How to Learn Mandarin
Some people learn Mandarin or Chinese because they fall in love with the language and some are forced to learn it because of the need of the moment. You may have to interact with a lot of Chinese people or go on a visit to China. If so, it is imperative to learn Mandarin. But all the people are generally confused by how to learn Mandarin. If you really concentrate, then you can surely learn the language. It maybe a little difficult at first, but with a little perseverance, you can teach yourself the basics of Mandarin.
- Give yourself a pat in the back for every little accomplishment. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you can’t make great progress at first. Buy some books and get acquainted with the subject. You can find good books in the Guides or Languages section. If you have a friend in China who can teach you the language, then you are lucky. They can also help you by sending you good books from China.
- Go through a test after you have made some progress. Take these tests regularly and it will help you become more fluent in the language.
- There maybe many Chinese people living in the city. And of course, Chinese restaurants are a must in every place. By conversing with the people there, you will develop your skills. Greet these people in Chinese and also order the food in the same language. Find out people who know Mandarin and converse with them.
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Since Mandarin is pretty hard to learn, keep the learning process going. Don’t be frustrated with slow results. You will be able to develop the language gradually. - If you find that there is not much progress with your self-teaching methods, then you can join some Mandarin classes. You maybe surprised to find quite a few classes being taken by volunteers. The cost may vary between $300 and $500 per year.
- Practice the method which gives you the best results. Rewriting phrases, rereading, saying them aloud, hearing somebody say them aloud may be the various methods which you might feel comfortable with. You can also develop unique techniques to remember.
- Rewriting every phrase is a good way to remember. You can also refer to your notes when you forget.
- There are basically 4 tones in Mandarin. Each tone is over each Chinese word. Each is said over the word “ma” to signify the various ways of saying the same thing. For example, the tone maybe high and flat, rising, dipping or lowering.
- Learn to say the various commonly used words in Mandarin. You have to learn the very first word “Hello” which is said as “Ni Hao” in Chinese. You have to also learn the rules for alteration in the different tones. It is very important that you learn the exact usage of the tones.
Learning Mandarin is not very easy but can be done with practice and perseverance. So take the opportunity to practice as often as you can. Practice daily because if you miss out for a few days, you will forget what you have learnt so far. Soon, you will develop the skills to speak in Mandarin and be confident while speaking it.
Watch a video instruction on how to learn mandarin
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