8 Practical Tips for Learning Chinese From Someone Who's Been There
Nov 3, 2024
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I get it. Learning languages is tough. Now imagine you are trying to learn one of the most difficult languages in the world. If you ever find yourself asking, "Why am I even here?", here's a post with practical tips that will help you speed up your studying.
In case you need a boost shot of motivation, make sure to refresh your mind about why it's useful to learn Chinese this year (it doesn't matter when you read this, it's always a good time).
Let's cut to the chase! Here are 10 tips that will help you improve your Chinese faster:
1) Create Your Language Microcosmos.
Believe it or not, you don't need to be in China to immerse yourself in the language. Create your little China in your everyday life, wherever you are.
As someone who always relied on studying Chinese "by the book", this was one of the best approaches to improve my daily Chinese, and it made me realize how outdated many textbooks are!
Here are some easy steps to follow:
Change your phone to Chinese:
For beginners: Take the challenge and try this for half a day. Don't let it frustrate you. Remind yourself "One day, I will be able to understand all of this!" Little by little 慢慢来 (màn man lái).
For intermediate-advanced learners: Try your best to keep it permanent. The everyday exposure will help you learn new words and characters organically without even noticing, while scrolling on Instagram or when receiving a notification.
Incorporate Chinese into daily tasks:
Groceries list, appointment reminders, or journaling? Whatever you write daily, try it in Chinese. The first times might take longer, but it will be a quick way to track your progress and expand your vocabulary. (Tip: If you're having trouble remembering words on the spot, don't be too hard on yourself, write half and check the full version once you have time).
2) Set Yourself a Realistic Goal
A common milestone for Chinese learners is to pass the HSK (hànyǔ shuǐpíng kǎoshì), the Chinese Proficiency Test. Consider booking your spot months in advance to give yourself a clear target. You can find the closest official centers and dates available here.
My advice: don't just study to pass the test. Enhance your learning by:
Combining your HSK preparation with active speaking practice.
(And surprise: you don't require a Chinese partner or regular meetings with a friend for this! We will see this in step 6)
Remembering that while formal vocabulary is useful, conversational Chinese is equally crucial. A lot of the vocabulary included in HSK are formal words or 书面语 (shūmiànyǔ), written language expressions. Ensure you're comfortable using the language in everyday situations to avoid puzzled looks. (Step 4 will give you a key tip to boost your daily vocabulary.)
3) Make Post-its Your New Best Friends.
Image source: Pikbest
To reinforce new words, stick post-its or adhesive notes around your home (and make it related!).
Some places you could try to make your place more Chinese-friendly:
-Next to the mirror: Learn terms related to self-care and fashion.
-On the fridge: Familiarize yourself with words for food, beverage, and cooking utensils.
-On top of your desk: Keep HSK or textbook vocabulary within reach.
4) Write It Down, Find Out Later.
Challenge yourself to think: "Wait, how would I say this in Chinese?" during daily activities. You don't need a perfect translation, but a way to get by on quotidian situations.
Note down phrases you don’t know how to translate, and later, look them up. This practice will build your vocabulary through real-life context. Simple actions such as stepping into the metro or asking for a coffee can be amazing opportunities to learn.
By consistently making these connections, you will find it easy to learn new vocabulary besides HSK or textbook materials.
5) Maximize The Potential of Pleco, Your Go-to Ally.
If post-its are your new best friends, Pleco may be the love of your life.
If you haven't yet installed Pleco, the ultime Chinese Dictionary, it's time to hit that download button. Both free and premium versions offer highly useful features to search, write, and recognize characters and words. A detailed exploration of all its features will be covered in a future blog post. Stay tunned!
Image source: Google Play
There is one crucial feature of Pleco which is often overlooked by many Chinese learners (I have shared this insight with numerous peers. They all thanked me later!).
Did you know that you can create, categorize, and test yourself with Pleco flashcards It's a game-changer!
Steps for reference:
Step 1- Look for a word and click the "+" button to save it into a category. Press and hold for some seconds to see all your categories.
Some inspiration for categories:
-Daily life
-HSK vocab
-Movies/books
-Lesson 1
Step 2- Make sure your categories are well organized before starting a new test. You have the option to choose the number of flashcards and the type of test (listening, writing, or recognition) by displaying the characters, pīnyīn, the audio, or a combination of all.
(In my case, I chose the characters to appear only). Once you marked if you recalled it correctly or not, later on, you can separately test those words that you missed again. Isn't it a fantastic method to prepare for exams?
For more details, here you can check out Pleco's Flashcards Tutorial for Apple and Android versions.
6) Talk Alone and Make it Loud.
Surprise, surprise: Finding a Chinese partner or joining classes is not the only way to practice your speaking. Take a look at that mirror—it's very much ready for a conversation with you.
Practicing a topic or a speech in front of the mirror, as well as reading out loud, are essential steps to be confident and fluent in real-life scenarios. It's clear— you will be more confident to express an idea if you have already practiced the topic multiple times (not only in your head but with your mouth too!)
7) Enjoy Chinese Entertainment
One of the most enjoyable ways to improve your Chinese is through movies, music, podcasts, or books. Platforms like iQIYI Netflix, or YouTube offer a vast range of Chinese content. Watch as many films as you can, and allow yourself to get immersed in the language and culture.
The key is to make it a relaxed experience. There's no need to understand every word spoken. Avoid pausing the movie frequently to translate; instead, let the context and visual cues help you grasp the meaning. This may be hard in the beginning, but it will develop your listening skills and intonation, making language learning feel natural and less like a chore.
8) Download Popular Chinese Apps
Step into the digital streets of China by filling up your phone with some native apps. A good way to start is with what, from the eyes of a Westerner, would be the "Chinese Instagram": Xiaohongshu 小红书 (The little red book) for a peek into what’s trending on socials, or Weibo 微博 "the Chinese Twitter" to follow the buzz around events, news and celebrity gossip. If you're up for a chat, HelloTalk will connect you with native speakers who want to exchange languages, they may even be around you! Engaging with these platforms will sharpen your language skills (especially slang and idioms that you may not learn otherwise), and also give you a real-time glimpse into the trends of Chinese society.
By incorporating these tips into your daily routine, you’ll find learning Chinese becomes more natural and enjoyable. Remember, consistency is key to language mastery!