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Learn Chinese Using These Techniques

April 17th, 2011

When you are a grown up trying to learn Chinese from scratch, nobody will tell you that you have an easy road in front of you. Still, it might be simpler than you think. It is the same as anything else you want to learn: you need to take it a single step at a time. Learning Chinese takes patience, diligence and determination (and using the tips we’re about to share).

Movies are a great way for new students of Chinese to get exposure to the language. There are lots of high quality and great Chinese movies out there; you aren’t limited to the kung fu movies that so many people enjoy. Just make sure that the movie you choose uses the dialect that you want to learn: for example, if you are learning Mandarin, skip the older kung fu movies because most of them are in Cantonese. No matter what type of movies you usually choose, they are a great way to get used to hearing Chinese while still being entertained. You can watch a favorite many times and rely less on the subtitles every time you watch it. This is an entertaining way to learn Chinese.

Visiting China or another country that uses Chinese is a marvelous method for learning the language. Of course, not every student of the language will be able to do this but it is a good goal to have! If you do take one of these trips it is better to take one with a tour that focuses on using the language (or to find a language school) because, with so many locals learning English, you’ll find that most people you meet will want to practice English with you instead of letting you practice Chinese with them. Even though Hong Kong is a popular tourist destination it isn’t good for practicing Chinese because most people here speak English well (it was ruled by the British for a long time) and the Chinese they use is Cantonese. If you have chosen to learn Mandarin, the best location to visit is the mainland of China.

Many people who are new to learning Chinese quickly discover that the idea of making mistakes causes them anxiety. 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. Don’t worry so much about mistakes when you are taking a class or practicing with someone for whom Chinese is their first language…just do your best! In most instances, Chinese speakers will be impressed with your willingness to learn and will do their best to help you and provide encouragement. If you are thinking of waiting until you have achieved fluency in Chinese to start speaking it, you’re going to be waiting for the rest of your life because you can’t become fluent without making mistakes.

In conclusion: your approach to learning Chinese doesn’t need to be different than your approach to learning any other challenging thing. Rather than stressing out over fluency (which will take years as Chinese is a complicated language), challenge yourself to learn a little bit every day over time. Grab every opportunity you can to practice as you learn whether those practice sessions come from books, classes or time spent in Chinese speaking places. If you use the tips in this article you will have an easier time learning this challenging and beautiful language.

Tags: Adult Education

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Entry Filed under: Adult Education