{"id":16968,"date":"2022-01-25T07:57:12","date_gmt":"2022-01-25T11:57:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/?p=16968"},"modified":"2022-01-25T07:57:12","modified_gmt":"2022-01-25T11:57:12","slug":"tips-for-learning-chinese","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/tips-for-learning-chinese\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips for Learning Chinese"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay.com, CCO<\/p><\/div>\n

A famous Chinese proverb says: \u597d\u4e8b\u591a\u78e8<\/strong> (h\u01ceo sh\u00ec du\u014d m\u00f3). \u597d\u4e8b<\/strong> means good things<\/em>, \u591a<\/strong> means a lot<\/em>, and \u78e8<\/strong> means to grind<\/em>, to rub<\/em>. It comes to say that good things do not come without toil<\/em>. Realizing your dreams involves much work, and that\u2019s certainly true of Chinese fluency.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Foreign Service Institute of USA rated foreign languages at four levels, based on the\u00a0average\u00a0length of time it will take for an English native speaker to achieve proficiency. According to this scale<\/a>, category\u00a0IV\u00a0is the highest and includes \u201cthe languages which are exceptionally difficult for native English speakers\u201d. Chinese is among them.<\/p>\n

Now, I don\u2019t know if Chinese is one of the hardest languages to learn, but I do know that learning a second language, any language, is a journey. A long journey. A journey without a finish line. An endless journey. And although it feels frustrating at times, it is actually pretty exciting. Because it is a journey of progress. You will celebrate significant milestones on the way, and you will enjoy your own development of the language. And you will still expect the next step.<\/p>\n

Here are three tips for language learning:<\/p>\n

\u8ba9\u81ea\u5df1\u6c89\u6d78\u5176\u4e2d\u3002<\/strong><\/p>\n

R\u00e0ng z\u00ec j\u01d0 ch\u00e9n j\u00ecn q\u00ed zh\u014dng.<\/p>\n

Immerse yourself in it. <\/em><\/p>\n

Put the language in your ears, so you will soak in the pronunciation, the rhythm, the intonation. Put the language in your eyes, so you will soak in the style, the wording, the syntax. Put the language on your tongue, so you will soak in the character. If you can\u2019t travel to the country that speaks the language (\u8bed\u8a00<\/strong> y\u01d4 y\u00e1n), do your best to immerse yourself where you are: TV, movies, radio, newspapers, magazines, books, restaurants, music, classes, language exchange, art, etc.<\/p>\n

\u6293\u4f4f\u4efb\u4f55\u7684\u673a\u4f1a\u53bb\u7ec3\u4e60\u3002<\/strong><\/p>\n

Zhu\u0101 zh\u00f9 r\u00e8n h\u00e9 de j\u012b hu\u00ec q\u00f9 li\u00e0n x\u00ed.<\/p>\n

Take any opportunity you can to practice. <\/em><\/p>\n

With a partner or alone, with a textbook or without, at a desk or by walking, any opportunity to practice is a good opportunity. I really enjoy Chinese music and it helps me to practice Chinese characters: I used to write down song lyrics on a piece of paper, sitting in a bus stop while waiting for the bus to come. These random ten minutes in my schedule of concentrating on writing did magic to my \u6c49\u5b57<\/strong> (h\u00e0n z\u00ec, Chinese characters). You don\u2019t need a clean desk, an expensive textbook, or a full day. All you need is your passion.<\/p>\n

\u8981\u627e\u5230\u9002\u5408\u4f60\u7684\u5c31\u884c\u3002<\/strong><\/p>\n

Y\u00e0o zh\u01ceod\u00e0o sh\u00ech\u00e9 n\u01d0 de ji\u00f9x\u00edng.<\/p>\n

Find what suits you. <\/em><\/p>\n

It takes time to figure out the best learning method for yourself. Along the way, through the journey of learning a foreign language (\u5916\u8bed<\/strong> w\u00e0i y\u01d4), you will find your own way to make progress. Many share their ways of becoming Chinese fluent online, but you will stick to only what works for you. And even then take it step by step. Remember \u2013 it\u2019s a long journey, you\u2019d better enjoy the way. We are here to help: use our free service of Mandarin Chinese Word of the Day<\/a> to enrich your vocabulary, and follow us on\u00a0Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This TED speech by L\u00fddia Machov\u00e1 articulates well the enjoyment and the individualism of language learning:<\/p>\n