Getting started in Chinese is hard. How to learn Chinese is a question a lot of people ask me. Here are a few things I wish I had known about when I started to learn Chinese! This is a BIG article! Or a small book – take your pick! Therefore it’s good to bookmark it …
Hopefully by now you have found a speaking partner and started to speak a little Chinese. The “problem” is that now people will speak back to you!And you might not understand what they are saying – shock horror. Today I want to talk to you about Chinese listening skills and Chinese listening resources. The key with listening is …
Learning how to use a Chinese dictionary initially seems difficult. In a language that uses an alphabet (like English, French or German) we can simply look up words in alphabetical order. We just need to now the order of the alphabet which, thankfully, in most European languages mirrors the a,b,c,d we learn in English. In …
Today we’re going to take three tiny but important steps to rapidly improving your spoken Chinese. Here’s a video to go along with the ideas in the article: All three of these steps are totally free and will form the foundation of a great speaking practice habit. These three steps are: Step 1: Commit to …
Here’s another essential tool to add to your language toolbox: Backchaining. This tool focuses particularly on helping you with Chinese pronunciation, especially for working methodically through difficult to say words and phrases. What is Backchaining and how does it help with our Chinese pronunciation? Backchaining is a simple tool you can use to help pronounce difficult …
Backchaining : The best tool for difficult Chinese Pronuciation Read More »
If I was allowed to only use one practice method to learn Mandarin Chinese tones it would be this: tone pairs. Tone pair drills are simply the most powerful way to get a intuitive grip on Chinese tones. Unfortunately they are woefully underused. I want to use this article to introduce the concept and show you …
Tone Pair Drills: The Single Best Method for Learning Chinese Tones Read More »
When learning Chinese, it is important to ask questions. When you work to clarify meaning, it can accelerate your learning. After learning Chinese for 6 years and also studying Korean, Japanese, and Spanish, I have noticed that there are essential questions that every language learner should have in their toolbox. These Chinese phrases can help …