No one would claim it’s easy to learn Chinese, especially if you are starting from scratch as an adult. Yet it may not be as difficult as you think. Like most knowledge building, this particular skill needs to be built by taking it one step at a time. If you are patient and stay the course (and use the suggestions in this article) you shouldn’t have any difficulty learning Chinese.
When you begin to learn Chinese, the best way to get more exposure to the language is to watch movies. There are lots of great Chinese movies to watch in addition to the time honored kung fu movies that are so popular. Just be sure that the movie features the dialect you are studying (some kung fu movies, for example, especially earlier ones, are Cantonese rather than Mandarin). No matter what kind of movie you typically like using them to get used to hearing Chinese is a good idea. You can watch your favorite movies again and again, using the subtitles less and less over time. This is a great way to learn Chinese.
One of the best ways to learn Chinese is to travel to China or another country where Chinese is spoken. This is not always possible, of course, but it’s something you can have as a goal while you’re studying the language. If you are able to take the trip, try to find a language school or to find a touring group that will focus on the language itself–otherwise you will probably discover that most of the people you meet will want to practice their English with you and you won’t have the chance to practice your skills. Many Westerners like Hong Kong, but this is a place where most people speak English because of the long period of British rule, and the Chinese spoken there is Cantonese. If you have chosen to study Mandarin, the best place to visit is mainland China.
Many people, as they start to learn Chinese or any foreign language, find that they have certain anxieties about making mistakes. This is a major barrier in learning new languages. Practice is the best way to ingrain a new language which means that you are going to have to make some mistakes before you get good. If you are in a class, or have any chance to talk to Chinese people in their language, try your best and don’t worry about being perfect. For the most part, native Chinese speakers will appreciate that you are trying to learn their language and will do what they can to help you learn and feel more comfortable. If you try to wait until you are fluent in Chinese to practice saying the words out loud you are going to have to wait forever; making mistakes is part of the learning process.
In conclusion: you need to think of learning Chinese as learning anything else that is challenging. Don’t worry about getting fluent as that can take years; instead focus on learning a little each day. Embrace every single opportunity that you have to practice whether it is with a class, by reading a book or by working with a native speaker. The above tips on learning Chinese can be useful as you begin learning this difficult but rewarding language.
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