
- Lunar/Chinese New Year Guide
- Taiwan Lantern Festival Guide
- Tomb Sweeping Festival
- Taiwan Cherry Blossom Guide
- Children's Day
- Taiwan Travel Blog Posts >
-
Global Expat Travel Blog
>
RSS Feed