The first step to learning a language is making a plan. Revisiting your study plan often and making adjustments as necessary will also help boost your effectiveness in learning Chinese. In this blog, we will present a ten step process for creating the perfect Chinese language study plan.
About the author: I am an American English native speaker 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. Select the appropriate Chinese language resources for your current language ability
Before you start learning Chinese, it's important to get an understanding of the best resources available so that you can best use your time learning Chinese effectively. Below are some of the best resources, such as books, apps, and other methods we have personally used to become proficient in Mandarin Chinese. Resources you can consider:
2. Set Goals No matter what level of Chinese proficiency you have, it is always important to set daily, weekly, and monthly goals to push yourself to improve and also to assess your progress. Whether it is mastering Pinyin, practicing to speak, mastering tones, or memorizing vocabulary, it is important to set goals for how much time you want to spend, when you will set apart part of your daily routine for language learning, and what level you want to achieve. It is also important to regularly review your goals, see if you met the goal, focus on how to improve, and appropriately adjust your goals next time. 3. 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 characters. There are a number of commonly used word lists that you can search online, or you can search for books or flashcards to buy. Chinese is full of thousands of characters and it will take you a lifetime to memorize them all. 4. Don't Forget about Grammar For most beginners, learning new grammar patterns should be an important part of your language study plan. Buy a good Chinese grammar book (see the list above) and practice new grammar patterns every day. Chinese grammar is simple compared to other languages, so it may be possible to master Chinese grammar early on and then focus on other aspects. 5. 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. It can also be helpful to repeat and imitate what you hear. 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 with your Chinese-speaking friends. 6. Write Chinese 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. 7. Read 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! 8. Learn 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. 9. Find 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:
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10: Evaluate Your Performance and Revise Your Plan Often Review and revise your Chinese study plan on a weekly or monthly basis. You will need to constantly adjust your plan to tailor it to your learning level. If you made goals that were too hard, adjust your expectations. If you made goals that were too easy, challenge yourself. See if you need to adjust your schedule, or if you can find ways to learn throughout the day. See if you can find more effective resources and learning methods (see the steps above). There is no age limit to study a new language. Just keep dedicating yourself, improving your Chinese, and achieving your goals.
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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
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