Learning the Chinese language can be challenging, but it can be done. Here are some tips from our experts of tuition for O level higher Chinese to help you:
Listen to Mandarin as Often as Possible
Just pay attention during the first month or two. Prioritize listening when you first begin. Become accustomed to the noises.
If you want to understand what you are hearing better, read whatever you are listening to using a phonetic writing system, like Pinyin.
You will eventually need to learn the characters, but for now, you can skip that step and focus on building some language proficiency instead.
When you don’t understand the words, how they sound, or how they fit together, it’s too difficult to begin learning characters.
A new language can initially sound like indistinct noise. The first step is to get used to the distinct sounds in the language, learn to say some words apart from one another, and even have a few words and phrases stuck in your head.
Devote Time to Memorizing Characters
Chinese, or Mandarin Chinese, studying is a long-term endeavour.
You will get to know the language and culture of well over 20% of humanity, which has had a significant impact on world history.
For this reason, if you’re going to learn Chinese, our O level Chinese tuition always advises learning the characters.
Once you’ve made the decision to learn Chinese characters, practice them daily.
Spend 30 minutes to an hour each day learning characters. Whatever approach you use, set aside daily time for character development.
Why is it daily? Since you will need to relearn the characters often because you will forget them almost as quickly as you learn them.
Consider using a contemporary computer-based learning system. Learning new characters gets easier as we go along because they share so many characteristics. All of the characters have “radicals,” or elements that hint at their significance.
Additionally, there are behavioural traits that allude to the sound. Although not initially, these radicals are beneficial in learning the characters.
As with so many other aspects of language learning, providing too much explanation upfront might hinder language learning.
When I was first learning, I discovered that professors’ attempts to explain these radicals and other parts had little success. They escaped my understanding.
Only after sufficient exposure did I begin to recognize the elements, which accelerated my understanding of the personalities.
Observe patterns instead of rules
Observe patterns. Don’t get bogged down in difficult grammar explanations; instead, concentrate on patterns. While speaking or writing, employ them, repeat them to yourself, and look for them when you listen and read.
To master the tones, learn the language’s rhythm.
Practise listening. Make an effort to pay attention to what you are reading. Reading aids in vocabulary acquisition, but listening aids in immersion and speaking readiness. The essential skill required to converse with others is listening comprehension.
The tones in Mandarin are one of its difficulties. As we increase our vocabulary, we get more familiar with each character’s tone, but it can be challenging to recall these when speaking. Internalizing the tones as a component of phrases is crucial.
To do this, you need to listen. Listening to a native speaker is the only way to learn the intonation and rhythm of Mandarin or any other language. It cannot be theoretically learned.
