Don’t check the dictionary on your first read-through of a text. This is something that is extremely difficult to achieve, and mainly because when learning Chinese it’s not easy to find out the pronunciation of a word without looking it … Continue reading
This is along the lines of our previous post about textbooks being overrated – when you get bored with the standard books for learning Chinese, or books that are made specifically for foreign learners, then what can you do? To … Continue reading
After learning Chinese for a year or so, you’ll likely to become bored with the continuous flow of boring and indistinguishable textbooks. It’s at this point that you have to make a choice – either become so bored that you … Continue reading
To write, or not to write? When first starting to learn Chinese you might find yourself spending a disproportionate amount of time on writing drills. While writing drills can be useful for remembering words, ensure you don’t neglect other areas … Continue reading
Not physically fight, but rather verbally If you’re living abroad learning Chinese then you’ll find that a lot of people, especially the younger generation, will try to speak English at every opportunity when they see a westerner coming. If you … Continue reading
Don’t be afraid to use whatever Chinese you have learned so far, if you mispronounce a word don’t worry about it. Tell your Chinese-speaking friends to correct you if you frequently get a word wrong. One of the most important … Continue reading
A good method for increasing your listening ability is watching cartoons, as unlike news or talk shows, cartoons contain lots of visual cues that will allow you to guess the meaning of various words. For beginners to Chinese, Doraemon (多啦A夢/機器貓) … Continue reading
