My Journey to Learning Chinese

I have been learning Chinese for over two years, but it hasn't always been a straightforward path.

At first, I tried to self-learn using some online materials. Although it was good for learning the basics, I became overwhelmed after a few months. The main problems were:

(1）Lack of motivation. Since no one was encouraging me to study, after a few months, I became busy with other things and lost focus on studying Chinese. I forgot all about the progress I had made, and had to restart a few times. Very frustrating!

(2) The material itself was very outdated, but I didn't realize it. In the textbook, they referred to everybody as 同志 (Comrade). When I told my Chinese friends, they laughed and said no one uses that term anymore in daily Chinese speaking.

After, I decided to sign up for personal tutor. Although more expensive, it is really helpful for making sure you get regular practice. We meet once a week, and I need to complete various homeworks throughout the week. I highly recommend making the investment if you are serious about learning Chinese.

Good luck everybody learning Chinese! 加油！