- 10 Nov, 2021
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- 8 Mins Read
How to start learning Chinese
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Tips on how to start learning Chinese as an absolute beginner
[/vc_column_text][ezy_process steps_quantity=”4″ step1_icon_icon_fontawesome=”fas fa-search” step1_title_text=”Find yourself a teacher” step2_icon_icon_fontawesome=”fas fa-user-tie” step2_title_text=”The right teacher” step3_icon_icon_fontawesome=”far fa-bookmark” step3_title_text=”Preferably a Native” step4_icon_icon_fontawesome=”fas fa-question” step4_title_text=”Why?” step1_icon_add_icon=”true” step2_icon_add_icon=”true” step3_icon_add_icon=”true” step4_icon_add_icon=”true”][vc_column_text]Because Mandarin Chinese is a tone based language.
In India people often joke that when Chinese people speak it all sounds CHU CHU CHI CHI, well partially it is true because Chinese language has very limited sounds.
The Chinese language is composed of characters and there are a limited number of sounds (called pinyin) used to pronounce these characters.
There are a lot more characters than there are sounds. So, one key thing to know about Chinese is that many words have very same pronunciations.
You got it right same !
In that case, the only thing that allows you to tell two words apart (when you hear them pronounced; in writing, you simply have to look at the two different characters to tell
pronounced; in writing, you simply have to look at the two different characters to tell them apart) is the tone with which they are pronounced.
In that case, the only thing that allows you to tell two words apart (when you hear them pronounced; in writing, you simply have to look at the two different characters to tell them apart) is the tone with which they are pronounced.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”1550″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_border” border_color=”black”][vc_column_text]So learning how to pronounce tones correctly is a one of the most important part of learning how to speak Chinese language. Imagine the dilemma of your Chinese host when you want more sugar in your coffee but pronounce it as soup instead !糖 this character means sugar. It’s pronounced Táng. Let us take another example Take the above example ‘Ma’ with different tones means 5 different things
A lot of European languages can be started by self-study from home with the help of YouTube and a number of apps but not Chinese because if you don’t get the pronunciation and tone right in the initial phase it becomes very difficult to correct it later.
Also in the beginning Chinese comes off as a relatively difficult language so enrolling oneself in a course helps one to stay focussed which without proper guidance and motivation can be a challenging task indeed.
Starting with the right institution and the right teachers is half the battle won, the other half is to ace the tips and tricks of effective self-study outside class hours to retain and recall what is learned in the mandarin class.
These few tips will guide you to learn the Chinese language as an absolute beginner.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
1. Fun and Learn
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Learning is not just about burning the midnight oil and working hard. It is all about working smart. It can be fun too!
Audiovisual media- Surround yourself with Chinese. Listening to songs and watching movies in the same language can help grasp the language quickly and efficiently. They help in improving pronunciation, tones, accents and grammar.
Netflix and YouTube has many Chinese dramas and movies with English subtitles. Start watching them based on the genre you enjoy. While watching a movie in Chinese, make sure to turn on the subtitles, don’t stress too much on trying to understand what is being spoken right away, initially just focus on listening and getting used to Chinese people speaking. Train your ears on the different sounds and pronunciations they make and gradually you will start picking up the most commonly used phrases in China.
One can also start by watching cartoons as the language used in them is much simpler. Peppa Pig in Chinese is our student’s favourite!
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There a number of melodious Chinese song that become popular via TikTok, you can look them up on youtube. While listening to songs make sure to read the lyrics and understand them as well. The music also gets memorised by the brain and makes it easier for the brain to remember it for a longer time. You can also find a playlist created by us of our favourite Chinese songs here in this video.
Apart from songs and movies there are a number of Chinese language podcasts available online. Mandarin Bean, Slow Chinese and Learning Chinese language Through Stories are our top favourites.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1669615043967{margin-top: -30px !important;}”]
Using mnemonics- It means to associate the Chinese characters which remind you of something completely different. For example, 大 ( dà – dài ); which means big. It resembles a star and the sun being a star is big. There! Mnemonic and memorisation techniques like this speed up the learning process. Try to make your mental associations using your imagination with characters as they are proven to be more effective than depending on pre-existing ones.
Games- Games can improve language fluency if played with the right people. It’s an easy and fun way to learn the language. Repeated words used in the game will not bore you and even inculcate these words in your vocabulary. Games like Mahjong are social games that require speaking and reading in Chinese and even beginners can play them. At an intermediate level one can even play PUBG in Chinese with Chinese players.
Flashcards- the oldest trick in the book to learn is to make flashcards. This helps in active recall of the lessons learnt and hence in memorisation of the words. Make your own flashcards- this will help in improving your writing skills as well. Flashcards are a simple, safe and relaxing way to learn, recall and have fun at the same time.
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2. Effective time management strategies
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Mandarin Chinese can’t be learnt in a month or two. This is what most beginners fail to understand. They start with great enthusiasm and give more than the required time to learn. The sudden learning of new concepts disturbs the brain which leads to avoidance of the cause of stress, in this case, learning Chinese language.
Divide your time effectively. Begin by setting aside a fixed time every day for a week. Give yourself a 5 minutes break after every 15 minutes. You can always set a time limit that suits you best. Set short time intervals but study frequently.
Set short, manageable and reachable goals. The division of time will ensure that you remain dedicated to your set goals. Break down your study material to set in the time fixed by you.
Be it a beginner or an advanced learner, revision of the previous work is extremely important. This revision of work is done through specified intervals. Spaced repetition is one such technique where information is reviewed and recalled at moderate time intervals. At MeiYu the homework is designed in such a way so as to help you hone the same.
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3. The Importance of receptive and productive skills
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While learning Chinese language, receptive skills (listening and reading) and productive skills (speaking and writing) are of the utmost importance.
Finding a learning partner or a native speaker friend is highly advisable. This will not only help in improving your listening and speaking skills, but also help you get over the initially hesitation in speaking a new language.
Start thinking in Chinese. With your expanding vocabulary, start replacing the words in your mind from your native language to Chinese. This will give you a stronger command of the chinese language. Research has proven that it also helps in making more rational decisions.
Before anything else, learn to keep yourself motivated. Do not rush the learning process, follow your study material thoroughly. There are many other ways as well to learn the Chinese language. Choose those methods which are viable to you and do not give up on learning such a beautiful and rich language.
As an absolute beginner, there will be many a setbacks, but that should not deter you from pursuing the language. Whenever you feel like giving up take it as a sign to re-learn, restart and work even smarter.
Always remember that at any stage of life learning a new language enhances ones employability skills, ushers in many opportunities to grow ones business and above all leads to development of overall creativity thus the benefits of learning Chinese are many. Once you have set your mind to learning Chinese, the outcome will be rewarding and absolutely worth it!
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