Best Ways to Learn Mandarin by Yourself

You have decided that taking Chinese classes and following an extreme course schedule is not your type of thing. But you would still love to boost your Mandarin Chinese language skills. 

So what you can do here? 

So simple: Learn Mandarin Chinese language on your own!

You will be amazed at the variety of tools and resources you can gain access to on the web, from Pinyin to CCHATTY tools, there is much out there available for you!

But what is the most efficient method to learn by yourself?

Which resources are the best for this purpose?

Those questions are rightly the reason why we have put this guide together for you. So, it’s the moment to passage your internal superhero and get pumped up to start your journey. We will find a few great motivation in the answer to the question: 

Why should you learn Mandarin Chinese language anyway?

Learning Mandarin on your own might sometimes be a feat. So if you are one of those people who still have some doubts regarding this, then these 3 amazing features of mandarin will surely help you cement that decision. You will be happy to know that though intimidating it might first look to be, mandarin Chinese is, in fact, something that can understand and enjoyed by everyone. 

Here is why:

Worldwide Phenomenon

Currently, more and more people are jumping onto the mandarin bandwagon. It is the very reason why they're a lot of online Mandarin courses cropping up. Or the fact that there’s a big spike in the number of foreign learners enrolling in Mandarin language courses in Shanghai and Beijing. It has become a worldwide phenomenon! People desired to learn completely about it and you’d too.

Practicality

The very reason why there’s a sudden interest in these mandarins is mainly due to their applicability. When China opened its doors to overseas trade, investors, as well as entrepreneurs, started flowing in. But English is not hugely largely used in the country so the most practical solution is to adapt to the locals. How? Just by learning their language.

Today, one out of each 5 companies has a satellite office or at least an external working relation in Mainland. Most likely, the corporation you are a part of has a Mandarin shareholder – be it a supplier, director, or client. So, it is quite clear that learning Mandarin will provide you a huge benefit in the business world.

History and Rich Culture 

Chinese culture is one of the eldest in the world. With over 8000 years of history, there is no doubt why people across the world are taking a special interest in its rich history and culture. The Mandarin Chinese language is a pure piece of art in and of itself. You will be amazed at how mandarin characters were formed or how every character relates to a specific piece. Learning mandarin will assist you to untangle the several mysteries of Chinese culture. You will get a glimpse of it, and then you will surely want to keep on unraveling them.

Challenges you will Encounter While learning Mandarin Chinese 

There’ll be some stumbling blocks along the way – that is given. When you first encounter, any dialogue or text written in Chinese you will realize that they’re just6 so alien to you. Chinese is not like other foreign languages that use the Roman alphabet, Chinese has its alphabet. The language has other several elements that are new English native speakers, from intonation to several strokes.

Even the simplified and conventional characters might look daunting to you. 

But you know why?

There is always a way around it, slightly, the more you familiarize yourself with the Chinese, the less alien it’ll feel. Listen more, read more and practice more. The more you expose yourself to the Chinese, the more familiar it becomes. And once you can eliminate that fear, your thirst for knowledge and inquisitiveness for the language will emerge.

Tips to getting started learning Mandarin Chinese by yourself 

Now that we have set those panics and stress aside, it is time to grip your inner strength, as we prepare for your wonderful journey in learning Mandarin. Here’re some key tips that’ll assist you to get the most out of your learning.

• Familiarize yourself with its sounds 

This is key to learning any foreign language. You’ve to understand how to distinguish somebody who’s speaking in Chinese from those who’re not. Listen to anybody or something that uses Chinese, be it an audio-book, video content, or mere commentary. It will assist you to learn the basics of the Mandarin language, the sounds, and the intonation. You will notice what sounds are most commonly used, and which are not present in Chinese.

• Look for the practical side 

The thing about it, what is more, a major motivation for learning mandarin? Is it for travel or business or just for heck if it? Whatever the reasons are, use it as your motivation for you to continue learning. There’ll always be a time when you feel slightly discouraged or out of sorts. When that period comes, think of your reason for learning mandarin. That’ll get you back on track. You can also gear your progress towards your goal. If you are learning for traveling purposes, inform yourself with basic mandarin travel, and shopping texts. Once you see the practical tools of the language, you will want to keep on learning mandarin.

• Familiarize yourself with the mandarin tones

We all know that Chinese is the tonal language – characters even the pronunciation if their procuration is otherwise similar, change their meaning with their tones. Familiarizing yourself with tones is vital as otherwise, you’ll be mispronouncing every single word. Tons are basically changes in the pitch when speaking mandarin. 

