Chinese Language Learning Methods

Chinese Language Learning Methods

Chinese Language Learning Methods

As Chinas economy continues to grow in leaps and bounds the world is gradually preparing its self for a future that will almost definitely include dealing with China as a main contender in many new world businesses. Though the question is how does an outsider start to forge links with this largely unknown country? A good place to start would be by learning the language, mandarin is the second most commonly spoken language after English. Speaking mandarin requires learning 4 specific tones, grammar and a long list of vocabulary, a solid knowledge of pinyin will help you to achieve you goals faster.

What if I told you that it was possible to learn Chinese characters in just 2 months of study?

There are 2 main forms of Chinese characters, the older traditional set and the newer simplified version. As a beginner it is recommended that you choose the simplified version, which involves fewer strokes and written components, as well as having fewer characters to remember and simpler word combinations. Unlike the English language, Chinese characters are read left to right and top to bottom, so a book might appear to read backwards to any native English speaker. Each character represents a word and putting them in specific combinations will create meaning, so being able to read and write at a basic level will involve memorizing 1-2 thousand characters. Does that sound like a daunting task? Well, to help you in your journey to read and write Chinese characters, here are some tips offered by Chinese Translation , which will speed up the process towards fluency.

Flash Cards - Create a set of character flashcards and carry them with you every where you go, these can either be bought from a book store or found online and printed out on your computer. If you download them from the internet, be sure that you are getting the simplified version and not the traditional characters, otherwise you will get confused and it will slow down your progress. On each card include the character, the pinyin translation, the English word and a picture which helps if you're a visual person.

Set yourself goals Having end goals is the most important part of learning a new language; otherwise you end up slowly floating through the learning process. You could start with memorizing 5 characters per day and then slowly increase this number as you gain confidence and memory skills.

Test yourself often You can do this yourself by covering up the translation on your flash card and going through those that you have learnt. A better idea is to ask your friends or family members to give you random tests each week; let them order the tests anyway they like to help get you thinking. Keep a score for each of these tests or a journal to give you an idea of your progress, ultimately this will increase your confidence and keep you enthusiastic.

Label your home This is an old but very effective way of learning vocabulary. Label all your furniture and the common objects in your home with a relevant Chinese character; each time you go to use them or look at them call out the word.

Real life practice Practicing what you have learned will help to strengthen your memory skills, unfortunately this can be a little difficult if you live outside of a mandarin speaking country. Alternatively, buy books with both mandarin and English text, go online and make friends with people from China and offer a language swap arrangement, also you might also try finding a Chinese learning club in your area.

If you're interested in translating a text into mandarin to help practice your reading skills or plan on going to China in the future and need help during the initial phases of your move Chinese Translation Pro offers a wide range of Chinese language services, including Certified Chinese Translation.

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