How to Learn Mandarin 2 Tips

Tips

Tones/pronunciation is very important in Chinese. When first starting and learning new vocabulary, take some extra time to practice the tones.

Chinese is a very analytic language. This means that words, unlike German and sometimes English for instance, will not change for different cases, gender, etc.. In fact, every "word" is a single syllable, sometimes combining themselves next to each other to make "compound words".

• On the subject of compound words, it is of note that about two thirds of modern Mandarin Chinese is made up of compound words. And there are actually patterns to what these words are--just look for them!

Remember, little and often.

Don't skip a day or a few weeks just because you don't have time. You'll forget everything and have to start from scratch.

Another thing to remember, find opportunities to speak it.

Get some friends that come from China or other Chinese speaking countries to teach you some Chinese. Make sure they know Chinese, as many schools in China now teach English.

If you need to learn in a hurry, try some software or use flash cards to learn before bed.

Get a 'How to learn Mandarin' Book to learn more.

Try to get a hold of a CD that you can play in your car or while doing homework or while just relaxing. It really will help if you just practice.

If you can, taking at least an introductory course on Mandarin at your school or local college can be an excellent way to be confident and accurate in your pronunciation and tones. Getting the basics down can help you have a good springboard for further studies on your own. Preferably make sure the course is conducted in Mandarin and *not* in English. English teachers who go to teach in China are expected to speak in English, not Chinese.

While there is much disagreement about romanization of Chinese and the use of such systems, learning the Pinyin system can prove invaluable if you intend to type in Chinese on a Western keyboard.

Learn simple Chinese characters first; these are most likely the "radicals" that use their meaning and/or pronunciation to give hints in complex characters [which are most likely groups of radicals themselves].

Flashcards are very useful for learning new vocabulary, but it is equally important to practice using new words in sentences.

If you intend to learn how to read Chinese characters, seek out a good reference book or character workbook at your local bookstore or library.

Persistence is key! If you think you know a lot, then just stop studying or repeating it, you will forget what you have learned. How frustrating will it be to have to relearn things over and over because you don't study at least 4 times a week.

One good skill to learn is how to downplay compliments that native speakers give you.

   
    Katrina:
Sometimes even you just say xiexie (thank you), then you can get a huge compliment from Chinese/Taiwanese people saying: wow~you speak very good Mandarin!!
And you know"it's NOT true!!"

There are free podcasts available online.

By and large, Chinese people are very proud of their culture, and enjoy helping people learn their language. Don't be afraid to ask for help or practice with a native speaker.

Katrina:
But Taiwanese youngster nowadays don't know much about Chinese culture, and tend to speak more and more Eng. Besides, they don't really have much concern about their accent and structures when speaking Mandarin!!

While Taiwanese Mandarin is very similar to mainland Mandarin, there are very subtle differences in terms of pronunciations, vocabulary and subtle grammar structure differences. Much like American English and Standard British English.

Katrina:
Very different!