This sounds slightly complicated but, spoken language use pitch in 1 way or the other: just try out the basic difference in English, among saying yes, in a very certain style and say yes is a question or to describe doubt. There you go, there’s nothing to fear about tones. In the starting focus on listening to the tones of one character and the gradually of the words and sentences. Tones, for example, the 3rd tone are frequently described as falling rising. In usual speech though, it’s simply a low tone. 

• Listen to the Chinese words and conversation again and again 

Repetition is the finest method to keep in mind whatever you have learned. You will be confused by everything you listen or read to at first, but over time, it will slowly start to make sense. This method helps you understand. You do not need to look for the meaning of any Chinese character. Over time, you will understand what characters mean through context clues.

• Combine your different interests with your learning 

This’ll make it more fun, do not keep learning so seriously to the point that it becomes a huge burden on you. Learning should be enjoyable, so always try to match it with your interest. If you are into music, for instance, use music to learn mandarin. If you love TV shows or films, then use the mandarin counterpart. There’re so many paths of learning available for you to discover.

• Regular Practice

Never stop practicing. No matter how busy your life is, set aside time to practice the things you have learned. It will help you bear in mind and encourage you to further your learning.

Efficient Techniques to learn Mandarin Chinese by Yourself 

Learning Mandarin is not hard at all if you know where to look and what to look for. You will be happy to find out that there’re, in fact, several wonderful resources on the web. Here’re some of the best resources available now for learning mandarin by yourself.

• Use music videos

Using music videos one of the finest techniques to learn a new language it is fun and amazing! But why use music videos in its place of just listening to mandarin songs? Well sometimes what is going on in the music can provide you the main context to better understand the song, and other times, it is a Chinese character and follows along with lyrics. The best way to learn mandarin from music videos is with YouTube. Watching these music videos will help you become familiar with the right pronunciation as intonations are learned over time with further exposure. So pick the genre that best suits your mind. 

• Regularly meet with a conversation buddy

When I was taking up Mandarin Chinese in Beijing, I was fortunate enough to have a language buddy. I got to learn more Chinese from her while she learned English from me: A win-win situation! We get to cover more covers more spots than ones taught in class, like slang in several expressions. I become familiar with their true way of talking.

So, if you’ve friendly who is good at Chinese, you do that too. Chances are you will have to look for a conversation buddy, but it is totally doable! Is there a university near where you live, or a Chinese food restaurant? Check there first. You can also look for a Mandarin conversion partner online – that is becoming quite the trend nowadays.

You can check out Social networks for skilled online conversation partners. Interacting with somebody in Mandarin greatly assists you to appreciate the language you will see the practical side of learning. It’ll motivate you to expand your knowledge and walk-in unfamiliar areas. Trust me, it will do you huge wonders.

• Watch Mandarin Shows with Subtitles 

Once you have covered the basics, watching mandarin shows is the next step. Whether it is TV shows or dramas, you will be exposed to new vocabulary and characters. Like music, choose the genre that you love most. There is nothing more satisfying than getting to learn something new while enjoying what you are doing.

If you ask me, I suggest that you pick mandarin dramas that border on romantic comedies. Why?

They are the easiest to understand! Variety shows or talk shows are equally entertaining, but there is a tendency for you to feel lost in their conversion. If you not that familiar with the mandarin culture and current events, you mightn’t completely understand what their humorous statements are actually about. Also, select shows with subtitle, you can easily found in YouTube and several other streaming sites. Watching shows with subtitles will extremely help your character recognition abilities.

• Listen to audiobooks

If you have noticed all the techniques and resources I have to tell you here so fat targeted both your reading and listening abilities. That is because it works best that way. You would not get the most out of your mandarin learning if you merely target one of them. It is for this right reason that audiobooks will help you out. Merely reading a book would not do, you’ve to listen to the words at a similar time.

For starters, you can listen to mandarin course textbooks, it will help you grasp the basics of the language. But if you desire to stick with novels and comic books, there’s a wide range of topics and available on the internet to choose from. You can also try novels, but they are only recommended if you are already at the pro level. The novels are purely mandarin characters, there is no Pinyin to help you out.

• Listen to podcasts

Lastly, if you know where to look, podcasts can become your knew on the go best buddy. There’s a huge variety of topics, as well as several podcasts focused on learning the mandarin basics to beginners. You can download these to start, but if you already manage, I recommend you choose a podcast that is geared towards specific choices and Chinese culture. This’ll expose you to a huge range of vocabulary – words that are not usually covered in the former.

One last thing… 

If you want to continue learning mandarin with authentic and interactive learning tools, then you will love CCHATTY. Here’re you can also find tons of tips, tricks, and advice to learn Chinese fast and efficiently.