{"id":12880,"date":"2017-01-09T20:30:32","date_gmt":"2017-01-10T00:30:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/?p=12880"},"modified":"2017-01-09T20:30:32","modified_gmt":"2017-01-10T00:30:32","slug":"new-years-resolution-learn-chinese","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/new-years-resolution-learn-chinese\/","title":{"rendered":"New Year’s Resolution – Learn Chinese"},"content":{"rendered":"

A new year is upon is, which for many people means making resolutions. Whether it’s to lose weight, quit smoking, or save money, these resolutions are all easy to make but tough to keep. One very popular New Year’s resolution is to learn a new language. Some want to do it for personal\u00a0reasons, some to travel, and others just for the challenge. If your resolution for 2017 is to learn Chinese, you’ve come to the right place. Here are some tips for how to achieve your goal, along with quite a few links to past posts that will help you out.<\/p>\n

Set Realistic Goals<\/h2>\n
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Chinese is a mountain. Take your time climbing it.<\/p><\/div>\n

If you’re just getting started with Chinese, chances are you’re not going to be fluent by the end of the year. That’s not to say it’s impossible, but it isn’t exactly realistic. With its tricky tones and thousands of characters, Chinese is one of the most difficult languages to learn. Rather than set yourself up for disappointment when you aren’t being asked to appear on Chinese TV by the end of the year, it’s better to start out with some more achievable goals. In one year of part-time study – not everyone has the resources to go full throttle – it’s quite possible to become highly conversational and have a solid vocabulary. You may not be able to read newspapers, but you can definitely understand train timetables and standard restaurant menus at the end of a year. Try setting incremental goals throughout the year and cross them off as you achieve them. When starting out these can be as simple as\u00a0ordering your lunch or hailing a cab, and you can then progress to more difficult tasks like asking for recommendations in the restaurant and making small-talk with your driver.<\/p>\n

Master the Most Common Characters<\/h2>\n

While its thousands of characters can be intimidating, keep in mind that you won’t be using them all on a daily basis. In fact, if you can get a firm grasp on the 100 most common Chinese characters<\/a>, you’ll be surprised at how far that can take you. We’ve even got a 5-part video series with all of them for extra practice. Check out the first one here and head to our YouTube channel for the rest.<\/p>\n